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SEC Championship Game: 5 reasons Florida has no chance vs Alabama

By John Buhler

Dec 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain pose with the SEC trophy between the SEC coaches press conference at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban and Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain pose with the SEC trophy between the SEC coaches press conference at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) carries the ball against the Florida Gators during the fourth quarter in the 2015 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry (2) carries the ball against the Florida Gators during the fourth quarter in the 2015 SEC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Georgia Dome heavily favors the Alabama offense

Sometimes the field conditions play a bigger role in a game than people realize. The field will be pristine inside the Georgia Dome on Saturday evening. A comfortable 75 degrees, no wind, and well-maintained artificial turf means that there will be favorable offensive conditions in the 2016 SEC Championship Game and that benefits Alabama.

Dome stadiums usually play this fast. Just look at the roster makeup of several NFL teams that play in domes. Teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, and New Orleans Saints have better offenses than defenses with usually outstanding perimeter players.

The difference between Atlanta, Indianapolis, and New Orleans and Alabama is that Alabama leans on its defense, while the NFL trio win, or lose, in spite of its defensive personnel. Playing inside is not going to help the Florida offense at all. The Gators would have needed to play Alabama in a hailstorm or a torrential downpour in the hopes of muddying it up in a low-scoring defensive struggle.

Antonio Callaway is a fine wide receiver and Florida does have defensive backs that can take it to the house, but the speed with which the Georgia Dome typically plays grossly favors Alabama. Teams with strong offenses always look better in SEC Championship Games for this reason. The Georgia Dome itself it a major reason that Alabama can blow out Florida on Saturday.

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