ATLANTA, GA, Sporting Alert – Watch the SEC Championship Game between No. 2 Alabama and No. 18 Florida, from the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta, GA, on CBS.
Kickoff for this game is at 4 p.m. ET, with live Gamecast and Game Tracker Streaming to be available. Watch Live Stream | Listen Live Stream
The Crimson Tide have been given a 78-percent chance to win this game, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, and they have also been listed as 17-point favourites to beat the Gators.
Heisman candidate Derrick Henry leads the FBS in rushing yards with 1797 yards and 22 touchdowns and he is expected to be a handful for Florida.
Alabama is also looking to lay down a mark today that would persuade the College Football Playoff selection committee to finally back them as the No. 1 team in the CFP top 25 rankings, despite its one defeat on the season.
Florida (10-2, 7-1 SEC) is coming off a disappointing 27-2 defeat at home against the Florida State Seminoles.
I don’t anticipate today’s scoreline going that route, with the Gators expected to react to that defeat.
Nevertheless, it will most definitely be a challenge for coach Jim McElwain’s team and he knows it.
“It’s a huge challenge. We’re playing the best team in college football,” McElwain said ahead of the clash.
“We’re a program on the rise, and we’re a program that’s going to continue to get better.”
Alabama easily blew away the Auburn Tigers 29-13 on the road in its last outing to wrap up the regular season fixtures, but head coach Nick Saban is expecting a tough challenge this weekend.
“This is a talented team that’s extremely well-coached. Jim McElwain has done an outstanding job there,” Saban said as he looked ahead of the matchup.
“They’ve won 10 games this year, and they’re probably the best overall team that we’ve played against all year long.”
A victory for Alabama will cement its place in the college football playoff top four, while a defeat could shake up a few things heading into the final CFP top 25 rankings.
