SEC Championship 2014: Key Storylines to Watch in Alabama vs. Missouri
The SEC Championship Game might manage to draw a few eyeballs on Dec. 6.
When Alabama and Missouri meet to decide who will be crowned the SEC champion, there will be some serious College Football Playoff implications on the line.
The Crimson Tide are looking to punch their ticket to a playoff berth. Nick Saban's team appears to be championship material once again, but it has to be proven on the field.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Fans of chaos will be wearing their black and yellow, though. A win for Missouri could potentially send the playoff committee into complete chaos, as no SEC team would have fewer than two losses and college football's vaunted conference could be left without a horse in the race.
Here's a look at the key storylines for when these two teams take the field in Atlanta.
Can Maty Mauk Put Together a Complete Game?
It's fairly simple for Missouri. Maty Mauk must have a great game for Missouri to have a shot at upsetting the Tide in Atlanta.
The Kenton, Ohio product has had an up-and-down season for the Tigers. His 22 touchdowns are among the best in the SEC this season, but his 11 interceptions are tied for most in the conference. However, he has shown a penchant for stepping up in the clutch.
His fourth-quarter performances against Tennessee and Arkansas to close out the season have shown that, per David Morrison of the Coumbia Daily Tribune:
Of course, those numbers don't tell the whole story. For instance, in the game against Tennessee, things weren't going all that well for Mauk, as the SEC Network pointed out:
There is hope for Mauk to get the job done, though. Ole Miss' Bo Wallace has been equally inconsistent, and the Rebels quarterback was able to find the end zone three times and throw for 251 yards in the Crimson Tide's lone loss of the season.
Nick Marshall's 456 passing yards in the Iron Bowl isn't exactly a bad omen for Mauk either.
Can Missouri Slow Down Amari Cooper?
It's no secret that a key component to Alabama's game plan against the stingy Missouri defense will be feeding Amari Cooper. The star wideout is coming off an Iron Bowl performance in which he racked up 224 yards on 13 catches with three touchdowns.
However, Missouri just might be the team that can slow him down. The Tigers secondary has allowed just two 100-yard receivers this season and are eighth in passing yards allowed per attempt in the country, per TeamRankings.com.
| Texas A&M | Josh Reynolds | 5 | 125 | 2 |
| South Dakota | Jake Wieneke | 6 | 107 | 0 |
| Tennessee | Pig Howard | 8 | 90 | 0 |
| Toledo | Alonzo Russell | 6 | 89 | 0 |
Missouri has the defense to slow the Alabama running game. The unit is surrendering just 3.4 yards per carry on the season. That means that Cooper's ability to stretch the defense vertically will be even more important to Lane Kiffin and Co.
The Tigers have done a great job of bottling up explosive receivers thus far, but Cooper has proved time and time again he's in a league of his own.
Which Defense Will Embrace the Big Stage?
Its no secret that both of these teams pride themselves on playing stout defense. Alabama might not have shown it against an explosive Auburn offense, but the Tide are once again one of the best defenses in the country.
Over in the SEC East, the Tigers have utilized one of the top defensive lines in the country to great numbers. Here's a look at how the two units stack up:
The difference in this one might just be the offenses. With two great defenses on the field, it's likely going to come down to the team with the offense built to control the game.
That would be Alabama. Between Amari Cooper's ability to open up things in the passing game and the treacherous duo of T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry, the Tide simply have too many options for the Tigers to consistently account for all of them.
With a berth in the first College Football Playoff on the line, it's tough to envision the Bama defense not bouncing back emphatically after giving up 44 points to Auburn.
Prediction: Alabama 27, Missouri 14
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
