Florida cornerback Jalen Tabor is ready for Alabama, or at least as ready as one can be to play the Crimson Tide. After facing off against the Tide in last year's SEC Championship game, Tabor was able to gain a perspective on Alabama that should have Tide coach Nick Saban beaming, because it's everything he's always wanted to hear from an opponent about Alabama.
"I never really felt like that during a game, but those guys really brought it to us," Gator junior Jalen Tabor said Monday in reference to last years SEC Championship. "For the first time ever playing football, I kind of felt like it was a little bit tougher than it normally was. I just used that as fuel in the off-season," he said, "and just like, when we see those boys again, I don't want to feel like that during the game."
"Just their team in general, the way they come and play is different," Tabor said. "I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't — I guess it's Coach Saban and how he prepares his guys, but every year we play these guys, it's different than when you play everybody else. There's a reason why they're the No. 1 team in the country. There's a reason why they haven't lost this year.
"There's a reason they're going to their third SEC Championship, hopefully, for those guys. They probably think they're going to go to their third College Football Playoff."
"I don't know," he said. "I just — maybe strength and conditioning. It's different than when you play those guys. It's kind of hard to explain. It's something you've got to see for yourself."
While Alabama's dominance continues to be questioned for whatever reason in the media, it's clear that when it comes to the Tide's opponents, no one is questioning what they are capable of.
