SEC Championship Game: 5 most important players
By John Buhler
Perhaps Florida’s best player is its junior shutdown cornerback Jalen ‘Teez’ Tabor. Tabor has made this Florida secondary not skip a beat after Vernon Hargreaves III left Gainesville a year early to pursue his NFL dreams.
One would have to believe that Tabor will spy either Ridley or Stewart on Saturday to try and limit the overall effectiveness of the Alabama passing game. Tabor could play on an island and shut down an entire side of the field, but the Crimson Tide offense is too multi-dimensional for that defensive strategy to be effective long-term.
Hurts will throw in Tabor’s direction because he’s not afraid of targeting either of his two primary vertical threats in Ridley and Stewart. That being said, Tabor will be able to bait the true freshman Alabama signal caller at least once.
Look for Tabor to either pick off Hurts in a spectacular fashion or just have a few key pass breakups to thwart a promising Alabama offense drive on a crucial third down. For Florida to upset Alabama, Tabor will need to have his best game as a collegiate.