Who has edge in SEC Championship Game: Alabama vs. Florida

Alabama and Florida will meet in the SEC championship game for the second consecutive year and ninth time overall (4 p.m., Saturday, CBS).

The top-ranked Crimson Tide are three-touchdown favorites to win their fifth SEC crown under Nick Saban. In his second season, Jim McElwain led the Gators to yet another division title. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued Florida, however, and it enters Saturday as a major underdog.

Let’s see how the two teams match up on paper.

When Alabama has the ball

QB Jalen Hurts vs. Florida pass defense: The strongest aspect of Florida’s defense lies in its secondary. Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson are a fearsome cornerback duo who have combined for seven interceptions. Injuries have left Florida thin at safety, however, where true freshman Chauncey Gardner and Marcell Harris will get the start.

They will have their hands full with Alabama’s receiving threats. ArDarius Stewart and Calvin Ridley are talented options out wide, while O.J. Howard can take advantages of mismatches from the tight end position. Jalen Hurts’ growth throughout the season will be tested Saturday. He struggled in the first half against Auburn, but he’s proven capable of making plays when his team needs him to.

The Gators have said their key is to pressure Hurts, but many of their best pass rushers are also out or dealing with injuries. But it’s Hurts’ ability to improvise that makes him truly dangerous, and he can take advantage of breakdowns on defense.

He’s already broken Alabama’s freshman record for rushing yards by a quarterback and is on pace to top 1,000. He also leads Alabama with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Alabama also averages nearly 234 yards per game through the air, while Florida’s defense limits its opponents to just 158 yards.

This is likely the most even matchup between these two teams, but given Florida’s injuries and Alabama’s variety of weapons on offense, the Crimson Tide get a slight edge.

Edge: (slight) Alabama

RB Damien Harris & Co. vs. Florida run defense: Alabama’s running game is much different than it was last season, but it’s even more effective. In last year’s SEC championship game, Derrick Henry carried the ball 44 times. No Tide player will get anywhere close to that total, but the beauty of this offense is that one player won’t have to.

Alabama uses a variety of options in the run game. A new read-option approach has become lethal with Hurts and Harris, and Stewart is good for a couple of jet sweeps per game. Add in Josh Jacobs and Bo Scarbrough, who each have their own set of skills, and the is a more balanced Crimson Tide rushing attack than in years past.

With an average of 278.5 yards per game and 32 touchdowns, Alabama leads the SEC in rushing. It will face a Florida defense that is still stout against the run, but not as dominant as in recent years. The Gators allow 133.64 yards on the ground per game and have surrendered over 200 rushing yards in four of their past six games. Injuries certainly impact Florida’s ability to stop the run.

Edge: Alabama

Alabama WRs vs. Florida secondary: If there is one matchup to watch it will be this one. Stewart and Ridley are two of the best receivers in the conference and will go up against Tabor and Wilson, who are arguably the top cornerback tandem. In last year’s championship game, Stewart and Ridley got the better of Florida’s defensive backs, gaining a combined 166 yards and a touchdown. This season, the duo have combined for 1,494 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The loss of starting safeties Marcus Maye and Nick Washington is a big blow to the overall talent of Florida’s secondary, but they won’t be making any excuses Saturday. Gardner did well in his first start for the Gators, snagging an interception and logging six tackles, while Harris has been solid down the stretch.

This is an NFL-caliber matchup, and it’s the one area where Florida can hope to match Alabama. Stewart and Ridley got the best of this group last year, though, and they get a slight edge in this one as well.

Edge: (slight) Alabama

When Florida has the ball

QB Austin Appleby vs. Alabama pass defense: The Crimson Tide shut down the Gators’ run game in last year’s title game, forcing quarterback Treon Harris to try and beat them with his arm. That will be Alabama’s game plan Saturday, and Appleby will have to be prepared.

He will face the best pass rush in the SEC, led by senior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and sack artist Tim Williams (below).

Florida’s offensive line is much improved from last season, but they will have their hands full against Alabama, which has 41 sacks (fifth nationally and best in the SEC). Under Appleby, the Gators’ passing attack hasn’t been very dangerous. His best game was against Tennessee, where he completed 59 percent of his passes for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns with a pick.

Appleby has thrown for 964 yards and 6 touchdowns with 2 interceptions this season, and Florida is among the bottom half of SEC teams with an average of 211.1 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, Alabama heads to Atlanta with the SEC’s second-best pass defense, allowing 178.1 yards per game.

Edge: Alabama

RB Jordan Scarlett vs. Alabama run defense: Florida ranks 13th in the SEC in rushing. Five SEC teams and Florida State held the Gators to fewer than 130 rushing yards.

Scarlett topped 100 yards against both South Carolina and LSU, but he was held to 53 in the loss to Florida State. He has emerged, but the Gators’ run game as a whole has taken a step back from last year. Scarlett is joined out of the backfield by freshman Lamical Perine and, to a lesser extent, fellow sophomore Jordan Cronkite.

Florida ran for just 15 yards against Alabama in last year’s championship game, averaging merely .7 yards per carry. It’s hard to envision the Gators struggling that badly on Saturday, but it’s not a matchup they will win.

Edge: Alabama

Florida WRs vs. Alabama secondary: Antonio Callaway is still a big-play threat and can take any catch to the house, but Florida’s receiver corps as a whole isn’t very dangerous. The Gators face an aggressive Alabama secondary that can make big plays but also allow them.

Sophomores Marlon Humphrey, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison form as good a trio as there is in the SEC. The Crimson Tide’s defenders are talented at playing the ball in the air, frequently press at the line and rarely allow much space between them and the receiver.

But opponents have taken advantage of the Tide’s aggressiveness. Alabama has given up 36 pass plays of 20 yards or longer. That’s tied for seventh-most in the SEC. They’ve allowed 17 for 30 or more yards, which is eighth in the SEC. Those crooked number stand out among all the 1s that litter the Tide’s defensive ranks.

Gators fresman Tyrie Cleveland has the potential to make plays. He caught the 98-yard touchdown pass against LSU, shedding a tackler and staying inbounds along the way.

Brandon Powell complements Callaway but operates out of the slot where he will be blanketed by the Crimson Tide. Appleby is the Gators’ best better deep-ball thrower and Florida will have to take shots, but it’s difficult to see them having a lot of success in Atlanta.

Edge: Alabama

Special teams

One of Florida’s two touchdowns againt Alabama last year came on an 85-yard punt return by Callaway. He is still a dangerous return man, but the Gators average just 6.7 yards per return this season. They could have a chance at another big play this year, though, as Alabama is uncharacteristically weak in punt coverage. The Crimson Tide give up an average of 12.06 yards per return, the third-most in the SEC.

That poor punt coverage could be attributed to the excellent ability of punter JK Scott. With an average of over 48 yards per punt, Scott and Alabama are tops in the SEC. Florida is right behind, however, and Johnny Townsend has been equally special, averaging 47.6 yards per punt.

Eddy Pineiro has been a huge addition for the Gators this season. After making an abysmal 41.2 percent of field goal attempts last year, Pineiro has increased that success rate to nearly 82 percent. That is better than Alabama’s, which sits at 75 percent.

Edge: Florida