Why The Tide Will Continue To Roll Against Florida

The SEC conference is best known for their speed and tough defense. This afternoon has been built up to be the biggest game of the year and it has deserved the hype.

When No. 1 Alabama (12-0, 8-0) and No. 4 Florida (11-1, 7-1) take the field this afternoon there will be a lot at stake. First off these two teams are playing for a conference championship. The SEC has been built up as the best conference in the nation so winning the title would be a great accomplishment.

However, the most important thing these two teams will be playing for is a spot in the BCS Championship game in Miami.

If you look at the betting line in the paper then this game is expected to be a blowout. Florida is favored by ten points in this game. So don't for a second think that Nick Saban isn't using that to his advantage as motivation for the game.

However, the stat guys in Vegas must have missed some huge factors that are going into this game.

Let's start off with both defenses. Both Florida and Alabama rank in the top 20 in total, rushing, and passing defense. The Tide rank third in the nation in total defense and are second in rushing defense. Florida ranks third in the country in forced turnovers. They have 32 takeaways on the year.

The Gators' defense is no doubt led by junior linebacker Brandon Spikes. Spikes leads the Gators' defense with 80 total tackles and is second on the team with four interceptions. Sophomore cornerback Ahmad Black is tied for sixth in the nation with six interceptions.

The Tide's ferocious defense is led by sophomore linebacker Rolando McClain. He leads the team with 11 tackles for loss and 82 total tackles. He is also third on the team with three sacks. Also big defensive tackle Terrance Cody causes many problems for teams trying to run up the middle against the Tide.

The two offenses have very different philosophies. Florida uses their speed to spread out the defense while the Tide play true smash mouth football.

The Tide's leading rusher, Glen Coffee, is 22nd in the country in rushing yards. He is averaging close to 103 yards per game. Alabama will continue to pound the ball right into the throat of the Gator defense throughout the entire game.

Florida's offense is averaging just over 46 points per game and have outscored their opponents 160-10 in the first quarter this season. They are led by last years Heisman trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow. Tebow has over 2800 total yards this season and has 37 touchdowns.

However the most important detail about Florida's offense is not what they have it's what they will be missing today.

The Gators' will be without their leading receiver and second leading rusher Percy Harvin. Harvin injured his ankle in last weeks win over Florida State. Florida coach Urban Meyer said Harvin will likely not play today.

Now I am going to put the statistics aside and tell you who is going to win this game. The Crimson Tide will beat the Gators' today.

So much has been talked about the Gators' high powered offense and all their speed on the offensive side of the ball. So how do you neutralize Tebow and the Gators' offense? You keep them on the sidelines, which is exactly what Alabama will do.

The Crimson Tide are eighth in the nation in time of possesion. They average having the ball for over 32 minutes of the game. They will continue to run Coffee right at the heart of the Gators' defense, keep the clock running, and eventually wear down their defense.

This game is certain to live up to it's billing as one of the greatest in SEC history and probably the game of the year. But in the end Nick Saban and the Tide's smash mouth style will prevail over the speed of Florida.