For the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 in the Southeastern Conference), one more game sits between them and a chance at redemption in the College Football Playoff: the 18th-ranked, SEC East Champion Florida Gators (10-2, 7-1 in conference) in the conference championship game.
Florida vs. Alabama, 2015 SEC Championship: Time, TV schedule, live stream and 3 things to know
The Crimson Tide have one more obstacle before the college football playoff.
This will mark the eighth time the two programs have met in the conference title game, and the sixth since the game moved to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Tide are, justifiably, a heavy favorite after a dominant month of football that saw Alabama destroy the likes of LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Tide dispatched their in-state rival last week, 29-13, behind a whopping 46 carries for 271 yards from junior running back Derrick Henry.
The Gators have been a bit more of a struggle. Following a narrow loss to LSU in which the Gators showed some encouraging signs, Florida has scored just 9, 24, 20 and 2 points in the last four games, which featured nail-biting wins over the likes of Vanderbilt and Florida Atlantic, plus a 27-2 loss last week to Florida State. Treon Harris completed just 51.8 percent of his passes in the month of November, with three touchdowns against four interceptions. Of course, the tough Gator defense is allowing just 15 points a game in that same stretch, and 3.8 yards per play.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 4 p.m. ET, CBS
Online streaming: CBSSports.com
Spread: Alabama is favored by 17 points.
Make friends: Alligator Army is the source for all the talk on this one for Florida fans, and Roll Bama Roll is the same for Tide fans.
Three big things to know
Alabama's running back has the pole position for the Heisman Trophy, but one more strong performance against Florida's defense would likely put him over the top. Leonard Fournette rushed for 180 yards against this outfit a month ago, so if the Tide are committed (and 46 carries last week would say so), they should be able to find some room with patience.
2. Jim McElwain
Florida’s head coach is just the third SEC coach to make this game in his first season, joining Les Miles and Gus Malzahn. He is, however, the first to do so out of the Eastern Division. And his prize is to face off with the head coach that brought him to the conference in 2008, Nick Saban. McElwain called plays for the Tide until 2012, so there is some familiarity on both sides here. Whether that will bridge the talent gap for the Gators, however, is another question.
3. Great Wall of Bama
The matchup that will likely decide this will be Florida's patchwork offensive line against Alabama's dominant defensive front, especially A'Shawn Robinson and Jonathan Allen. The Gators are dead last in sacks allowed in the SEC, and the Tide are first in sacks gained. Harris may have to use every bit of his mobility.
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