ESPN College Football

The SEC's seven first-round NFL draft picks on Thursday night was second to the Big 12's nine.

The SEC has now had five picks in the top 20 of the first round four years in a row.

The first-round proceedings Thursday night reminded us all one more time that how decorated you are at the college level and how many awards you win aren't real important in the eyes of pro scouts.

Take Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson, for instance. He played in the shadow of Javier Arenas all season a year ago. Arenas was a consensus All-American and one of the "stars" of the defense. It was all Jackson could do to earn honorable mention All-SEC status.

Still, he was solid all season as a shutdown cornerback, ran great times in the 40-yard dash and wound up being the fourth defender drafted from the league, going 20th overall to the Houston Texans.

Jackson is another one of those guys who wasn't highly recruited, either. He went to Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy out of school even though he was qualified academically and was committed initially to Vanderbilt until Nick Saban and Alabama jumped on him.

Say this, too, for Jackson. He's supremely confident in his abilities. He turned pro this past season despite Saban telling him he needed another season of college ball.

As for guys who slipped, who would have thought at the end of the regular season last year that Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap wouldn't go in the first round?

At that point, he was being projected as a top 15 pick by all the analysts. But that next week, he was arrested on DUI charges, was suspended for the SEC championship game, and apparently some of his interviews with teams following the season didn't go well.

In Friday night's second and third rounds, one of the SEC guys to watch will be LSU defensive tackle Al Woods. After a so-so college career, Woods really shot up draft boards this offseason with solid workouts.

And who will be the first SEC player to get picked in the second round?

I'll go with Alabama's Terrence Cody, but my dark horse is Ole Miss' Dexter McCluster.

Here's the complete list of SEC first-rounders on Thursday:

• No. 5 -- S Eric Berry, Tennessee, Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 7 -- CB Joe Haden, Florida, Cleveland Browns
• No. 8 -- LB Rolando McClain, Alabama, Oakland Raiders
• No. 18 -- C/G Maurkice Pouncey, Florida, Pittsburgh Steelers
• No. 20 - CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama, Houston Texans
• No. 25 -- QB Tim Tebow, Florida, Denver Broncos
• No. 26 -- DT Dan Williams, Tennessee, Arizona Cardinals

Former Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain had a shortened workout for NFL scouts Wednesday during the Crimson Tide's pro day.

McClain said he ran in the 4.6 range in the 40-yard dash, but the biggest news to come out of the workout was McClain's revelation that he has battled Crohn's disease since he was a freshman in high school. McClain said he takes four or five pills a day to help him manage the disease, which is a chronic inflammation of the intestines.

McClain also said that he's dealt with a hamstring injury since the Tennessee game last season. He hopes to run the 40-yard dash again and get his time down.

Former Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody weighed in at 349 pounds Tuesday. That's after weighing 370 at the Senior Bowl, which no doubt hurt his stock. Cody wants to be down to 340 pounds by the draft.

I'm not the least bit surprised that Ole Miss' Dexter McCluster has been impressive in the first two days of practice at the Senior Bowl. The guy is absolutely fearless and has the kind of game-breaking speed the pro scouts love.

Remember, McCluster feasted on SEC defenses the second half of the season and took a lot of hits along the way.

McCluster and Florida receiver Riley Cooper were two of the guys singled out by the Scouts Inc. crew for having good days on Tuesday .

McCluster is an explosive playmaker no matter where you put him, and his speed makes up for his lack of size (5-foot-8, 165 pounds). He's also caught the ball well in Mobile.

Cooper, who's decided to concentrate on football and turned down the Rangers' baseball offer, has been impressive with his route-running, his ability to gain separation, and he also made a one-handed catch over his shoulder that had everybody talking.

One former SEC player who didn't receive high marks from the Scouts Inc. crew on Tuesday was Kentucky cornerback Trevard Lindley, who's been stiff in his hips and hasn't shown top-end speed or great athleticism. The Scouts Inc. crew thinks he may drop into the later rounds.

Another former SEC player who needs a good week is Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody, who weighed in at 370 pounds. Cody has to improve his endurance and demonstrate that he can make it through most of a game.

What makes a great game? What makes a memorable game?

Most of the time, that depends on where you sit.

Again, though, picking just 10 games that stick out in the SEC over the last decade is a thankless task.

My question: Can I pick 10 over the last two seasons?

While realizing some memorable contests are going to be left out, here’s our stab at the 10 best games the decade had to offer in the SEC:

1. Florida 31, Alabama 20, 2008 SEC championship game: The No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country went toe-to-toe for three classic quarters in a game that lived up to every bit of its hype. But in those final 15 minutes, Tim Tebow took over with one clutch play after another, and the Gators -- playing without injured star Percy Harvin -- turned in a flawless quarter to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

2. Arkansas 50, LSU 48 (3 OT), 2007: Easily one of the more shocking games of the decade. Darren McFadden rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns and threw for another score, as unranked Arkansas knocked off No. 1 LSU at home on the final weekend of the regular season. Arkansas’ Matterral Richardson intercepted Matt Flynn’s two-point conversion pass in the end zone to clinch the win for the Hogs. It was Houston Nutt’s final game at Arkansas, and LSU limped away thinking it had blown its chance to play for a national title. But the right teams lost, and the Tigers climbed back into position in the final BCS standings and whipped Ohio State for their second national title of the decade.

3. Florida 17, South Carolina 16, 2006: Talk about a surreal setting. Steve Spurrier was back at the Swamp ... but wearing different colors and standing on the opposing sideline. His Gamecocks outplayed the No. 6 Gators most of the day. South Carolina had a chance to win it at the end, but Jarvis Moss blocked Ryan Succop’s 48-yard field goal attempt as time expired to save the Gators. It was his second blocked kick of the game and the third by Florida. The Gators would go on to win their first of two national titles under Urban Meyer.

4. Tennessee 34, Florida 32, 2001: The game was pushed back to the end of the season because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Florida was No. 2 and Tennessee No. 5. The Vols, who hadn’t won in the Swamp since the 1970s, got a career-high 226 yards rushing from Travis Stephens and survived a two-point conversion pass attempt in the end zone at the end of the game to put themselves in prime position to play for the national championship. They couldn’t make it stand up, though, and were upset the next week by LSU in the SEC championship game.

5. LSU 28, Florida 24, 2007: The black-and-blue game of the decade, for sure. The Tigers and Gators went at it in one of the hardest-hitting, most physical games you’ll ever see. Three different times, Tim Tebow led the Gators to 10-point leads over the No. 1-ranked Tigers. But LSU coach Les Miles kept gambling on fourth down, and the Tigers -- namely Jacob Hester -- kept converting. Hester had two fourth-down conversions on the game-winning drive and scored the go-ahead touchdown on a third-and-goal play.

6. Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63 (7 OT), 2003: It was the longest game in NCAA history, taking nearly five hours to play. The Hogs prevailed in the seventh overtime when DeCori Birmingham scored on a 25-yard touchdown run. They then stopped the Wildcats on fourth down.

7. Ole Miss 31, Florida 30, 2008: It’s the game that led to “The Promise” from Tim Tebow, and it’s also the last game the Gators lost before reeling off 22 straight victories. The Rebels shocked the No. 4 Gators in the Swamp. Jevan Snead passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, and Kentrell Lockett blocked an extra point attempt late in the fourth quarter. But the clincher came with 40 seconds to play when the Rebels stopped Tebow on fourth down and less than a yard from the Ole Miss 32. Tebow was hit in the backfield and never made it back to the line of scrimmage.

8. Georgia 24, Auburn 21, 2002: Auburn and Georgia have specialized in playing thrilling games over the years, but the 2002 contest was one of the best. The Bulldogs won it with 1:25 left to play when David Greene hit a leaping Michael Johnson with a 19-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-15 play to clinch the Eastern Division title. The Bulldogs went on to win their first SEC title in 20 years.

9. Kentucky 43, LSU 37 (3 OT), 2007: In one of the biggest wins in Kentucky history, the Wildcats took down the No. 1 Tigers in Lexington, settling off a wild celebration in the Bluegrass. Quarterback Andre Woodson threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Steve Johnson in the third overtime, and LSU couldn’t answer on its possession. Charles Scott was stopped on fourth-and-2 by Kentucky’s Braxton Kelley, sealing the Wildcats’ first victory over a No. 1 team since 1964.

10. Alabama 12, Tennessee 10, 2009: Terrence Cody made more than a few big plays during his two seasons at Alabama, but nothing compares to his blocked field goal as time expired to save the Crimson Tide against the Vols. It was Cody’s second blocked field goal of the day, and he ripped off his helmet and went racing across the field in celebration afterward. Alabama seemingly had the game under control, but Tennessee drove for a late touchdown and then recovered an onsides kick to move into position. The Crimson Tide prevailed without scoring a touchdown. Leigh Tiffin kicked four field goals, including a 50-yarder and 49-yarder.

They’re the touchdowns, meltdowns, comebacks and pulsating endings we all remember.

Then again, some of us might want to forget.

Picking the 10 most memorable minutes in the SEC this season was a thankless task. Why can’t it be 50 of the most memorable moments?

Here goes my best effort at narrowing it down:

10. The Auburn fans giving the team a standing ovation following the hard-fought loss to Alabama: Gene Chizik isn’t into moral victories, but it was pretty neat to see the fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium so appreciative of the Tigers’ gutsy effort against the eventual national champions.

9. Georgia’s upset of Georgia Tech: It had been a dismal season for the Bulldogs, who were coming off a home loss to Kentucky. A six-loss regular season looked imminent, but Georgia played its best game of the season and stunned No. 7 Georgia Tech on the road.

8. McCluster’s record-setting day: It was a one-man highlight show, as Ole Miss’ Dexter McCluster rushed for a school-record 282 yards in the Rebels’ 42-17 rout of Tennessee.

7. Tebow’s farewell in the Big Easy: After so many memorable performances by Tebow, he saved his most productive performance of his career for his final performance. Tebow broke Vince Young’s record for total offense in a BCS bowl game with 533 yards in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

6. LSU’s butchering of the clock at the end of the Ole Miss game: It wasn’t a clinic for the Tigers and Les Miles when it came to clock management this season. But the debacle at the end of the Ole Miss loss is one they won’t soon forget on the Bayou.

5. Terrence Cody’s blocked field goal to save Alabama’s season: The Crimson Tide’s mammoth nose guard ripped off his helmet and went flying across the field after blocking Tennessee’s field-goal attempt that would have won it for the Vols at the buzzer.

4. Tim Tebow’s concussion: Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham came free around the end and knocked Tebow senseless. Tebow suffered a concussion and spent the night in a Lexington, Ky., hospital, but played two weeks later against LSU.

3. Florida coach Urban Meyer’s flip-flop: After shocking the college football world with his sudden resignation the day before, Meyer comes back the next day in a bizarre news conference in New Orleans and says he will take a leave of absence instead to get his health in order.

2. Mark Ingram's tearful Heisman Trophy acceptance speech: He was the first player in Alabama’s storied history to win the Heisman Trophy, and it was obvious by his tears that he was genuinely moved to be accepting one of the most prestigious individual awards in sports.

1. Greg McElroy kneeling the ball down for Alabama’s first national championship in 17 years: It’s the sweetest play in football -- the Victory formation. The Crimson Tide completed a 14-0 season by defeating Texas 37-21 in the Citi BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena.

USC will be Lane Kiffin's third head-coaching job in the past 17 months.

Not bad for a guy who's just 34 years old.

He only spent one season at Tennessee, but ESPN Stats & Information was able to put together a time line that hits most of the notable happenings during his career atop Rocky Top.

Tennessee Timeline, 2009

Feb. 5: Kiffin forced by SEC to apologize for accusing Florida head coach Urban Meyer of recruiting violations.

Sep. 19: Loses 23-13 to No.1 Florida. Tennessee was a 30-point underdog because Vegas thought Meyer would pound Kiffin for his disrespect.

Oct. 24: Loses 12-10 to Alabama as Terrence Cody blocks potential game-winning field goal on final play. (Alabama's closest game of season.)

Oct. 26:: The SEC reprimands Kiffin for criticizing officials who worked the Volunteers' game against Alabama.

Oct. 31: Defeats South Carolina 31-13 in blackout game (Tennessee unveils black jerseys).

Nov. 12: Three freshmen involved in robbery (two were later kicked off the team).

Dec. 31: Loses 37-14 to Virginia Tech in Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Jan. 12, 2010: Becomes USC head coach.

Kiffin also leaves behind some unfinished business: Tennessee faces at least two more recruiting violations as the NCAA continues an ongoing inquiry into infractions, such the possible misuse of recruiting hostesses and impermissible visits.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Here are three keys for Texas if it hopes to pull its second upset at the Rose Bowl in four seasons and earn another Bowl Championship Series national title.

1. Producing yards on first down: The Longhorns have a better chance of achieving offensive success if they produce early in a series. Second-and-long and third-and-long will make the Crimson Tide’s defense much more difficult to crack. If Colt McCoy can make things happen on first down – particularly early in the game – it should boost the Longhorns' confidence and their chances at an unexpected victory.

2. Dominate special teams: The Longhorns had one of the nation’s most proficient special teams units all season. Alabama has struggled in kick coverages, ranking 116th nationally with an average of 25.7 yards per kick return, and have been blistered with two returns for touchdowns. With the likely return of D.J. Monroe to the kick return rotation, the Longhorns will add the No. 2 kick returner in the nation. Marquise Goodwin was strong while Monroe was suspended, and Jordan Shipley is a threat to score a touchdown every time he returns a punt. The Longhorns need to make several big plays in this phase of the game.

3. Protect Colt McCoy: The Longhorns have allowed 30 sacks this season, and nearly half came in tight victories over Oklahoma (four) and Nebraska (nine). If the Longhorns have hopes of claiming the national title, they must give McCoy enough time to pass and keep fearsome Alabama pass rushers like Marcell Dareus, Eryk Anders, Javier Arenas and Rolando McClain away from their senior quarterback. And it would be a good time for the center of Texas’ offense – guards Michael Huey and Charlie Tanner and center Chris Hall -- to keep massive defensive tackle Terrence Cody away from McCoy.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -– Rolando McClain, Alabama’s Butkus Award-winning linebacker, still remembers the first time he laid eyes on Terrence Cody.

Cody, well over 400 pounds at the time, was visiting from junior college during a practice.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart walked up to McClain, pointed to the massive Cody and said, “You want to be an NFL linebacker? You better go talk to that guy.”

The legend of Mount Cody was soon born.

Cody didn’t need a lot of convincing. He was sold on the Crimson Tide and sold on his role in Nick Saban’s defense.

He was also sold on doing whatever it took to take advantage of what he called an opportunity of a lifetime.

Nobody really recruited him out of high school. He didn’t have the grades and didn’t even play as a sophomore or junior in Fort Myers, Fla. But he also needed to get into better shape if he was going to have any chance to play in the SEC.

“I wake up every morning and pinch myself and wonder if this is real,” said Cody, a two-time All-American. “I’ve come a long ways from high school, playing my freshman year and then having to sit out my sophomore and junior years for grades, and then having to go to junior college for two years and then come here.

“It’s been difficult. But I wouldn’t say it’s been bad for me. It was actually a blessing. What if I didn’t go to junior college? I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Upon arriving at Alabama Cody and strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran became inseparable, and 6 a.m. conditioning workouts became the norm.

Cochran said the 6-5 Cody was just under 420 pounds when he got him and is now right around 355. He’s done that with hard work, by changing his eating habits, and maintaining a workout regimen that Cochran laid out.

“To see him run, you would not have believed his weight,” Cochran recounted. “It’s amazing how quick his feet are, how long he's able to go. He’s very impressive, and when you see that at 410 pounds, you’re like, ‘You know much better you would run at 360? How much better at 350?’ ”

At times, it was a frustrating process for Cody. But Cochran never saw any signs of quit in him.

“He’s not that type of person,” Cochran said. “Coach Saban laid it to him from the beginning, this is how the plan works, how the process works, and he bought it right away. He felt like, ‘Hey, they’re doing this for me. They’re more interested in me than I’ve ever been in myself,’ because he’d never realized how important it was to lose the weight.”

Even now, Cody might look at Cochran and tell him he needs some extra cardio work that week if he feels heavier or doesn’t feel as fast.

“He tells me where he is now, because he knows,” Cochran said.

Unlike Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Cody hasn’t been one of those interior guys who racks up big numbers. In fact, he only has 25 tackles on the season, including six for loss. He doesn’t have a sack this season, primarily because he’s not on the field much during passing situations.

But his presence in the middle has made everybody around him better. He swallows up blockers and allows McClain and the rest of the linebackers to run free.

And with Cody in there, very few teams have been able to run up the middle on the Crimson Tide the last two years.

“He’s like having a one-man wall in there in the middle,” said Texas center Chris Hall, who gets the luxury of going up against Cody.

As intimidating as he is, Cody is also one of those guys who keeps things pretty loose.

He’s been a hit with the media this week in California, even cracking short jokes about Saban, and remains one of the most popular players on Alabama’s team.

When he goes out anywhere, he attracts crowd. He’s used to it, though. It’s the same way on the football field.

“I don’t care if they put three guys on me,” Cody said. “I don’t care about tackles, and I don’t care about numbers. I care about winning games, and we’ve got one more to win.”

The Texas offense struggled through a miserable Big 12 championship game, when the Longhorns permitted nine sacks and were fortunate to escape with a 13-12 victory over Nebraska.

In the game, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh waged a one-man assault against Colt McCoy, posting 12 tackles and a Big 12 championship game record 4.5 sacks against the beleaguered Texas front.

If the Longhorns struggled with the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Suh, many observers are predicting more bad moments in Thursday's Citi Bowl Championship Series title game against Alabama and mammoth 6-foot-5, 365-pound defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody.

Cody isn't nearly as active or as fit as Suh. He often sits out third-down plays for more mobile defensive linemen. He's not as much of a producer as Suh, either. Cody has notched 25 tackles and no sacks this season. But he's caught the attention of Texas offensive linemen who struggled against Suh.

"He is what he is," Texas center Chris Hall said of the largest player the Longhorns will face this season.

There's actually less of him now than earlier in his career. Cody weighed 410 pounds while playing high-school football in Fort Meyers, Fla. College recruiters still tell the story of when Cody tackled current West Virginia running back Noel Devine in a high-school game, causing Devine to vomit when Cody landed on top of him.

Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis sees the opportunity for similar catastrophic-producing moments Thursday night unless the Longhorns do a better job protecting McCoy from the middle of the Alabama defense.

And it's led Davis to see at least one similarity between Suh and Cody.

"They're like two monsters fighting in those old sci-fi movies," Davis told the Austin American-Statesman. "You see 'em covered up, then the offensive lineman gets discarded, and the monster eats your back up."

It won't be a good night Thursday for Hall and his mates along Texas' offensive line unless they account for Cody on every play.

Ivan Maisel and Mark Schlabach preview the Citi BCS National Championship Game, and Maisel shares his interviews with Colt McCoy, Terrence Cody and others.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The Alabama defenders have done their best to downplay all the pressure Nebraska got on Colt McCoy a month ago.

The Huskers sacked McCoy nine times, 4 .5 of those by star tackle Ndamukong Suh, and kept the Texas quarterback on the run the entire Big 12 championship game.

Yes, the Crimson Tide have seen that film. Yes, they see their own opportunities to get after McCoy. No, they’re not really making a big deal of it publicly.

“They’re a very good offensive line,” Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain said. “Colt McCoy wouldn’t have the passing yards he has if he didn’t have anybody to block for him. Suh just had a career game. He was just unblockable. We’re going to try and do some of those same things and cause pressure. But you can’t take anything away from their offensive line.”

Still, don’t think for a second that Alabama hasn’t studied that tape in great detail to see what Nebraska did so effectively.

“They got a lot of pressure up the middle. That’s pretty much what we saw,” Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody said.

The Crimson Tide are also coming off a game against Florida in the SEC championship game where they were facing a mobile quarterback, and they were able to keep Tim Tebow in the pocket most of the game.

“It helps, because our D-line did a great job containing him and not letting him get out and run and make plays with his feet often,” McClain said. “I think he had one scramble. Other than that, he was in the pocket all day. So we have confidence in our secondary coverage. We just have to do a good job of containing [McCoy] and getting to him when we do blitz.”

Texas center Chris Hall, who had a rough outing against Suh, gets a chance to redeem himself against Cody.

“They are different players,” Hall said. “But as far as quality is concerned, they’re on the same level. They’re both great football players.”

Cody, who most of the time isn’t on the field in obvious passing situations, figures he’ll have enough chances to make his own impression.

“[Suh] had a good game,” Cody said. “I’m going to try and have, maybe not the same exact game, but something close to that.”

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh picked up back-to back-awards in a five-minute period as he claimed the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman and the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player.

Suh continued a Nebraska tradition, becoming the eighth Cornhusker and first since Aaron Taylor in 1997 to earn the Outland Trophy, beating out Russell Okung of Oklahoma State and Idaho's Mike Iupati.

In the process, Suh has been a part of a stunning turnaround in the Nebraska defense.

"It's been a tough ride but got some strong guys back there. My class especially has been through some kind of hell," Suh said. "But having a great coaching staff and great defensive gurus like (Nebraska coach) Coach Bo (Pelini) and (Nebraska defensive coordinator) Carl Pelini. We learned the best from them. We want to continue to improve and get better as we do through the year."

Suh said he hopes to represent all of the offensive and defensive linemen as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in New York City. He becomes the first interior lineman since Warren Sapp of Miami in 1994 to be nominated.

"That's a crazy feeling. I never expected it," Suh said. "After the Missouri game there was some Heisman talk. But I never expected to be there. I'm very proud of it. I talked to a couple of guys when I was at the Lombardi Award and hopefully want to represent those guys in the right way.

"All the guys up front -- the offensive linemen and defensive linemen -- I definitely want to be that person to represent them and happy to do it."

Earlier, Suh overcame Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes to become first Cornhusker and third Big 12 player to win the Bednarik Award.

Texas (13-0) vs. Alabama (13-0)

Jan. 7, 8 p.m., (ABC)

Texas take by Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin: The Longhorns nearly played their way out of the BCS title game Saturday night and were fortunate to beat Nebraska in the Big 12 title game.

That narrow victory should provide much emphasis over the next few weeks to the Longhorns, who earned their first BCS title game berth since 2005. Mack Brown’s program has become one of the most proficient in the postseason, winning five consecutive bowl games including three BCS bowl games during that streak.

The Longhorns offensive line struggled mightily against Nebraska’s defensive front, producing a season-low 18 rushing yards and allowing nine sacks against the Cornhuskers. It will be another challenge against Alabama’s defense studded with defensive All-Americans Rolando McClain and Javier Arenas and mammoth run-stuffer Terrence Cody. The game will also feature offensive starpower with Heisman contenders Colt McCoy of Texas and Mark Ingram of Alabama.

The Longhorns streaked to their first Big 12 title since 2005 thanks to an offense keyed by McCoy’s passing talents and a deep collection of receivers. It will be a challenge for them to make yardage against an Alabama defense that led the nation in pass efficiency defense and scoring defense and ranks second in rushing defense and total defense. In order to be successful in the title game, the Longhorns will have to show improvement over their struggling performance in the Big 12 title game.

---

Alabama take by SEC blogger Chris Low: It took Nick Saban all of three years to build Alabama’s program back to national championship contention. The Crimson Tide are right where they expect to be after sweeping through the regular season unbeaten for the second straight year, and this time, finishing it off with a 32-13 demolition of Florida.

This is an Alabama team that’s every bit as physical as it was a year ago, but even more diverse offensively. Junior quarterback Greg McElroy showed how diverse by carving apart Florida’s vaunted defense in the SEC championship game. The convincing 19-point win over the Gators was easily the Crimson Tide’s most complete performance of the season.

Saban has already started to send the message to his team through the media that no matter how well Alabama played in its conference championship game and how shaky Texas was in its conference championship game that this isn’t a “David vs. Goliath” affair. In other words, don’t look for the Crimson Tide to get caught sleeping no matter how big a favorite they are in this game. They will be ready.

Alabama’s defense is one of the best in the country, and Saban’s a master when he has this much time to scheme up a team. But Texas has a pair of assistants on its staff that know his system extremely well. Saban has called Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp one of the best assistants that he’s ever had. Muschamp, the Longhorns’ head coach-in-waiting, was Saban’s defensive coordinator at LSU and was also with Saban on the Miami Dolphins’ staff for a year. Texas assistant head coach/running backs coach Major Applewhite was Saban’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama during Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa in 2007.

AUBURN, Ala. -- As Alabama coach Nick Saban was dissecting his team’s heart-stopping 26-21 win over Auburn Friday night, he made reference to something great teams do.

He quickly stopped himself and made it clear that he wasn’t calling Alabama a great team.

Not yet, anyway.

The Crimson Tide will get their chance to prove next weekend in the SEC championship game, and potentially on Jan. 7 in the BCS National Championship Game, just what kind of team they truly are.

It remains to be seen if there are any great teams in college football this season.

Then again, here’s betting that Alabama would gladly settle for the “championship team” moniker after all of the BCS dust settles in January and let everybody else debate who’s great and who’s not.

But one thing that’s not debatable about this Alabama team is its ability to deliver when it absolutely has to.

Against Virginia Tech, it was a dominant fourth quarter after trailing 17-16 heading into the final 15 minutes.

Against Tennessee, it was a blocked field goal by Terrence Cody on the final play of the game.

Against LSU, it was a 73-yard touchdown by Julio Jones on a screen pass after the Crimson Tide entered the fourth quarter trailing 15-13.

And against Auburn, it was a 79-yard, 15-play touchdown drive that turned a shaky performance by the Crimson Tide into one they’ll remember for a long time in this rivalry on the Alabama side of things.

Saban calls it “playing in the moment,” and Alabama has turned it into an art form this season.

“I know with fans and other people, everything’s based on results,” Saban said. “But great competitors can play in that moment and that time, and great teams can play in that moment and that time.

“I’m not saying we have a great team. I’m just saying that our team was able to do that tonight, and that was important in us finishing this game like we needed to to get the win.”

Not only did Alabama fall behind 14-0 on Friday before a lot of fans had taken their seats at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but the Crimson Tide found themselves in a position they hadn’t been in all season in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

They needed to drive the length of the field to win the game.

“You just play the next play. That’s what we tell our players all the time,” Saban said. “That’s probably why they didn’t lose their poise when they got behind in the game, and it’s probably why they didn’t lose their poise at the end of the game when they had to make plays to win the game.”

And now, with Florida waiting next Saturday in the SEC championship game, the Crimson Tide get a chance to take that step they couldn’t navigate a year ago.

Cody said he was thinking about the Gators before he ever left the field Friday night.

“It’s time to get ready for Florida,” Cody said. “We played them real tough last year. But this team is more disciplined, and we’ve got a lot more players and a lot more athletes.”

The other thing Alabama has is a certain resourcefulness about it, that no matter what the situation, the Crimson Tide are going to get it done.

“We’ll have to play Alabama football for the whole 60 minutes [against Florida],” senior linebacker Cory Reamer said. “Today was not Alabama football, but we got out of here with a win.”

Alabama also made a little history, although nobody really seemed too interested in going there considering what comes next.

This is the first time in 35 years that an SEC team has put together back-to-back unbeaten regular seasons. The last team to do it was Alabama in 1973 and 1974 when Bear Bryant was dominating the league.

Of course, as far as this Alabama team is concerned, there’s only one game now that means anything this season.

The one next Saturday in the Georgia Dome.

“It’s all about Florida now,” Cody said, “and it’s finally here.”

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

In the spirit of Halloween, here’s a different kind of look at the SEC:

	Doug Benc/Getty Images
	Beware The Swamp, which has been a house of horrors for opposing teams lately.

Haunted House: The official name is Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but it’s best known as the Swamp. There’s something inherently spooky about any swamp, and Florida’s Swamp is no different. Entire defenses have been known to disappear amid the sweltering heat and ear-splitting noise.

Cursed: The dreaded Chicken Curse has haunted South Carolina ever since the Gamecocks started playing football more than 100 years ago. Legend has it that they’ve been doomed to mediocrity. Only twice in school history have they ever won more than eight games. And in their best season, which saw them start out 9-0 and go to No. 2 in the polls in 1984, they somehow managed to lose to Navy.

Monster Mash: Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is still picking out the cobwebs after being leveled in the pocket by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham on Sept. 26. The whole scene was scary. Tebow, who on the way down hit his head on the leg of one of his linemen, lay motionless on the turf for what seemed like an eternity before being helped up and taken to the hospital. He suffered a concussion, but came back and played two weeks later against LSU.

Boo (Boo): Alabama sophomore linebacker Dont’a Hightower, one of the most versatile defenders on the Crimson Tide’s team, suffered a season-ending knee injury against Arkansas on Sept. 26. He tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee and underwent reconstructive surgery. He hopes to be back in full by the start of preseason practice next August.

Night of the living dead: Ole Miss is getting good at this second life stuff. The Rebels won their last six games a year ago and look like they might be finding a second life again this season after a disappointing start. They’ve won their last two games in impressive fashion and will try to make it three in a row this weekend at Auburn.

Scary Movie: If you’re looking for one of those slasher movies that makes you sick, Tennessee would probably “volunteer” the last four seconds of its Alabama game. The Vols were on the cusp of pulling off the upset of the season, but Alabama’s Terrence Cody had other plans when he bulled his way through and blocked Daniel Lincoln’s 44-yard field goal attempt as time expired to preserve the Crimson Tide’s 12-10 victory.

Jack-o-lantern: Auburn quarterback Chris Todd could use a light going off in his head, and for that matter, so could the entire Auburn offense after a brutal last three weeks. The Tigers started the season as one of the most balanced offenses in the league. They’ve looked like one of the worst during their three-game losing streak.

Nightmare on Broad Street: It’s been a nightmarish season and a half for Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez, who’s really feeling the heat. The Bulldogs have given up 37 or more points in eight of their last 16 games. They desperately need a good defensive performance Saturday against Florida.

Ghosts, Goblins and Ghouls: Among those SEC players you wouldn’t want on your bad side and certainly wouldn’t want to meet up with in a dark alley include Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes, Mississippi State defensive end Pernell McPhee, Arkansas defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard, Auburn offensive tackle Lee Ziemba and Kentucky linebacker Micah Johnson.

Favorite costumes: Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain/Darth Vader; Florida quarterback Tim Tebow/Superman (way too easy); LSU running back Trindon Holliday/Speedy Gonzalez; South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier/Happy Gilmore and Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin/Eddie Haskell.