After 13 grueling weeks of football, it is Florida and Alabama that have emerged from the pack to compete in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.
It will be the 11th appearance for the Gators, and the 10th for the Crimson Tide since the game began being played in 1992. It is the eighth time those appearances have overlapped, which is by far the most meetings between any two schools in the game.
Adding to the intrigue of the on-field matchup will be the battle of the minds on the sidelines, which include a head coach (Nick Saban) facing off with one of his former trusted assistants (Jim McElwain).
So while we wait for Saturday’s game, let’s take a look at what each team will bring to the field with its coaching staffs, and what their line of thinking might be for this game:
HEAD COACHES
Nick Saban, Alabama: Saban has five SEC championships to his name, and he’s looking for his fourth as the head coach at Alabama. He’s 1-1 against Florida in championship games, but those games were against former Gators coach Urban Meyer back in 2008 and 2009. This time around, Saban will be charged with taking down a Florida team under the direction of Jim McElwain, who worked under him as an offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide for four seasons.
Jim McElwain, Florida: The Gators’ first-year coach didn’t waste any time in getting into the championship mix in the SEC. The former Alabama offensive coordinator and Colorado State head coach went 10-2 in his first season in Gainesville, which included a clean sweep of SEC East opponents. The Gators did lose to LSU, which lost to Alabama, but they did beat Ole Miss, which was the only team to defeat the Crimson Tide this season.
OFFENSIVE STAFFS
Alabama coordinator: Lane Kiffin (QB)
His staff: Burton Burns (RB), Mario Cristobal (OL), Billy Napier (WR), Bobby Williams (TE/ST)
When Alabama has the ball: The Crimson Tide is likely going to test the waters against a stout Gators run defense with RB Derrick Henry, who has been receiving an abnormally large amount of carries down the stretch. There’s no reason to stray from that game plan until Florida makes them.
Florida coordinator: Doug Nussmeier (QB)
His staff: Tim Skipper (RB), Mike Summers (OL), Kerry Dixon II (WR), Greg Nord (TE/ST)
When Florida has the ball: Florida’s offensive line allows the most sacks in the league and the Alabama defense is first in the league is sacks, which is a recipe for disaster. Expect Nussmeier to attempt to get QB Treon Harris some high-percentage passing opportunities with quick releases. Finding success there could loosen up things for RB Kelvin Taylor, who has been the Gators’ most consistent producer this season.
DEFENSIVE STAFFS
Alabama coordinator: Kirby Smart (LB)
His staff: Bo Davis (DL), Mel Tucker (DB), Tosh Lupoi (OLB)
When Florida has the ball: It has been a distracting week for Kirby Smart, who is expected to be named the new head coach at Georgia following this game. While there are legitimate concerns about his focus on preparation for the Gators, the Alabama staff has no doubt been focused on given Florida QB Treon Harris more than he’s prepared to handle on Saturday. The Gators’ ability to throw the ball downfield has been hindered by the loss of Will Grier, so expect Smart and company to take a similar tact that teams like Vanderbilt and Florida State have had success with in recent weeks, which involves special effort to eliminate the effectiveness of RB Kelvin Taylor.
Florida co-coordinators: Geoff Collins, Randy Shannon (LB)
Their staff: Kirk Callahan (DB), Chris Rumph (DL)
When Alabama has the ball: Like many teams have tried before them, the Gators are likely to try to force QB Jake Coker to win this game for Alabama. RB Derrick Henry has been the workhorse for this offense all season, but if the Gators are able to get some early-down stops against the run and force the Crimson Tide into predictable passing downs. That seems to be the clearest path to mistakes, which is what the Gators are likely to need to pull off what would be considered an upset in this championship game.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
