The Opening Kickoff (Part II): Gators Can Snap Bama's Dominance of SEC East Foes

Gators vs. Alabama (2020 SEC Championship Game)

The Gators seek to take down No. 1 Alabama on Saturday after coming close in last year's SEC Championship Game. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)

The Opening Kickoff (Part II): Gators Can Snap Bama's Dominance of SEC East Foes

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two games into his 15th season at Alabama, Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide in a familiar spot: at No. 1.

Top-ranked Alabama (2-0) visits "The Swamp" on Saturday afternoon to face the 11th-ranked Gators (2-0). The foremost storyline on this side of the border is whether this is the season the Gators get over the hump against Alabama.

Florida has dropped seven in a row to Alabama, a streak that started with a loss in the 2009 SEC Championship Game.

When informed after Tuesday night's practice that the Gators were a 15-point underdog, UF senior running back Dameon Pierce turned to humor.

"Fifteen points? Against Bama? They're being nice to us, ain't they?" Pierce quipped. "Everybody Bama plays is what, like 20-plus? They're showing us love."

The Crimson Tide's dominance of college football is familiar to even the most casual fan by now. Alabama is the reigning national champion, has won two of the past four national titles, three of the last six, five of the last 10 and six of the last 12.

All under Saban.

Asked on the SEC media teleconference Wednesday about the Crimson Tide's extended period of dominance, Saban answered a question he has been asked hundreds of times over the past decade.

"I think probably culture,'' he said. "I think every team has its own personality, but trying to develop a standard and a culture where everybody buys into the principles and values of the organization and respects and trusts each other. Some teams have done that extremely well, other teams, it's a little bit of a work in progress."

NCAA Football: Mercer at Alabama — **Nick Saban** stands on the field at last week's home opener in Tuscaloosa. (Photo: **Marvin Gentry**/USA TODAY Sports)

The 2021 edition of the Crimson Tide appears off to a good start, defeating Miami and Mercer on their way to Saturday's showdown against the Gators. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Young, in his first career start, threw four touchdown passes in a 44-13 win over Miami.

Young's four touchdown passes broke a school record for most scoring throws by an Alabama quarterback in his starting debut, breaking the record of three held by Joe Namath and Mac Jones.

Alabama's success under Saban can be measured by an array of numbers besides those six national championships in 12 years. He lost six games in 2007, his first season. The Crimson Tide have lost six games the past seven seasons.

That's just one example.

Here's another example, a streak that the Gators hope to put to bed on Saturday afternoon: Alabama has 31 consecutive wins over SEC East opponents.

The last time the Crimson Tide lost to an SEC East opponent was a 35-21 loss at South Carolina in 2010. A closer look at what the Gators are up against Saturday:

SEC EAST OPPONENT	SEASON	SCORE
@Tennessee	2010	Won 41-10
@Florida	2011	Won 38-10
Vanderbilt	2011	Won 34-0
Tennessee	2011	Won 37-6
@Missouri	2012	Won 42-10
@Tennessee	2012	Won 44-13
Georgia*	2012	Won 32-28
@Kentucky	2013	Won 48-7
Tennessee	2013	Won 45-10
Florida	2014	Won 42-21
@Tennessee	2014	Won 34-20
Missouri*	2014	Won 42-13
@Georgia	2015	Won 38-10
Tennessee	2015	Won 19-14
Florida*	2015	Won 29-15
Kentucky	2016	Won 34-6
@Tennessee	2016	Won 49-10
Florida*	2016	Won 54-16
@Vanderbilt	2017	Won 59-0
Tennessee	2017	Won 45-7
Georgia**	2017	Won 26-23 (OT)
Missouri	2018	Won 39-10
@Tennessee	2018	Won 58-21
Georgia*	2018	Won 35-28
@South Carolina	2019	Won 47-23
Tennessee	2019	Won 35-13
@Missouri	2020	Won 38-19
Georgia	2020	Won 41-24
@Tennessee	2020	Won 48-17
Kentucky	2020	Won 63-3
Florida*	2020	Won 52-46