Bama avoids upset, Florida rolls leading to SEC title game

No. 1 Florida will play No. 2 Alabama Saturday for the SEC Championship. They're also playing for a spot in the National Championship Game in Pasadena.

“The goal is to be a champion,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “I didn’t say to win a championship. I just said be a champion. That’s our goal here.”

For the second year in a row, the Gators and the Crimson Tide will play for the SEC title, and also a spot in the National Championship game. Last year, Tim Tebow and the Gators put Alabama away with a late fourth quarter touchdown en route to a 31-20 victory. “The fourth quarter of that game stayed with us all offseason,” Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody said. “Nobody forgot it. We didn’t want to forget it.”

The Crimson Tide is coming off a near upset as they skidded by Auburn in a 26-21 win last Friday. Alabama fell behind early after rival Tigers put up led by 14 points after one quarter. Alabama put together a seven minute, 79 yard touchdown drive to put them ahead, 26-21.

Florida enjoyed a much easier rivalry game as they downed Florida State, 37-10. Tebow throw for three touchdowns and ran for two against the confused Seminoles defense. "That was one of his best performances," coach Urban Meyer said of Tebow. "He threw the ball extremely well. … I don't know where you start.”

The most anticipated match of the season will be played at 4 p.m. ET Saturday at the Georgia Dome.
“I can’t think of a bigger game that I’ve been a part of,” Meyer said.


[Information from ESPN.com and GatorBait.com were used in this report]