Ad Disclosure
After weeks of being doubted and bet against, Missouri found their way into a second straight SEC Championship game with a newfound level of respect from SEC fans. Unfortunately, they likely lost the faith once again after getting blown out in a game that was hardly ever a contest. That said, the Tigers and Tide both put up a number of big plays in big moments in the Georgia Dome, and we picked out the ten best. Enjoy.
10. HOWARD PUTS IT ON THE DOORSTEP
Not a real flashy play here, but it’s the first example on this list of a clutch third down conversion via a Blake Sims pass. Tight end OJ Howard goes the extra yard to show off a move or two and set the Tide up for a touchdown.
9. SIMS SCRAMBLES
Again, not real flashy, but you can’t tell me this isn’t a great decision by Blake Sims. He reads through his progressions, sees everything down the field is covered, and uses his secret weapon; his legs. He doesn’t take a sack, he doesn’t throw the ball into double coverage and risk a turnover, but he steps up and through the pocket and weaves through a couple defenders for a first down. High quality play.
8. BIG TIME CONVERSION
On a third and ten (another third down conversion) from the 20, Sims throws a laser to White down the field who takes it for a 32-yard gain.
7. HENRY SEALS IT
Halfway through the final quarter and up 15 points, Derrick Henry takes a handoff 26 yards to the end zone to put the game away and all but seal the championship victory for Alabama.
6. MAUK TO HUNT: PART I
Thus begins a series of increasingly great throws and catches from Missouri’s Maty Mauk to Jimmie Hunt. This one went for 32 yards.
5. MAUK TO HUNT: PART II
This one went for 47 yards.
4. MAUK TO HUNT: PART III
And on this one I’m pretty sure the ball had wings. Mizzou’s best play of the game went for 63 yards and set up their only touchdown. It might have taken them four plays to gain that last yard, but it was still a touchdown.
3. THE HENRY HUSTLE
Derrick Henry had a career day with 141 yards and two touchdowns. This run, his longest of the day and a dagger to the Tigers, went for 45 yards and a yard short of the end zone before he punched it in on the next play.
2. BOMBS AWAY
We’ve seen this play before. You may recall the play earlier in the season when Lane Kiffin knew Amari Cooper would be open to haul in a huge touchdown before Sims even threw the ball. In this version, the only difference was the receiver, DeAndrew White instead of Cooper. The 58-yarder was Alabama’s second touchdown of the game.
1. THE LIFT
No moment was sweeter for either team than when the Crimson Tide lifted the championship trophy once again.
A graduate of the real USC and an all-star middle linebacker in 8th grade, Eric has jumped at the opportunity to capture the emotions of fall in the southeast. He always wants to know; "How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?"
