In 2016, the NCAA regular season had officially come to an end, but the real show was just beginning.
Unlike the NFL, the NCAA is divided into many conferences, so the postseason unfolds in two stages:
Stage 1: The conference championships.
Stage 2: The College Football Playoff for the national championship.
The schedule is spread out. The first stage begins immediately after the regular season, typically held during the first week of December.
Then comes a three-week break, coinciding with final exams for university students. The second stage kicks off after the Christmas holiday, with teams returning for the national championship competition.
First up is the conference championships.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is divided into two divisions:
The Eastern Division and the Southern Division.
Regardless of each team's overall record, the division champions from both the East and South face off in the SEC Championship game.
This year, the Eastern Division champion is the University of Florida, with a 9-3 record, and the Southern Division champion is Alabama, having gone undefeated.
Both teams are set to meet in the SEC Championship game.
For Alabama, this marks their third consecutive SEC Championship appearance and their second undefeated season under head coach Nick Saban since the 2009 season. Naturally, as the top seed in the NCAA, the Crimson Tide is favored to win.
However, the University of Florida is not to be underestimated.
This is a team without standout stars, relying on collective team strength to win games. They are known for their defensive prowess and consistency. While Florida hasn't cracked the top 10 rankings, fluctuating around 20th place throughout the season, they've proven to be a solid team with few weaknesses.
In short, they shouldn't be taken lightly.
Indeed, the University of Florida had prepared thoroughly. Inspired by the game where LSU nearly upset Alabama, Florida focused on neutralizing Lance by targeting the run game and applying pressure on the line of scrimmage.
It was clear that Florida had carefully studied game tapes and had a specific plan to contain Alabama. Despite their humble approach, they had their sights set on winning the SEC Championship.
But the Crimson Tide had also come prepared.
Not only Saban, but the entire offensive unit had learned from previous challenges and grown throughout the season. This time, they were much more composed in the face of Florida's defensive strategy.
Lance played the role of decoy, drawing the defense's attention to the front lines, while Jalen Hurts finally showcased his quarterback skills with a strong passing attack.
Alabama's passing game, which had been overlooked and underestimated throughout the season, caught Florida off guard.
However, Florida's secondary defense was commendable. Their cornerbacks and safeties coordinated well, giving them moments of respite amid Alabama's offensive onslaught. But as soon as they took a breather, they lost focus on their run defense, and Alabama capitalized:
On one particular run, starting from five yards out, Lance seemed to be taken down by a tackle. Yet, just before hitting the ground, he miraculously broke free, regained his footing, and extended the run into a 17-yard touchdown.
Florida's defense was clearly frustrated. They found themselves torn between defending against the pass and the run, and as a result, they struggled to contain either.
On the other side, Florida's offense lacked the firepower to keep up. Once they fell behind, they never managed to recover.
Alabama's Crimson Tide secured a comfortable home victory, claiming the SEC Championship.
Under Nick Saban, Alabama remained the undisputed powerhouse of the SEC. Even with last season's key players like Derrick Henry having moved on to the NFL, the Tide's roster of young talent continued to dominate, maintaining their control over the conference.
Terrifying dominance!
There's no denying that Saban has built a legacy that will be difficult to surpass in the NCAA.
With the conference championships concluded, teams now had three weeks to rest and prepare before stepping onto the national stage. The battle for the College Football Playoff was about to begin, and all eyes were on the 2016 national championship.
Alabama's goal remained unchanged: to bring home the national title.
However, before the players could shift their focus to the national championship, they first had to return to being students and prepare for their final exams. This academic challenge was a different kind of battlefield, one that required mental endurance.
Luckily, Alabama's team had a new "dual-threat" student-athlete this year. Thanks to Lance's help, his teammates were much more confident and prepared for their exams.
After the long hours of studying and taking finals, the players finally received their grades and headed home for the holidays, ready to celebrate Christmas.
Coach Burns pushed open the door to the locker room, smiling at the sight of his young players laughing and joking around. This was the last practice session before the Christmas break, so the team was doing some light training. The mood was cheerful, and their youthful energy filled the room. Burns couldn't help but smile.
After a couple of coughs, the room fell silent as the players turned to face the door.
"Coach Burns!" came the chorus of greetings, bringing a wider smile to Burns' face.
"Remember to watch your diet during the holidays. Don't come back out of shape. We don't have time to get you back on track once you return. We've still got two championships waiting for us."
The locker room erupted in laughter.
"Don't worry about us!"
Burns chuckled along with them before scanning the room for someone in particular.
"Lance, come with me for a moment."
"Ho, ho, ho! Lance! Lance! Lance!"
The locker room filled with teasing cheers as the team erupted in good-natured fun.
Lance didn't mind at all, smiling as he spread his arms wide, embracing the cheers like a movie star on a red carpet, basking in the applause.
The locker room was alive with noise.
As Lance left, the rest of the team returned to their usual banter and roughhousing.
Clark, curious, asked, "Why is Coach Burns calling for Lance right now?"
Jacobs shook his head. "Not sure, probably something to do with his training program."
Clark nodded in agreement. "Makes sense. Lance hasn't had any formal training before this. He probably doesn't know how to plan his workouts during the break."
Thinking ahead to their return after Christmas and the upcoming bowl games, Clark's excitement grew. "I wonder who we'll face in the bowl game."
Meanwhile, Lance was also curious about why Burns had called for him. He had a suspicion that it might have something to do with the agreement they had made at the start of the season. Could it be that the head coach was now ready to assess his progress?
To his surprise, Burns didn't lead him to the principal's office but instead brought him to the head coach's office. Burns offered Lance a reassuring smile, knocked on the door, and entered without waiting for a response.
Inside, Coach Saban was sitting at his desk, watching game footage.
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