Greed Vs Speed: Five Reasons The Tide Could Beat The Gators

Five Reasons Bama Could Beat the Gators

1. Ole Miss (Sept 27th, 2008)
2. Michigan (Jan 1st, 2008)
3. Georgia (Oct 27th, 2007)
4. LSU (Oct 6th, 2007)
5. Auburn (Sept 29th, 2007)

Those are the last five teams to beat Florida. They all used a plan that called for dominating the line of scrimmage, running the ball early and often and keeping Tebow and company on the sideline. In short, all five teams lined up and proved they were more physical than Meyer’s team.

It’s important to note that there have been teams who have tried to recreate this game plan and have failed to produce a win. The Gators are well coached and have a knack for making opponents play their game. Four of the five losses listed above were close affairs decided late in the game, if not at the final horn. Georgia (2007) won by 12 and dominated offensively, but the Gators were able to put 30 on the board. Bama has the tools to win a shootout, but will certainly be doing everything they can to avoid one.

Meyer will try to counter Saban’s “greed” with speed. Florida will be even faster than “normal” when they take the Georgia Dome floor late Saturday afternoon. And certainly they will try to make the game a fast-break sprint match. But Saban has coached his fair share of games. His staff will be ready and willing to slow the game down, let their lines do the job they’ve done all season and be satisfied with Coffee getting two to four yards on first and second down.

Patience will be the order of business. The closer the Tide can keep the game going into the locker rooms and the fourth quarter, the better their chances. If Bama falls behind by more than one score, the less of a factor Coffee and Ingram become; the more John Parker Wilson’s arm is used the more the game plays into the hands of the Gators.

Alabama has earned the top spot where they sit. If they are still sitting there Sunday morning they will have proved to have been the more patient and will have earned their trip to Miami.