Alabama vs. Missouri: Preview and Predictions for SEC Championship 2014

One more barrier stands before Alabama stamps a ticket into the College Football Playoff. After navigating the sport's toughest conference all season, the Crimson Tide must finish the job off against the Missouri Tigers in the 2014 SEC Championship Game.

A year removed from getting its title chances dashed by Auburn, Alabama can reclaim the SEC crown by upending No. 16 Missouri, which rode a six-game winning streak to the top of the SEC East. For such a marquee bout, a clear consensus has emerged.

Michael Casagrande of AL.com rounded out predictions from several pundits from five major media outlets. Of the 34 experts, only one (Sports Illustrated's Thayer Evans) predicted Missouri to pull off the upset. You can also add in a clean sweep of four Bleacher Report experts siding with the Crimson Tide.

There's no fun in assuming a result beforehand, but Nick Saban's explosive offense certainly gives his club an edge in Georgia.

When: Saturday, December 6, 4 p.m. ET

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Television: CBS

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark): Alabama (-14.5)

SEC Championship Preview

Looking at each team's resume, it's easy to see why Alabama gets credited with such a massive upper hand heading into Saturday's bout.

After suffering a six-point road loss to Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide bested four juggernauts from the crowded SEC West. That included a victory over then-No. 1 Mississippi State and last week's redemptive win over Auburn. Now, the college juggernaut is firmly back in the driver's seat.

Ranked No. 20 in scoring offense and No. 5 in defense, Alabama has outscored opponents by a 19.8-point margin. Missouri, meanwhile, sports a 8.9-point average of victory. Only one of its last seven triumphs came by more than 10 points.

Each side wields a stout rushing offense, and the Tigers especially will need a huge outing from junior Russell Hansbrough. That won't come easy against an adversary relinquishing 2.9 yards per rush.

The seal separation stems above the ground. Quarterback Maty Mauk has played the game-facilitator role well enough for his team to get this opportunity. Saban even complimented his upcoming opponent, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Dave Metter.

Yet Missouri's passing game lags greatly behind the colossal favorite, averaging 92.7 fewer yards per game through the air. Mauk has backpedaled during his second season, averaging a mediocre 6.3 yards per passing attempt with a 53.5 completion percentage. Georgia fans showing up to their state-hosted clash will recall the time he fired four interceptions during a 34-0 loss to the Bulldogs.

On the other side, a usually conservative Alabama offense has generated ample excitement, accumulating 241 points over the past six games. Expected to keep the seat warm for Jacob Coker, Blake Sims has instead delivered 9.1 yards per passing attempt during a stellar senior year.

For that, he owes a seismic amount of credit to pass-catching vacuum Amari Cooper, who ascended up the Heisman Trophy leaderboard with 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, the NFL-bound junior is rewriting Alabama's prestigious record book.

Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel admitted to Metter that nobody stands much hope of shutting Cooper down.

Through 12 games, the wideout has reeled in at least eight catches 10 times, but the other two games at least offer a glimmer of hope that even the greats have off days. Yet he is responsible for a resounding 42 percent of the team's passing plays, and the player with the second-most receptions (DeAndrew White) has just 33 catches to his credit.

The transcendent talent turns an otherwise traditional battle into a potential deep-ball brigade for Saban's squad. A usual day for Cooper directs Alabama in the right direction, but those glamorized trenches will still affect the outcome. Missouri can't trade touchdowns with Alabama, so it must disrupt Sims' pocket.

As shown by ESPN's College GameDay's Twitter account, things go well for the Tigers when they successfully pressure the quarterback, but the Crimson Tide rarely lets that happen.

Forget three sacks, opponents have collected only 11 against Alabama through a dozen games. That impenetrable offensive line holds the key to exposing a team that wouldn't remain standing if forced to run the SEC West gauntlet. 

They score a lot more points. They allow slightly fewer ticks on the scoreboard. The Crimson Tide are simply better. Look for them to prove deserving of the No. 1 national rank with a convincing win on Saturday.

Prediction: Alabama 30, Missouri 17