Alabama positioned to become 3rd wire-to-wire AP No. 1

The Tide was favored by 24 points and ended up beating Florida, 54-16, securing its third straight SEC championship and essentially locking up the top seed in the College Football Playoffs.

-Jim McElwain has taken Florida to the SEC Championship Game in his first two years as head coach. It was also Bama’s 26 in history, more than the second (Tennessee with 13) and Georgia (12) winners combined.

The College Football Playoff committee revealed the top four teams on Sunday who will vie for the third CFP title.

Clemson will play Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl for a spot in the national championship game.

While the Tide might have a little more experience competing in the playoff, including winning it all a year ago by beating then-No.

They were not the only fans enjoying Alabama’s dismantling of Florida.

Maybe the Tide was bored after putting up 33 points in between the Florida scores.

Whether Saban wants it or not, his team, through offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, is using the head coach’s bugaboo to flummox opposition.

Former Nottingham High School running back Derrick Gore continues to make his presence felt for the No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide football team. Browning was just 9 for 24 for 118 yards with two touchdown passes. As a result of the pressure, Appleby threw three interceptions – one more than he’d thrown all season.

Florida wide receiver Antonio Callaway (81) is tackled by Alabama defensive back Anthony Averett (28) during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, in Atlanta.

Looking at the team statistics, Alab ama had 18 first downs, Florida 16. “At that moment that’s when I think we won the game”.

Navy will bring its triple-option (averaging 327 yards rushing per game) to the Armed Forces Bowl to face Louisiana Tech, which averages 360 yards passing per game behind quarterback Ryan Higgins.

He did manage to convert a third down with a lovely ball down the seam to ArDarius Stewart early in the third, but the fact that a single 20-yard pass is memorable tells you all you need to know about the passing game. Florida’s got a good team.

The SEC may have been the best conference by itself at one time, while Alabama is number one for now.

“It was a huge stop when they’re on the 1-yard line and they can’t score”, he said. Completing 65.18 percent of his passes, Hurts has thrown for 2,563 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He joked that he feels like he knows Saban well because he’s on TV so often, but said this will be the biggest challenge the Washington players and coaches have faced.

Last year, Alabama blocked a Florida punt in the title game in the end zone for a safety. Florida was the underdog going into the game, but the Gator struck first by scoring a touchdown on their very first drive. A Gator interception scuttled their next series and led to a UA field goal.

Alabama’s offense was about to get a nice rest.

Appleby opened the game by marching Florida down the field on a 10-play, 64-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Callaway – the first touchdown Alabama (13-0) has given up since October 22.

Bama had gone up by 16-7, but kicking miscues weren’t confined to the Florida side.

And even if one or two of those quarterbacks can find a way to put points up against Alabama, do their defenses stand a chance against that defense, littered with first-round talent? “Now the offense is going to milk the clock”. The Crimson Tide has gone 7-1 in the SEC and 11-1 in the regular season every year for five straight years, every season since 2011. Five plays later, Jacobs scored on a 6-yard run with 3:47 left before halftime.

Settling for a field goal also might have helped keep the game from turning into a rout.

Hurts has become a national name by taking what Alabama did with Blake Sims in 2014 to another level. Tony Brown picked it off at the Alabama 38.

Appleby rolled to his right and fired a pass to his tight end. The Gators aren’t exactly an offensive wonder, ranking 13th in the SEC and 114th nationally in total offense. Alabama’s passing game, led by freshman Jalen Hurts, has sputtered at times but Hurts is a unsafe runner.