An Outsider's Perspective on Florida-Alabama

I normally only write on the Buffalo Bills in the NFL, but I do enjoy sitting down on the couch on Saturday afternoons and watching all the college action I can get. So I figured I'd lend my two non-important cents to the upcoming SEC championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators.

To me, the outsider in the title, the game is going to come down to one thing: strength versus speed. Florida is a very fast and skilled team, while Alabama is a power team. Both teams exhibit this behavior on both sides of the ball. Florida's offense is built around speed in both the passing and running games.

Their defense is a fast group built around flowing to the ball and causing disruption in the offensive backfield. Not to say that they aren't strong, which they are. But they are a finesse and speed team. They'll just as soon run you ragged in a shootout then slug it out in a defensive struggle.

On the other hand, Alabama is a power team. They're built around running the ball and stopping the run. On offense, the run game takes precedence. It's a means of controlling the game, keeping the flow in Alabama's hands. Run the clock down and wear the opposing defense down.

When Alabama's defense is on the field, it's all about winning at the point of attack. They've got a very strong front seven that is going to be put to the test with Tim Tebow at quarterback. Keeping him contained will be their primary job in the game.

It comes down to the question of who wins: Strength or speed? What do you think, Bleacher Nation? Will Florida's speed overwhelm Alabama or will the Crimson Tide be able to get the Gators in range and slug it out in a defensive-minded game?

If the game turns out to be a shootout, it'll be Florida's game. Yes, Alabama has weapons on the offensive side of the ball—no doubt. However, it would come down to Tebow versus John Parker Wilson. Not that I don't like Wilson, but he doesn't even come close to Tebow.

If this game turns into a defensive-minded game, Alabama wins, hands-down. Its power running game would keep the ball in its hands and wear down Florida's defense. The Crimson Tide need to keep Tebow contained to win.