No. 1 Alabama did what it has done all season: dominate. The Tide crushed No. 15 Florida 54-16 in the Georgia Dome on Saturday afternoon to collect the SEC title for the third year in a row and lock in their spot as the top seed for the 2016 College Football Playoff.

The game got off to a strange start as Florida marched down the field on the opening drive for a touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead. Alabama's offense failed to gain positive yards in the first quarter, finishing the quarter with -7 yards. However, a pair of interceptions (including a pick-six by Minkah Fitzpatrick) and a blocked punt for a touchdown gave the Tide a 16-9 lead going to the second quarter -- Florida picked up two points by blocking an extra point and returning it for a score.

Alabama took a 33-16 lead into halftime, and in the third quarter, it looked like the Gators would pull to within one score again with a great drive that put them in a third-and-goal situation on the 1-yard line. Alabama's defense stuffed Florida on the next two plays to force a turnover on downs and then promptly marched the ball 98 yards down the field to take a 40-16 lead and crush any hopes the Gators still had of an upset.

Two more late touchdowns, including one by fourth string walk-on running back Derrick Gore, gave Alabama 54 points, the second most in SEC Championship Game history (2010 Auburn). The win makes Alabama the only undefeated Power Five team in the nation, and also cements the Tide as the only SEC team with fewer than four losses on the season.

The 54-16 win is Alabama's fifth win by 38 or more points on the season (USC, Tennessee, Kent State, Mississippi State and Florida). It was also the second time this season that Alabama scored in all three phases of the game (Tennessee).

It was a perfect summation of the Alabama season. When the offense looked bad in the first quarter, the defense and special teams picked them up to lead to 16 points. Eventually, Alabama's offense found its stride and wore down the Florida defense with the rushing attack, finishing with 234 yards on the ground.

Alabama's defense did exactly what it's done all season, which is create turnovers and points while dominating the opponent's efforts in the running game. Florida finished the game with more turnovers (three) than rushing yards (0). The Gators had success through the air with 267 yards and a pair of touchdown passes from Austin Appleby, but Alabama's pass defense also hauled in three interceptions.

This was a game where early on Alabama looked vulnerable, and yet the Tide never trailed at the end of any quarter and won 54-16.

The @aflacduck stumped a few people with this #AflacTrivia about No. 1 teams. pic.twitter.com/wDUkL5mKJX — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 3, 2016

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Thanks for stopping by.</s>Midway through the third quarter with the Florida Gators staring at the end zone, Austin Appleby locked eyes on DeAndre Goolsby in the corner of the end zone.

The No. 15 Gators, trailing by 17 points in the third quarter of the Southeastern Conference Championship against top-ranked Alabama, had just marched 64 yards into the Crimson Tide’s red zone before having to face a fourth and goal from the 2.

Appleby rolled to his right and fired a pass to his tight end.

Alabama closed the game with three straight touchdown drives — including back-to-back possessions of at least 90 yards — to break down Florida’s defense and roll to a 54-16 win in front of an announced crowd of 74,632 inside Atlanta’s Georgia Dome. Alabama’s 54 points are the third-most in the 25-year history of the SEC Championship game and its 38-point margin of victory is the second-highest in the conference title game.

After holding Alabama to 162 yards of offense, the Gators gave up 210 yards on those three touchdown drives.

The win was just another testament to Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s success. The Crimson Tide has won 25 straight games, four of the last five SEC Championships and now has the chance to win its fifth national title since 2009.

Meanwhile, the Gators have now lost six straight games against Alabama and dropped to 2-7 against ranked opponents in two years under Jim McElwain.

Even former UF coach Steve Spurrier and Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow — the last UF quarterback to defeat Alabama — had their reservations heading into the game.

Hours before kickoff, Spurrier said Alabama would have to play poorly while UF would need to play “one of our best games ever” for a chance to win.

The day before the game, Tebow said “a lot has to go right” for the Gators to have a chance to pull off the upset.

Despite the criticism, the doubt, the Gators (8-4) turned heads to open the game and showed an occasional glimmer of hope to its fans.

Appleby opened the game by marching Florida down the field on a 10-play, 64-yard drive capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Callaway — the first touchdown Alabama (13-0) has given up since Oct. 22.

The Gators closed the first half with a 25-yard touchdown from Appleby to Goolsby to cap a 10-play, 92-yard drive.

Sandwiched between those drives, however, was pure bedlam.

Appleby threw two interceptions in a three-pass span, the latter of which Alabama linebacker Minkah Fitzpatrick returned 44-yards for a touchdown. Appleby ended the game with three interceptions and completed 26 of his 39 passes for 261 yards.

One drive after the pick-six, Derrick Gore blocked a Johnny Townsend punt and Josh Jacobs returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.

And then, as Alabama kicker Adam Griffith went to attempt the point-after, UF redshirt freshman Jabari Zuniga blocked the kick and David Reese took it 98 yards to the opposite end zone for two points.

It was 16-9 Alabama after one quarter, just 10 of the 25 points being produced by either offense and Alabama having negative 7 yards on offense.

But after the theatrics of the opening 15 minutes came to a close, Alabama began to pull away.

The Crimson Tide took a 33-16 halftime lead and held UF scoreless the rest of the way.

The Gators, who entered the game ranked 114th in total offense, managed just 70 yards in the second half.</s>Top-ranked Alabama first-half dominance in Saturday’s 54-16 Southeastern Conference Championship Game victory over No. 15 Florida made its way into the record books.

The Crimson Tide became the first team in the conference title game’s 25-year history to score at least 10 points in a quarter in which it had negative yards. The Crimson Tide ended the first quarter with 16 points despite having minus-7 yards on its lone offensive possession.

In addition, Alabama’s 33 first-half points were the most points scored in the opening 30 minutes of an SEC Championship Game. Alabama accomplished this despite being outgained 191-172 in the first half.

The Gators made it into the SEC championship annals as well — for good and for bad.

The good: Despite having his first punt blocked and returned for a touchdown, UF punter Johnny Townsend broke his record for punt return average in the SEC Championship Game. His four punts credited to him went for an average of 54.5 yards, besting his 51.8-yard average in last year’s game. The blocked punt is credited as a team punt, not toward Townsend’s average.

The bad: Quarterback Austin Appleby’s three first-half interceptions were the most in a half in the championship game’s history and tied for the second most in a game.

For the second year in a row, Antonio Callaway was a bright spot for the Gators in a losing title-game effort.

The sophomore receiver and former Booker T. Washington standout had 63 receiving yards and opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown catch from Appleby on Florida’s first drive of the game.

He wasn’t the only local player to make plays for UF, though. Defensive lineman Keivonnis Davis, a Miami Central High alumnus, recorded his first career sack in the third quarter and finished the game with five tackles and a quarterback hurry.

With an average of 10 first-team players on UF’s roster out in each of its past three games, Florida’s defense received a much-needed boost Saturday.

Senior linebacker Jarrad Davis, who is referred to as the “heart and soul” of the Gators, started against Alabama. He missed the previous three games with an ankle injury he sustained against Arkansas on Nov. 5.

Prior to the injury, Davis led UF’s defense with 56 tackles and had six tackles for loss. He finished the game with four tackles before injuring his ankle again in the fourth quarter.

Before the 25th edition of the championship game started, the two coaches to take part in the conference’s first title game met at the 50-yard line.

Former UF coach Steve Spurrier and former Alabama coach Gene Stallings, along with former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer — who created the SEC Championship Game back in 1992 — took part in the game’s opening coin toss.

Spurrier and Stallings faced in four of the first five conference title games, with the Gators winning three of the four.

THIS AND THAT

Saturday’s SEC Championship Game is the final one to be played inside the Georgia Dome, which will be replaced by Mercedes-Benz Stadium next football season. The last college football game in the dome will be the Dec. 31 Peach Bowl, one of two College Football Playoff semifinal games.

UF defensive lineman Taven Bryan was ejected in the fourth quarter.</s>ATLANTA – Alabama showed off all its weapons in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Now, the Crimson Tide can expect a return trip to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff.

The nation's No. 1 team scored off a blocked punt and an interception return Saturday before wearing down No. 15 Florida in the second half with a dominant running game. The result was a 54-16 rout that positioned Alabama to go for its second straight national title and its fifth crown in the last nine years under coach Nick Saban.

Next up: a likely semifinal game at the Georgia Dome on Dec. 31.

"You don't always get what you want in life, but you mostly get what you deserve," said Alabama's Nick Saban, who already has five national titles and is one away from tying Bear Bryant for the most by any coach. "These guys have done fantastic job all year long to win 13 games and the SEC."

The Crimson Tide (13-0, No. 1 CFP) bolted to a 16-9 lead in the first quarter, despite being held to minus-7 yards and no first downs. They scored one touchdown off a blocked punt, another off an interception return. A field goal was set up by another pick – one of three thrown by Florida quarterback Austin Appleby in the first half.

The Tide led 33-16 at halftime and iced the victory with scoring drives of 98 and 91 yards, sparked by a goal-line stand that finished off the last gasp by the Gators (8-4, No. 15 CFP).

Alabama finished with the second-most points ever scored on the Gators, topped only by Florida's 62-24 loss to Nebraska for the national title in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.

A 24-point underdog, Florida had a few shining moments against the nation's only unbeaten Power Five team. The Gators marched the length of the field on the opening possession, the first touchdown given up by the Tide in more than 17 quarters. They had another long TD drive near the end of the first half to give themselves a glimmer of hope.

After Alabama went three-and-out to start the second half, Florida drove to the Crimson Tide 1. Jordan Scarlett attempted to leap over the line on third-and-goal, but he never even got off the ground; Rashaan Evans blew by his blocker and slammed the running back for a 1-yard loss. Appleby threw incomplete in the back of the end zone on fourth down, giving the Tide all the momentum.

Damien Harris broke off a 23-yard run, Jalen Hurts completed a 31-yard pass to ArDarius Stewart on third-and-19, and bruising Bo Scarbrough finished things off with a 34-yard run and a 2-yard touchdown.

The Tide went nearly as far on its next possession, driving from its own 9 for another touchdown that sent most of the Florida fans heading for the exit early in the fourth quarter. Scarbrough carried it six times, including a 1-yard plunge into the end zone.

Florida coach Jim McElwain said Saban's latest powerhouse is "the best team, from top to bottom, that he's had since he's been there."

Alabama: The offense struggled in the first half against Florida's highly ranked defense, and the defense surrendered a couple of long scoring drives. It may be a bit of nitpicking, but for one half at least the Tide didn't look quite as a dominant as it did leading up to the SEC championship game. Of course, Alabama dominated the second half, rushing for 174 yards.

Florida: The Gators must address their offensive woes after another shaky performance, which included those three backbreaking interceptions in the first half. There's no reason for a team with Florida's resources, recruiting base and history to wind up with a unit that ranked No. 114 nationally in total yards before playing the Crimson Tide.

During a wild sequence in the first quarter, each team scored off blocked kicks on back-to-back plays.

Derrick Gore got a hand on a Florida punt, and Josh Jacobs scooped up the loose ball for a 27-yard touchdown return that gave Alabama a 16-7 lead. But Adam Griffith's extra-point attempt was swatted down by Jabari Zuniga, David Reese picked it up and took off the length of the field to give the Gators a 2-point conversion.

Alabama will remain No. 1 in The Associated Press poll, as well as the College Football Playoff rankings. Florida can expect to drop four or five spots.

Alabama: Heads to the College Football Playoff for the third year in a row. The Tide will probably meet the No. 4-ranked team in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year's Eve.

Florida: The Gators could still wind up with a major bowl bid as the SEC's representative at the Sugar Bowl. But two straight ugly losses will likely keep the Gators closer to home at either the Citrus (Orlando) or Outback (Tampa).

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .</s>Alabama won its third straight SEC Championship Saturday night in the Georgia Dome.

The Crimson Tide beat Florida in the title game for a second straight year in a less than perfect performance miles better than what the rest of the conference has to offer.

After running only six plays for -7 yards in the first quarter, Alabama (13-0; 9-0 SEC) managed to set a SEC Championship game record with 33 points in the half.

Alabama returned an interception and punt block for touchdowns to add to the program’s FBS-leading 12 non-offensive touchdowns this season.

Alabama’s 54-16 win breaks a 4-4 series tie in the SEC Championship game between the programs.

Foster anchored Alabama’s impressive defensive performance with 11 tackles and two sacks.

Florida threatened to score one time in the second half, but couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone with a fresh set of downs from the 2-yard line.

Alabama’s defense had the game well in hand by the time starting running back Bo Scarbrough got involved.

Scarbrough didn’t carry the ball in the first quarter, but scored a pair of touchdowns in the second half on the way to a game-high 91 yards.

Florida (8-4, 6-3 SEC) stunned the sold out Georgia Dome crowd early in the game with a 10-play, 64-yard scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead on the game’s opening possession.

Quarterback Austin Appleby, playing for an injured Luke Del Rio, went 6 of 7 for 67 yards. Appleby hit Antonio Callaway for a 5-yard touchdown with 9:51 to go in the first quarter.

Last year, Callaway returned a punt 85-yards in the SEC Championship game to give Florida an early 7-2 lead.

Callaway caught three passes on the opening drive Saturday, two of them on third-and-long situations to keep the drive alive.

The opening salvo from Appleby and the rest of Florida’s offense turned out to be an aberration.

Alabama scored 16 points off the Purdue graduate transfer’s three first-half interceptions.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick returned the second interception 44-yards for a touchdown. It was the Crimson Tide’s FBS-leading 10th defensive touchdown this season.

Florida’s went three-and-out on the four drives that didn’t end with a turnover or score in the half.

Alabama also blocked a punt with the Gators backed up by their own end zone. Backup running back Josh Jacobs returned the block 27-yards for a touchdown.

Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled throughout the half, but managed to orchestrate a pair of scoring drives before halftime. He hit Calvin Ridley for a 52-yard gain to help set up his lone touchdown, a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gehrig Dieter.</s>University of Florida coach Jim McElwain has heard about it all and talked about it all.

The injuries. The road losses. The criticism about the program being in a tailspin.

But here he is, on a Friday afternoon, sitting in the Georgia Dome speaking to reporters before the SEC Championship Game.

And throughout McElwain’s half-hour press conference on the eve of Saturday’s 4 p.m. kickoff between his No. 15 Gators and top-ranked Alabama, McElwain made one thing clear above all else.

“I know how excited I am to be a Gator,” McElwain said.

And while there have been bumps along the way -- and a lot of them at that -- McElwain understands that he has plenty to be excited about.

Yes, Florida’s offense has not progressed to McElwain’s liking over his first two years.

Yes, UF is 2-6 against ranked opponents under McElwain.

Yes, the Gators (8-3) are a 24-point underdog about to face a Crimson Tide (12-0) team on a 24-game win streak.

But at the end of the day, he has made it known that he’s committed to the Florida Gators.

And at the end of the day, he has led the Florida Gators to the SEC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons as head coach.

No other coach can say that.

“The next step is going and knocking down that door,” McElwain said earlier this week.

Standing in his way: an Alabama Crimson Tide team with the potential to win its fifth national title since 2009 and a team that upended UF 29-15 in last season’s conference championship.

And despite being tied for the largest underdog in 25 years of the SEC Championship Game, McElwain’s players are confident as they prepare to step into the Georgia Dome for the second time in as many years.

“I always want to be the best, and to be the best, they're going to measure you against the best, against who everybody else thinks is the best,” junior cornerback Jalen Tabor said. “So it's going to be a real exciting game.”

For McElwain, the tall task in defeating Alabama comes down to this:

“You can't hurt yourself,” McElwain said. “Whatever they get, you got to make 'em earn it.”

McElwain knows that first hand.

He was Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator from 2008-2011, when Saban was on the cusp of building his dynasty over the college football world.

And it took three days of prying from Saban to get McElwain to Tuscaloosa.

“You don't know anything about me, but my patience, three days is a long time for me,” Saban said through a smile.

McElwain has had to be patient, too, since coming to Florida.

He had a young team last year -- an offensive line with one returning starter and no proven skill position players.

Injuries have plagued his team this year. He’s been without an average of five starters every game and has had an average of 10 first-team players miss games over the last three weeks. His starting quarterback Luke Del Rio went down twice. Linebacker Jarrad Davis, the “heart and soul of the team” as McElwain and most of the team calls him, has missed the last three games.

And they lost three times on the road -- to a rallying Tennessee team, to a feisty Arkansas team, and to a determined Florida State.

The team bounced back after each of the first two, toppling Vanderbilt on the road after the Tennessee loss and defeating both South Carolina and LSU after the Arkansas loss to clinch the SEC East.

“I've seen this football team understand what that is through some things and through some adversity that I'm really proud of,” McElwain said. “They could have sacked their bats and gone home a while back. You know what, they didn't, and I'm proud of them.”

McElwain’s hoping a third -- and arguably the biggest -- rally will come on Saturday.

“You want to win a championship,” McElwain said. “This is the first step in winning that championship.”</s>Alabama heads into the postseason with a chance to become the third wire-to-wire champion in the history of The Associated Press college football poll.

The Crimson Tide was No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 of the regular season Sunday, just as it has been since the preseason. Ohio State is No. 2, Clemson is No. 3 and Washington is No. 4.

The College Football Playoff pairings were to be released later Sunday.

Penn State was fifth, followed by Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

The Crimson Tide enters the postseason looking to win back-to-back championships and to join Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004 as the only teams to be AP No. 1 from start to finish.

Alabama would be the 12th team to win two straight AP championships.

With so few teams playing on championship weekend, there was not much movement in the rankings.

— Penn State jumped three spots by winning the Big Ten title game.

— No. 7 Oklahoma moved up two after beating Oklahoma State to win the Big 12.

— No. 18 Virginia Tech lost 42-35 to Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game and moved up one spot.

— No. 20 Florida dropped five spots after getting blown out by Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game.

— No. 23 Temple beat Navy for the American Athletic Conference championship and moved into the rankings for the first time this season.</s>ATLANTA (AP) — Talk about a mismatch. Alabama’s defense is the best in the nation. Florida’s offense looks like one of the worst.

They’ll face off Saturday in the Southeastern Conference championships game, with the top-ranked Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 SEC) heavily favored to lock up its third straight trip to the College Football Playoff with a victory over the No. 15 Gators (8-3, 6-2).

Alabama has not given up a defensive touchdown in 17 quarters, a span that covers its entire November schedule. The Tide leads the nation in three major categories, giving up the fewest points, rushing yards and total yards.

“When we go out there Saturday, we just try to dominate,” defensive lineman Jonathan Allen said. “Just do your job and just dominate the opposing offense. That’s the legacy.”

Florida will get a jarring reminder of its high-scoring legacy when former coach Steve Spurrier helps with the coin toss before the game.

These Gators are certainly a long way from the Fun ‘n’ Gun days.

Over its last 10 quarters, Florida has scored just one offensive touchdown — a 98-yard pass from Austin Appleby to Tyrie Cleveland that sparked an SEC East-clinching win over LSU. The Gators rank No. 114 nationally in total yards, ahead of only six other Power Five schools, and they haven’t shown much ability to move the ball either running or passing.

Now, this offensively challenged team must contend with the stingiest defense in the land.

Coach Jim McElwain joked that it might be best to skip the filmwork this week, just so his players wouldn’t realize what they’re up against.

Then he turned serious.

“The thing you point out is really how close you are from a consistency standpoint,” McElwain said, doing his best to put a positive spin on such a dire predicament. “We had our opportunities last couple games, yet the mindset of finishing is something we have to do.”

Good luck with that against the Tide, which has given up 10 points or less in eight games.

“Obviously with these guys that we’re playing, the thing that really stands out is how short the explosive play reel is when you look at it,” McElwain said. “They don’t give a lot of big plays up. You’ve got to go earn it.”

Under coach Nick Saban, Alabama has certainly earned the right to be called one of college football’s greatest dynasties. Since the beginning of the 2008 season, the Tide is 110-12 with four national championships.

Saban has won five national titles during his career, leaving him one shy of the record held by Bear Bryant.

Of course, Saban is merely focused on the next one.

“Can’t really fall in love with what we’ve done in the past,” he said.

Some things to watch for Saturday at the Georgia Dome:

HURTS BLOSSOMS: While defense is always the name of the game at Alabama, the development of freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts has been a major part of the Tide’s success. He took over the starting job in Week 2 and gave the offense a dual threat, throwing for 2,454 yards and 21 touchdowns and running for 840 yards and 12 TDs. Saban is most impressed with his maturity. “He really has a resiliency just to come back and focus on the next play,” the coach said.

LOCKDOWN CORNERS: Hurts will have to contend with two of the country’s best cornerbacks. Teez Tabor has four interceptions, Quincy Wilson has three, and both have returned a pick for a touchdown. If the Gators are to have any chance against Alabama, it’s likely that either Tabor and Wilson will have to come up with a game-changing play.

KIFFIN’S FUTURE: There’s plenty of speculation about how much longer Lane Kiffin will be Alabama’s offensive coordinator. He’s been mentioned for head coach openings at Oregon and Houston, and LSU new coach, Ed Orgeron, reportedly wants Kiffin as his offensive coordinator. “I know nothing about it,” Saban said. “He’s never mentioned it to me. I’m sure he would if there was something out there.”

DAVIS RETURNS: Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, the team’s defensive leader and second-leading tackler, returned to practice this week after missing three games with ankle injuries. He’s a senior and Georgia native who desperately wants to play in the title game. “If you can give the team one play, whatever that play might be, that’s what it’s all about,” McElwain said.

STORIED RIVALS: It’s only appropriate that Alabama and Florida meet in the SEC’s 25th annual championship game. They played in the first three contests, and this will be their ninth meeting overall with the title on the line. In a nod to the inaugural game in 1992, the coin toss will be conducted by Spurrier, former Alabama coach Gene Stallings and Roy Kramer, who was SEC commissioner at the time. “It’s two storied programs, two programs that year in and year out expect to be in Atlanta,” McElwain said.

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .</s>When is allowing two defensive touchdowns a disappointment? When you are part of Alabama’s defense.

The Crimson Tide gave up two offensive touchdowns in a 54-16 win over Florida Saturday night. The defense hadn’t allowed an opposing offense to score since a 33-14 win over Texas A&M on Oct. 22.

Alabama played four full games — three against SEC opponents — without allowing a team in the end zone.

After Florida stopped the streak by scoring on its opening drive, Alabama’s defense played the rest of the game with a chip on its shoulder.

“It was a rough start at first, but we had to overcome it, show mental toughness and really just dominate for real,” Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster said. “Like we don’t like that. We don’t like giving up points. We don’t like giving up first downs. We hate that.”

Alabama sacked Florida quarterback Austin Appleby four times, forced three turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown.

“Nobody on our team defense played more than 30 plays tonight,” Alabama linebacker Tim Williams said. “They just straight dawgs man. Everybody here.”

Alabama has the top scoring defense in the country giving up 11.4 points per game. It also is allowing the fewest rushing yards per game (68.7) and total yards a game (246.8) this season.

Florida’s 16 points and 261 total yards were above the Crimson Tide’s season averages, but the Gators finished with 0 rushing yards on 30 carries.

It was the second fewest rushing yards in the history of the SEC Championship Game (Auburn -15; 1997).

“That’s what Alabama is built on,” Williams said. “You run the ball at us? We welcome it. We going to embrace it helmet on helmet, hat on hat, that’s football that’s what we have pads for.”

Williams credited talented teammates like Foster for setting the standard. Foster won the game’s MVP award with 11 tackles, nine solo, and two sacks.

“I saw Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis, Rueben was a man possessed,” Williams said of his teammate. “He inspired me. When I looked back, I just knew I had to go to keep up on his level.”

With a front seven loaded with similar NFL-ready talent, sometimes the only question mark for Alabama’s defense is which player will come up with the next sack or tackle behind the line of scrimmage.

“Man, it’s really a race (to the ball),” Williams said. “If I don’t get there I know JA (Jonathan Allen) going to get it, if JA don’t get it then Ryan Anderson or Dalvin (Tomlinson) going to get it. There’s just competition all around.”
Alabama defeats Florida, 54-16, to win their seventh Southeastern Conference championship game.