SEC Extra Points with Barrett Sallee: Amari Cooper Is the X-Factor for Alabama

Hangin' With Mr. Cooper

Can anyone on Missouri's roster cover Amari Cooper?

Can anyone on the planet?

Missouri better find an answer to the Cooper puzzle this week because the junior wide receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide has been torching opposing secondaries to the tune of 1,573 yards, 14 touchdowns and an average of 8.6 catches per game.

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Cooper's ability to stabilize the offense and get quarterback Blake Sims in a groove allows first-year offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to get his offense clicking.

As we saw in the second half of the Iron Bowl, when it clicks, it's nearly impossible to slow down.

"Sims, their quarterback, was impressive the other night," Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said. "To make the mistakes he made, then come back.

Then Cooper, what do you say about him? It's a very, very good football team. Very well‑coached football team."

All eyes will be on the Missouri secondary on Saturday afternoon at the Georgia Dome. If Tiger cornerback Kenya Dennis can get Cooper off of his routes at the line of scrimmage and disrupt that timing, it will give the Tigers a chance.

Sims got rattled against Auburn last week and threw several balls into coverage, and if Missouri is going to win, it has to repeat the feat and give its offense a short field to work with.

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Opportunity Awaits?

The last time we saw Alabama's secondary, Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates was lighting it up like a Christmas tree in an Iron Bowl that looked more like a pinball machine on tilt.

Can Missouri replicate Auburn's aerial success?

Bud Sasser has 64 catches for 893 yards and nine touchdowns this season, and Jimmie Hunt has 529 yards and seven touchdowns. The dynamic wide receiver duo for the Tigers is looking forward to the challenge of going up against an Alabama secondary that's talented, well-coached and, at times, inconsistent.

"It's always great to have a nice challenge out there, someone who will make you think a little bit," Sasser said. "Once you figure it out, it makes you feel pretty good, and your confidence level goes even higher. We're looking forward to it."

They have to get the ball, though, and that means Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk is going to have to play the game of his life against the talented and deep Alabama front seven.

Mauk went through a bit of a lull in October, throwing only two touchdowns and five interceptions. Since then, he's tossed six touchdowns, only two picks and and has recovered from a nicked-up shoulder.

"He's kind of back a little bit in terms of I think he's throwing the ball well," Pinkel said. "I think he's reading defenses better. Certainly going to be a challenge this week, but it's nice to see him making plays again, like we expected him to do. Certainly people around him are playing at a high level, too."

If Mauk and the receivers can connect early, we may see a sequel to the "Iron Bowl on Tilt" this weekend under the big top of the Georgia Dome.

Slowing Down Sims

Not many people expected Sims to be the Tide's quarterback during their first visit to the Georgia Dome this year for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against West Virginia, much less their second visit for the SEC Championship Game.

But here he is, cruising right along at 11-1 with the best passer rating in the SEC (159.51).

Sims' ability to operate within the structure of a more pro-style system despite being a dual-threat quarterback makes him a tremendous challenge for opposing defenses.

Designed runs exist in Kiffin's system, but Sims is far likelier to take off when the play breaks down than he is to take it to the house on a zone read.

"You have your problems with a guy like this, athletic as he is," Pinkel said. "So we understand that. I don't think you stop him. I think you contain him the best you can."

The way to do it is with defensive ends like Markus Golden and Shane Ray. The duo has notched 20.5 combined sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss this season. It's a challenge to slow down Sims, but they're excited about the challenge he presents.

"We like playing against great players," Golden said. "No matter what, we're going to be able to get after the pass rusher. We know he's fast, but we're fast enough to run him down."

He is going to have to if Missouri is going to have a chance in the second half.

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Ground-and-Pound

Missouri doesn't put a ton of emphasis on time of possession, but if it becomes clear that Alabama's offense is clicking, draining the clock might not be the worst idea in the world.

If that's how the SEC Championship Game plays out, all eyes will be on Tiger running back Russell Hansbrough. The junior has 949 yards and nine touchdowns on 177 carries this season and has come on strong late, averaging 5.39 yards per carry in November.

Player	Pos.	Car.	Yds.	TDs
Russell Hansbrough	RB	177	949	9
Marcus Murphy	RB	158	747	4
Maty Mauk	QB	95	336	1

He sprained his ankle during Friday's win over Arkansas but should be back this week vs. the Tide.

"Like everybody right now, you have a little bumps and bruises.," Pinkel said. "No question about it. It's been a long season. But we expect to have everybody who played this past Friday ready to play next Saturday."

Hansbrough is one of the more underrated players in the country and is particularly dangerous when making cuts in traffic.

That generally isn't the best idea against a team like Alabama that is so fast, especially considering that fast-twitch linebacker Rashaan Evans has earned a bigger role as the season has gone on.

If Hansbrough can get going, it will keep Alabama's defense honest and keep the Crimson Tide offense off the field. That's a recipe for success for Pinkel's crew.

Quick Outs

• Tuesday night's College Football Playoff rankings have made it abundantly clear—Alabama has to win to get in. If the Crimson Tide lose, there's no chance they make the inaugural four-team event.
• Missouri also has a major uphill battle if it springs the upset. It's going to have to root for chaos, but with No. 7 Arizona, No. 11 Georgia Tech and No. 13 Wisconsin all ranked ahead of the 16th-ranked Tigers, those teams have to win but look sloppy in the process. That isn't going to happen.
• Elsewhere in the SEC, Jay G. Tate of AuburnSports.com reported on Wednesday that Auburn has extended an offer to Will Muschamp to become its new defensive coordinator. The same report also states that an offer is on the table from Texas A&M. Oh, to be a coaching agent in December.
• Once the Muschamp sweepstakes are over, keep an eye on Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda. He only makes $480,000, according to the USA Today coaching salary database, and has helped produce the Big Ten's best defense this season (260.3 yards per game). If he makes his way to the SEC, it would be a sneaky-good hire for whoever picks him up.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.