Contrasts clash in SEC

ATLANTA – How big is today’s Southeastern Conference Championship game? You can tell when even the announcers are excited.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” said CBS announcer Gary Danielson, who will work the contest between No. 1 Alabama (12-0) and Florida (11-1), ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll and fourth in the Bowl Championship Series standings. “I’ve done two national championships and I’ve done every big rivalry that can basically be done. … This is the most intriguing matchup that I’ve ever done, and basically it’s because of the styles.

“This is basically Frazier vs. Ali. This is ugly vs. pretty, new vs. old, spread out vs. tight. You can pick any angle here and you’ve got a contrasting style that makes it a must-watch game for a college football fan.”

The winner will likely play in Miami for the national title in January against Oklahoma, if the Sooners defeat Missouri in the Big 12 championship game tonight.

The Gators have dazzled fans with their high-scoring offense filled with speed. The Crimson Tide have been overpowering and more deliberate.

Also at stake could be Florida’s Tim Tebow’s attempt to become the first back-to-back Heisman Trophy winner since Archie Griffin, the only person to accomplish that feat in 1974-75 at Ohio State.

Issues continue to evolve around the health of Tebow’s favorite target, however. Florida coach Urban Meyer said at the Friday afternoon news conference he would work out receiver Percy Harvin, nursing an ankle injury suffered last week against Florida State, after practice before deciding if he’ll play. How healthy Harvin actually is could remain a mystery until kickoff, but all signs point to him giving it a try.

“Florida has played well, and they’ve scored a lot of points,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “They haven’t even had a close game other than the Ole Miss game (a 31-30 loss). They’ve been a dominant team, and they certainly deserve all the accolades that their team gets because they’ve played extremely well all season long.”

The keys? For Florida, it could be how well Tebow runs the spread offense and whether Harvin plays.

“I don’t really think that there’s anybody that I’ve ever faced that’s quite like him, that creates the issues that he creates relative to his size and toughness and ability as a runner and passer,” Saban said of Tebow.

Alabama will try to win the game up front, with a big line that dominates opponents on both sides of the ball.

“The two offensive lines that are going to play in this game are the two best offensive lines in our conference,” Meyer said. “Who’s better? We’ll find out.”

Both teams have been jumping on opponents early.

“I think the first quarter is important but not nearly as important as the third and the fourth quarter,” Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson said. “What we talk about all the time as a team is the fourth quarter, the end, the second half. Getting off to a fast start helps out a lot, get points on the board early, and putting the other team in a situation where they’re doing things they don’t want to.”

Both squads have excellent special teams and defensive units. So it could come down to one clutch play.

Alabama has been in several close games. Florida has won its last eight in a row by 28 points or more, something that’s never happened before in the SEC.

“You never know,” Alabama lineman Antoine Caldwell said. “Each game has an identity of its own, but it does benefit us that we’ve had close games … and finding a way to win definitely does something for your character on a football team.”