As the Southeastern Conference prepares to stage its 25th football championship game, it's only fitting that the participating teams are the two programs most associated with the event.
Alabama and Florida met in the first three SEC championship games and will collide for a ninth time Saturday afternoon with a league title at stake. The teams have split the previous eight encounters, with the Crimson Tide pulling even last December in the Georgia Dome with a 29-15 win.
"These are two storied programs that year in and year out expect to be in Atlanta," Florida second-year coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain said. "Part of that is a mindset and an understanding, and the players who come to these schools have the expectation to always play that extra game in December, and this year is no different."
The SEC birthed its championship game in 1992 after becoming a 12-team league with the additions of Arkansas and South Carolina. The first two title tilts were held at Legion Field in Birmingham, with Alabama topping Florida 28-21 in the inaugural contest on Antonio Langham's 27-yard interception return for a touchdown with 3:16 remaining.
Alabama entered the first SEC title game with an 11-0 record and a No. 2 ranking, and the Crimson Tide's escape of the Gators allowed them to travel unscathed to the Sugar Bowl, where they stunned top-ranked Miami 34-13 to win the program's lone national championship between the robust Bear Bryant and Nick Saban eras.
The second SEC title game was played amid dreary conditions and roughly 7,000 empty seats, but the event moved in 1994 to the indoor comfort of the Georgia Dome, where it will be housed for a final time Saturday. Beginning next season, the SEC title game will be held in Atlanta's luxurious Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I think it's outstanding and a great competitive venue," Saban said. "The only better competitive venue I've ever been in is the national championship game. It's been a real positive for our fans and for our league and for the players who get to participate in this game. I think it's fantastic."
Though Alabama won the first SEC championship, Florida quickly became the event's dominant team, capturing five of the first nine title games under former coach Steve Spurrier. Spurrier's five wins in the championship game have been surpassed by Saban's six, which includes the 2001 and 2003 titles he won at LSU.
As for the team count, Florida enters Saturday with seven SEC championship wins, while Alabama has six. Next in line among league teams are LSU (four) and Auburn (three).
"It's just the culture of the SEC," Florida cornerback Teez Tabor said. "Historically, Bama has been the best team in the West, and, historically, we've been the best team in the East. When you think of the SEC championship, you think of Bama versus Florida.
"I feel like that's just the way it is and just the way it's supposed to be."
Alabama and Florida not only kick-started the SEC title game but competed in its two most meaningful matchups in 2008 and 2009. When Tim Tebow rallied the No. 2 Gators past the No. 1 Crimson Tide 31-20 in the 2008 game, it marked the first-ever 1-2 meeting of SEC teams.
The second such pairing occurred the following December, when the No. 2 Tide pulled away to whip the top-ranked Gators 32-13.
"Ultimately those were national semifinals," said McElwain, who was Alabama's offensive coordinator from 2008 to 2011. "The thing that makes this game so unique is that the stadium is not filled with corporate tickets. It's two fan bases that split the stadium in half, and for both of us it's easy travel to get there.
"The excitement and the juice with what's in that stadium is hard to explain, and it's even more so in some ways than a national-title game because of the fans who are able to get there."
The SEC is commemorating the game's 25th anniversary in multiple ways. Spurrier, former Alabama coach Gene Stallings and former league commissioner Roy Kramer will go to midfield for the ceremonial coin toss, and past MVPs of the game will be recognized as well.
Once the game kicks off, there is the matter of what Florida can do to keep the game competitive. The Crimson Tide opened as 21-point favorites, but the line had quickly grown to 24 by Monday afternoon, representing the largest point spread in title-game history.
"The biggest thing is you can't hurt yourself," McElwain said. "Whatever they get, you've got to make them earn it. What they have done scoring touchdowns on defense is pretty incredible, and they just feed off of field position and those type of things. That's one of the biggest things, and now they've added another dimension with this quarterback (Jalen Hurts).
"He's someone who is really special and has created a lot of explosive plays. There isn't really a weakness on that team when you look at it, because their guys on special teams would be starting at most other places."
Pruitt a finalist
Alabama first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt was named Monday among the five finalists for the Broyles Award.
The Crimson Tide lead the nation in scoring defense (allowing 11.4 points per game), rushing defense (68.7 yards per game), three-and-outs (6.17 per game) and defensive touchdowns (nine). They also have not allowed a touchdown in their last four games and have not allowed an opponent to run a play inside their 10-yard line in 18 quarters.
"There was no drop-off between him and Coach Kirby (Smart)," Tide defensive end Jonathan Allen said.
Smart, now Georgia's head coach, won the Broyles Award in 2009.
SEC title notes
Saban said Monday that sophomore cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who suffered a leg injury against Auburn, will "hopefully be able to practice later in the week and be OK for the game."... McElwain in his Monday news conference when being pressed on his struggles to fix Florida's offense: "I was also brought in here to get to Atlanta. How many years have I been here? OK."... Tabor on why he was confident Florida would win the East after losing at Tennessee.... "We knew we were the better team. They had Bama and (Texas) A&M and still had to play a lot of tough teams. We felt like there wasn't anybody else on our schedule, to be honest with you."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.