Since its inception in the 1998 season, the BCS selection system has provided the college football faithful with frustration and disillusion as the often nebulous criteria for selecting teams for the national championship game has left many worthy teams on the outside looking in.
And while the BCS system arguably has its shortcomings, nobody has capitalized on it like the Southeastern Conference. The SEC has won four out of the 10 BCS national championships, including the past two won by the Florida Gators and the LSU Tigers. In addition, SEC teams have won over 70 percent of BCS bowl games that they have played in.
Part of the SEC's success stems from the sheer strength of the conference. The SEC is considered by many to be the best conference in college football, and with good reason. At this juncture, with the regular season complete and conference championship games set for this weekend, the SEC boasts some of the best teams in college football, including the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, the No. 4 Gators, the No. 16 Georgia Bulldogs and reigning national champion LSU.
Make no mistake: The winner of this Saturday's showdown at the Georgia Dome for the SEC title between Alabama and Florida will most assuredly qualify for the BCS national championship game and stand in firm position to earn the designation of national champion.
If the Gators defeat the Crimson Tide in Atlanta, they are essentially a lock to move into one of the two top spots in the final BCS rankings. With the win, Florida would most likely move to No. 1 in both the USA Today and AP Top 25 polls and would likely be no lower than No. 2 in the BCS computer rankings.
Both teams are heading into Saturday's SEC tilt riding high off of convincing victories over big rivals. The Crimson Tide shut out their in-state foes, the Auburn Tigers, 36-0 in the Iron Bowl to improve their spotless record to 12-0. The Gators defeated their bitter adversary, the Florida State Seminoles, 45-15 and are now riding an eight-game winning streak. During that span, the Gators have handled their opponents in convincing fashion, winning by an average 40-point margin.
One intriguing storyline to this game is that of the men wearing headsets on the sidelines. Alabama plays for Nick Saban, a former Miami Dolphins experiment who enjoys the luxury of being one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, while the Gators counter with two-time National Coach of the Year Urban Meyer.
Among the keys in determining the winner of this pivotal game will be whether Alabama's defense has enough depth and experience to contain Meyer's spread-style offense. The potent attack is led by last year's Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at quarterback and features one of the most electrifying players in college football in Percy Harvin. There is some concern surrounding the sprained right ankle that the running back sustained in last weekend's game against the Seminoles, however, and at this point Harvin remains questionable for Saturday.
Unlike its SEC rival, Alabama has been winning games this year because of a relentless defense as well as its ability to control the clock and wear opponents down with a smash-mouth running game. The Crimson Tide's on-the-ground attack has been great as well, but that only elevates the importance of subduing the Gators' own potent attack this weekend.
For starters, Florida possesses what appears to be the best system quarterback in college history. Tebow poses a double threat from under center, possessing the ability to make crisp, accurate passes under pressure while being quick and agile enough to scramble when the field opens up.
On the season thus far, Tebow has thrown for 2,299 yards and 25 touchdowns through the air while legging out 507 yards on the ground for 12 touchdowns. And while he has put together another solid case to win this year's Heisman Trophy, Tebow is not the only player that the Crimson Tide will have to contain.
Harvin remains a more-than-potent threat to Alabama; every time he has the ball, he has a chance to take it deep, and on the season he has 35 receptions for 595 yards and seven touchdowns. With a Gator offense that isn't afraid to direct snap to him or just hand him the ball, Harvin has rushed for 538 yards and nine touchdowns.
Some other weapons on the Gators' running attack include running backs Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey. The two cement the fast-paced, high-scoring offense and have rushed for 654 and 529 yards, respectively. The team's ability to feature four huge running threats at any one time on the field can create headaches for defenses and may be the key in wearing down a usually stingy Crimson Tide defense.
Despite all the hoopla surrounding the Gator offensive attack, it remains no secret that Meyer prides himself on the play of his special teams units. There is no bigger catalyst for a swing in momentum in football than a special teams play, and even if Alabama is able to contain the Gators' high-powered offense, it still might not be enough to secure the victory.
Brandon James, the Gators' punt returner, has already taken two punts back for touchdowns, and his per-return average of 13.6 yards is good for second in the nation. Combining that with the fact that the Gators have already blocked eight kicks this season -- five punts, two field goals and one PAT -- shows that Florida's special teams corps has become a formidable threat.
This weekend's SEC showdown will be a close contest pitting a stellar offense against a stingy defense. Something will have to give, though, because the winner will most likely be the next national champion.
