Alabama scored their first win in Auburn since God was a boy. We saw no toilet paper on trees. No screams of "Go To Hell, Alabama!" after the game, and everyone (apart from 10,000-20,000 Alabama fans who made the trip to Jordan Hare Stadium) went home a little bit sad.

In fact, it wouldn't have been easy to sort out this BCS mess if Alabama had lost, because then if they beat Florida (who we can confidently predict won't play as badly as Texas or Alabama did over the last two days), who would face Texas (who we confidently predict will hammer Nebraska next week) in the National Title game? Would Boise or TCU have their wish? Or would it be Cincinnati? Or...? Or....?

Anyway, we know about rivalry games that they are always going to be battles. They generally aren't won by 400 points by either side, and it's all about passion and, as we Brits say, "wanting it more."

There's no question that both teams wanted it more. The tackles were flying from all directions.

The problem with Auburn is that they couldn't stop Alabama's final drive, and quarterback Chris Todd, who had played very well up to around the second quarter, finally ran out of "playing well" gas.

But let's get this straight: did ANYONE see an Alabama team that might beat Florida in the SEC game?

Alabama was held to just 73 yards rushing by the Tigers, with fairy dust around Mark Ingram suddenly eliminated in the game that really counted. Ingram looked second class against a distinctly second-class (for most of the year, anyway) Auburn front.

Auburn battled like Tigers, but it was not to be. But does anyone seriously think that Alabama's going to win the SEC Championship Game after this performance?