SEC countdown to kickoff

A look at the No. 1 game in the upcoming season:

Florida at Alabama

Date: Oct. 2

Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Last meeting: The most-anticipated game of the college season turned into a one-sided affair, with the Crimson Tide shutting out Tim Tebow and the Gators in the second half of a 31-13 victory in the SEC championship game in Atlanta. Alabama racked up 490 yards, 251 coming on the ground, to earn a spot in the BCS national championship game.

What’s at stake: These are the prize programs of the SEC. Any time they meet, the entire country will be watching. Although there aren’t any division implications, this game still involves the two teams expected to meet in Atlanta with the conference title on the line. Florida won the 2008 SEC title game. Alabama did last year. This could serve as a preview to a rubber match this December.

Subplots: Because of the SEC’s rotating schedule, this is the first time the teams will meet at an on-campus site since 2006, before Nick Saban had even arrived in Tuscaloosa. While both teams are expected to be among the nation’s best once again, they have some major shoes to fill. For Florida, it’s replacing Tebow, a task falls to long-time backup John Brantley, a skilled but untested junior. For Alabama, it’s reloading a defense that lost 10 starters, something it hopes several years of highly-ranked recruiting classes will make easier. But the most interesting subplot is the personal rivalry starting to emerge between Saban and Florida head coach Urban Meyer. They’ve combined to win three of the past four national championships and have effectively turned the SEC into a two-team race in recent years. Neither coach is light in the ego department, meaning this game, even if it is in the regular season, will have some extra meaning.

— Andy Bitter