It started on Friday when fans from Gainesville and Tuscaloosa arrived in Atlanta and the hotels from the Marriott by Perimeter Mall to the Renaissance Hotel by the Atlanta Airport were quickly filling up with rabid Gator and Crimson Tide fans. Everybody knew that this was going to be a game for the ages and it was just that, as Florida defeated Alabama 31-20 on Saturday.
The Gators were favored to win by 11, which is a big number for a conference title game between two teams separated by one loss, but this game was a lot closer than what the score indicated. The game started with Florida drawing first blood with a Tim Tebow 3-yard touchdown pass to Carl Moore. But the Tide was able to take the lead with a Glenn Coffee 18-yard touchdown run and a Leigh Tiffin 30-yard field goal on their next series in the first quarter. Florida was able to take back the lead with the second quarter with another Tebow touchdown pass, but Alabama punched right back, scoring 10 points in the third to regain the lead. In the fourth quarter, the Gators put the game away with two unanswered touchdowns by way of a Jeffery Demps 1-yard run and a Tebow 5-yard pass to Riley Cooper.
So was this the best SEC Championship in recent memory? I think that it’s certainly up there, as both teams proved why they are the top two teams in the conference and in the nation. It was a heavyweight bout that went back and forth, but the Gators had more gas at the end and were the last team standing. Many critics questioned how the Tide was going to keep up with the Gator offense. They were able to do that, as the Tide racked up 323 total yards while Florida totaled 359. Alabama also had nearly as many first downs as the Gators (Alabama had 18 and Florida had 20) and the time of possession was close to even, with Florida only holding a five-minute advantage.
So where does this game leave both teams? For Alabama, Nick Saban’s team will likely play in the Sugar Bowl against Utah. It won’t necessarily be the most popular bowl opponent for the Tide faithful, but Alabama has enjoyed a great season nonetheless, and Nick Saban has something good going over in Tuscaloosa. As for the boys in blue and orange, unless something drastic happens with the computers, they will play for the BCS National Championship. Oklahoma, Texas or USC are the likely opponents for the Gators. And because of their win, Tebow is once again a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy, as he threw for three touchdowns and had 56 rushing yards. It’s nearly impossible to believe that this Florida team lost to Ole Miss at home two months ago.
Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.
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