Gator chomp gets rolled by Tide. Alabama wins SEC for first time since 1992.

Gator chomp gets rolled by Tide. Alabama wins SEC for first time since 1992.
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
Alabama 32 Florida 13
All season long this was the match up everyone wanted. No other team in the conference looked like they would compete so the best were at it Saturday in Atlanta. There were story lines like the next to last game in the career of AT&Tebow. Could Mark Ingram make his case for the Heisman? Would Greg McElroy start quick or work from behind? Which one of these defenses would step up when it mattered most? There could be a host of other questions but these were the burning ones. AT&Tebow has had a collegiate career that will be talked about for years to come. He has built so much respect from his peers that it appeared like he was almost untouchable. In the SEC championship game Alabama made sure he was touched plenty. He had been able to dodge every bullet and come out a winner for so long he knew no other way. That was until he lined up against an Alabama team that was playing for so much more than an SEC or BCS title. They were playing to be kings of the mountain again. They were playing for a coach that took this job with one thing in mind. That was to bring this program back to national prominence and to another national championship. Anything less would be complete failure for a coach some don’t like but can’t help respect. Coach Nick Saban took a lot of heat when he left Baton Rouge for the southern hospitality of Alabama. This was one that the Tide have been working on since the last one in 1992. So Tebow did his best to keep his team in the game but a drive in the first quarter stalled and ended in a field goal. When he hit David Nelson from 23 yards to make it 12-10 that was just answered by Ingram a minute later when he ran in from three. That scoring run would be all the Tide would need and Tebow would fall short on his last try in this conference of champions. He would finish 20-35 for 247 yards with an interception as well as the touchdown pass. He would finish the way he did not plan when he decided to come back for his senior year to get this SEC title as well as the BCS trophy. Now it’s on to the NFL and see if he can find a place among the big boys of the sport he loves so much. Mark Ingram came into the season well known by the SEC but still had questions to answer. What he did Saturday was put his stake in that Heisman argument running for 113 yards on 28 carries. He did his most damage where it hurt the Gators the most, in the red zone. He would have touchdown runs of seven, three and one yard. He kept the Gator defense off balance all day, as they could not contain him. He ran left and right as well as off-tackle. He gave his quarterback the time to throw the football and make his own case too. McElroy had never lost a start before this one and he put on an MVP performance going 12-18 for 239 yards and no interceptions. He needed to start quickly with Ingram running the ball well to be effective. So with his running game giving him 251 yards he was able to hurt Florida. He hit his receivers when he needed and was accurate in doing so. His timely passing and determination gave him the MVP and maybe a bright future to look forward to. The last question was about defense and Alabama flat out shut down the bite of the Gators. They were held to 13 first downs and 88 yards rushing. Bama held the ball for almost 40 minutes and the Florida offense was just 4-11 on third down conversions. When the Gators were trying to threaten Javier Arenas picked Tebow off and the game was done. It was as dominating a performance as you could get in this epic. Two teams on a collision course from opening day, and now only one was left standing. So it is the Tide of Alabama that moves on the BCS game against Colt McCoy and the Longhorns. It will be a game, but in the end I have to stick by what I have said all year, the SEC is king of the college football world and when it’s all said and done the Tide of Alabama will sit on top as BCS champions.