TIDE FANS SEEMED RELAXED FOR THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME...

      There doesn't appear to be a lot of excitement for the SEC Championship game. The Tide is up to a 17 point favorite, and after the Iron Bowl I guess its hard to reach the same emotional peak. Maybe it's just the lack of trepidation about the opponent. Here's a word of advice someone in college coaching game said on ESPN - you can't overlook the Gators because of their defense. That's a point well taken. For all the problems the Gators had reaching an improbable 10-2 season, the defense wasn't on the list. Florida has a superb defense. The Tide is second in the nation in total defense and Florida if fifth. The Tide has intercepted 15 passes and the Gators 14. The Tide leads the SEC in sacks with 41 closely followed by Florida with 14. Alabama is giving up only 264 yards per game. Florida checks in at 283. 


WHO HAS THE EDGE?

        So given those numbers is there any statistical margin for either

team? It doesn't seem like there is. Alabama will play three teams in the top ten defensively after playing Florida. Same for the Gators. All indications lead to a low scoring affair. The Tide loves low-scoring games. They live by those games.  So does Florida. So why the 17 point spread. It's the belief that Jack Coker and company can outscore Tyrone Harris and his bunch. There're plenty of reasons to believe that is true. Coker has turned into a good quarterback. I'm not sure you can say same for Tyrone Harris. When Will Grier was suspended, McElwain had to design an offense to accommodate Harris.  In the last two games of the season the Gators beat Florida Atlantic in overtime, lost to FSU 27-2.  Florida State is a good team with a decent offense. They are not great; however. The question is whether Alabama's offense behind Derrick Henry and Jake Coker can outscore the Gators. I'd give my seal of approval that they should. That doesn't mean they will. Upsets occur every weekend. Florida was good enough to win the SEC East. The last time the SEC East won the SEC Championship game was in 2008 when the Gators took home the trophy. That means the are first graders in school who weren't alive when the East last won. That's not a short period.

DERRICK HENRY IS A REMARKABLE RUN...

   What else can we say about Derrick Henry that hasn't been said? How about, we sure are glad he plays for Alabama? The talk has started about Henry being the best player in Alabama football history. I certainly couldn't make that judgement, but it's fair to say he's up there near the top of the list. Henry is going to take his talent to the NFL next season, but what kind of numbers could he accumulate if he stayed another season? They would be a number that might never be broken. Never broken until colleges start to play 18-20 games. That will happen in the future. If Bama wins, Henry will have at least one, and possibly two more games.  That might be another six hundred yards. One thing is sure. Derrick Henry is the most punishing running back I've seen since Jim Brown. He can dominate a defense when the blocking is clicking.