The 2012 SEC Championship Game

It doesn't normally happen like this. In fact, it almost never does. The SEC is full of hard-hitting no-nonsense defenses that don't like it when teams get score-happy. The SEC was the first conference to introduce as championship game in 1992 and it has since had little to add in the way of excitement. Before today only four games had been decided by less than 10 points. Four. The games in 1992 (Alabama/Florida - 28/21), 1994 (Alabama/Florida - 23/24), 1997 (Tennessee/Auburn - 30/29), and 2007 (LSU/Tennessee - 21/14) were the only ones that could make this boast before today.

The previous four years have brought us such ass-whippings as LSU's throttling of Georgia 42-10 in 2011, Alabama losing to Teblow in 2008 to the tune of 31-20, and Alabama making ole Teblow cry the next year in a 32-13 beatdown. Let us not forget the 56-17 ass-whipping Auburn delivered to South Carolina, either.

If you are a fan of close football games and slug-fests then you could do better elsewhere. 

But every now and then we catch lightning in a bottle. 

I certainly knew the game would be close. Of course, Georgia got whipped by South Carolina during the regular season, but after watching Alabama struggle with LSU and Texas A&M earlier this season I was understandably nervous. Earlier in the year the talk was that Alabama could at least make a show against an NFL team, but cracks began showing and the Tide seemed to become a bit more disorganized. 

And we found ourselves on the outside looking in for the second year in a row. When Oregon and Kansas State fell, many of us knew that we were blessed again and it was time to kick ass again all the way to the National Championship game. 

Nothing Georgia had done during the year suggested that we'd get what we got. And while Alabama had already been in two tussles earlier in the season with LSU and A&M, there was nothing to suggest they'd have the same problem with Georgia. 

But Georgia showed up in a way they obviously didn't against South Carolina. This was one for the ages and I can practically hear all of the Georgia fans crying and the Notre Dame fans cursing their luck. 

We watched two teams give their best when it really counted. It wasn't perfect for either team, but each team had a shot and only five yards and five seconds proved to be the difference in the game. SEC fan or not, if you didn't appreciate this game then something is severely wrong with you. 

The first half was a typical defensive battle and the second half was a score-fest. 

This was everything a fan could hope for. Naturally, all of the Alabama fans wish that the game had been a beatdown, but we are all impressed by Georgia. They knew what was on the line and they played accordingly. Undoubtedly, they remembered being embarrassed last year by LSU and that added extra fire. 

No matter who won the SEC would win because it gets a representative in the SEC, but that winner turned out to be Bama and its their first conference title since the revenge against Teblow in 2009. They have a shot to make a dynasty and to keep the BCS National Championship in the state for the fourth straight year. 

It was a helluva game. 

Now there is one more to go and it is only fitting that the game would be against Notre Dame. This match-up might turn out to be a bit one-sided so appreciate the National "semi-final" you just witnessed. 

Roll Tide.