Alabama vs. Florida: Gators Will Be Called out and Found Lacking

In the past two decades, the University of Florida Gators football teams have established a rich tradition of winning.

Coming into this game, the blue and orange are 4-0 following an abysmal 2010 season and nervous breakdown by the former head coach, Urban Meyer, who has fully recovered and seems more comfortable in the media booth.

But recent history won't be enough this Saturday night to overcome the most difficult test of the 2011 season for the Gators. Alabama has a tradition that dates back more than a hundred years and they are more than prepared for a grid-iron challenge in "The Swamp."

After the high grade the Crimson Tide received in their victory of Arkansas, in what proved to be a true test of defensive preparedness, confidence of the Alabama team is at a season high. In fact, it may be at the highest point since the 2009 National Championship game.

Despite all the hype of Charlie Weis and his return to the college game, Mr. Weis hasn't proven anything as of yet, and his mediocre offense has been lackluster in the opening quarter of the season.

While they rank 13th in overall offense, they have accomplished this ranking by playing the weakest defensive teams in the league and two very poor out-of-conference games posted against Florida Atlantic and UAB.

In the season-opening win over Florida Atlantic, John Brantley threw one TD pass and two interceptions. Backup quarterback Jeff Driskel also threw one interception in the game. The win was due to the exceptional efforts by Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

Collectively, they scored three rushing touchdowns. Rainey also blocked a punt, recovered the blocked kick and returned it 20 yards for a score.

Against UAB, Brantley was 12 for 19 without a TD pass and threw no interceptions. In addition to scores by Rainey and Demps, Trey Burton, Mike Gillislee and Hunter Joyner added scores by rushing. Florida rushed for 300 yards against the Blazers.

Versus the Tennessee Volunteers, Brantley elevated his game, passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns; connecting on 14 of 23 attempts. The Vols held Florida to a season low 134 yards rushing. The 10-point win was very unimpressive offensive performance.

Defensively, the Gators were very stout against the rush, holding the Vols to minus-9 net rushing yards. Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns but also threw three interceptions in the game.

The Vols have been the only true test for the Florida defense in 2011. The defense passed with flying colors against the pass-happy Tyler Bray. Bray was picked three times in the game, setting up a short field for the offense.

Last week, Florida ripped through the Kentucky defense for 520 yards of total offense, 405 by the rushing game. Brantley was once again very mediocre, connecting on 8 of 14 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. 

Well, tonight, the Gators will be tested by an opponent with the second highest ranking overall defense in the country. The Alabama offense is efficient, ranking in the top 10 of all of college football.

Florida's dynamic running back tandem of Demps and Rainey will not find the same gaps and lanes they have become accustomed to in the first four games. They may find other lanes, but they will have their work cut out.

John Brantley will have to make quicker decisions or punishment will ensue quite early in the game, as it did for the tough Arkansas QB, Tyler Wilson.

Despite not having a single sack against the Razorbacks, the Alabama defense forced Bobby Petrino to remove his quarterback from the game with well over 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter of last weeks contest.

The head coach had seen a seasons worth of punishment doled out to his quarterback in just three quarters of a game. To his credit, Wilson was a tough nut to crack, but Petrino couldn't risk losing him for the season.

The second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide is on a record setting pace for defensive statistics, holding opponents to 184 yards per game and fewer than 9 points per game. The Tide has held the first four opponents to less than 50 yards rushing per game.

Although Alabama has only four interceptions on the year, against Penn State, on five consecutive plays, the Alabama secondary tipped the pass or batted the ball down from the intended receiver. 

Arkansas receivers were continually punished without fail after every catch or attempted catch, which resulted in the lowest output by the Razorback receiving corps in three years, particularly when evaluating yards-after-catch.

Prior to the Alabama game, the Razorbacks led the nation in nearly every passing category. Offensive statistics fell well below par for the season against the Crimson Tide defense.

The Florida Gators also rank high defensively but the jury is out as to whether this speaks louder of the competition rather than the gauntlet put up by the Florida defense. But holding any team to minus-9 total yards rushing is a phenomenon. It is doubtful that the same result will occur in any other contest this season, and it is very unlikely to happen against Alabama.

Trent Richardson hit paydirt against the Razorbacks, excelling in every facet of the game: rushing for 134 yards, adding to the total with 85 yards receiving, and scoring on a 61-yard screen play by attacking the edge. Richardson showed why he is a Heisman candidate, accelerating down the sideline after catching the pass without being touched beyond the line of scrimmage. 

Richardson (TR) leads the Crimson Tide with 67 carries and 441 yards rushing, followed by Eddie Lacy (365 yards on 41 carries) and Jalston Fowler (100 yards on 11 caries). TR has scored eight rushing touchdowns thus far.

Without question, the Florida Gators will pose the toughest test for the Alabama offense this year. But it should seem no worse than practice for McCarron and Richardson, who have been tested daily by the best overall SEC defense. And Nick Saban mentored the mastermind of the Florida defense, head coach Will Muschamp, so there should be no surprises.

For the rushing game to be at its best, McCarron and the receiving corps for the Crimson Tide must be effective. McCarron ranks below Brantley in passing efficiency, so thus far, Alabama has nothing to boast about in the passing offense category. That's gonna have to change tonight.

Florida's best chance to stymie the Alabama offense and force them to be one-dimensional is to shut down Marquis Maze. Thus far, that is easier said than done, but it is certainly a possibility with the talent in the defensive secondary of the Gators.

If the Florida secondary accomplishes a shutdown of Maze by means of a double team, somebody else will have to step up and take up the dropped baton forcing the Gators back into zone or man coverage, keeping Maze from being double teamed.

That has been the expectation for Brandon Gibson or Darius Hanks, but it has yet to happen. Maze is the only Alabama receiver with double-digit catches.

This game is without doubt the SEC game of the week. The outcome will have great bearing on the SEC standings  and will likely affect standings for the remainder of the season, particularly for Alabama. The loser will probably not be selected to participate in a BCS game.

Alabama will be once again be successful against the Florida Gators, using balance in the running and passing games to keep the defense out of sync.

The Alabama defense will smother the Gator offense, cutting off running lanes and cutting short the passing lanes to decrease substantially the average yards after catch that the Florida receivers have enjoyed in the first four games of the season.

But the game will be hard hitting on both sides. Turnovers, if they occur untimely for either offense, could spell doom. Special teams scores from either the Gators or the Crimson Tide are very likely and if not countered, will be the determining factor in this classic mid-season matchup.

These teams are more similar than they seem on paper, advantage to the Tide for maturity and depth on both the offensive and defensive lines. Advantage goes to coach Nick Saban , he is now in his fifth year and every player on his team is his own pick.

His steadfast position with the Crimson Tide is beginning to show great rewards for both the program and the entire coaching staff.

Roll Tide, Alabama, Roll Tide.

A little pluck and grit will get each player a pair of alligator-skin boots and a nice belt to wear back to Tuscaloosa after Saturday night.