:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51925089/usa_today_8972537.0.jpeg)
Florida’s win against LSU on Saturday made official what’s looked likely for a few weeks. The No. 23 Gators will meet No. 1 Alabama in Atlanta’s SEC Championship on Dec. 3 (4 p.m. ET, CBS), and it’ll be a familiar scene.
The SEC Championship only started in 1992. Its first game was between the Gators and Tide, and that’s been the matchup in eight of 24 games in total. Just 11 of the games have proceeded without one of Alabama and Florida involved, out of a league that’s had 12 and then 14 teams throughout the game’s lifespan. It’s been an incredible monopolization of the league final in the country’s best conference.
Your comprehensive Florida-Bama SECCG history, beginning with the first three championship games the league ever held:
1992: Alabama 28, Florida 21
1993: Florida 28, Alabama 13
1994: Florida 24, Alabama 23
1996: Florida 45, Alabama 30
1999: Alabama 34, Florida 7
2008: Florida 31, Alabama 20
2009: Alabama 32, Florida 13
2015: Alabama 29, Florida 15
A lot of parity, really. The series is 4-4 in these title games, out of a 24-14 all-time series lead for Alabama. The Tide’s 2009 win featured three Mark Ingram touchdowns, and it kept No. 1 Florida out of the BCS final, making Tim Tebow a sad QB.
That day started a five-game win streak in the series for Alabama, which Florida has yet to snap. They joined each other in the championship game again last year, when Bama’s two-touchdown win was probably more lopsided than the final score suggested. The Gators are still trying get over a sizable Alabama hump.
In all likelihood, Alabama will win again this year. The Gators have an elite defense and can probably get some stops, just like LSU did a few weeks ago in holding the Tide to 10 points. But it’s not at all clear where Florida’s points will come from, and if Alabama dominates on defense per usual, the Tide will roll to victory.