Alabama Crimson Tide 2016 SEC Champions
Gouges Gators 54-16
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| University of Alabama Crimson Tide 2016 Southeastern Conference Champions Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Jason Getz |
It was more like a tsunami washing over the Georgia Dome than a tide yesterday afternoon as the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama washed over the Florida Gators 54-16 to capture the 2016 Southeastern Conference Championship in front of 74,362 screaming fans and millions of television viewers. Can you say three-pete? This is Alabama's league-leading 26th Southeastern Conference Football Championship, and the 25th consecutive win for the Crimson Tide dating back to early last season.
Alabama now leads in the 9-game Tide-Gator SEC Championship matchup 5-4. Crimson Tide football head coach Nick Saban is now 7-1 in the SEC title game, 5-1 (loss to Florida) with Bama and 2-0 with LSU.
Alabama (13-0) gave up three third-down conversions on the Gators opening drive, but then gave up only four more during the course of the game as the Tide defense completely crushed the Florida offense. Bama allowed only 261 yards of offense the entire game, and after halftime adjustments only gave up 70 of those yards in all of the second half of play.
Crimson Tide linebacker Tim Williams said, "We were just playing this game like animals all day, man. You just have to open up and be a beast. That's what we have on this defense: straight predators."
The Alabama defense gave up its first touchdown since the Ole Miss contest on the Gator's opening drive as Florida (8-4) methodically banged their way down the field against the vaunted Bama defense. In fact, they made it look easy. It appeared the Gators had come to actually take this championship from its rightful heir.
The Bama D then shook itself, and came up with an interception on Florida's next drive. Though the Tide was unable to pick up six, kicker Adam Griffith put the boys from Bama on the scoreboard with a field goal to close the gap to 7-3.
Minkah Fitzpatrick then stepped up with his record-setting fourth pick-six when he snagged an Austin Appleby pass and returned it 44 yards for Alabama's first touchdown. Then on the next Gator drive Derrick Gore blocked Gator Johnny Townsend's punt which Joshua Jacobs promptly grabbed and ran it 27 yards for another touchdown.
Yes, that's the Alabama defense opponents have come to fear in 2016.
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| Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
Concerning this opportunistic Alabama defense, Crimson Tide football head coach Nick Saban said, "This group, we've scored more non-offensive touchdowns this year, I
think, than any team I've ever been associated with. I think it speaks to the playmaker-type guys that we have, the
good job the coaches do putting them in position."
Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain (Saban's offensive coordinator from 2008-11) said, "I don't see a lot of weaknesses. They've really accumulated a lot of speed at
some spots where they were always big."
The defense was phenomenal, especially in the second half. Oh sure, there were lapses and miscues and even some good plays by Florida that slapped them a few times, but overall this defense showed the Gators and the rest of the nation that the road to the national championship for 2016 was going to have to stop for all pretenders trying to come through them.
You break a team's spirit when you shut them down, keep them out of the end zone on four consecutive plays that would have brought a touchdown against a lesser defense. Four times the Gators lined up inside the Crimson Tide five-yard line and four times the Bama boys kept them out. Three runs and three smash-mouth stops. You don't run against the Bama D. On the fourth play from the two Florida tried the pass, only to end up turning the ball over to the Alabama offense. If not demoralized already, the Crimson Tide then marched 98 yards to pay-dirt to accentuate who was the undisputed king of the Southeastern Conference.
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| Alabama Defense Is Devastating Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
A 14-point swing in favor of the Crimson Tide had just put this football game out of reach late in the third quarter with a 40-16 score. Reserves began pouring into the game, especially in the fourth quarter. By the last six minutes the back-up 5-star recruits-turned-Tiders were revelling in the victory by actually participating in the rout of the Gators.
Williams commented, "The defensive goal is to make sure the young guys eat. For the young guys to eat, the defense and the offense have to run the
points up."
Who would have thought a football team could own the football 10 minutes longer than the other and still be crushed on the scoreboard? The Florida offense chewed up time but the Alabama football team chewed up Gator 54-16.
The game's MVP, Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, said, "It wasn't perfect. We had to persevere, overcome some hard times."
Yes, once again Alabama scored in all phases of the game. The Tide's
54 points was the most against Florida in the history of the series. The previous best was 49 back in 1926. The Tide defense held
the Florida to 0 rushing yards on 30 attempts, the fewest rushing yards
the Gators have gained against Alabama. The previous low was 15 yards back in 2011 and again in 2015.
Though getting off to a sluggish start, the Crimson Tide gained 234 yards on the ground and 138 through the air for a
total of 372 yards of total offense on a total of 58 plays. Though netting the big goose-egg in net yards on the
ground, the Gators gained 261 passing yards. The Gators' 261 yards of
total offense came on 69 plays.
Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was named Most Valuable Player for his 11 tackles, including nine solo stops, two quarterback sacks and two tackles for loss leading the dominating Crimson Tide defense. Sophomore defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, junior defensive back Tony Brown and junior linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton picked off Appleby passes, with Fitzpatrick taking his back for a touchdown.
Alabama's 13-0 record marked the third time in Crimson Tide's history that an Alabama team has had a 13-0 mark. The other two seasons were at the conclusion of the 1992 national title season and through 13 games of the Tide's 2009 national title year, a team that finished 14-0. This is the third time in Bama history winning three consecutive SEC titles, and the first time since 1977-78-79. Alabama's other SEC title streaks include winning five straight in 1971-72-73-74-75 as well as three straight way back there in 1964-65-66.
Alabama has now defeated 15 consecutive ranked opponents dating back to a loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in September of 2015. Alabama's all-time record against ranked opponents is 153-124-7 (.551). The Crimson Tide is 124-75-3 (.621) as a ranked team playing against another ranked team. Alabama is 12-8-0 (.600) against Florida when the Gators are nationally ranked.
Up next for the Crimson Tide is the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive year, most likely returning to Atlanta for a semifinal game on December 31st. Alabama will be going after back-to-back national championships and its
fifth crown in the last nine years. Saban already has racked up five national
titles, four with the Tide and one while at LSU, and is one shy of Paul "Bear" Bryant's
record (6) for the most by any coach.
| Game Stats | UA | UF |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 372 | 261 |
| Pass Yards | 138 | 261 |
| Rushing Yards | 234 | 0 |
| Penalty Yards | 2-14 | 7-53 |
| 1st Downs | 18 | 16 |
| 3rd Downs | 5-10 | 7-16 |
| 4th Downs | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| TOP | 24:52 | 35:08 |
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| Alabama Celebrates 2016 SEC Championship Victory Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
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| Nick & The Boys Just Hangin' After Win Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
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| Reuben Foster MVP Of SEC Championship Game Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
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College Football Playoff Rankings
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College Football Playoff Rankings
Here is a complete list of the College Football Playoff Rankings for 12/4/16. No. 1 Alabama will meet No. 4 Washington and then No. 2 Clemson will play No. 3 Ohio State in the semifinals. The two winners will face each other for the National Championship.
Five teams from the Southeastern Conference are in this final poll by the College Football Playoff Committee. They are Alabama (1), Auburn (14), Florida (17), LSU (20) and Tennessee (21).
More information available tomorrow on High Tide.
| 1. Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 2. Clemson |
| 3. Ohio State |
| 4. Washington |
| 5. Penn State |
| 6. Michigan |
| 7. Oklahoma |
| 8. Wisconsin |
| 9. Southern California |
| 10. Colorado |
| 11. Florida State |
| 12. Oklahoma State |
| 13. Louisville |
| 14. Auburn |
| 15. Western Michigan |
| 16. West Virginia |
| 17. Florida |
| 18. Stanford |
| 19. Utah |
| 20. LSU |
| 21. Tennessee |
| 22. Virginia Tech |
| 23. Pittsburgh |
| 24. Temple |
| 25. Navy |
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Lane Kiffin Says He Will Remain With Tide Through Playoffs
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| Lane Kiffin Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
No matter what happens, Lane Kiffin says that he will remain with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide through the playoffs. Kiffin is reportedly going to interview today with Houston officials for the vacant head coaching position there. His name has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Oregon Ducks head coaching job. Of course, as has been reported for quite some time, his old buddy Ed Orgeron is interested in Kiffin joining the LSU Tigers as the new head man's offensive coordinator.
He was asked if there might be a chance he was staying at Alabama and if he could see himself there at least another year. He responded, "Yeah, I sure do." So one might say none of this is a done-deal, so-to-speak. Is Kiffin likely to leave? Yes. Will he definitely leave? Possibly not.
Following Alabama's 54-16 shellacking of Florida yesterday in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game, Kiffin commented, "I’m happy to be here. Coach Saban and I talked
this week about what a great experience it’s been. We’ll keep going
from here. You know this season isn’t over."
When asked if he expected any of his assistant coaches that might be receiving offers to remain with the Crimson Tide through the playoffs (of course pointing toward Kiffin) or leave immediately, Saban responded, "I think it depends on the circumstance and the situation, and I think those are
things that people have to agree on relative to what their goals and
aspirations are, the circumstance and situation that they’re in, their
commitment to our players and our team, and do we think it’s going to
affect our organization long term. So those things are
always evaluated."
Saban has been highly complimentary of Kiffin this week, praising his abilities to help develop quarterbacks, players and adjust to specific game situations as well as evolve himself as the team has. The head man commented earlier, “Those are signs of tremendous maturity as a coach who is not just
committed to a system, but is committed to doing things that he has to
help players be successful,” Saban said. “I think he’s proven when he
was a head coach he had a reasonably good amount of success, much more
than I think he gets credit for, and he’s done a phenomenal job in the
three years he’s been with us."
It appears that Alabama starting middle linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton will be out for the remainder of the season. He was walked from the field by trainers to the locker room following what appeared to be a serious knee injury late in the first half of the Crimson Tide's 54-16 victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game.
Following the game, Alabama Crimson Tide football head coach Nick Saban said, "Shaun Dion has a knee [injury]. He's probably going to be out for the year. He'll be missed, but we have a lot of confidence in Rashaan (Evans), and he did a good job for us today."
Hamilton was Alabama's second-leading tackler entering the game with a total of 63 stops. He made
his second interception in as many games in the first half of yesterday's contest in a game-changing play. Alabama trailed 7-0 to the Gators, and the Crimson Tide had just gone three-and-out. It was then that Hamilton intercepted Austin Appleby's pass on the Gators' next possession. He promptly returned it 40 yards all the way down to the Florida 12. That return led to Adam Griffith's 31-yard field goal, and the first of Alabama's 17 points off Gator turnovers.
Alabama had already lost Eddie Jackson to injury just a few weeks ago. Linebacker Tim Williams said, "Oh, that's a big loss but Shaun D is going to be around," linebacker Tim Williams said. "Eddie Jackson was out there today on the sideline, cheering us on. Just being up for the teammates. Shaun D, he's the same way. He's a team guy. But that was a blow. He made a big play, a pick, things like that but. God didn't bring him this far just to leave him. So he's going to bounce back."
It was then that Evans stepped in for Hamilton and continued to help the Tide defense stifle the Gator offense after Hamilton went down on Florida's final drive of the first half.
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Shaun Dion Hamilton Out For Remainder Of Season
Following the game, Alabama Crimson Tide football head coach Nick Saban said, "Shaun Dion has a knee [injury]. He's probably going to be out for the year. He'll be missed, but we have a lot of confidence in Rashaan (Evans), and he did a good job for us today."
Hamilton was Alabama's second-leading tackler entering the game with a total of 63 stops. He made
his second interception in as many games in the first half of yesterday's contest in a game-changing play. Alabama trailed 7-0 to the Gators, and the Crimson Tide had just gone three-and-out. It was then that Hamilton intercepted Austin Appleby's pass on the Gators' next possession. He promptly returned it 40 yards all the way down to the Florida 12. That return led to Adam Griffith's 31-yard field goal, and the first of Alabama's 17 points off Gator turnovers.
Alabama had already lost Eddie Jackson to injury just a few weeks ago. Linebacker Tim Williams said, "Oh, that's a big loss but Shaun D is going to be around," linebacker Tim Williams said. "Eddie Jackson was out there today on the sideline, cheering us on. Just being up for the teammates. Shaun D, he's the same way. He's a team guy. But that was a blow. He made a big play, a pick, things like that but. God didn't bring him this far just to leave him. So he's going to bounce back."
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Alabama QB Cooper Bateman To Transfer
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Alabama QB Cooper Bateman To Transfer
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| Cooper Bateman Photo Credit: AP/Butch Dill |
It is reported that University of Alabama backup quarterback Cooper Bateman will transfer, according to a report from AL.com. According to the report, Bateman was actually granted his transfer last week, and is now "unclear" as to whether or not he will remain with the team through the duration of the playoffs/postseason. It appears that decision could be up to the when the school to which he transfers might need him on campus.
Bateman is a redshirt junior at the university, and has been the backup since the transfer of Blake Barnett early in the season. Barnett, remember, started in the Crimson Tide's opening game against USC, but the true freshman, Jalen Hurts, came in and became Bama's "unofficial" starter.
Other than backup quarterbacking duties, Bateman handles holding the ball for field goal attempts, which is something that Alabama head coach Nick Saban prefers his backup quarterbacks to do because of their ball-handling abilities. He has had only limited snaps this season, but has played in 13 games while completing 12-of-24 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown.
If Bateman does leave, the Tide will have only two scholarshipped quarterbacks on this year's squad, those being Hurts and sophomore David Cornwell. Incidentally, Cornwell has no actual game experience.
More information will made available as it is learned.
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2016 University Of Alabama Football Schedule & Scores
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| 2016 University Of Alabama Crimson Tide Coaching Staff Photo Credit: Alabama Athletics |
| Date | Opponent | Result | ||
| 9/3 | vs. 20 USC | W 52 - 6 | ||
| 9/10 | vs. Western Kentucky | W 38 - 10 | ||
| 9/17 | at 19 Ole Miss | W 48 - 43 | ||
| 9/24 | vs. Kent State | W 48 - 0 | ||
| 10/1 | vs. Kentucky | W 34 - 6 | ||
| 10/8 | at 16 Arkansas | W 49 - 30 | ||
| 10/15 | at 9 Tennessee | W 49 - 10 | ||
| 10/22 | vs. 6 Texas A&M | W 33 - 14 | ||
| 11/5 | at 13 LSU | W 10 - 0 | ||
| 11/12 | vs. Mississippi State | W 51 - 3 | ||
| 11/19 | vs. Chattanooga | W 31 - 3 | ||
| 11/26 | vs. 13 Auburn | W 30 - 12 | ||
| SEC Championship Game 12/3 | at 15 Florida | W 54 - 16 | ||
