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.

ATLANTA, Ga.–I cannot, and do not wish to, take football as seriously as most fans. Just to be as silly as everyone else, I’ll make a prediction:

Alabama 28, Florida 20.

The feline consensus is Alabama wins by scores of 20-14, 31-21, 28-24 and 38-28. The cats and I know as much as every expert I listened to this week and all I can say is my ears are bleeding from the hyperbole, re: bull.

Yes, Tim Tebow has two national championships and a Heisman.
Yes, they are number one and Alabama number two
Yes they are riding a 22-game winning streak.

Florida is great and no doubt the hype about the second consecutive year that the SEC Championship between 1 and 2; last year the Crimson Tide was top-ranked and 12-0 before the Gators turned a 20-17 score into a 31-20 fourth quarter win that put them into the #1 spot and a BSC bowl where they won it all.

The video shows the lengths at which fans will go to pump of the mindset of a big game and sisters and brothers of the college football milieu, this is a VERY BIG GAME.

It is also sport. Eleven guys running around; chasing one another for an elusive dream called “National Championship.” So, rather than add to all the migraine-inducing onslaught of stats and who is better I’ll just say this:

“I hope for a game where no one is injured and everyone plays fair and that the CBS announcers acknowledge at least once how much they are Florida-Tebow fans. We already know it from all the telecasts this year and since they are not playing the game they should shut the photon up and just enjoy it like all of us at home.”

Finally, I disagree with most experts that the pressure is on Alabama. Wrong, it is on both teams. Alabama wants to prove its gained experience against a team they could have defeated last year and Florida wants to finish an undefeated season, win a 3rd Tebow-lead #1 team and perhaps another Heisman.

Alabama will have fun, no doubt, and if Arenas, Ingram, Peek and Jones play well Florida may learn what Miami did in 1992: talk is cheap and defense wins championships. Expect it close until the defense pays a visit to the backfield and Arenas intercepts two passes and returns a punt for a Touchdown. McElroy will have a solid game and the Florida defensive line will think about stopping Ingram for rushing for - oh - 148 yards, but will just stand and marvel as he whisks by!

Roll Tide for Alabama
and
Go Gators for Florida

So much fun to predict knowing nothing more than a feeling! Enjoy the game everyone.

POLLS and BSC Standings follow story
12.01.09

AUBURN, Ala.–Listening to commentators in the local television markets you’d think Alabama lost. From the know-it-all comments it is clear that even supporters of the 2nd ranked Crimson Tide (BSC ranking, 2) passed off the 74th Annual Iron Bowl Classic as an easy win for Alabama. It wasn’t easy and Auburn was up to the challenge leading throughout and until the last minute twenty four before falling 26-21.
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala.–After one week as number one, Alabama was dropped back to second place in the Associated Press Poll while remaining second in the Coaches’ Poll. In last week’s first BSC standings the top teams were: Florida, Alabama and Texas with Boise State in 4th followed by Cincinnati.

As most people who follow polls already know they are not always a barometer of the best although most experts would agree the two best teams in the country are the Florida Gators (7-0, 5-0) and Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0). Including Alabama and Florida, there are seven undefeated teams remaining, all in the Top 10; #3 Texas (7-0), #5 Cincinnati (7-0), #6 Boise State (7-0), #7 Iowa (8-0) and #8 TCU (7-0). In 4th, 9th and 10th place, with 6-1 records, are USC, LSU and Oregon.

In a reversal of similar games, Florida was bounced from first place last week after barely beating Arkansas with a last second field goal. Last night they were in a close game with Mississippi State (3-5, 1-3) until the 4th Quarter when they were in a 13-13 tie before an interception return for a touchdown by Dustin Doe sparked a 13 point final period and a 29-19 win. Tim Tebow proved human again when he threw two interceptions for only the second time in his career. Georgia had a week off to prepare for the Gators who come to town on Halloween for a 2:30 p.m. CST kickoff on CBS. The Bulldogs are 4-3, 3-2 breaking a two game losing streak last weekend against Vanderbilt.

Alabama won its eight game thanks to its defense and special teams rather than offense, held without a TD for the first time since a 2007 game against Mississippi State. Leigh Tiffin kicked four field goals of 38, 50, 22 and 49. The last field goal, with 6:31 remaining in the 4th Quarter, proved decisive as it gave Alabama a two possession lead. Nose tackle Terrence Cody blocked two fourth quarter field goal attempts by Daniel Lincoln but none bigger than the 44 yard attempt as time expired. Mark Ingram rushed for 96 yards and with 1,001 yards on the season but his first miscue in his college career nearly cost Alabama their undefeated season.

After Tiffin’s 49 yarder gave AU a 12-3, the Tide was given a second chance after a roughing the kicker call on a punt. The Tide was in the position of milking the clock with 3:29 remaining but running back Mark Ingram’s first college fumble (in 322 carries), recovered by Eric Berry, inspired Tennessee (3-4, 1-3) to take advantage and an 11 yard TD pass from Vols QB Jonathan Crompton to Gerald Jones with 1:19 left cut the lead to two points. Denarius Moore recovered the onside kick at the UT 41 and, without timeouts, they quickly moved into field goal range.

In the end, Tennessee outgained Alabama by over 100 yards and all statistics would favor a Voluneeter win but Cody’s block preserved the 12-10 win. Alabama visibly looked tired by game’s end and even Coach Nick Saban looked like a man in need of a good night’s sleep.

The Tide has a much needed bye to prepare for #9 LSU (6-1, 4-1) in two weeks in Tuscaloosa. LSU crushed Auburn (5-3, 2-3)last night 31-10, after a week off to heal from their 13-3 loss at home to Florida. Auburn has dropped three in a row after entering the AP Top 25 with a 5-0 record the first week of October, The Tigers hope for an undefeated season ended rudely with a 44-23 loss to Arkansas followed by a 21-14 Kentucky win before last night’s game where their first points came in the 3rd Quarter already trailing 24-0.

LSU will host the Tulane Greenwave next weekend while the Tide enjoys a much needed weekend off to work on a new offensive scheme to help Greg McElroy who has cooled off after a hot start in the first five games.

AP Top 25
1 Florida (30) 7-0 1463
2 Alabama (23) 8-0 1448
3 Texas (7) 7-0 1407
4 USC 6-1 1217
5 Cincinnati 7-0 1211
6 Boise State 7-0 1177
7 Iowa 8-0 1148
8 TCU 7-0 1132
9 LSU 6-1 1040
10 Oregon 6-1 933
Completed AP and USA Today Polls Follow
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The Florida Gators won their second BCS championship in three years after they beat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in the national title game Thursday night. Florida received 48 first-place votes and 1,606 points in the poll released early Friday.

Utah, the only team in major college football to go undefeated this season, got 16 first-place votes and 1,519 points and finished in second place, followed by USC, Texas and Oklahoma. Alabama, winners of 12 straight before losing their last two to Florida and Utah finished in sixth place, followed by TCU, Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon rounding out the final AP Top 10.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, last year’s and Heisman Trophy winner, defeated this year’s winner, quarterback Sam Bradford, in a game that saw a scoreless first quarter, 7-7 at haltime, thanks to a goal line stand by the Gators, and a 14-14 tie in the fourth quarter.

Percy Harvin, returning from an ankle injury, rushed 9 times for 122 yards and his 52-yard run set up Jonathan Phillips’ 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter for a 17-14 lead. Tebow, who overcame a season high two interceptions, took Florida down for the final scoring drive with 3:07 remaining, a 4 yard touchdown pass to David Nelson.

Tebow finished 18-30 231 yards 2 TD, 2 INTs. In addition to the Nelson TD, Louie Wilson caught a 20 yard pass from Tebow in the first quarter and Harvin had a two yard run in the third for Florida’s other scores. Bradford was 26/41 256 2 TDs, 2 INTs; he threw Jermaine Gresham a 6 yard pass for the game tying TD in the second quarter and a 11 yard catch that tied the game again at 14-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Congratulations to Florida on their third national championship.

Final AP poll
1. Florida 13-1 1,606
2. Utah 13-0 1,519
3. USC 12-1 1,481
4. Texas 12-1 1,478
5. Oklahoma 12-2 1,391
6. Alabama 12-2 1,264
7. TCU 11-2 1,193
8. Penn State 11-2 1,153
9. Ohio State 10-3 1,013
10. Oregon 10-3 997
11. Boise State 12-1 938
12. Texas Tech 11-2 916
13. Georgia 10-3 903
14. Mississippi 9-4 857
15. Virginia Tech 10-4 712
16. Oklahoma State 9-4 534
17. Cincinnati 11-3 506
18. Oregon State 9-4 467
19. Missouri 10-4 435
20. Iowa 9-4 317
21. Florida State 9-4 246
22. Georgia Tech 9-4 223
23. West Virginia 9-4 144
24. Michigan State 9-4 138
25. BYU 10-3 137

Bowl Scores
EagleBank: Wake 29, Navy 19
New Mexico: Colo. St. 40, Fresno St. 35
St. Petersburg: S. Florida 41, Memphis 14
Las Vegas: Arizona 31, BYU 21
New Orleans: USM 30, Troy 27 (OT)
Poinsettia: TCU 17, Boise St. 16
Hawaii: Notre Dame 49, Hawaii 21
Motor City: FAU 24, Cen. Mich. 21
Meineke: W. Virginia 31, UNC 30
Champs Sports: Fla. St. 42, Wis. 13
Emerald: Cal 24, Miami 17 | CFN
Independence: La. Tech 17, NIU 10
Papajohns.com: Rutgers 29, N.C. St. 23
Alamo: Mizzou 30, N’west. 23 (OT)
Humanitarian: Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Texas: Rice 38, W. Michigan 14
Holiday: Oregon 42, Oklahoma St. 31
Armed Forces: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Sun: Oregon St. 3, Pittsburgh 0
Music City: Vandy 16, BC 14
Insight: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Chick-fil-A: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Outback: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Capital One: Georgia 24, MSU 12
Gator: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Rose: USC 38, Penn St. 24
Orange: Va. Tech 20, Cincinnati 7
Cotton: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Liberty: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
Sugar: Utah 31, Alabama 17
International: UConn 38, Buffalo 20
Fiesta: Texas 24, Ohio St. 21
GMAC: Tulsa 45, Ball St. 13
BCS title: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14