GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The headline on a website named TouchdownAlabama.com read: Dan Mullen guarantees victory over Alabama in SEC Championship Game.
Meanwhile, on the Twittersphere fans of both schools and media members traded barbs over whether Mullen actually meant what he said, or better yet, if he said it at all.
Ah, the tradition and pageantry of Southeastern Conference football is alive and well. As wacky as 2020 has been, it's comforting to know the South's favorite sport has not lost its charm or spirit.
Speaking to reporters on a SEC Championship Game video conference Thursday afternoon to preview the matchup between his 11th-ranked Gators (8-2) and the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide (10-0) on Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Mullen was asked if he thought the Gators should make the College Football Playoff semifinals as a two-loss team.
Mullen has answered the question several times the past few days. His response Thursday:
"We'll think about that on Saturday night after we win. I think LSU made it, when there were only two teams, with two losses, if I'm not mistaken. Does that sound about right? It was back in one of those years with the BCS. I thought they had two losses. Maybe I'm off on that one. Let's see. We'll worry about winning on Saturday night because that's all we can control. What happens after that, we'll see what happens next."
Perhaps Mullen would have been better served by following the lead of former Alabama quarterback Joe Namath when he played for the Jets, or even Shakespeare, whose "brevity is the soul of wit" proverb would have sufficed.
Mullen could have just said: "Hell, yeah."
Of course, Alabama faithful were going to pick Mullen apart unless he gave a Nick Saban-like answer when Saban was asked if he thought the SEC deserved two teams in the CFB Playoff.
"Man, I don't really like to speculate on things like that."
Mullen made his mark as an offensive wizard. Saban blossomed as a defensive genius. Their teams are different, too.
Now that the press conferences are out of the way, the real fun looms.
For more on Saturday's game between the Gators and Crimson Tide, here is The Opening Kickoff:
FOUR QUESTIONS WITH GATORS RECEIVER TREVON GRIMES
Eight of receiver Trevon Grimes' 34 catches this season have gone for touchdowns. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
How eager are you to play in what could be one of the great offensive shootouts in SEC Championship Game history?
"We're very excited and we know this is going to be a dogfight, but we're prepared to go in there. We have great coaches and great players and we can compete with anybody in the country. If we do what what we have to do, nobody said it has to be a close game. We feel like we're going to come out victorious."
Do you expect Coach Mullen to be extra-creative for this game?
"Yeah, definitely. I feel like he has some tricks up his sleeve. We've practiced all year for this game coming up. We're just going to go out there and do whatever he tells us to do, and like I said, come out victorious."
Do you feel like you're big underdogs?
"Nah, we don't look at it at all like we're underdogs. If they think we're underdogs, then so be it. We're still going to come out there and play like we have to play and come out victorious."
What have you said to Marco Wilson and how have you helped him deal with the fallout from the LSU game?
"You know, everybody does some silly stuff in their lifetime. I feel like nobody deserves to be bashed or put down. As teammates, our job is to lift him up and help him regardless of if he made a silly mistake or not. At the end of the day, we don't look at that loss because of the silly mistake he made."
THREE STORYLINES
Coming off a devastating home loss to LSU, the Gators seek to regain their balance and keep any hopes alive for a berth in the College Football Playoff. To do so, they must beat No. 1-ranked Alabama for the first time since winning the program's last SEC title in 2008.
Based on the latest odds, the Heisman Trophy winner will most likely play in this game. Gators quarterback Kyle Trask, Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, and Crimson Tide receiver DeVonta Smith are the three front-runners.
The shift of power in the SEC took place in 2009 when Alabama knocked off the defending national champion Gators in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama has won six SEC title games over that span while Florida has not won any. For the Gators to get back to the top, they'll need to beat Bama.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Gators cornerback Marco Wilson, in arguably his best game of the season, made a key mental error in the final minute of the LSU loss when he was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing LSU tight end Kole Taylor's shoe after a tackle. The penalty kept LSU's drive alive and led to a game-winning field goal by Cade York. How will Wilson respond and will Alabama try to attack him in the passing game?
Quarterbacks Kyle Trask and Mac Jones are having excellent seasons and the one who plays best Saturday could end up with the Heisman Trophy. Trask has thrown for 3,717 yards, 40 touchdowns and five interceptions, while Jones has thrown for 3,321 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. This one has potential to be a quarterback's dream.
Gators tight end Kyle Pitts was a late scratch due to a lingering injury in the loss to LSU. Pitts has 36 receptions for 641 yards and 11 touchdowns. His presence makes the Gators' offense instantly better, so if he is 100 percent, Alabama's defense will be tested to defend one of the country's top offensive threats.
FIVE DIGITS
40 – Touchdown passes for Kyle Trask this season, a single-season Gators record 16,500 – COVID-restricted capacity for Saturday's SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium 101 – Most combined points in a SEC Championship Game (Auburn 59, Missouri 42 in 2013) 49.5 – Alabama's points per game this season, first in the SEC 41.2 – Florida's points per game this season, second in the SEC
INJURY REPORT
PROBABLE: RB Nay'Quan Wright (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: TE Kyle Pitts (undisclosed), DB Shawn Davis (undisclosed), DB Rashad Torrence II (shoulder), LB David Reese (shoulder), LB Jeremiah Moon (foot); OUT: DB Ethan Pouncey (hip, out for season); UNAVAILABLE: During the unprecedented 2020 season, Florida releases a list of players not available on game days prior to kickoff.
THEY SAID IT
"It's been a journey. A lot of experiences one could never anticipate, yet we're here in Atlanta for the 2020 version of the SEC football championship game." -- SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on the COVID-impacted season
"Anybody that's a competitor, if you don't play your best, you are pissed off. You know that's part of the deal. Everybody in that locker room, every coach, we all want to go out there and perform at the best of our abilities. We have to find a way to get it fixed and be ready to go." -- Gators offensive coordinator Brian Johnson on bouncing back from LSU
"I'm pretty confident with Todd." -- Gators coach Dan Mullen on defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and his ability to adjust
"His quickness and ability to run jerk routes and change direction, get in and out of breaks, is fantastic. He's a difficult matchup, creates a lot of problems. We'd love to have him here, I can tell you that." -- Alabama coach Nick Saban on Gators senior receiver Kadarius Toney
"I'm thinking about it. I've been talking to my family and stuff about it. We're just going to make the best decision for me moving forward." -- Gators graduate-transfer offensive lineman Stewart Reese on whether he might considering returning for another season
The Gators are making their 13th appearance in the SEC Championship Game, which ties Alabama for the most in league history. Florida is 7-5 overall, 4-5 against Alabama. The Crimson Tide is 8-4 in the conference championship.
Gators Athletic Director Scott Stricklin, one of 13 members on the College Football Playoff Committee, will not attend Saturday's game. Stricklin will be in Dallas with the other members of the committee watching conference championship games together while socially distanced.
Gators quarterback Kyle Trask has thrown for 3,717 yards this season and needs 180 yards to eclipse Rex Grossman (3,896 in 2001) as Florida's single-season record holder. Trask is tied with Danny Wueffel for most career 400-yard passing games with four.
The Gators are averaging 405.2 yards per game passing, trailing only the 1998 Kentucky team (412.2) in SEC history.
Florida head coach Dan Mullen is 0-9 all-time in head-to-head matchups with Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Mullen faced Alabama each season while leading Mississippi State's program from 2009-17.
Alabama's victory over Arkansas last week extended its record for most consecutive 10-win seasons (13) in SEC history. This is the fifth time in Saban's 14 seasons at Alabama that the Crimson Tide has finished the regular season undefeated.
Alabama has won 30 consecutive games against SEC East opponents, last losing to an Eastern Division team in 2010 at South Carolina, which at the time was led by current Gators Athletics Ambassador Steve Spurrier.
Gators junior tight end Kyle Pitts has 1,363 career yards receiving. He needs only 20 yards to become Florida's all-time career leader among tight ends.
UF senior receiver Kadarius Toney, who had a career-high 192 yards against LSU, is 169 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. The last Gators receiver with 1,000 or more yards in a single season was Taylor Jacobs (1,088) in 2002.
THE OTHER SIDE
The last receiver to win the Heisman Trophy was Michigan's Desmond Howard 29 years ago.
In Saturday's matchup against Alabama, the Gators must defend a receiver who many think deserves to join Howard as the rare receiver to bring home college football's most coveted award.
DeVonta Smith is having a spectacular season for the Crimson Tide, catching 83 passes for 1,327 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also has rushed for a score and returned a punt for a touchdown.
A senior from Amite, La., Smith's Heisman campaign gained steam in Alabama's 55-14 win at LSU on Dec. 5. Smith finished with eight catches for 231 yards and three touchdowns (65, 61 and 20 yards).
Howard is clearly in Smith's camp:
BOTTOM LINE
The Gators are a heavy underdog after their stunning loss to LSU a week ago. Even if Florida had won, No. 1-ranked Alabama would be favored on Saturday. However, the defeat has cast doubt among many fans and media whether the Gators can keep the game close. That's understandable, but don't be surprised if the Gators play much better than they did a week ago. The loss stung deep and this is a Florida team that has shown its resiliency throughout the season. I'm not going as far as saying the Gators will upset the Crimson Tide, but I do expect it to be a much better game than the 2015 and '16 title games in which Alabama outscored Florida by a combined 83-31. Dan Mullen and his staff have shown they are a creative group on the big stage, and look for this one to be closer than expected in the second half. However, if the Gators are to leave Atlanta with a victory, they must force Alabama's offense into some uncharacteristic mistakes. The Gators haven't forced a turnover in the last two games and will likely need a couple on Saturday to have a chance at hoisting the league's championship trophy.
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