SEC Championship Game 2020: Early Preview, Predictions for Alabama vs. Florida

The Alabama Crimson Tide come into the SEC Championship Game as the conference's lone hope to reach the College Football Playoff.

That scenario came into play Saturday, when the Florida Gators suffered their second loss of the regular season to the LSU Tigers.

Undefeated Alabama resides on top of the playoff rankings and would secure the top seed by beating the Gators in Atlanta.

Since 2009, Nick Saban's team has not lost in its six SEC Championship Game appearances, and given how dominant it looked this season, it is hard to argue against a seventh title happening.

SEC Championship Game Information

Date: Saturday, December 19

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET 

TV: CBS 

Live Stream: CBSSports.com or CBS Sports app

Preview

Alabama has been the most dominant team in the FBS all season.

The Crimson Tide have won each of their 10 games by double digits, and they have rarely faced a challenge since beating the Georgia Bulldogs on October 17.

In its past six games, the SEC West champion outscored its opponents 301-53, and it held three of those opponents beneath three points. Bama was in cruise control in its regular-season finale, beating the Arkansas Razorbacks 52-3 in a game wherein it put up 38 first-half points.

Mac Jones, Najee Harris and DeVonta Smith form the best offensive trio in the nation, and it will be hard for the Gators to slow them down. On Saturday, Jones completed 24 of his 29 passes, Harris ran for a pair of scores and Smith returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown.

Jones completed more than 70 percent of his pass attempts in eight games and has only thrown three interceptions. Harris is a 1,000-yard rusher, and Smith proved he could take over games by himself in the December 5 win over the LSU Tigers, during which he had 200 first-half yards.

Florida's defense has not been impressive in the games that have mattered most. It allowed 78 combined points in its losses to LSU and Texas A&M and let up 28 points to Georgia. If the Gators are susceptible to a high point concession again, they could leave Mercedes-Benz Stadium with three losses.

With Heisman Trophy contender Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts in tow, the Gators have a one-two punch that could do more damage to Alabama's defense than any previous opponent. But if Alabama matches anything Florida throws at it, the SEC Championship Game could be a coronation of the Tide as the No. 1 team in the country.

If Alabama wins, it will likely be by double digits since few contenders have kept up with the team during its six-game winning streak in Atlanta. Four of those six wins were by double digits, and three came against the Gators.

Prediction: Alabama 49, Florida 28

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.