SEC Championship 2015: Florida vs. Alabama Breakdown, Predictions

What has been one of the strongest conferences in college football for the past decade has shown chinks in its armor in 2015 as the SEC prepares for its title game between No. 10 Florida and No. 2 Alabama Saturday. 

The Gators clinched their spot in the title game toward the beginning of November, but they didn't do so in convincing fashion with a 9-7 win against Vanderbilt. It started a stretch where they saw their offense fail to score more than 20 points in three of their final four games of the regular season, including ending the year with a 27-2 loss to Florida State. 

The Crimson Tide, on the other hand, are still one of the strongest teams in the country, but a loss to Ole Miss this season had them scrambling back up the rankings and into a playoff position. 

Here is how the two teams stack up.

Florida	Stat	Alabama
10-2	Record	11-1
214.9	Passing Yards Per Game	215.2
137.0	Rushing Yards Per Game	206.2
27.0	Points For	34.0
15.5	Points Against	14.3

Alabama's success is made up of two ingredients: its defense and running back Derrick Henry. The Crimson Tide defense has allowed 16 points or less in each of the past five games, including two six-point efforts against Mississippi State and Charleston Southern. 

In fact, it has given up more than 23 points just once this season, which came in a 43-37 loss to Ole Miss. And Florida's offense just doesn't seem capable of scoring those kinds of points anytime soon. 

With quarterback Treon Harris taking over the Florida offense after Will Grier was suspended for the season, the Gators have struggled to put points on the board. It's been the defense that has allowed the Gators to make the SEC title game, allowing 14 points or less in eight of their 12 games. 

In the championship game, the Gators will have their hands full with Alabama's Henry. The junior went off against Auburn in the Iron Bowl last Saturday, rushing for 271 yards and a touchdown. It was the third time in four games that Henry eclipsed the 200-yard mark. 

Florida nose tackle Caleb Brantley spoke with Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel about facing the best running back in the nation right now. 

"We don't really focus on one person. We feel like we're the best defense in the nation," Brantley said. "We take care of what we can take care of and everything takes care of itself."

But even Gators head coach Jim McElwain couldn't help but be impressed by Henry, per TideSports.com's Aaron Suttles:

Henry is going to be too much for the Florida defense to handle and should run all over the Gators in the SEC Championship Game. If he is able to run loose and the Alabama defense looks anything like its normal self, the Crimson Tide should have a pretty easy time. 

Prediction: Alabama defeats Florida 28-14.

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.