Dec. 5, 2009

Now hear this: SEC title is remedy for Ingram's hip, Heisman hopes

By Tony Barnhart | CBS Sports

ATLANTA -- Mark Ingram heard it all.

He heard about the great Florida defense that was ranked No. 1 in the nation.

He heard about how Auburn, certainly no defensive juggernaut, held him to 30 yards and gave him a hip pointer.

He heard that his once-budding Heisman campaign had ended with that less-than-spectacular game at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

He heard the people who wondered if he could answer the bell for the SEC Championship Game. And if he did answer the bell, could he go the distance?

He heard it, processed it and decided he could do something about it. And when the confetti began to fall Saturday night at the Georgia Dome, here is what Mark Ingram had to show for his efforts:

• He had run for 113 yards on 28 carries against a defense that had given up less than 90 yards per game and had allowed only one back (Dennis Johnson of Arkansas) to eclipse 100 yards all season.

• He had broken Bobby Humphrey's Alabama record for most rushing yards in a season (1,471), a mark that had stood for 23 years. With a game left, Ingram has 1,542 yards rushing during his sophomore season.

• He caught two passes for 73 yards, including a 69-yard screen pass that set up a touchdown right before the half to give Alabama a 19-10 lead. "That," Florida coach Urban Meyer said, "was a momentum changer."

• He scored three touchdowns rushing, which tied the record for the SEC title game.

• And, if there is any fairness in the world, he played his way into a trip to New York for next Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Not bad for a night's work.

"We decided tonight that we weren't going to hold anything back," Ingram said. "We were going to play hard. We were going to play physical. We were going to take it to them."

And that is exactly what Alabama did. The unbeaten Crimson Tide didn't just beat Florida 32-13 to win the 22nd SEC championship in their storied football history. They challenged Florida's manhood. They beat the Gators in a way that they are not used to being beaten -- certainly not since Steve Spurrier walked onto the campus as head coach in 1990.

Alabama rolled up 490 yards of total offense, including 251 yards rushing on 53 carries. The Tide held the football for almost 40 minutes. This, my friends, was just a good old-fashioned SEC butt-kicking.

Quarterback Greg McElroy was brilliant and deserving of all the accolades that came his way. But the tone of the game was set when Ingram carried the ball seven times for 44 yards in the first quarter after some questioned whether or not he would be ready. The first quarter sent the message to the Gators: "Get used to this, fellas. We are going to be here all night long."

"A lot of people doubted us after the Auburn game and I know some people doubted me," said Ingram. "But our offensive line took up the challenge and they played with a lot of passion. All I had to do was follow them."

Nick Saban was quick to praise everybody from his coaches down to the managers. It was that sweet of a victory. He recognized McElroy, now 29-0 as a starting quarterback dating back to his high school days at Southlake Carroll near Dallas. Saban recognized an offensive line that had to replace three starters this season but jelled into something special. He recognized the receivers, who found big holes in what was supposed to be one of the best secondaries in the sport. The Alabama defense of 2009 is being favorably compared to the national championship unit of 1992. And it should be.

'Individual honors are nice,' Ingram says, 'but I came to Alabama to win championships.' (AP)

"Mark showed an incredible resolve and an impressive physical toughness tonight," Saban said after the game. "He really wasn't ready to go until Thursday, but he was determined to play and play well. I'm proud of all of the guys on our offense."

For all of its great football tradition, Alabama has never had a Heisman Trophy winner. You read that right. Never. It is one of the stranger anomalies of the sport.

David Palmer, "The Deuce," was the highest finisher for the Crimson Tide when he placed third in 1993. Linebacker Lee Roy Jordan (1962) and running back Johnny Musso (1971) finished fourth.

Maybe it's a long shot, but could Ingram have used Saturday night's vintage performance as a spring board to Alabama's first Heisman? If so, Ingram would become only the second sophomore (Tim Tebow was the first) to win the coveted award.

"I don't know how people think about that sort of thing," Ingram said. "I'll think about that next week. All I know is that we're the SEC champs and we're getting ready to play for the national championship. Individual honors are nice, but I came to Alabama to win championships. We've won one. Now we're getting ready to play for one."

Saturday night, Alabama wouldn't trade Mark Ingram for all of the Heisman hardware in the world.

Watch The Tony Barnhart Show every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS College Sports Network.