Scout.com: SEC Championship Hype A Bit Premature

SEC Championship Hype A Bit Premature

By Barrett Sallee

CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Nov 20, 2008

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Now that the SEC division championships have been wrapped up, both Alabama and Florida have their sights set on the SEC Championship Game and a possible National Title. With the hype already building for the showdown in the Georgia Dome, aren’t we forgetting something?

Questions or comments? E-mail me Barrett Sallee

Alabama and Florida are on a collision course to an epic showdown in the SEC Championship Game; and the hype for that game in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville, as well as here in Atlanta, is already reaching a fever pitch. But, what some fans and seemingly all major media outlets seem to be forgetting may be the most important game of the year for both squads – intra-division rivalries.

Florida
The Gators are, hands down, without a doubt, playing the best football in America right now. While technically they don’t control their own destiny for the National Championship Game, if they win out, they’re going to be in. Standing in the way, however, is old foe Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles.

Florida gets a tune up this week vs. The Citadel before travelling to Tallahassee in the annual “Battle for the Governor’s Cup.” While the Gators have had the Seminoles number of late, having won the last four meetings, it’s still a key intra-state rivalry. These teams know each other…and they don’t like each other.

Since taking over at the helm at Florida State, Bobby Bowden is 17-16-1 vs. the Gators, and is well aware of the passion and bragging rights at stake. In the Gators’ 2006 National Championship year, a 6-5 Seminole team kept the game close, charging from a 14-0 deficit to tie the Gators early in the fourth quarter, before succumbing to the Chris Leak-led Gators late.

The Seminoles are on the path back to ACC prominence this season, and are still in the thick of the ACC race despite a homecoming loss last week. While there is no comparison between the ACC and SEC, Florida State still has talent on their roster. Is it comparable to the talent on the Gator roster? Of course not. But, sophomore QB Christian Ponder has them on track for their most successful season since 2005.

This game is no gimmie. Even though the Gators freight train is running full-steam, they can’t take Florida State lightly. The Seminoles would love nothing more than to reclaim state bragging rights and take down Florida’s National Title hopes in the process.

Alabama
The Crimson Tide may have more trouble with the bye week this week than Florida has with The Citadel. But, before the two teams square off in Atlanta on December 6, Alabama has to do something that they haven’t done for the better part of a decade – beat Auburn. While message boards and radio switchboards across the south light up with eager anticipation of the Championship Game, Alabama first must get that 6-year-old monkey off its back vs. the Tigers.

No team, regardless of record, should ever chalk the Iron Bowl up as cake walk. Both teams work 364 days a year in preparation for that one day in late November that dictates state-wide bragging rights. With so much hype already building for the SEC Championship Game, lots of people seem to forgetting this.

Alabama would love nothing more than to cap off an undefeated regular season with a win over Auburn, breaking the Tigers’ streak of 6-straight. The Crimson Tide has looked spectacular in their biggest games of the year so far in 2008 vs. Clemson and at Georgia. While those teams were ranked in the top 10 at the time, have no doubt, an unranked 5-6 Auburn team is still their biggest opponent of 2008.

Meanwhile, Auburn can salvage a dismal season by extending “The Streak,” and wrecking Alabama’s National Title hopes in the process. Injuries, departed offensive coordinators, and unfounded coaching rumors have made this season about as trying as any in recent memory for the Tigers. But the Tigers are getting a little healthier. CB Jerraud Powers, DE Antonio Coleman and DT Sen’Derrick Marks all played last week, but are still working to get back to 100%. The Tigers have reverted to what appears to be the Al Borges offense from 2004-2007, and found moderate success vs. Georgia, especially with RB-turned-WR-turned-RB Mario Fannin.

While outsiders chalk it up as a Bama win, anyone with any knowledge of the Iron Bowl realizes that this will be a 60-minute battle for state pride; which, some will argue, may be even more important than conference, or even national titles.

The SEC Championship Game has all the workings of being an epic showdown between two outstanding teams – Florida and Alabama. However, for the game to be as big as some are already making it out to be, both squads must take care of their intra-state rivals, which will be no easy feat.