Tide a big favorite in championship game for a reason

Alabama and Florida meet Saturday in the SEC championship game, and conventional wisdom has the Tide romping to the title. The Crimson Tide is favored by 17 points, the second-largest point spread in the 24-year history of the game. “When a team’s a big favorite, they’re usually a big favorite for a reason,” Gridironnow.com’s Frank Frangie says, and he thinks the line is about where it should be, given Alabama’s coaching, its stout defense and its running game and Florida’s punchless offense.

The Tide relies heavily on RB Derrick Henry, whom Frangie believes has locked up the Heisman. “I think Derrick Henry’s head-and-shoulders ahead of the pack,” he says.

Frangie says the Gators need some…