SEC Championship 2015: Alabama vs. Florida TV Info, Spread and Injury Updates

It's been a bizarre season in the SEC, and it all culminates in the conference championship game between the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. 

The matchup between two traditional SEC powers might sound like a clash of the titans to the casual fan, but the Gators' late-season collapse has made this game feel like nothing more than a formality prior to the Crimson Tide's coronation.

According to OddsShark.com, Alabama is favored by 17.5 points, and even at that extreme number, 60 percent of the bets are still being placed in favor of the Tide.

Date	Time	Line	TV
Saturday, Dec. 5	4 p.m. ET	Alabama (-17.5)	CBS

What's at Stake?

The SEC Championship Game is supposed to be a de facto national championship quarterfinal, but that won't be the case this season. 

For Alabama, it's win and you're in. But the Gators, ranked 18th in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, are unlikely to rise into the Top Four even with an upset of the Tide. 

In fact, FiveThiryEight's playoff predictions model puts Florida's playoff odds at less than one percent—roughly the same odds as teams such as Florida State and Baylor. 

In other words, if the SEC wants to reclaim the national championship trophy, Alabama is its only hope. 

Championship Preview

The major storyline entering the SEC title game is who won't be on the field for the Gators, most notably freshman quarterback Will Grier. 

If the Gators miss out on the playoffs, they may only have Grier to blame. 

In October, after making four starts, Grier was suspended for one year for performance-enhancing drug use, and the Gators' collapse followed almost immediately. 

Sophomore Treon Harris has started in Grier's place, but the offense simply hasn't been the same. 

QB	Starts	Pass Yds/Gm	Comp Pct	TD-Int
Will Grier	4	221.8	63.5%	6-2
Treon Harris	8	170.6	54.7%	8-4

Grier's suspension isn't the only thing keeping the Gators below full strength in this matchup. 

Gators senior defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard is nursing a knee injury. Bullard has yet to miss a game and is expected to play Saturday, per Landon Watnick of InsidetheGators.com. But as Scott Carter of GatorZone.com pointed out, head coach Jim McElwain acknowledged Bullard is not 100 percent:

"

McElwain says DL Jonathan Bullard is making some money by playing hurt. NFL teams see that, he says.

— Scott Carter (@GatorsScott) November 30, 2015"

Bullard's injury weakens arguably the most important unit for the Gators in this matchup, as the defensive front seven is tasked with slowing down Heisman favorite Derrick Henry. 

Henry is on a torrid stretch in which he's rushed for over 1,000 yards in Alabama's last five SEC games—more than Florida's leading rusher, Kelvin Taylor, has on the season.

While the Gators defense has been dominant at times this season, its struggles against the SEC's top rushers do not bode well for its ability to slow the Tide's workhorse. 

RB	Att	Rush Yds	Yds per Att	TD
Dalvin Cook, FSU	26	183	7.0	2
Leonard Fournette, LSU	31	180	5.8	2
Ralph Webb, VAND	22	118	5.4	1
Jalen Hurd, TENN	28	102	3.6	2

For the Gators to have a chance, they'll likely need to force some turnovers, which is an area where they may be able to have some success. 

If Florida can get pressure on Alabama quarterback Jake Coker, their star cornerbacks, Jalen Tabor and Vernon Hargreaves, may have an opportunity to snag an interception or two. 

Coker has thrown eight interceptions this season, an average of one every 39 pass attempts—the fourth-worst rate in the SEC among quarterbacks with at least 150 attempts. 

Final Prediction

Alabama boasts the best defense the Gators have faced this season, which doesn't bode well for an offense that failed to score against Florida State a week ago and managed just 14 points in regulation against lowly Florida Atlantic the week prior. 

Those searching for a reason to be hopeful for Florida may point to its defensive success this year, but the Gators' inability to contain running backs such as Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette and Ralph Webb indicate Henry is poised to continue his stretch of dominance. 

College football is a crazy world, especially in rivalry and championship games when emotions can lead to wild swings of momentum, so it would be foolish to write the Gators off completely. 

Statistical measures such as ESPN's FPI give the Gators a 22 percent chance to pull off the upset, so there's still a chance. 

But in all likelihood, this will be a romp from start to finish, and the Tide will effectively clinch their second consecutive playoff berth. 

Prediction: Alabama 38, Florida 6