The 1999 SEC Championship was a rematch between Alabama and Florida. Earlier in the season, Alabama upset Florida in the Swamp 40-39. Everyone thought for sure that Florida would get its revenge on Bama, but not this time.

The Tide would prove that they were the best team in the SEC and they would take down the Gators yet again and this time they didn’t need a missed field goal to do it.

Wide out Freddie Milons would cap the game with  fantastic touchdown run that would pretty much seal the deal for the Tide and shock Steve Spurrier's Gators who then quarterbacked by ESPN analyst Jesse Palmer.

The 2009 SEC Championship Game was supposed to be the game of the century. It was yet another rematch between the Gators and the Tide.

In 2008, both teams came into the championship game undefeated, but behind Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, the Gators would win 30-21.

This time it would be the Gators coming in as the No. 1 team in the country and the Tide No. 2, but before the night was over, it would be Alabama celebrating their 22nd SEC Title as they defeated the Gators 32-13 on their way to winning their 13th national championship.

There was lots of highlights in this game that most Alabama fans can still remember vividly. The play that Greg McElroy hopped 3 times for nearly 10 yards for a first down was very typical of the laser-focus of the players in this game. Mark Ingram had the near-TD screen play catch that went the length of the field for 69 yards. He finished the day in spectacular fashion with 3 TDs and 189 total yards total. Another great play was the leaping, backward-leaning Javier Arenas interception of Tim Tebow that stopped a potential touchdown in the red-zone. Then there was the over-the-shoulder catch by Colin Peek. The game was full of highlight reel plays that Bama fans will never forget.

Best of all... It was also the game that made Tim Tebow cry.  

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Who says rivals can’t put their differences aside for a good cause?

The University of Florida is helping raise money for tornado relief by selling t-shirts that say on the front “Gators helping the Tide” and the back features an elephant and a gator holding hands with the words “Champions helping Champions” below.

The shirts were being sold by Eta Sigma Gamma, a health education honorary society on the Florida campus.

At halftime of the game tomorrow, the group plans to present a check for $5,000 to Alabama.

All the money raised from the sells will go directly to the University Of Alabama Acts Of Kindness Fund, which helps members of the UA community who are in need of emergency assistance.

Nice gesture by Gator Nation.

Link

As predicted by Harvey Updyke, his lawyer was not pleased with his appearance on the Paul Finbaum show earlier this week.

Updyke went on the Finebaum show to apologize to Auburn, but he never formally said for what.

Updyke’s lawyer, Glennon Threatt, who was in Huntsville this week for another trial said this about the Updyke’s comments:

“I'll be honest, I haven't heard everything he said,” he said after leaving the Madison County Courthouse Thursday.

After a reporter shared some of Updyke's comments, Threatt said “I've talked with Paul and did hear some of them.”

Threatt continued to say that he couldn’t comment on his relationship with Updyke at the moment, but he called Udyke’s statement about him not appearing on the Finebaum show accurate.

“Certainly, if it's not going to help him,” Threatt said of Updyke. “If he hadn't called into Finebaum, he never would have been arrested.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Here is a taste of what you may have not known about Alabama and Florida going into the tomorrow’s game.

• Alabama’s offense is averaging 6.9 yards per play, which leads the SEC. Last year, three SEC teams were above 6.9 yards per play -- Auburn (7.4), Arkansas (7.1) and Alabama (7.0).
• Alabama has allowed only four plays of 20 or more yards this season, which is tied for second nationally.
• The Tide is also one of eight FBS teams to not allow a rushing play of 20-plus yards this season.  They are 4th in rush yards allowed overall.
• Alabama is 2nd in points per game allowed.   
• Florida leads the SEC and is tied for seventh nationally with only two sacks allowed in four games this season.
• Saturday marks the first game between Alabama and Florida since 2006 that one isn't ranked No. 1 in the nation. This will also be the 14th straight game between the two in which one is ranked in the top 10 (every game since 1990).
• Florida leads the nation in opponents’ third-down conversions. The Gator defense has allowed opponents to convert just 21.1 percent of their third downs (11 of 52).

Alabama Florida game always seems to be a great game, and the facts are simply the facts of the past. As Coach Saban often emphasizes, past success does not determine future success. Taking it one play at a time in the swamp, 11 players on each snap giving it 100% is the only way that Alabama can win this tough road game. It won't be easy, but I know for a "fact" that Coach Saban will have them mentally and physically ready to play in the Swamp!

Stomp the Gators!

ROLL TIDE!

Over the past few years, the Tide and Gators have played some memorable games against one another and we are going to take a look back at some of the most memorable victories the Tide has had over the Gators.

Today we look back at the 1999 game. Now as most of you remember during the 1999 season, the Tide and Gators met twice that season; once during the regular season, the other in the SEC Championship Game.

The best game out of the two had to be the first game in Gainesville where the Tide was a heavy underdog to Steve Spurrier’s team. No one gave the Tide a chance that day against the Gators, but we all knew better. The victory over these Gators ended a 30 game winning streak that turned the stomach of Steve Spurrier as you could see the disgust written all over his face.

But a few missed field goals and a Shaun Alexander run, turned this game into a Crimson Tide victory, 40-39 in overtime. It was a very exciting football game.

Check out the video here!

Another Gator who could be questionable is defensive end Sharrif Floyd. Floyd has a stinger in his shoulder, but in all likeihood he will play.

So far, Will Muschamp hasn’t confirmed or denied these injuries which are not a surprise, I’m sure he doesn’t want to give his former boss and mentor an advantage.

Either way, Bama will be ready to play. However, as with Arkansas, the reduced depth on the defensive line could pose real issues for the Gators.

Dominique Easley VIDEO:
Here is video of Easley dancing on the sidelines at the Gators Spring game. He can move pretty well, but even if he was health for this game, he would be out of the mood for dancing.

ROLL TIDE!

“He was a senior when I was a junior,” said Richardson. “He’s very fast. He beat me in that race. I think he was the only person to beat me that year.”

Considering how fast Richardson is, Demps must have world class speed. Remember when Richardson was being recruited by Bama, he was also recruited hard by Florida too and many thought at the time that he would be a Gator.

Throughout their recruitment, Richardson also became good friends with Gator running back Chris Rainey as well. To this day, Richardson considers Rainey a good friend.

Friendships aside, Trent Richardson wants to win this race, friend or foe. 

ROLL TIDE! 

Although it sounded on Monday that Coach Saban was positive that both CJ Mosely and Eddie Lacy would probably play in the Florida game, as of Wednesday afternoon’s practice, both may be questionable for Saturday.

Mosely and Lacy have been limited in practice this week. Mosely has an elbow injury and will probably be a game time decision. Coach Saban said and Lacy has a sore foot; some reported it as being turf toe.

Looks like Lacy has a better chance of seeing action this week then Mosely.

Update on CJ Mosely: Saban says Mosely will not play in the Florida game. We'll see if that will have any impact on the Bama defense this weekend.

In other injury news, freshman running back Dee Hart’s progress from an ACL injury looks like it’s coming along nicely.

Hart was expected to contribute to the Tide’s offense this year before he got hurt and although he is apparently back running, he is still not quite back in football shape yet.

“He’s still a month away from doing all the things he needs to do to be able to play football,” Saban said. “It’d be a real long shot if that guy could come back and contribute at all this year.”

The 1992 SEC Championship game is a memorable one for several reasons; one being that this was the first time the SEC had a championship game in their history and for the first time in over a decade, that the Crimson Tide would be playing for a chance to play in the national championship game against the Miami Hurricanes.

The game would go back and forth in the first half before the Tide would take a 14 point lead in the second half, but after a Florida comeback to tie the game, one critical defensive play sealed the victory for the Crimson Tide which would propel them to a national championship.

Isn’t it nice to hear Keith Jackson’s voice doing the play-by-play?