Alabama primed for Florida
Nick Saban has Alabama on top again.
The national rankings and SEC West? That's old news.
Already No. 1 in the nation, host Alabama emphatically reclaimed the premier spot in the state by overwhelming bitter rival Auburn 36-0 on Saturday to end a six-year Iron Bowl losing streak and fashion the biggest margin in the series in 46 years.
This is what it feels like to beat the Tigers, 'Bama. Even the normally stoic Saban promised he was celebrating inside - and in the privacy of the locker room with players and wife Terry.
The dominant win set the stage for Alabama (12-0, 8-0 SEC) to face No. 2 Florida in the league championship game with a berth in the BCS national title game on the line.
The loss left Auburn (5-7, 2-6) shut out of a bowl game for the first time in nine years.
Florida 45, Florida St. 15: Tim Tebow's white uniform was stained with grass, mud and some garnet-colored paint.
Maybe Tebow should have thrown a little of that Florida State gold on there for good measure. After all, that would have been a better indication of how he played against the host Seminoles.
Tebow threw 3 touchdown passes, ran for 80 yards and another score, and the second-ranked Gators thumped No. 23 Florida State (8-4) in sloppy conditions Saturday.
Florida (11-1) extended its winning streak to eight games, continued its dominance in the intrastate rivalry and set up a 1-2 showdown with Alabama in next week's Southeastern Conference title game.
Texas Tech 35, Baylor 28: Graham Harrell capped a 21-point rally for Texas Tech with a touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter, and the seventh-ranked Red Raiders kept their hopes for a Big 12 South title alive with a victory over visiting Baylor (4-8, 2-6).
Texas Tech (11-1, 7-1) won 11 games in a season for the third time in the program's 84 years.
New Hampshire 29, SIU 20: R.J. Toman threw for 257 yards as No. 10 New Hampshire (10-2) defeated No. 9 Southern Illinois (9-3) in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The loss was SIU's first at home since last season's semifinal playoff defeat against Delaware.