Florida @ Alabama preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 5, 2009 ) Florida 13, Alabama 32

The last two meetings between Florida and Alabama have been for the SEC Championship. In each, the winner has gone on to claim the national title.

In a game that has direct implications on the conference and national championship race, the No. 1 Crimson Tide and the No. 7 Gators tangle in Tuscaloosa Saturday night. The winner will remain in strong contention for the national title, while the loser’s title hopes take a hit.

Both schools are a perfect 4-0, but have been imperfect in getting there. After inconsistent offensive play in its first three games, Florida comes off its best performance, a 48-14 win over Kentucky. Alabama needed two fourth-quarter interceptions last week to rally and edge the Razorbacks, 24-20.

Alabama is riding an 18-game regular-season winning streak, its last loss coming to the Gators in the 2008 SEC championship. Last December with a spot in the BCS title game looming, the Tide handled Florida 32-13. In that game, Alabama pounded the Gators with 251 rushing yards. And not much has changed for the champs. They’ll feed the ball to Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, the best running tandem in the country, and challenge the Gators to stop them.

With Alabama clearly in mind, Florida coach Urban Meyer has cooked up a “heavy package” with five linemen to slow down run-dominant teams. Ingram, the Heisman Trophy winner, shows no signs of minor knee surgery that forced him to sit the first two games. He’s run for 308 yards in two games and is averaging a gaudy 9.3 yards per carry. Richardson has 356 yards with a 7.6 average.

Florida last week revealed a new but familiar twist on offense. Quarterback/receiver Trey Burton, looking like Tim Tebow, ran for five touchdowns and caught another. His school-record day helped spark a Florida offense that hadn’t scored a first-quarter touchdown all season. The Gators’ biggest weapon, running back Jeff Demps, had his sprained foot in a boot until Tuesday, but is listed as probable. Even with Demps, Florida faces a tough challenge going against Alabama’s defense, the stingiest in the land, allowing 9.8 points per game.

The Gators will need strong play from John Brantley. The quarterback has thrown for six touchdowns, but his longest completion of the year is only 30 yards. Alabama cornerback Robert Lester has four interceptions, tied for tops in the country.

A model of efficiency, Tide quarterback Greg McElroy is completing 70 percent of his passes and averaging 10.5 yards per attempt to lead the Fooball Bowl Subdvision. He’ll be tested by the Gators, who have 12 interceptions to lead the nation.

Alabama defensive end Marcel Darius injured his ankle last week against Arkansas but is expected to play. Florida guard James Wilson (knee) is expected to return after sitting out last week.