Alabama vs. Florida 2008 SEC Championship—Why Should We Even Play the Game?

As I read the “Major Media Outlets” and “Message Board” projections for the Alabama - Florida SEC Championship game, I can’t understand why Bama would even bother making the trip to Atlanta. Why put the team through another grueling week of practice, the stressful bus ride all the way to Atlanta and another seven days of “No Hope for the Tide” media headlines.

It seems almost cruel and inhumane to ask a bunch of 19 and 20-year-old kids to endure such humiliation. I’ll be shocked if Coach Saban doesn’t call Florida and forfeit the game right after the Bama-Auburn game is over.

I can’t help but to think back to the similarities between the 1992 season and the present. Those of you old enough to remember 1992 may recall the same “media bias” and overall fan perception relating to the final game of that season (93 Sugar Bowl, Bama vs. Miami).

Bama had no chance of winning that game, hell, staying within three touchdowns of the heralded Miami team would have been considered some sort of “moral victory” for the over-matched and overrated Crimson Tide. Miami had all the weapons, the four fastest and most talented receivers ever to play the game.  (Lamar Thomas, Horace Copeland, Darryl Spencer and Kevin Williams.)  

At a pre game press conference, Miami’s Lamar Thomas proclaimed himself and his three counterparts as "The best receiving corps ever assembled."  He also stated that “Anytime we get a team in man-to-man coverage, it's simply unfair."

Miami was the defending national champions. They had Heisman Trophy winner, Gino Torretta, calling the signals and throwing to that golden receiving group. Torretta had experienced defeat only once in his last 28 starts. The Miami defense was to be feared by all who stepped on the playing field.

According to one Media Expert, “the Miami defense was giving up about six inches a game while the offense could score at will against any team in the Nation”. The national media (and many fans) felt sorry for the “one dimensional” Crimson Tide.

Most “Experts” claimed that all Bama had accomplished the entire year, was running the ball against a few “weak SEC teams.” The Miami linebackers, Jessie Armstead, Micheal Barrow and Darrin Smith would have no part of allowing any team to run on them.

According to the “Experts”, they would force Bama’s QB Jay Barker to throw the ball, and once Bama was forced out of its running game, Miami would easily rack up 30 or 40 points on that “overrated” Crimson Tide defense.

Sound familiar? One part of the “Expert” predictions for the 1993 Sugar Bowl was actually correct; Alabama was “one dimensional” and they were very good at executing that dimension. They rushed for 267 yards against the Miami defense. Bama’s Jay Barker would attempt only 13 passes.

There would be no need to pass that January night.

Derrick Lassic ran through the Miami defense like a hooker at the Democratic National Convention. Miami QB (Torretta) threw three interceptions and the Miami offence rushed for 48 total yards. Torretta spent most of the night, on his “Heisman winning ass”, staring up at Bama’s two defensive ends, John Copeland and Eric Curry. Torretta was so confused at the multiple defensive fronts he was facing, that he burned all Miami’s timeouts in the first quarter.

As I sat there watching the game, I was awestruck at the Bama defensive schemes. I recall one early defensive formation in particular. Bama defensive coordinator (Bill Oliver) put all eleven defensive players on the line of scrimmage. His message was so simple that even a second string, nine year old, Pop Warner quarterback could understand it:

“We’re in man coverage, we’re coming after you, beat us with the pass if you can. You’ll have 1.7 seconds to find your target and release the football.”

It was unfortunate that Torretta obviously needed 2.0 seconds to find his target that night. He was pounded unmercifully for sixty minutes. He threw three passes to the guys in Crimson. He sat there on the artificial turf after each play, staring at the two giant defensive ends like “a hog looking at a wrist watch”.

He had no clue how to operate under these conditions. The high powered Miami offence would not score a touchdown that night. Bama handed Miami their worst loss (34-13) since 1986. That year, another “weak SEC team” (Tennessee), beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl, 35-7

The similarities don’t stop there. Take a look at these numbers, comparing the 1992 Alabama team to this year’s team:

Points scored-                                    1992- 28                      2008– 31

Points Allowed                                   1992-   9                      2008- 12

Margin of victory                                1992- 18                      2008- 19

Number of ranked teams played         1992-   4                      2008-   4 Counting Florida

Number of games won by one TD

Or less                                                1992-    3                     2008-   3

I don’t know about you, but I hope coach Saban doesn’t have time to read all the grim press releases over the next two weeks. I hope he doesn’t log in each night and scan through all the message boards, as I’m sure, all the doom and gloom being spread throughout the nation would certainly make him think twice before putting those fragile boys on that bus to Atlanta.

Hopefully he’ll be too busy, preparing his team for the game, to realize he has no chance of beating Florida.

I, for one, have a feeling that coach Saban will keep the young, inexperienced, one dimensional, overrated, NO. 1 TEAM IN THE NATION, focused on the task at hand.

Just like the 1993 Sugar bowl, I think I like their chances in this one.

God I love College football ;)