Old SEC Championship Rivals: Alabama vs. Florida

Since the dawn of the Southeastern Conference Championship game in 1992, the most frequent matchup in the game has been Alabama vs. Florida.  By far.  The two storied programs have squared off to settle the SEC title on the field a record five times (six on Sat.).  No other pairing of teams comes close:

UA vs. UF: The Game

Alabama vs. Florida          6*

Tennessee vs. LSU            2

Tennessee vs. Auburn      2

Florida vs. Arkansas          2

LSU vs. Georgia                 2

Tennessee vs. Miss. St.    1

Florida vs. Auburn            1

Eight of the conference’s 12 teams have played in the SECC game, and on Saturday, the Gators will hold the most championship game appearances with nine.  The Tide comes in second-place with six on Saturday.  ‘Bama’s only opponent in the game has been Florida.  Below are each team’s appearances:

Florida          9* (6-2)

Alabama       6* (2-3)

Tennessee   5   (2-3)

LSU                 4   (3-1)

Georgia         3   (2-1)

Arkansas      3   (0-3)

Auburn          3   (1-2)

Miss. St.        1   (0-1)

*Including Saturday’s championship game.

Perhaps because of the championship game, Tide vs. Gators has become one of the fiercest cross-divisional rivalries in the SEC.

'92 SEC Championship MVP, Antonio Langham, took this 4th quarter pick to the house, sealing The Crimson Tide's victory over the Gators in the first title game. / Painting by Daniel A. Moore

It’s generally a “hate with respect” feud, even when the teams meet during the regular season, and has produced some of the most exciting moments in SEC history.  When these two schools play in the SECC game, national title consequences are often at stake, as is the case this year.  In all, UA and UF have met 34 times, with ‘Bama leading the series, 21-13.  The last matchup was a Gator win in Gainesville, 28-13, in 2006.  

Below are scores of the five previous SEC Championship games played between Alabama and Florida.  UF leads the series, 3-2, and UA actually leads in points, thanks to the ’99 blowout (128-125, for a razor-thin average score of 25.6-25.0).  Recaps later in the week:

1999 

Alabama 34     Florida 7

1996 

Florida 45     Alabama 30

1994

Florida 24     Alabama 23

1993

Florida 28     Alabama 13

1992

Alabama 28     Florida 21