Alabama vs. Florida: TV, Live Stream Info, Predictions for SEC Championship 2015

The Alabama Crimson Tide stand with just one more obstacle in their way of an SEC championship and playoff berth—the Florida Gators. 

The matchup is indicative of the current state of the SEC. It's a conference that still houses plenty of high-quality teams but two unbalanced divisions. 

As Bill Connelly of Football Outsiders noted, the SEC West is miles ahead of the SEC East in terms of metrics like the S&P+.

The Gators should be excited about the spot they've earned in this game. It's a healthy sign for the program that it's come from 7-5 with Will Muschamp last season to a 10-2 season in Year 1 of Jim McElwain as head coach. However, winning the conference is going to take a fairly massive upset.

Here's all the info you'll need to make sure you catch the game. 

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta

Date: Saturday, Dec. 5

When: 4 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Live Stream: CBS Sports

Predictions

Take the Under

RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

As one might expect, oddsmakers aren't expecting this one to be an offensive bonanza. According to Odds Shark, the over/under for the game is set at just 40 points. 

For some context, Odds Shark set the ACC title game's total at 68 points. But the Clemson and North Carolina offenses won't be facing nearly the defensive test that both teams will see on Saturday. 

Both defenses are in the top five in total defense by yardage and points allowed per game. If there's a metric that measures defensive success, the Tide and the Gators are near the top of the list. 

The difference between the two teams is that only one of them has the offense right now to combat a defense. The other has an offense that might not be equipped to score while running drills against inanimate objects. 

In four November games, the Gators have averaged 9.8 points per game. 

The four opponents in those games? Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Florida Atlantic and Florida State. That's not exactly a murderers' row. 

Athlon Sports' Braden Gall highlighted how the Florida and Alabama offenses have fared of late:   

There is an argument to be made that the offense could improve this week. As McElwain noted, the Tide have struggled with mobile quarterbacks in the past. For all of Treon Harris' faults, he is a mobile quarterback. 

"Quarterback run has hurt these guys if you look at it," McElwain said, per Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel. "When you look at what they did against them, those were all common denominator, running quarterbacks, Wildcat stuff."

But even McElwain acknowledges that isn't their traditional offensive identity. 

Per Thompson, he added: "We aren't built that way. We'll put something together to hopefully at least make them think."

With Florida ill-equipped to attack the Alabama defense in a meaningful way, this is shaping up to be a defensive battle. If the game does hit the over, it will be the Tide doing most of the work. 

Alabama Minus-18

The SEC might be a competitive conference in general, but the championship game hasn't been close recently. 

Only two SEC title games in the last decade have been decided by fewer than 10 points. The oddsmakers feel that'll be the case once again. Odds Shark lists the Tide as 18-point favorites in Atlanta. 

The truth is, the only way that Florida wins this matchup is if Alabama plays a sloppy game. Given the Gators' ability on defense, they can hang around in an ugly game with some turnovers and big plays in the special teams department.

After all, Florida has actually played common opponents to a similar score, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com: 

However, the importance of this game for Alabama makes a letdown performance unlikely. Simply put, the Tide are playing for a shot at the national championship. They're all but guaranteed a berth in the playoff with a win. 

The Gators don't have that same carrot at the end of the stick. An SEC title would be a huge coup for the program, but it isn't likely to put it ahead of the likes of Ohio State, Stanford or even Notre Dame. A New Year's Six bowl berth would happen, but that isn't quite the same motivation as a national title. 

Florida has proved that it will be an SEC contender for years to come under McElwain, but this Alabama squad is one step ahead right now. That should be apparent on Saturday as coach Nick Saban's squad marches onward into the Top Four. 

Prediction: Alabama 27, Florida 3