Alabama running back Derrick Henry (2) runs the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015, in Auburn, Ala. As SB Nation noted, a Florida win would have more of an effect on the other bowls, likely dropping Ole Miss out of the Sugar Bowl and giving it to the Gators instead.
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Henry tied the SEC record for touchdowns in a season (23). They still got plenty of talented recruits even while Muschamp struggled, so it would just be up to McElwain to find ways to win. Meanwhile, Alabama won the Iron Bowl last week quite handily 29-13, and has big wins this season over then-#9 Texas A&M, then #20 Wisconsin, then #17 Mississippi State, and then #2 LSU. Perhaps the return of Demarcus Robinson, who was suspended before Florida’s game last week against FSU, will spark the Gators offensively. He’ll have his work cut out for him against a Tide defense that ranks as the best in the country against the run, limiting opposing ground games to a pitiful 78.92 rushing yards per contest. Other than one game where we played poorly and turned the ball over five times, this team has shown a lot of consistency. They entered their regular season finale against rival Florida State with just one loss and essentially complete control over their College Football Playoff destiny.
Derrick Henry is the leading candidate to win the 2015 Heisman Trophy, and he has a chance to make history on Saturday. The Alabama Crimson Tide are 11-1 and 7-5 against the spread. If Florida can force some bad throws and turnovers they have a chance to take the SEC crown. But Alabama’s leadership group called a players only meeting which helped refocus the team. Head coach Nick Saban’s squad made enough dents in the Gators’ defensive armor to emerge as the superior squad throughout the second half, and the nation’s third-ranked scoring defense held up its end of the bargain to seal things for the Tide. Jake Coker turned in just the sort of performance that the Tide needed out of its quarterback – 18 of 26 completions for 204 yards, including a pair of touchdowns. Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey led a group of players who leaped into the stands to sing and cheer with fans. Coker has four passing touchdowns in his last three games. If the Crimson Tide can get big plays from Coker and Henry they have a good chance to run all over the Gators defense. Reggie Ragland leads the Crimson Tide with 90 tackles, Eddie Jackson has five interceptions and Jonathan Allen has nine sacks.
“We know if we don’t win this game, we can’t do anything else further in the season”, tight end O.J. Howard said, taking his coach at his word.
But while Alabama enters the SEC Championship Game as a heavy favorite, 17.5 points to be exact, Saturday will be no cakewalk.
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UF’s defense kept the Gators in the game against Alabama, but eventually wore down as the offense repeatedly stalled and totaled a season-low 180 yards.
