Alabama soundly defeated Florida 29-15 in the SEC Championship Game Saturday to claim the 25th conference title in program history. Here are some takeaways from Alabama’s triumph in Atlanta.
Crims-one Tide – Alabama deserves its reservation in the four-team College Football Playoff, and perhaps earns the right to be considered the favorite going in, even though it only got the No. 2 seed. Sure, Clemson won the ACC title game and they are the lone undefeated team in the playoffs, but the Tigers have struggled a bit in their last two contests. Alabama, which has the nation’s second-toughest strength of schedule – Clemson is at No. 15 – and has outscored opponents by an average of 21.8 PPG in their 12 wins. Clemson, by comparison, yielded 18.9 PPG to opponents during its unblemished 13-0 season. Only Ole Miss was able to beat Alabama, and just one other was able to play the Crimson Tide within 10 points (Tennessee, who lost 19-14). Clemson has been tested in six games that were decided by 10 points or fewer.
Coker is it – Jake Coker isn’t Greg McElroy or A.J. McCarron, but he has a real chance to go down in history among Alabama’s recent group of championship-caliber quarterbacks. Coker has paced Bama to a 12-1 record and an SEC Championship, despite the constant questioning of his ability to lead the Tide. The senior enters the playoffs with 2,489 yards and 17 touchdowns, both good enough to rank him fourth in the SEC. He’s turned the ball over eight times via interception (also No. 4 in the SEC), but was efficient in Alabama’s win over Florida throwing for 204 yards, two touchdowns and no picks against one of the best secondary’s in the nation. Coker is no McElroy or McCarron, but he doesn’t have to be for the Tide to roll to a championship.
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Tre-off – Help can’t come fast enough for Florida at quarterback, who is looking to ink five-star recruit Jacob Eason to a commitment letter. Treon Harris is a major reason why the Gators are the SEC’s runner-up and not its champ. Harris passed for 165 yards, a touchdown and was intercepted once in the 29-15 loss to Alabama. With Harris that the helm, Florida went eight straight quarters without a touchdown, before the sophomore hit C.J. Worton for a 46-yard touchdown with 5:03 left to play and the Tide up 29-7. His 51.87 completion percentage is second-worst in the SEC to Missouri quarterback Drew Lock.
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Kicking and screaming – Jim McElwain is sure to pursue people who can help in the kicking game while he’s out on the recruiting trail. Florida kicker Austin Hardin and punter Johnny Townsend didn’t necessarily lose the championship game for the Gators, but early blocked kicks for both kickers evaporated any early-game momentum McElwain’s squad had going for it. Townsend’s blocked punt by Keith Holcombe led to an Alabama safety and the first points of the game. Hardin’s block, by the Tide’s D.J. Pettway, negated a 40-yard field goal that would have given Florida a 3-2 lead. The junior Hardin has hit just 5 of 14 field goal attempts, including 4 of 10 between 30 and-39 yards out. Townsend’s 3,549 punting yards this season was tops in the SEC. But it’s a bit of a misnomer, as his 79 punts trailed only Missouri’s Corey Fatony (81 punts) and tied Tommy Openshaw of Vanderbilt for most in the conference.
Henry Heisman – Derrick Henry should have all but etched his name onto the Heisman Trophy with his 189-yard performance against Florida. Henry leads the nation with 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns — four four more than the next closest running backs (three tied with 19 TDs, including Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott). The effort moves him past Herschel Walker (1,891 yards in 1981) for the SEC’s single-season rushing record. His 23rd rushing touchdowns ties him with Florida’s Tim Tebow and Tre Mason of Auburn for most in a single season in SEC play. Henry is also the first running back to twice rush for more than 100 yards in an SEC title game. He had 141 yards in 2014 against Missouri.
Getting defensive – Derrick Henry is the Alabama star, but the true strength of the Crimson Tide is its defense. The Tide limited Florida to 180 total yards, the fourth time they’ve held an opponent below 200 yards in game this season — and ninth time holding a team below 300 yards. Nick Saban’s defense have now held teams below 200 yards 36 times in the head coach’s past 108 games, and under 300 yards a whopping 75 times. Alabama’s defense is among the best that Saban has ever had in Tuscaloosa. It’s a shame (for the Tide) that Saban’s losing his defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to Georgia.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
