ATLANTA - Between the third and fourth quarters, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow exhorted his teammates on the sideline as he has so many times in his four-year career.
But this was no day for another "Tebow promise" or a pep talk for the ages. This was Alabama's day.
And there was nothing Tebow or the defending national champion Gators could do about it.
Alabama was too talented. Too well coached. Too determined to avenge last year's epic loss in the SEC championship game to the same Gators.
Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy played the game of his life, Alabama running back Mark Ingram probably played his way back into the Heisman Trophy race, and the Tide put itself in position to win its first national championship in 17 years with a 32-13 victory over the Gators in the Georgia Dome.
If the No. 2 Tide (13-0) duplicates Saturday's performance, that national title is all but assured. It didn't just beat the No. 1 Gators (12-1). It often had them looking as helpless as so many of the teams it beat along the way in a 12-0 regular season.
In their all-white uniforms, the Gators could have passed for Mississippi State on a bad day. Their defense was a tribute to suspended defensive end Carlos Dunlap: asleep at the wheel.
Florida never resembled the team that held 12 regular-season opponents to 20 points or fewer. All-American linebacker Brandon Spikes sometimes looked lost, and Florida's missed tackles were glaring from Alabama's first possession to its last.
There's no shame in losing your grip on Ingram or freshman star running back Trent Richardson. But when McElroy starts bouncing off defenders, you need to check your defensive pulse.
Alabama started fast and finished strong. McElroy, the game's MVP, triggered the fast start.
McElroy, who has never lost a game as a starter in high school or college, completed 12 of 18 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown. His poise was as evident as his accuracy against a flustered Florida defense.
McElroy's play contrasted that of Tebow's in a quarterback match-up that looked like a mismatch in pregame. Alabama reveled in the role reversal near game's end. They roared in delight when a tearful Tebow was shown on the Georgia Dome's big screen.
Tebow provided a glimmer of Florida hope in the second quarter when he scrambled for 23 and 15 yards before completing a 23-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson.
The drive was an aberration, leading to nothing but another Alabama assault. And this one was swift. Catching Florida in a blitz, McElroy connected with Ingram on a 69-yard screen pass that set up Ingram's 3-yard touchdown run.
"That big screen pass was a huge momentum shift," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "But we felt like we could still come back."
There was no comeback, just confirmation of Alabama's efficiency.
The Tide's second-half offense was more thunder than lightning. Ingram, Richardson, and Roy Upchurch, all took turns gouging Florida's defense behind an offensive line that looked as formidable as it has all season.
The Gators took charge in the fourth quarter of last year's SEC championship game. They took it on the chin this time.
Afterwards, Alabama fans were in no hurry to leave. They danced in the stands as "Sweet Home Alabama" reverberated through the Georgia Dome.
They had plenty to celebrate. In three seasons, coach Nick Saban has taken the Tide from mediocrity to the top of the SEC. Not even Bear Bryant won 25 games in two seasons.
But none of the other 24 victories compared to the 25th. A loss had a lot to do with it.
"I think we learned something about resiliency, and the intangibles it takes not to be denied (from last year's SEC championship game loss)," Saban said. "We actually used some of the characteristics (Tebow) has as an example of how everybody had to buy in not to be denied.
"Playing in this game last year was a lesson we had to learn."
Alabama not only learned a lesson. It taught the Gators more than they wanted to know.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284.
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Comments » 83
BamaSuxFlaSwallows writes:
Here's to Alabama getting the axe's waxed in the NC game!
BamaSuxFlaSwallows writes:
I meant to type ...THEIR axes waxed...
Pardon my poor typing skills.
BamaSuxFlaSwallows writes:
Oh yea and... 1st 2nd and 3rd.
Volborn writes:
Tide rolled....then tears rolled....I dont think Peyton ever wept after a loss.
TommyJack writes:
What would lead you to that conclusion?
murrayvol writes:
One thing is certain. Ain't gonna be no rematch.
BamaSuxFlaSwallows writes:
I'm just hoping for a loss by the Tide. I know what you are going to say... "We should pull for the SEC team when they play outside the conference..." But "Bump" that! They don't pull for us and I don't pull for them. I hope they lose by 50.
V0LUNT33R writes:
I almost feel like we won tonight. As bad as I hate Alabama, this win for them was sweet even for VOL fans. After all, they are in the west, and we no longer play them on the third Saturday in October. Therefor, our most hated rival falls to the UF Tebows. I call them the Tebows because next year Urban and the Gators are going to wake up in the real world where fullbacks can't throw touchdown passes. They will inevitably find themselves outmatched on defense and with a gimmick offense that only works with a Tebow. I hope you enjoyed the last four years of being the UF Tebows, because next year you will go back to being Gators. God help you because no one else in college football will.
volsbandit writes:
i hope they lose by 70. i despise bucking fama. go horns! please humiliate them!
stevefrommemphis writes:
This just in - Big 12 can manipulate situations to put an undefeated team in BCS Championship just as well as SEC can. Turning college football into pro wrestling. Too bad, Bama. You have to play Texas, not Texas Christian. Beat them by 70, Longhorns.
sidwalkvol writes:
seems as if CLK was right about the bammers being better coached; looked today, though, like the tide also had better athletes.
zigvol writes:
Not going to happen Bama will roll big time...
mlsoft#228820 writes:
Big 12 game just over and Texas won -- but looked terrible in doing so. They had to kick a field goal at the buzzer (the refs had put 1 second back onto the clock) to win. I'm not sure the BCS formulas will bump Texas up to #2 with that kind of win. We shall see.
mlsoft
vols615 writes:
Go ut in the championship game, bama is goin to play texas like texas is utah
mlsoft#228820 writes:
I meant to add that I will root strongly for Alabama to win the NC, and I will root for Florida to win their bowl game -- I will be pulling for all the SEC teams in their bowl games.
It is not that I like the teams so much as I am pulling for the SEC to show up well in all their games to prove to all that this is still the best football conference in college football -- other than the officiating, which sucks.
mlsoft
bobbytodd writes:
Somebody hand Bama the title. Colt McCoy looked like a deer in headlights at the end of the game tonight. Nebraska had to go out of their way to make sure the BCS powers didn't have a mess on their hands. Dang, I wanted to see the BCS squirm some.
arkyvol writes:
if bama and the horns play in pasadena like each played tonight, it ain't gonna be pretty. if mccoy is a legitimate heisman q.b., i'm jimmy hoffa.
spacehistorian writes:
I can't imagine how bad the reaction would have been if Texas had lost. They deserved to lose but for some reason Nebraska kicked off out-of-bounds, then got a penalty & when Texas got close enough to kick a FG, "Heisman" finalist Colt McCoy came darn close to letting the play clock run out as he casually tossed the football out-of-bounds as ABC showed 00:00 on the screen.
It is a shame that Nebraska didn't hold on to win as a TCU-Alabama National Championship Game would have been one heck of a battle. Unless Texas gets their Bevo droppings together, Alabama will just run the Horns out of the Rose Bowl in a blow-out.
rockytopatl writes:
I nailed this one in a post on Adams' last column. All I missed was Alabama's point total. I said Florida would score only 13 and Tebow would be intercepted in losing to Alabama. I did not forsee that Alabama would shred Florida's once proud defense for 32 points. I limited them to a timid 17.
I wouldn't mind seeing the Tide beat Texas. We ought to keep the NC down here where it belongs. And then it will be even sweeter when the Vols beat Alabama next October.
rockytopatl writes:
I guarantee you Peyton wept after a loss ... especially some of those heartbreakers with Florida. But Peyton always had enough self control to make sure he never did it on national TV.
volzcrushm writes:
DID YOU SEE TEGOW CRYING AFTER THE GAME!!?? MANY TIMES MEYER AND TEBOW RAN THE SCORE UP SO MANY TIMES WITH ONLY A MINUTE OR TWO LEFT ON THE CLOCK AND A 30 POINT LEAD!!!.... AND NOW THEY CRY???!!!..... FABULUOUS KARMA!! FABULOUS IRONY!! EXCELLENT END TO GATOR DYNASTY! TOUCHE'
volzcrushm writes:
SCREW THE HORNS!! THEY SHOULD HAVE LOST TO A NOTHING NEBRASKA.
volzcrushm writes:
NC....ALABAMA 31 TEXAS 13...NUFF SAID.
VOLfanVa writes:
as much as i respect tebow..he just cries too much...
last year....last week and today........
you are a football player son!!!!
colt writes:
it,s over Florida; you had agreat run but it's over. Within two years it will be Ala. and Tenn fighting these wars. Book it.
Moesart writes:
Hey Urban, Notre Dame will still take your call.
I'm pulling for TX. I wouldn't pull for Alabama if they were playing Al Queda.
notoriousBIGorange writes:
Where are the trolls...send in the trolls.
Now Tebow and UF knows how Tom Brady and the Pats felt after losing to the NYG in the Super Bowl.
The legend of Tebow is dead; the decline of the Fla program has begun; and Kiffin was obviously right about the coaching advantage.
Why would UF come out passing on most downs?? Meyer abandoned the running game almost immediately and Tebow's arm couldn't get the job done.
Meyer had better bolt to ND cause the Lane Train is coming!!
royrog#221514 writes:
We have a winner!!! Congrats Moesart!!!
SouthDakotaBob writes:
I hope bama plays that way in the NC game. How can you not pull for the SEC against another conference foe? Not pulling for your conference is like hoping one of your brothers gets beat up by a kid from another neighborhood. GBO!!!
jimr07 writes:
Based on last nights performance, i would not count on it. McCoy and Tebow played themseselves out of the Heisman. Ingram, should win it.
jimr07 writes:
Mack Brown and Oscar Meyer remind me of each other. Neither is a really good coach and both live in the middle of the best talent in the world. I cannot see how either, with the talent they have, could lose a game.
volfan7 writes:
I was really happy to see Florida get pasted. It is just sickening to hear the announcers slobber over Tebow repeatedly, as if he were the only Florida team player that did anything important. Superman doesn't cry like a baby and paste scriptures on his head for divine guidance. Superman would suck it up and pledge to do better the next game.
lahvolman2 writes:
TO ALL THE TROLLS WHO HAVE HAD SOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN ON OUR SITE.... NICE TO SEE YOU GO...DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY EXCUSES FOR THE BEAT DOWN YOU JUST TOOK LAST NIGHT... AND BTW.... RRRROOOOOLLLLLL TIDE.......
tnbigg writes:
#1 - "Not even Bear Bryant won 25 games in two seasons." How stupid is that? Bear never had 25 games in two seasons.
# 2 - Gator interlopers - Go back and sniff some more swamp gas you morons. All your trash talk for the last two years and last night Florida was revealed. And WHAT do you have coming back from this team that was supposed to beat everybody by at least a hundred...according to your moronic ramblings...
# 3 - Urbie sees the future. It ain't in the swamp...bye Urbie...time to flee in search of greener pastures...watch out for the meadow muffins! Speaking of which...last night it looked like the gators were served fresh meadow muffins for their pre-game meal...
# 4 - Bama - GREAT game. I hope you win another NC. Glad we gave you the best game you had this year. Next year we'll win the SEC East instead of second. Thank you Kiffin & Company.
# 5 - The return of the Vols couldn't come at a better time...just as the gators swamp gas has run out...GO VOLS!
tnbigg writes:
Oh...I forgot...
# 6 - Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha, ha,ha! Gators? Ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha! I laughed my friggin' butt off all night long! What a disaster! They looked like Vanderbilt!
TommyJack writes:
JimR, I'm with you. Lived in Texas for years. Mack Brown should be in BCS playoff game every year. Sometimes mediocre coaches get carried by great talent. ---see Mark Richt
TommyJack writes:
I thought gators were playing not to lose. Bwahahahaha
heyitsme writes:
Sad to say, but it will take a miracle for Texas to beat Alabama.
tnbigg writes:
Good one! Bwahahahaha - Poor little gators...how sad! Bwahahahaha
CrankE writes:
Maybe whine flu struck UF?
Can't spell FLU without UF.
smoky50 writes:
I am sorry. Bama beat Tiny Tim and all is well. But this is a VOLS site. When I log on and go to this page, the last thing I want to see is Bama players doing a victory chant. Yes they won the SEC but come on. Write the article but don't put their photos on here like it is a Bama page. They have their own.
Ringside writes:
Great post. Saban took Meyer to the woodshed, no doubt.
VolintheRockies writes:
The entire game was awesome but the creme' de la creme' was watching that arrogant arse Meyer sling his headphones down when Bama started to light it up. After watching that jerk pile on needless points throughout the season I hope he enjoyed that big slab of humble pie.
dvhill100 writes:
Congrats to UA. Liked it a lot. There was a certain satisfaction is seeing TT cry at the end. Now I want all of the SEC teams to win their bowls. Yes, even UF. I might be a little nauseated when it happens, but I always pull for the SEC against anyone else.
Ringside writes:
Good point.
dvhill100 writes:
Link, please.
Rick4UT writes:
I am so glad that Bama will in the NC game and happy they kicked the taters tails.I root for all SEC teams in the bowls and it makes me sick that I will have to pull for the taters in their bowl. Bama showed class by taking a knee twice at the end of the game. Florida would have went for more points.
Urbans days are numbered ! GO VOLS !!!!!!!!!!!
Psychovol writes:
I guess the SEC has caught up with Urbie's tired old high school offense. Kiffin nailed it when he said Bama has better coaching. The Gators made Kiffin look like a profhet. And Tebow made them look gay.
khelton657 writes:
Alabama winning the National Champuonship game will validate where our program is and is going...it will even to some degree help our recruiting....we were within a blocked kick of defeating the upcoming National Champions..gotta pull for Alabama
crimsonviper writes:
I look forward to a Vols Tide sec championship,blitz.
To me that is the best rivalry in college football...GBO!
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