Alabama Crimson Tide Roll Over Florida Gators, Confirm Place In College

Hargreaves is projected to go in the first round by many analysts but said he would “of course” participate in the Gators’ future bowl game after a few players last season chose to skip the Birmingham Bowl after then-head coach Will Muschamp was dismissed.

In the end, the stats did not lie, but here’s the one that screams the Crimson Tide’s domination: Florida ran 45 offensive plays for 180 yards and a TD. But if there was a theme with all the Gator fans one ran into at the airport, in the streets, or at the Georgia Dome – is was let’s worry about tomorrow some other day.

The Tide became the first team since Tennessee in 1998 to win two straight SEC titles an impressive achievement indeed. Our charge is to rank that No. 1 team through 4, best four teams. “That’s what big, strong highly recruited guys do”.

Alabama’s offense dominated the time of possession and as the Florida defense wore down, Henry began to do his thing.

They had to go overtime to beat two-win Florida Atlantic (which is actually a school and not a commuter airline) 20-14 and then got rolled last Saturday 27-2 by Florida State. It meant that the Tide would play Michigan State first and not Oklahoma. We have to realize we’re brothers and remember those 5 a.m. runs and workouts that got us to this point.

Florida, which managed all of two points in a regular season-ending loss to rival Florida State, was limited to seven first downs on this afternoon, finishing with a woeful 15 yards rushing. Florida had demonstrated no ability to move the football without the assistance of motor vehicles, and whatever mojo had carried the Gators through to an SEC East title appeared to have vanished into the ether three weeks ago.

That’s not a surprise, considering Hargreaves is projected to be a top-10 pick in most mock drafts. “You’re going to have situations where you make a mistake and the offense scores”.

Florida certainly did that. Time and again, the closing speed and ferocious hitting of the Gators’ defenders were on display.

Even so, Alabama’s offensive engine took a half to reach fully operational status, and that had to have the Tide faithful concerned.

Johnny Jefferson ran for 158 yards for Baylor and had enough yards to convert a fourth-and-4 with 2:31 left before he fumbled.

Henry tied the SEC record for touchdowns in a season (23) and eclipsed Herschel Walker’s 34-year-old conference mark for rushing yards in a year. Alabama struggled to get pressure on Gators quarterback Treon Harris at times, but the Tide made him pay throughout the game, and completely bottled up star running back Kelvin Taylor (eight rushing yards).

The Gators gained just a single yard in the second quarter.

From the start, the Crimson Tide defense was prepared to stop the Gators’ running attack, easily the most effective part of the offense this season. It was one of a handful of foolhardy throws by Coker that ended up working out for Alabama.

“We knew this was going to be a tough game today and it would take sort of our best focus, our best mental and physical toughness”, Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “‘You should be excited about what you’ve been able to accomplish winning the SEC championship”.