What the media is saying about the SEC Championship

Ever since its 43-37 loss to Ole Miss, Alabama has basically been playing elimination games week after week.

This week’s SEC Championship Game is no exception. If the Crimson Tide beats Florida, Bama will return to the College Football Playoff. If the Gators win, the SEC more than likely will be shut out.

In last year’s matchup, Alabama mauled Missouri 42-13 to win its 24th SEC title.

Here is what a few media outlets/types are saying about the 2015 SEC Championship Game:

1. The SEC title game features a tremendous battle of front sevens, so says espn.com in a story in which Florida coach Jim McElwain jokes about Alabama having a “front 30.” All kidding aside, the Crimson Tide’s front seven is the best in the country, and the Gators’ group is obviously not far behind.
2. No. 2 Alabama faces Florida as the SEC’s last hope for the playoff, according to the Associated Press, which clearly indicates that the loser of Saturday’s game will have no shot at a national title, even if that loser happens to be the Crimson Tide.
3. Nick Saban is the Michael Jordan of the SEC, writes Clay Travis of foxsports.com. We can’t deny the similarities between the two sports icons, including both making a lot of money while winning a lot of rings. But what we really want to see is Alabama’s head coach dunking a basketball, a la Air Jordan in his prime. On second thought, maybe we don’t want to see that.
4. DeMarcus Robinson is back for Saturday’s game, reports the Gainesville Sun. Robinson, the Gators’ leading receiver, was suspended from last week’s 27-2 loss to Florida State for an unspecified violation of team rules. Florida’s seniors decided to allow him to return, but coach Jim McElwain told the Sun Robinson still might not play. With the Crimson Tide having the nation’s top run defense and more than likely focusing on stopping Gators RB Kelvin Taylor, having Robinson definitely wouldn’t hurt.
5. The teams are meeting for the eighth time in the SEC Championship Game, indicates jacksonville.com, which points out that Florida has gone 4-3 in the previous seven meetings. However, Alabama is a 17-point favorite, so there’s a very good chance that record will be 4-4 by Saturday night.
6. Derrick Henry, Kelvin Taylor squared off as high school rivals, too, wrote the Gainesville Sun. Henry and his team dominated the game. “In that particular matchup, I can honestly say that it pissed Kelvin off,” Gators great Fred Taylor told the Sun. “He understood the matchup with Derrick, that was going against a beast of a running back. He wanted to outduel him, as any competitor would, but he had no control. He doesn’t play defense.”

Stan Chrapowicki

Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.