Blowouts are the norm in SEC Championship Game history
Alabama is a 17-point favorite over banged-up and struggling Florida in the SEC Championship Game Saturday in Atlanta. And if we’re using the eye test over the past month or two, the line should be doubled.
Or tripled?
There’s no doubt that Alabama looks like the best team in the country right now. That defense is stifling and running back Derrick Henry keeps clicking off one 200-yard rushing game after another. The Crimson Tide has steamrolled through the tough SEC West and looks unbeatable.
Florida looks, well, just awful. The Gators won the SEC East title, but they sure didn’t do it impressively. Since Will Grier selfishly abandoned his teammates by failing NCAA drug tests, the Gators have struggled offensively behind Treon Harris. There were narrow wins against bottom-feeders like Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Florida Atlantic – with a combined 26 losses – and then a thoroughly whipping at home by arch-rival Florida State, losing 27-2 and they were lucky to get the two.
So now here comes the title game and a rout is expected. Sadly, in what should be a great game like this, that’s basically the norm.
Here’s what you should know:
1. These title games have rarely been close
In the 23 years years since the SEC Championship game started in 1992, only three games have been decided by six points or less. Just three of 23, a mere 13 percent, have been nail-biters. For the best league in the country pairing what should be two very good teams, that’s disgraceful. Two others were decided by a touchdown, but every other game has been decided by double digits. That’s a bit of a letdown to a season.
2. Blowouts are the common theme
There have been six games won by 27 points or more. The worst beatdown was Auburn over South Carolina 56-17 in 2010 on its way to the national title behind Cam Newton. LSU beat Georgia 42-10 in 2011, Florida beat Arkansas 34-3 in 1995 and Alabama beat Missouri 42-13 in 2014. The 27-point wins were by Alabama over Florida (34-7) in 1999 and Georgia over Arkansas (30-3) in 2002. Arkansas has been the least productive team in the game, losing all three appearances and getting outscored 102-34.
3. When this game is close, it’s usually epic
It seemed like the entire 2008 and 2009 college football seasons revolved around the eventual showdowns between No. 1 and No. 2 in the SEC Championship Game. In 2008, it was Alabama at No. 1, and the Gators at No. 2, but Florida won 31-20. The following year, Florida was No. 1 and Bama No. 2, but the Tide won, beating Tim Tebow 32-13. The scores themselves weren’t tight but the hype was off the charts. Of course, the best of SEC title game history has been played between these two schools. They lead in appearances – Florida is making its 11th trip, Alabama its 10th – so it makes sense that they’ve run into each other often. This is their eight meeting in the title game, with Florida holding a 4-3 edge. They also played the closest game in title game history, a 24-23 Florida win in 1994. (Tennessee also won by one, beating Auburn 30-29 in 1997).
4. The SEC East hasn’t been competitive lately
Since that Alabama win in 2009, the SEC East has lost every game in Atlanta. Auburn (2010), LSU (2011), Alabama (2012), Auburn (2013) and Alabama (2014) have rolled. The Tide-Georgia game in 2012 was close (see below) but the other four were routs, with the West teams winning by an average of 29 points per game.
5. And when Georgia came oh so close …
The Bulldogs were just one stop away from beating Alabama in the 2012 title game, but couldn’t hang on and lost 32-28. It would have been interesting to see how history would have been rewritten if Georgia had won that game. Alabama and Georgia were definitely the two best games in the country that year and the SEC title game, as it often is, was something of a national semifinal game. Alabama went on to crush an overmatched Notre Dame team in the BCS title game and Georgia would have done the same thing. Three years later, does Mark Richt get fired if that national title is still very fresh?