SEC Championship 2014: Alabama vs. Missouri Odds, Schedule and Prediction
The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 14 Missouri Tigers both braved the conference slate with just one loss, and various other results have made it quite a worrisome 2014 SEC Championship Game for general fans of the conference.
After Mississippi State's loss to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, the SEC's national championship hopes rest solely on the Crimson Tide's shoulders. Missouri will look to play spoiler as the new kids on the block, attempting to thwart Alabama's efforts en route to its first-ever SEC crown in its second season.
The SEC's Chuck Dunlap noted Missouri will be the home team in its dark uniforms, but don't expect a crowd advantage with Alabama's campus more than 400 miles closer to the Georgia Dome:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Gary Pinkel's squad gave Auburn all it could handle and more last year on its way to the national title game, and the Tide won't be expecting anything less Saturday afternoon.
When: Saturday, December 6, at 4 p.m. ET
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV: CBS
Live Stream: CBSSports.com
SEC Championship Odds
| Alabama | -14 | -380 |
| Missouri | +14 | +315 |
Note: Odds courtesy of Odds Shark, last updated Nov. 30 at 11 p.m. ET
Preview and Prediction
Alabama knew before taking the field in the Iron Bowl that it would represent the SEC West in Atlanta, but with a national title still to play for, the Tide overcame Auburn's upset hopes and exploded on offense to outscore the Tigers 55-44 and get revenge from last year's debacle—or miracle, depending on what side you're on.
That kept them as the nation's top team, with their only blemish a road loss to Ole Miss, and it sends them to a familiar venue—the Georgia Dome—for the conference title.
Unsurprisingly, their odds of victory improved dramatically after their furious rally against Auburn, per Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee (via Odds Shark):
Meeting them there is a repeat visitor, with Missouri claiming its second SEC East title in as many seasons. Despite hailing from the far inferior division, the Tigers have posted a strong 7-1 SEC record with an out-of-conference loss to Indiana as the only thing separating them from a (very outside) CFP shot.
The Tigers' most impressive win was a 21-20 road victory over then-13th-ranked South Carolina, which doesn't look so hot in retrospect. But their skill isn't lost on Saban and his staff as they prepare for the game, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Dave Matter:
There's no doubt that Missouri has turned heads around the conference, winning both of its must-win contests down the stretch against Tennessee and Arkansas to hold off Georgia for the SEC East crown.
A somewhat soft schedule for an SEC program had Missouri only facing one team still in the Top 25, and that was a 34-0 beatdown administered by Georgia. But they obviously weren't scared off by the competition a year ago, when the Tigers trailed Auburn by three points entering the fourth.
Missouri's crowd-storming win over Arkansas to clinch the division title had a sprinkle of despair as star rusher Russell Hansbrough was carted off, but Pinkel was optimistic on his chances, per AL.com's Drew Champlin: "Russell had a right ankle sprain. We expect him to practice Tuesday. Like everybody right now, you have bumps and bruises. There's no question about it, it's been a long season. We expect everybody who played this past Friday (to be) ready to play Saturday."
Perhaps even more important against Alabama's stiff defense is the performance of Missouri quarterback Maty Mauk. His midseason struggles went hand-in-hand with his team's, but he's since rebounded with 230 yards or more in three straight contests.
The long ball with Bud Sasser and Jimmie Hunt should be a focal point of Missouri's game plan, after Alabama struggled mightily with Auburn's aerial threats for most of the Iron Bowl.
The offense will need to do as much as it can in its own end to negate the imminent big plays from Amari Cooper and Co., as Pinkel struggled to put words to Cooper's greatness, per Bleacher Report's Marc Torrence:
The first 15 minutes will be beyond crucial for Missouri, who has only been able to play from behind this season if it's by a slim margin. Alabama's offense won't be shut down completely for long, so staying within a score or two of the Tide is a must early on.
The only real chance the Tigers have to stick with the Tide is to find some big plays early on and rely on their menacing defensive line—which features two first-round picks in Shane Ray and Markus Golden. An early lead will put the pressure on Blake Sims to make plays, and that will allow the Tigers pass-rushers to tee off.
It's just hard to see that happening against this formidable of a unit, however. Missouri's weakness has been deep down the field, and Lane Kiffin has been magnificently drawing up ways for Cooper to get open as of late.
Missouri's stiff defensive line will keep the Tigers in it at halftime, but the Tide will blow it open.
Prediction: Alabama wins, 41-24
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
