Saban, Alabama so close yet so far

Dec 7, 2008 - 3:11 AM By PA SportsTicker

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The tide turned on Alabama, 15 minutes from the promised land.

Nick Saban had the Crimson Tide 12-0 and in front, 20-17, with one quarter left in Saturday's SEC Championship.

Gators aren't safe, however, and Tim Tebow led a two-touchdown rally that propelled Florida to a 31-20 victory and a likely spot in the BCS championship game on January 8.

Still, 12-1 in Saban's second season in Tuscaloosa is quite an accomplishment. This is a team with eight seniors on scholarship and a bright future.

"This team should be remembered and have a legacy as a team," Saban said. "They were the team that brought back a lot of pride to the state of Alabama. That should be their legacy.

"They went undefeated in the regular season. I wish there was more that I could do to help them win the championship."

Alabama hung with Florida for the first 45 minutes, playing typical Tide football - mixing a few big plays with solid offense and defense. In the end, the relentless wave of pressure from Florida on both sides of the ball wore Alabama down.

"We didn't get the result we hoped for today," Saban said. "We kind of ran out of gas in the fourth quarter a little bit in what was a very tough, physical game."

Quarterback John Parker Wilson felt the second quarter hurt when Florida outscored Alabama 10-0 to take a 17-10 lead at intermission.

"We played tough all game long. It was a hard game and there was no give-up," said Wilson, who was 12-of-25 for 187 yards and a late interception. "Florida played well, but we struggled in the second quarter. We played well in the second half, fell behind and gave it all we had."

Saban was impressed by defending Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns while adding 57 yards rushing.

"Tim Tebow made plays in the game that made a difference in the game," Saban said. "A couple big plays that they hit us on made a big difference.

"He's a great competitor, no doubt. I think he takes his team on his shoulders a lot. I think his leadership is something that really affects his teammates, and they respect him tremendously. They have a lot of confidence that he's going to make plays, and they played that way."

The same could be said of Saban, who has turned around an Alabama program that appears to be adding to its storied past after a period of struggle.

Tebow understands the impact Saban has had on the Tide.

"Defensively they had a lot of good players," Tebow said. "You really had to earn all the plays that you made, and they had a great game plan, as well. You've got to give credit to them and the players and the coaches for the way they came out and played."

In the end, Saban told his team to be proud of what it had done.

"I am proud of what they accomplished this year, that every team in the BCS leagues have lost a game this year except them," he said. "They accomplished a lot. They played with a lot of consistency. That's a very tough thing to do, and I'm very proud of them.

"And I also told them that all great teams have a loss, and it's how you come back from a loss that really makes you a great team. And that's the challenge for you in whatever game we play in next."