Let the hype begin. Following Saturday’s action, Florida and Alabama are ready for an important meeting in the Georgia Dome to decide the SEC champion.

Both teams entered Week 14 with tough games against rivals but took care of business easily.

Florida opened a 35-9 lead early in the third quarter, thanks mostly to tough defense and an offense that gashed the Seminoles for 317 rushing yards. The Seminoles entered Saturday’s game allowing 110 yards per game on the ground but were overmatched by the speedy Florida backs. Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Tim Tebow all had at least 80 rushing yards and Emmanuel Moody chipped in 40. Demps and Rainey could be important X-factors against Alabama, especially if Percy Harvin is unable to play with an ankle injury he sustained against FSU.

Although Florida hit several big plays, Alabama’s win over Auburn was a little more methodical. The Crimson Tide pounded Auburn for 234 rushing yards and the defense held the Tigers to eight first downs. Auburn’s offense has struggled all season and never seriously threatened in this game.

When Florida and Alabama match-up Saturday, it will be a contrast in styles. One of coach Urban Meyer’s goals was to make the Gators the fastest team in college football. Considering the speed of Demps, Rainey, Deonte Thompson and Harvin on offense and the overall team speed on defense, there is no denying Meyer is certainly close to fulfilling that goal.

Alabama certainly has speed but the Tide are all about power. The offensive line is one of the best in the country, led by left tackle Andre Smith. Senior quarterback John Parker Wilson has been steady all year and with the Florida defense allowing just over 100 yards per game on the ground, he will have opportunities to win this game through the air.

Consider two questions. Has Florida faced a physical offense like Alabama? Has Alabama faced an offense with the dynamic ability of Florida? The answer to both questions is no — which is why Saturday’s match-up between Florida and Alabama should be one of the most intriguing in SEC Championship history. Not to mention, one of the most important.

Alabama and Florida have met in the SEC Championship Game five times. The Crimson Tide claimed victories in 1992 and 1999 and the Gators won in 1993, 1994 and 1996. These two teams have not met since 2006, when the Gators won a 28-13 battle in Gainesville.

Scoreboard:

Ole Miss 45, Mississippi State 0
Arkansas 31, LSU 30
Georgia Tech 45, Georgia 42
Clemson 31, South Carolina 14
Florida 45, Florida State 15
Alabama 36, Auburn 0
Tennessee 28, Kentucky 10
Wake Forest 23, Vanderbilt 10

Teams of the Week: Alabama/Florida

With next week’s match-up in Atlanta essentially an elimination game for the national championship, neither team looked ahead and easily handled its rival.

Disappointment of the Week: Georgia

The Bulldogs were expected to challenge for the national title this year but have taken three losses, including a tough 45-42 decision to Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs have the offensive talent in quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno but the defense isn’t at a dominating level. The Bulldogs could lose Moreno and Stafford as early entries to the NFL draft.

Player of the Week: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida

Tebow accounted for four touchdowns, as the Gators continued their march to the national title with a 45-15 dismantling of Florida State. The junior quarterback also provided a block on a touchdown run and helped pickup his offensive teammates when Percy Harvin was knocked out. With a win over Alabama, Tebow would be in position to earn the Heisman Trophy once again. 

Freshmen of the Week: Jeff Demps/Chris Rainey, RB, Florida

With Percy Harvin out due to injury, Demps and Rainey stepped up and the Florida offense didn’t miss a beat. The two freshmen combined for 186 yards and one score on the ground and could play a bigger role in the SEC Championship if the Gators are without Harvin.

Ole Miss rolls, Sylvester Croom resigns

Saturday’s 45-0 loss to rival Ole Miss proved to be the final straw in the Sylvester Croom era. In five years, Croom compiled a 21-38 record and a win over UCF in last season’s Liberty Bowl. Although Croom made progress bringing talent to Starkville, the offense never finished above 103rd nationally in total offense — and it was easily the biggest problem this season.

While Mississippi State searches for its new coach, there is no denying the impact of Houston Nutt in Oxford. Ole Miss appears to be headed to the Cotton Bowl to take on a Big 12 opponent. The Rebels have won five games in a row and their four losses are by 10 points or less.

Tennessee wins on Phil Fulmer day, names Kiffin his successor

As Tennessee closed out the year with a win against Kentucky, the buzz around Knoxville centered on Lane Kiffin. The former Oakland Raiders head coach and USC assistant is the choice to succeed Phil Fulmer. Kiffin certainly has the background to improve the woeful production of the offense this year but the Volunteers have some catching up to do in recruiting. Speculation has Monte Kiffin (Lane’s father and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator) and former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron joining Kiffin’s staff on the defensive side. Although the Volunteers finished with a disappointing 5-7 record this year, Kiffin’s hire should spark some positive momentum for this program.

LSU, Arkansas close out disappointing seasons

LSU and Arkansas are the last two teams to represent the SEC West in the conference title game and both have fallen on some difficult times. Considering the personnel losses in Fayetteville, Arkansas wasn’t expected to challenge for the SEC West title. However, a bowl bid seemed reasonable in Bobby Petrino’s first season. Although 5-7 is a disappointment, next year should be in good hands with sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett and a cast of promising young weapons at receiver.

Although LSU is going to a bowl game, 2009 is already a question mark in Baton Rouge. The Tigers have to find an answer at quarterback and it may come in the form of true freshman Russell Shepard. Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson will be better by going through another set of spring practices but this team needs one player to emerge. The second question revolves around the defense. The co-coordinator tandem of Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto has not worked out and a change may be needed. The five losses suffered by LSU this year is the most since 2002.

South Carolina, Georgia drop battles with ACC

Georgia owned Georgia Tech under previous GT coach Chan Gailey but Paul Johnson and Georgia Tech’s option attack proved to be too much for Georgia. The Bulldogs surrendered 409 rushing yards, which was the most since giving up 415 to Vanderbilt in 1994. The victory by the Yellow Jackets ended a seven-game losing streak to Georgia and gave them their first road win against a ranked team since Virginia Tech on Sept. 30, 2006. In a season that began with aspirations of playing for a national title, 9-3 certainly is a disappointment for the Bulldogs.

South Carolina has struggled to find an offensive rhythm all year and that theme continued against Clemson. The Gamecocks have managed more than 27 points only four times this season and were held to under 20 points in four SEC contests — all losses. Although coach Steve Spurrier has a reputation as an offensive guru, the Gamecocks have a long ways to go to catch the fun ‘n’ gun days at Florida. Redshirt freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia was believed to be the answer under center but Spurrier didn’t think he was ready to be the full-time starter and Chris Smelley got the call against Clemson. Smelley tossed four interceptions against the Tigers and now has six in his last two games. In order for the Gamecocks to move up the pecking order in the SEC, finding a quarterback has to be the No. 1 priority.

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