A week after setting viewership records in their victory over the Auburn Tigers in the Iron Bowl, No. 1-ranked Alabama brings their show to network television, playing the underrated, but probably still overmatched No. 16 Missouri Tigers in the Southeastern Conference Championship game.
It’s the crown jewel of conference championships and, before the new playoff system, the winner basically had a guaranteed spot in the national championship game. For the Crimson Tide, this game is no different. They win and they keep their No. 1 ranking in all three polls. They lose and they will likely fall out of the playoff picture and could ensure, for the first time since 2005, an SEC team will not play for the national title.
History? There Is None
Bama (11-1, 7-1 SEC) and Mizzou have met a total of four times in each school’s history, with the series tied 2-2. Their 2012 meeting, which the Tide won 42-10, was their first since 1978. The Tigers (10-2, 7-1) last beat Alabama in 1975, winning 20-7 in Birmingham.
All the winning history in the SEC is obviously on Alabama’s side, seeing how this is only Missouri’s third season in the conference. Still, it needs to be noted that the SEC Championship has welcomed the Tide eight times before Saturday and Bama has won four of them. This will be only the second SEC Championship game where Alabama didn’t face off against Florida. Florida owns all four of those Crimson Tide losses, the last one coming in 2008. Alabama’s last SEC title victory was in 2012, beating Georgia 32-28.
“It’s a great competitive venue, and one of the most exciting games that I’ve had an opportunity to compete and play in through the years,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said at his Tuesday media session. “This is a special opportunity. Our conference is very difficult, so this is a pretty significant accomplishment to be in the game, as well as have an opportunity to have success in a game like this.”
So does any history favor Missouri? Only that they’ve made a habit of destroying expectations since joining the SEC. Last season, the Tigers were picked to finish sixth in the East. Instead, they finished 12-2. won the Eastern Division, lost the SEC Championship to Auburn, then beat Oklahoma State 41-31 in the Cotton Bowl. This year Mizzou was picked to finish fourth. We all see how that worked out.
“It (the SEC Championship) is a great environment to play football in,” Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel said. “Having the experience of being in this game certainly helps. They (the players) understand how awesome of an experience it is. Ultimately though, it goes back to playing your best football.”
Who’s Playing The Best Football?
Alabama. And there’s no argument about it. Since sneaking out a 14-13 win over Arkansas on Oct. 11, the Crimson Tide has been on a tear, knocking off teams and ruining postseason plans for their SEC opponents. Bama’s best offensive game of the season was its last, a 55-44 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl where wide receiver Amari Cooper moved himself into the Top 5 on NFL Draft boards with 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns. No one on Auburn’s team could run with him and Mizzou will have just as tough a time.
“We’ll have a game plan and do the best we can,” Pinkel said. “They certainly do a great job of finding ways to get him (Cooper) the football. He has produced at a very high level when everyone knows they’re going to throw the ball to him.”
For the Tigers to win, Maty Mauk must be their best offensive weapon. Mauk is also coming off his best game, 25-of-42 passing for 265 yards and a touchdown in a 21-14 win over Arkansas. Mauk has averaged just 189 yards per game this season, but those 22 touchdowns are nothing to ignore. The Crimson Tide’s pass defense was atrocious against Auburn last week, surrendering 456 yards and three touchdowns through the air to Nick Marshall, a guy who was just averaging 169 yards per game prior to last week. Mauk could be in for a huge game, maximizing his passing match-up with senior wideout Bud Sasser.
“He (Mauk) has the ability to make big plays,” Pinkel said. “He’s showing that right now when it comes to crunch time. In our business, there always comes a time where you have to make big plays for an opportunity to win and that’s in his makeup a little bit. It certainly doesn’t surprise me. He’s playing better and better each and every week.”
The Pick
Alabama vs Missouri (+14.5) SEC Championship, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.
The Crimson Tide has made a remarkable run to the SEC title game, only getting better each week. The Tigers have benefited from a weak SEC East, but still battled their way to their second consecutive championship appearance. Mizzou is better on defense, with Shane Ray and Marcus Golden picking right up where Kony Ealy and Michael Sam left off last season. But that defense isn’t good enough to stop Bama, and no one has figured out how to slow Amari Cooper down yet and probably won’t until next year when he’s playing on Sunday. Pick: Alabama 38, Missouri 29.
