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Florida travels to Atlanta this weekend to take on the No.1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (10-0) for the SEC Championship. But you wouldn’t know that the Gators are playing for a championship by listening to the fan base. The entire narrative of this game was turned upside down with the simple toss of a shoe. However, that hasn’t stopped Dan Mullen and the Gators receivers from making statements of confidence as they prepare for Saturday night’s showdown.

When asked if he thought that a two-loss deserves a spot in the College Football Playoff, Mullen quipped, “We’ll think about that on Saturday night after we win.” While this is a bold statement coming from the coach of a team that was embarrassed by a team that they should have blown out a week ago, I’m not sure that there is another way to face the task ahead. Of course, he could refrain from creating bulletin board material, but a head coach should always be confident that they can win any game they play.

All confidence aside, Florida will be facing the most complete team that they’ve seen all season when they take the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Tide boasts what might just be the best offensive line that Nick Saban has ever fielded in his time in Tuscaloosa. The unit has made things relatively easy on Mac Jones this year, providing him with ample time to find one of his many talented receivers.

When it comes to talented Alabama receivers, DeVonta Smith is as good as it gets. The talented wideout will likely run roughshod through the Gators’ secondary, adding to his already impressive season. The future NFL star has made spectacular plays all season long. His 83 catches for 1,327 yards and 15 touchdowns has him in the Heisman conversation, along with teammates Mac Jones and Najee Harris.

Of course, The Gators have a Heisman contender of their own in Kyle Trask. The superstar out of Manvel, Texas has an advantage in the race for the Heisman Trophy, in that Jones, Smith, and Harris will actually cannibalize one another in the voting. If the Gators are going to pull off the upset, it will require Trask’s greatest performance yet.

The Florida signal caller has carved up SEC defenses all season long, completing passes at a 70.2% clip. In addition to his accuracy, the fifth year senior has surpassed Danny Wuerffel in the record books with 40 touchdown passes and is on pace to overtake Rex Grossman as Florida’s all-time leader in single season passing yards, with 3,717.

Like Trask, the Florida receivers will need to ascend to new heights if they are to upend Alabama. Fortunately, the Gators have got some real playmakers. Kadarius Toney can create explosive plays at will and has become a well-rounded and versatile receiver. Florida will find a variety of ways to get the ball in his hands on Saturday night. Similarly, Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland have the capability to make defensive backs rethink their life choices.

Florida has a wealth of offensive weapons but they aren’t reliant on any one. On average, 10 Gators’ receivers record catches every Saturday. However, none of them commands as much attention from opposing defenses as Kyle Pitts. The future All-Pro tight end has been a matchup nightmare for everyone he has faced and might just be the best player in the nation. With his combination of size, speed, and soft hands, Pitts is too big to be covered by a safety and too fast for linebackers.

Pitts is a lethal weapon even when he’s not the intended target. He is a superb blocker and swallows up double-teams as a decoy, freeing up one of the Gators’ many other playmakers. But as potent as the Gators’ offense has been (41.2 PPG) they will need to limit costly mistakes, playing near perfection on Saturday night.

It will be interesting to see exactly what Dan Mullen has up his sleeve, as he announced that they would be revisiting some of the pre-2010 wishbone packages this weekend. This could create some opportunities in space for Florida’s running backs which could have the Alabama defense playing on its heels, a bit. However, keeping them that way will be a tall task.

The Crimson Tide are giving up just 16.8 PPG on 340.1 YPG. While they aren’t the greatest defense that Nick Saban has ever put on the field, they are capable of putting the brakes on opposing offenses. The Tide are second in the SEC when it comes to sacking the quarterback… right behind Florida. Even still, I have to give the competitive edge to Alabama when comparing the two defenses. A fact that is apparent when you see that the Gators have allowed 384.7 YPG which has equated to 26.3 PPG for opponents.

When you take all of these things into consideration, this game pits two of the nation’s best offenses against one another. Because of this, you might be surprised to hear that this one will come down to who has the better defense. In my opinion, that distinction goes to Alabama. The Tide have shown more consistency this season. Therefore, I trust that they will make the plays when they need them, more than I trust Florida’s defense.

As much as it pains me to do so, I have to take Alabama in this matchup. Florida has made incredible strides and they have a generational type of quarterback in Kyle Trask. But they still have some work to do before they are on Alabama’s level. This season is still going to have been a successful march forward as Dan Mullen rebuilds and restores the program to its former glory. With another great performance, Kyle Trask could still win the Heisman which, for many, would be a pretty good consolation prize.

The Crimson Tide are -17.5 point favorites, but I like Florida to beat the spread. I think this will be a bit of a shootout early on, with the Tide eventually pulling away. Alabama wins 42-31.

The SEC Championship Game will be broadcast live from Atlanta, Georgia on CBS. Coverage begins at 8:00 EST.