Review: No. 2 Alabama 32, No. 1 Florida 13

In what many billed as the biggest college football game of the 21st century (if not all-time), the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (13-0) dominated the number-1 Florida Gators (12-1) in all phases of the game. Alabama's defense was stifling, as expected, and Mark Ingram was back to his usual impressive self, but 'Bama quarterback Greg McElroy surprised and upstaged the former Heisman trophy winner and "greatest college football player of all time" Tim Tebow.

The Tide crushed the Gators in convincing fashion, shutting them out in the second half. Alabama will now head to Pasadena, CA for the BCS National Chmapionship game versus (likely) either Texas or TCU.

My Seven Points:

1. This game was won by the Alabama offensive and defensive lines. Alabama O-line pushed Florida back, opened holes, and protected Greg McElroy all day long, giving him time to find receivers. The D-line contained Tebow, disallowed Florida's running game, and contained the Gators' offense. Credit to all the big uglies for getting it done.

2. Mark Ingram may not win the Heisman, but he certainly deserves consideration for his performance in the championship. Ingram carried the ball 28 times for 113 yards. He scored three touchdowns, tying the SEC Championship Game record. He broke Alabama's single-season rushing record, gaining 1,542 yards on the season. His biggest play, though, may have been a 69-yard reception immediately following a second-quarter Florida touchdown that made the score 12-10. That run set up an Ingram touchdown run before the half, and Florida never got any closer.

3. Tim Tebow is a great player - a firey competitor, a talented runner, and a true leader. But Greg McElroy showed him up tonight. Every pregame analysis of this matchup was about how Alabama and Florida were very similar teams, with the main difference being Tebow's obvious superiority at quarterback. Tebow is a great player with a great record and has a lot of class. Everyone knows that. But McElroy consistently made great throws tonight. He didn't make any mistakes. And surprisingly, he made several key plays running the ball. Tebow didn't do any of these things tonight, and he had to for Florida to win.

4. The coaching staff put together a great game plan. It is rumored that Alabama has been preparing for Florida ever since last spring, and today it was obvious that it paid off. It's no secret that the 2008 SEC Championship left a bitter taste in the mouths of Coach Saban and the team, and they had no intention of repeating that today. Jim McElwain deserves a lot of credit for calling good plays, keeping Florida off balance from the very start.

5. Nick Saban - worth every penny. Many sportswriters made a huge stink about Saban leaving the Miami Dolphins to come to Alabama. Many accosted Alabama for paying Saban what seemed an exorbitant amount to do so. But Saban immediately righted the ship, bringing 92,000 fans to the A-Day spring game, bringing enthusiam and an iron will to the team, attracting fantastic recruiting classes, and now, an SEC championship, with a national title in reach. No one would argue now that Saban was worth it.

6. The Crimson Tide returns to the Rose Bowl. While it isn't the actual Rose Bowl game, Alabama has a history with the Rose Bowl that goes back to January 1, 1926. Alabama defeated the Washington Huskies 20-19 then, winning the 1925 national championship and putting Southern football on the map. Now, Southern football, especially SEC Football, is widely recognized as the best in the country and Alabama is at the pinnacle of that success. Alabama has played in the Rose Bowl more than any other team not in the Big Ten or Pac-10 (and more than many of those as well), and it even figures in the fight song. So it seems entirely appropriate for the Tide to return there to play for the title.

7. Alabama wins its 22nd SEC Championship. The most storied program in SEC history, Alabama has won more SEC titles than any other team (Tennessee is second with 13). The Tide also kept alive a streak with tonight's win - it has won at least one SEC title in every decade since the league came into existence. It is the only program in the league to have accomplished this. Tonight's game was the last opportunity to win a title in the decade of the 2000s. Alabama has now also reached 13-0 for the second season in its history (1992) and has an opportunity to finish 14-0 for the first time ever. Only BYU (1996) and Ohio State (2002) have won 14 games in a season, with only Ohio State finishing undefeated.