Alabama and Florida will meet  in the SEC Championship Game for the ninth time this afternoon in Atlanta. The teams have split the previous meetings, but most agree that the Tide will break the 4-4 tie and win handily.

A 24-point favorite, Alabama equals the mark set by Florida in 1995 as the biggest favorite in SECCG history. That year the Gators toppled Arkansas 34-3 to capture the conference crown.

RELATED: 5 reasons Alabama will win | 5 reasons Florida will win

We’ll know in a few hours if Alabama can equal that output, but here are five things that will have my attention:

1. Turnover ratio: Can Florida win the battle? The Gators have relied heavily on turnovers from their defense to keep the opposition out of the end zone, and other times to set up the offense with great field position. It made the difference in close wins over Vanderbilt and LSU, and it’s really the only way Florida has a chance to keep up with Alabama.

The Gators are among the best in the conference with 13 interceptions. Only Georgia (15) and South Carolina (14) had more and both played one more game than did Florida this season. Forcing Alabama into passing situations and then pressuring the quarterback will be critical, not to mention easier said than done.

2. Can Florida come up with big plays from its talented receivers? Antonio Callaway is the Gators’ big-play receiver, although he hasn’t been much of a factor since his 134-yard game against Tennessee. Still, he remains capable of an explosive play like the one teammate Tyrie Cleveland turned in against LSU, going 98 yards for a touchdown that broke the Tigers’ backs. Brandon Powell is capable as well.

The Gators will have to have some big plays if they hope to pull the upset. Getting them the ball will be the biggest obstacle to overcome against a tenacious Alabama defense that has proven it can score just as easily as the opposing offense.

3. Will the Gators defense be able to get off the field? This is perhaps the most critical aspect of the game. Alabama leads the SEC in third-down conversions (47.34 percent). If Florida’s defense can’t contain the conference’s second-best offense (479.6 yards per game), it will be a long night for the heavy underdogs.

The Gators are fourth in the SEC against the run, giving up 133.64 yards per game. It’s a must that they keep that pace and make Alabama’s offense uncomfortable to have any chance at winning.

4. The intangible: Jalen Hurts. Rarely, if ever, have we seen a freshman display the kind of poise that the Alabama quarterback has displayed in pressure situations. He obviously will be the unknown factor again tonight against a very stout Florida defense.

Fifth in the SEC in average yards per game (274.5), Hurts is second in the conference in total yards rushing (840) by a quarterback. Only Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald (1,243) has more. Bottom line, Hurts can beat you with his legs just as easy, if not more so, than with his arm.

A true freshman quarterback has never won the SEC Championship Game.

How/if Florida can neutralize his abilities will play a major role in determining the game’s outcome.

5. What will be Alabama’s approach offensively? It will be interesting to see if Alabama takes a page from Florida State’s playbook and implements the same type of strategy. The Seminoles rolled up 249 yards rushing in their 31-13 rout of the Gators last week. That’s right in Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s wheelhouse, and not just because it would also limit the chances Florida’s talented secondary has to make game-changing plays.

The Tide would like nothing more than to be able to win the battle at the line of scrimmage and use its running game to control the clock, wear down the Gators, and come away with a big victory. It’s classic Saban.