SEC Game of the Week Hobnob, brought to you by the SECrFPR Commitee

[posted on behalf of El Nino and semotruman]

WARNING: LONG--Skip to bottom of next post for TL;DR

The SECr Football Power Rankings Committee darkens the door of an undisclosed pub. Inside, a spirited debate about the upcoming Bama/Florida game is in progress...

Bama Fan: "...Unless Driskel has a great day, the Florida offense is going to have a lot of issues moving the ball. The lack of production from the Florida offense will allow for some short fields allowing Bama to score a decent bit. The score will not be indicative of how good Florida's D really is."

[by his side, an already inebriated Dawg of the Jawja variety blurts out: "I googled pics from the 05 game in Tuscaloosa to make fun of UF.

Saw tyrone prothro pic that I had forgot about.

Might be enough internet for tonight."

Across the way, a Florida-clad patron : "I have no idea how UF is going to attack Alabama's defense. Against UK, they lined up in bigger formations and ran it right down their throat. Considering that the strength of Alabama's defense appears to be against the run, I assume UF will be almost always in 3 and 4 WR sets.

I think they will attack Bama on the edges all night.

[He adds as an aside]: "I have never understood all the Driskel hate. The guy has been pretty solid this year. He is 5th in the league in yards per game, and has been very accurate under 15 yards.

He made some nice plays against UK in the 2nd half.

Also, Bama is missing a starting corner and their starting safety (for a half). They'll be vulnerable to the pass, and their pass rush hasn't been scary.

Demarcus Robinson is a big deal for UF. He forces defenses to respect his big play ability. That will open things up for UF."

[ Another Bama fan pokes his head out from 3 booths down and proffers ]: "I watched the entire Florida-Kentucky game and I gotta say, Florida is terrible."

Turning to confront the new Gump, who seems more interested in thumbing through cell phone pics of Houndstooth fedoras, the Gator fan counters: "Bama won't score 41 unless they get a lot of help from Florida mistakes.

UF's run defense has been very strong. They are only allowing 2.4 yards per carry. As a comparison, Alabama is averaging 2.1 ypc against.

They totally dominate EMU and UK on the ground, and UK had been averaging over 200 when they came in.

Towles was VERY mobile. He had a 24 yard scramble in his first series. He scrambled 8 more times..... for -2 yards.

pauses thoughtfully...that [LOS] match up will go a long way in deciding who wins. If Alabama can run consistently, it's game over. UF has got to make them win with the pass."

Belligerent Bama fan in the booth finally closes his phone and rejoins the conversation: "To be honest, nothing about Florida scares me as a Bama fan. Nothing.

Our secondary may be young but they are much more talented than Kentucky. Robinson won't be able to run free like he did last week.

The entire defense has only given up one TD so far and that was against a Top 10 offense at a neutral site.

Coop will beat VH3 repeatedly. Yeldon, Henry and Drake will run wild. We'll finally see OJ Howard in this game.

The game plan overall has been very vanilla so far this season. They are going to crank it up tremendously for this game.

Alabama has outscored Florida by 70 points in their last 3 meetings. I expect another 3 touchdown victory for the Tide.

...Tebow sucks."

A Vol fan further down the bar stirs from his nightly reveries of '98 to add: "Not sure if it's relevant but as most know, I hate Florida

Like a lot."

Bama fan looks askance at he man in orange, but lets the statement stand: "The only way Alabama doesn't put up 41 is if Coker plays more than 10 snaps. Sims is gonna feast on that defense."

The Gator, having recovered from the blasphemous against Tebow, takes issue: "Why is Sims going to feast? It's easily the best defense he's seen yet."

Belligerent Bama fan's face colors as crimson as his garb: "He's gonna feast because I say so. My word is law!"

Commotion pauses for a moment in the establishment as all turn towards the flushed fan. The Vol sidles closer to the Gator and confesses: "Agreed that this will be Bama O's biggest test yet, for all Boom's problems with offense he can still coach up a mean D. I don't care how many points UK scored."

Undeterred, Bama fan continues to expound: "Who was covering the Kentucky WR that had over 150 receiving yards? He wouldn't even be in Alabama's top 8 WR rotation.

Coop going HAM on Saturday."

Gator: "Alabama hasn't played even a mediocre defense. They've played 3 REALLY BAD defenses.

Florida had 4 bad plays that cost them 160 yards, and even with that, they're only giving up 4.32 yards per play.

The defense will be something that Alabama has not even come close to seeing this year."

Bama fan, scoffing: "Alabama put up 38 on a better Florida defense coached by Boom in 2011. In the Swamp. With a first year starting QB. No Coop."

Gator counters by saying: "The 2011 team was NOT as good as this team.

And had Brantley not been injured, completely destroying the Florida offense, that game would have been VERY CLOSE.

The 2014 Alabama team is NOT as good as the 2011 team."

Volfan tries his hand at a thoughtful rejoinder, but is only able to muster: "Yea but...Saban's basically a midget. Everyone knows midgets can't win in 2014. Hell the sugar bowl proved it."

He is met with blank stares all around, and a loud belch from the now passed out Jawja Dawg

Bama fan presses on: "Lane Kiffin has exceeded my expectations at every turn. He's been masterful at calling the right play at the right moment.

He's turning Coop into a legitimate Heisman contender right before our eyes. The offensive line is dominant again. Cam Robinson will probably win the Outland Trophy. The only problem with our offense is the lack of production from the TE position."

Another UF fan enters the bar, and overhearing the name, flippantly calls out: "Florida is undefeated vs. Kiffin.

Just a fact that will hold true till 2021."

Our first Gator, happy to have some backup, continues: "I don't anticipate Florida will blitz very much. They will send 4 most of the night, and try to remain gap disciplined. Which is what they do most of the time when things are going well. If they start sending a lot of pressure, you know things aren't going well.

Bama may well win, by a couple TDs even, but it won't be because Sims runs for a lot of yards."

As the Bammer , the bartender wonders aloud: "Could this one get ugly in the stands between Gator and Bama fans? How about between the players on the field?"

Gator, laughing: "Florida fans and Alabama fans have been pretty amicable in the games I've been to.

Of course, both fanbases have some country arse redneck inbreds that could start stuff at any time, but I doubt it. Especially if Alabama is winning.

Most of Florida's country bumpkins can't afford to make it that far, so it'll be mostly students and rich people."