Rosenbush Cafe

ATLANTA, Ga.—The Alabama Crimson Tide won their 22nd SEC title and will play for their first National Championship since 1992 with a thoroughly convincing dismantling of the top-ranked Florida Gators, 32-13.

In a much publicized rematch of last year’s thrilling SEC Title Game, won by Florida experts all picked Florida to win if the game was close going into the 4th Quarter. In an exclamation point to Alabama’s total dominance, with a 32-13 lead to start the final period, Alabama would posses the ball for the game’s final seven minutes and twenty eight seconds, finishing with time of possession 39:37 to Florida’s 20:23.

Alabama players were seen carrying roses after the win signifying their next playing field: the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the BCS championship game in January. Florida will most likely represent the SEC in the Sugar Bowl. BSC games will be announced Sunday night. Alabama last won a championship against the Miami Hurricanes in the Sugar Bowl after the 1992 season, beating the #1 Canes when ranked second.

If #3 Texas wins its Big 12 game with #22 Nebraska they will meet the Tide in January for the National Championship. UA is 0-7 all-time against the Longhorns.

Alabama took the opening drive and scored, never trailed in the game, and shut out the Gators in the second half.

The Crimson Tide came in ranked #2 against the top-ranked Gators, winners of 22 in a row (their last lost coming in 2008 to Ole Miss, 31-30) and dominated the nation’s top-ranked defense for 490 yards of total offense, spurred by SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player Quarterback Greg McElroy 12/18 239 yards and 1 TD. McElroy also provided two exciting runs and a key block on a running play to help UA finish the season 13-0, 8-0 in the SEC. Florida dropped to 12-1, 8-0.

Heisman candidate running back Mark Ingram accounted for 189 yards of offense as he rushed 28 times for 113 yards and 3 TDs, an SEC Title Game record.

Alabama won the opening coin toss and elected to receive which was opposite of the usual deferring to the second half and marched down the field and took the early lead 3-0 on Leigh Tiffin’s 48 yard field goal capping a 9 plays 47 yards in 04:23.

After holding Florida, Alabama ended their second drive with a 7 yard Ingram run but the extra point hit the right upright for a 9-0 lead. The Gators answered with a 48 yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis for their first points and an Alabama lead of 9-3 to end the first quarter.

In the second, after Tiffin kicked his second field goal of 34 yards to up the lead 12-3 before UF QB Tim Tebow hit receiver David Nelson for a 23 yard TD that cut the lead to 12-10 on a quick 4 play 70 drive in 1:32. Tebow finished 20/35 for 246 yards 1 TD and I INT.

This would be the closet Florida would get. McElroy’s short pass to Ingram, at the Tide 28 yard line, turned into a career high 69 yard reception (he finished with 76 yards receiving) down the right side line to the Florida 3 yard line setting up his second rushing TD ending a quick q play drive in 59 seconds and a 19-10 lead. Sturgis would kick a 32 yarder to bring Florida within six points at the half, 19-13.

After holding Florida to three and out on their opening 3rd quarter drive, Alabama picked up where thye left off in the first half with a 5 play 74 yard drive in under three minutes with a 17 yard TD pass to Colin Peek and a 26-13 lead.

The defining drive, however, would mirror last year’s big drive that gave Alabama A 20-17 lead that evaporated in the 4th when Tebow led the Gators on two long TD drives, a 31-20 win and a bertha against Oklahoma and a second National Championship for the one- time Heisman Trophy winner. This time, however, Alabama took the ball at their own 12 yard line with 7:36 remaining in the 3rd quarter and proceeded to march down the field 88 yards in 17 plays and finishing the drive in the 4th with a Ingram’s 3rd TD, a 1 yard run in 8:47 and essentially ending Florida’s hope for a third championship run in four years.

Tebow would throw his only interception of the game, after leading his team to the Tide 6 yard line, to Javier Arenas in the end zone. Alabama would have no turnovers and only one accepted penalty for five yards that occurred on their first TD drive, while Florida was flagged 5 times for 51 yards, including several that continued UA drives in the second half.

Florida’s number one defense gave up a balanced Tide offensive showing with 239 passing and 251 rushing (the most allowed under coach Urban Meyer) while holding the Gators to 335 yards of total offense (246 passing; 89 rushing with Tebow accounting for 10 carries and 63 yards).

In the Heisman race, Ingram, who broke the single-season rushing record, is a top candidate and in the long Alabama football program there has never been a winner. Ingram returned to top form after his poor performance last week against Auburn where he rushed for 30 yards and was injured with hip pointer late in the game.

Midway through the third quarter, with 65 yards rushing, Ingram broke Bobby Humphrey’s 1,471 yard mark set in 1986 with 1,481 on the season. He finished the season with 1,542 yards.