Wait, that just happened, right? Alabama dominated Florida? No late-game heroics from the Tebow child? The truly amazing thing is that this Crimson Tide team plays up to the level of the game. Quarterback Greg McElroy played above his head, and outshined the star in orange and blue. Guess what? He’s back next year. Running back Mark Ingram ran his way back into the Heisman race with a 28-carry, 113-yard, three-touchdown performance. He’s back next year, too. So is his backup, Trent Richardson, who had 80 yards on 11 carries. Standout wide receiver Julio Jones — as valuable as a blocker as he is catching balls — returns, as well. Alabama can actually get better.

But, the ‘09 Tide was good enough to walk away with the program’s 22nd SEC championship, its first since 1999. Here’s a statistic to ponder: Bama has won an SEC title in every decade since the conference was founded in 1933 (the boys in crimson took the first two). Yes, the offense did its job, even if it wasn’t spectacular. The defense, though, stood tall. Tim Tebow finished the game as Florida’s leading rusher — 10 carries, 63 yards. Nobody else did much of anything. The Tebow child put up decent numbers through the air, but threw a pick that effectively ended any chance of a comeback.

So, here we are. Alabama has come close to a national championship in our lifetime beside 1992. There was ‘89 (losses to Auburn and Miami), 1994 (loss to Florida), 2005 (losses to LSU and Auburn) and last year. However, the Tide hasn’t played in an honest-to-God title game since the Sugar Bowl against Miami. And it’s simply poetic that the return trip is to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (though it’s the BCS National Championship Game presented by Citi). The Alabama program built its reputation by winning Rose Bowls, and national championships, in the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s.

Rose Bowl
1925: Alabama 20, Washington 19
1926: Alabama 7, Stanford 7
1930: Alabama 24, Washington State 0
1934: Alabama 29, Stanford 13
1937: Alabama 0, California 13
1945: Alabama 34, Southern Cal 14

The last win was the last time a team from outside the Big Ten/Pac-10 played in the Rose Bowl before the BCS era. It would be perfect for the Crimson Tide to take its 13th national title at the place it won its first, 84 years ago.

There’s no doubt now. In a few weeks, Alabama and Florida will meet in the Georgia Dome for the chance to play for the national championship in Pasadena. Florida’s ticket was booked last week, while the Crimson Tide had to hold serve against No. 9 LSU to secure the SEC West title.

When Arkansas and South Carolina joined the SEC and the league split into two divisions, the Gators and the Tide seemed to always be meeting up in the conference championship game. Bama, which won the first two SEC titles, also claimed the first championship game. However, Steve Spurrier’s Florida teams usually got the best of Gene Stallings’ Tide squads. Alabama and the Gators have met six times in the SEC Championship Game, with Florida walking away with four of those.

But, really, goddamn, how ’bout beating LSU again? Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram burnished his Heisman numbers by putting 144 rushing yards on the Bengal Tiger defense, quarterback Greg McElroy — the safety excepted — actually showed up, and, oh, Julio. There will be an entire generation of kids in Alabama named Julio. How Jones ended up in open space on that screen pass will vex us for years, and we’ve watched the replay a number of times. It was incredible. Catch, juke, gone. Strike up the band.

It was reported over the past week that Bama coach Nick Saban didn’t promise Jones anything when he recruited him. Mind you, Julio was considered by many as the top high school wide receiver in the nation at the time. All Saban said was, “We’re going to win, with or without you.” It is nice to have Jones on the team, though.

So, the first big hurdle is over. Last year, Alabama beat Tennessee, LSU and Auburn in the same year for the first time in forever. This year, two down, one to go. And, we’re getting a little giddy about it. Shit, Auburn let Furman score 31 points. Garbage time or not, that’s pathetic. The Plainsmen’s defense has been porous all season, and it hasn’t solidified. The 36-0 beating in Tuscaloosa last year was damn cathartic, but whipping those bastards in their own house will be even better.