Alabama Faces Florida in the SEC Title Game For The BCS National Champ

[Big Dave2]

Alabama Faces Florida in the SEC Title Game For The BCS National Championship

by Franklin Crittenden

Yes, you read that right. It wasn't a poorly conceived headline and it wasn't a typo.

Alabama and Florida are actually playing for the BCS National Championship on December 5, 2009 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.

Oh sure, they are playing for the SEC Championship as well, but lets face it, the winner of this game will most likely win the BCS National Championship game when it's played in Pasadena, CA on January 7, 2010.

So for all intents and purposes, this game between the two top teams in the SEC will decide who is to be crowned the BCS National Champion in January. The BCS Championship game itself is just a formality.

Why do I believe that you ask?

Because for the last 11 years, no matter who the opponent has been, the SEC Champion has beaten all comers in the previous BCS Championship games—that is when they were allowed to participate.

So I would have to say that if the SEC Champion were to lose to whomever the BCS chooses for an opponent in the BCS title game, it would have to be considered an upset of monumental proportion.

Every time the SEC plays in the BCS Championship game, they win.

The SEC was not invited in 2004 or 2005, thus giving USC and Texas a chance to win those two titles. But based on the SEC's record in the BCS game, I would have to call those titles illegitimate. The same goes for 1999 through 2002.

Please don't bother telling me about USC. If USC played in the SEC they would be a good team, but someone in the SEC would hang at least one loss on them in the regular season every year, not to mention a possible second loss in the SEC Championship game.

Just the fact that USC doesn't have to contend with a conference championship game should disqualify them from consideration in the BCS, in my humble opinion.

Imagine if they had to face Pac-10 powerhouses Oregon or Stanford for a second time in a conference championship game? I think about half of those national championships they claim would not exist. When I call them powerhouses, I am of course just being funny.

If playing in the Pac 10 is not easy enough, the Pac-10 makes it even easier by avoiding a championship game. If the Pac-10 wants to be respected, they should add a championship game and bring some real competition like Utah and Boise State into their conference.

Everyone knows the SEC is the premiere college football conference in the nation.

The names at the top of the SEC elite have changed over the years from Tennessee to LSU to Florida, back to LSU and then back to Florida again, but the results are always the same. Lets face the facts, the winner of the SEC, if invited, always wins the BCS Championship.

This brings me to Alabama.

It just so happens Alabama has been handicapped during the BCS years, but Alabama is back and they are again operating at 100 percent. Give Nick Saban one more year to recruit and Alabama will be a running like a three deep team shredder operating at full bore!

What does that mean to the SEC and the BCS?

It means that there is about to be a new sheriff in town with a chip on his shoulder and a bad attitude.

Over the past few year, Alabama and its fans have had to sit on the sideline and watch while all the other teams have had all the fun.

Well, guess what? The fun is almost over for some of the teams who have enjoyed this free ride thanks to the folks over at the NCAA.

I am not going to sit here and tell you that Alabama is one of the greatest football program in the country. I don't have to, because it is a fact .

Alabama is only second to Notre Dame by the thinnest of margins in the all time rankings and that is about to change within a blink of an eye.

Alabama is on its way to the top again while Notre Dame continues to struggle.

When Alabama wins its next national championship they will surpass Notre Dame and Alabama will once again be the college football program all others are measured by.

I hope you noticed that I said when. That was not a slip of the lip because I feel confident Alabama will win the national championship.

In fact they will win more than one in the near future.

Now before everyone starts thinking I am being arrogant or cocky, let me say this, I will not have a thing to do with it.

I am an Alabama fan, just like thousands of other Crimson Tide fans, the only thing I am going to do is support the team and the coaches and sit there with a big smile of my face and watch it all happen.

Next Saturday the Florida Gators will be the only thing standing in Alabama's way of becoming the next national champion and the premiere college football program in the country.

The Crimson Tide have caught up with the Gators and are now in position to surpass the defending national champions and represent the SEC in the BCS Championship game in January.

The Gators are very good, but the Alabama team they will face is head and shoulders better than last year's team that took them down to the wire in the 2008 SEC Championship game.

The Florida Gators' better bring their A game and a little luck if they intend on pulling this one out like they did last year.

I would suggest that anyone who loves college football tune in at 4:00 EST on December 5, 2009 on CBS and watch Alabama make history. Until then, now would be the time to give your opinion.

[eyehead]

Im takin Bama.....Should be a good one to watch.

[JBMasterAngler]

Florida's defensive end (projected 4th best in nation) just got arrested for DUI. Anyone else think mark ingram is gonna have a good day running the ball?

[jeffreyd]

Ill take bama too, just because there are 3 teams that i refuse to root for. Ohio State, USC, and Florida. The BCS is a joke, they need to come up with a better way to fix bowl games. my soap box sorry.

[Big Dave2]

I have been a 'Bama fan all my life so this game is like the super bowl for me.

It should be a good game and I hope that Alabama wins but Florida is still a darn good team. I doubt that Tebow will be able to run as free as he has been all year with Mount Cody in the way, so this game should test Tebow as a passer. I hope Ingram puts on a show to take the pressure off of Mcelroy, but Floridas Defense will be the best Alabama played against all year.

It will be a tough game but I think this is 'Bama's year (if the SEC refs don't decide that it is Tebow's year)so my prediction is 24-21 'Bama in a squeaker.

[so haaad]

Sorry Dave, but I gotta go with Florida over Bama again this year. 28-17.

Although I'd love to see a couple new teams play for the national title other than Florida and Texas. Bama or TCU vs Cinci would be entertaining.

[Black_Bay]

While I agree it's going to be one heck of a game, I don't believe the winner should be handed the national championship. There's a few people in Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Austin, and Boise that believe the same thing.

[JBMasterAngler]

I'm predicting Nebraska to beat Texas, so it looks like TCU vs. Alabama for the national title. I love it! Texas vs. Floria in the sugar bowl will still be a really good game though.

[Coach1310]

To comment on the article first..... the SEC is usually the best conference in the country and probably is at the top right now, but in sheer depth, this years Pac 10 is probably the best. You can say that USC is probably the 4th/5th best team and as much as I don't like USC, that is saying something about a conference.

As far as the game..... I'm not a fan of Meyer or Saban as I think both of them are too full of themselves, but I hope Bama wins. It will be a slug fest and with the DE getting arrested and suspended it just gave Florida an excuse if they don't win...

I would love to see a TCU or Cincy in the Championship... more TCU just so the system fails in making sure the Big conference teams get all the bids.

[JBMasterAngler]

TCU is the LAST team anyone wants to play right now too. They can beat anyone in the top 10 on any given day. Whichever BCS game they go to they're gonna win...hopefully it's the sugar bowl (if not the national title game) so they can play the loser of the sec championship.

[Big Dave2]

TCU is the LAST team anyone wants to play right now too. They can beat anyone in the top 10 on any given day. Whichever BCS game they go to they're gonna win...hopefully it's the sugar bowl (if not the national title game) so they can play the loser of the sec championship.

That would suck if Alabama would lose to Florida in the SEC champ game and lose in a bowl game to TCU Like they did last year to Utah. It would be an exact duplicate of last years effort after another undefeated season!

[jeffreyd]

Not sure about the Pac 10 being the best right now. USC ranked at 24 right now with oregon and oregon st ranked higher does not say much for USC. I am a student at Oregon State so naturally will be pulling for them to beat oregon. I will agree that the SEC is the toughest conference however there are other conferences that do have great teams and should be considered just because they are not in the SEC or Pac 10.

[so haaad]

And the cry for a playoff system continues...

[HuskerBen]

I'll be pulling for Bama in the SEC championship. I can not bring myself to root for any team from Florida. It should be a good game.

As for the Big 12, well... I'm hoping to see an upset. Not just because I was born a Husker fan, either. I want to see the BCS turned on its ear. Bama vs TCU or Cincy for the championship would be sweet. And the possibility that Nebraska could play Iowa in a BCS bowl? That would be cool.

[JBMasterAngler]

I think if nebraska beats texas than that would bump iowa out of the BCS, as texas would be an at large bid. So no "children of the corn" championship. It would most likely be nebraska vs. boise state, with texas probably going to the orange bowl. Iowa would get bumped down to the capital one bowl and play LSU, a defensive fans' wet dream!

[Big Dave2]

I think Iowa would get smoked by LSU.

[Big Dave2]

And the cry for a playoff system continues...

I thought a certain presidential candidate was going to fix this?

[Big Dave2]

According to these writers, it's not looking good for Bama or Nebraska.

Andrea Adelson, Orlando Sentinel

The Gators and Longhorns will play for the national championship in Pasadena after winning their respective conference title games Saturday. No. 2 Alabama and No. 1 Florida are evenly matched going into their SEC title game, but the Gators have one factor that is nearly impossible to defend – the will of Tim Tebow.

He willed the Gators to a win in the fourth quarter of this game last year. He will do that again this year. If the Tide loses, this would make two straight 12-0 seasons before losing to the Gators in the SEC title game.

As for the Texas-Nebraska Big 12 championship game, the Cornhuskers have the defense to rattle Colt McCoy. But they have a major problem – they have a bad offense. They won’t be able to score enough to win.

Georgia Tech should clinch an Orange Bowl berth over C.J. Spiller and Clemson in the ACC championship game. But that contest is an afterthought when you consider ramifications in the Big 12 and SEC.

Ron Fritz, Baltimore Sun

In looking for winners of the three major conference championships, look no further than quarterback. The teams with the best – and most experienced – quarterback will win.

So in the ACC, it will be Georgia Tech with Josh Nesbitt over freshman Kyle Parker of Clemson. In the Big 12, it’s Colt McCoy and Texas over Nebraska (who is the Huskers’ quarterback?) in a blowout. And in the big game, No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama? Please. Tim Tebow and the Gators are playing at a different level than the Tide and Greg McElroy. Bama struggled against Auburn, so expect Tebow to pick the Tide apart. McElroy won’t win the game for you, but he certainly could lose it.

Throw out statistical analysis, simply go with the team that has best player in the most-important position.

[JBMasterAngler]

No mention of mark ingram running against a florida D-line that has 1 less drunk on it? Tebow is the poster child of why good guys are SOOOOOOO boring in sports! That is why I want him to lose, so I don't have to hear about him the biggest college game of the year (and final game of the year).

[so haaad]

Tebow is the poster child of why good guys are SOOOOOOO boring in sports!

He's the Kurt Warner of college ball!

[so haaad]

And the cry for a playoff system continues...

I thought a certain presidential candidate was going to fix this?

Right after he fixes Afghanistan and "Pock-ee-ston"!

[HuskerBen]

I think Iowa would get smoked by LSU.

So would any Big 10 team.

[Big Dave2]

Originally Posted By: Big Dave2

I think Iowa would get smoked by LSU.

So would any Big 10 team.

Exactly!

[JBMasterAngler]

My worst fear came true when ohio state geat iowa...we get to see the buckeyes get slaughtered in yet another BCS game Oregon is gonna run up the score on them. They are atlanta braves of college football.

[blue_healer_guy]

TCU in any bowl game is a disgrace. That's what they call division 2.