ATLANTA — Alabama emphatically erased any fears by SEC fans that an upset loss to Missouri on Saturday might deprive the powerful conference a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoffs.
Blake Sims threw two touchdown passes and top-ranked Alabama defeated No. 14 Missouri, 42-13, in the SEC Championship Game to assure itself a spot in the top four when the final CFP rankings are announced Sunday.
Sims, a senior in his first year as the starting quarterback, completed 23-of-27 passes for 232 yards before a sellout crowd of 73,526 at the Georgia Dome, which was dominated by Crimson Tide supporters.
Sims connected with Heisman Trophy candidate Amari Cooper 12 times, a record for the title game, and threw a 58-yard touchdown strike to DeAndrew White in a nearly flawless performance.
Running backs Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon each added two touchdown runs for Alabama (12-1), with Henry finishing with 141 yards on 20 carries as the Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship Game for the fifth time.
SEC West champion Alabama
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, which has three national titles in the last five years, had won seven straight games since a 14-13 loss at Mississippi on Oct. 4, but needed a victory against Missouri (10-3) to assure itself of a playoff berth.It was the second consecutive decisive loss in the title game for SEC East winner Missouri, which was a two-touchdown underdog to Alabama.
Auburn accumulated 677 yards in beating Missouri, 59-42, last year.
Down by 18 points at halftime, Missouri closed to within 21-13 in the third quarter when quarterback Maty Maukset up a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bud Sasser and a 33-yard field goal by Andrew Baggett with completions of 63 and 47 yards to wide receiver Jimmie Hunt.
Sims threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Christian Jones on the first play of the fourth quarter to cap a 64-yard drive that put the Crimson Tide up by 15 points.
Then Henry capped a 90-yard drive with a 28-yard touchdown run midway in the final quarter to put the game out of reach. His score from a yard out after a Missouri fumble near midfield capped the scoring with under four minutes left.
Missouri had only four first downs in the first half while falling behind, 21-3, and lost defensive end Shane Ray, who led the SEC with 13.5 sacks, on a targeting call early in the second quarter.
Ray was ejected for hitting Sims in the head after the quarterback threw the long pass to White that gave Alabamaa 14-0 lead.
The Crimson Tide went 68 yards in 10 plays on the first possession of the game, with Yeldon scoring from a yard out. Then Yeldon capped a 14-play, 75-yard march with a 2-yard score late in the second quarter.
Missouri was out-gained, 252-108, in the first half, the Tigers’ points coming on a 33-yard field goal by Baggett.
Missouri won its last three games to hold off Georgia, a team it had lost to, 34-0, at home on Oct. 11, to win the SEC East championship and qualify for the title game.
The Tigers, though, didn’t beat a SEC team with a winning record in the conference while going 7-1.
NOTES: Coaches Nick Saban of Alabama and Gary Pinkel
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of Missouri were college teammates at Kent State. Saban played safety and Pinkel tight end as the Golden Flashes won the Mid-American Conference title in 1972 and they began their coaching careers as assistants under Don James. … Negotiations are underway on a 10-year contract to keep the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta after the Georgia Dome is replaced by the Atlanta Falcons‘ retractable-roof stadium in 2017. … This was the 21st year for the title game in Atlanta after one inBirmingham. … Both the East and West divisions came into this season with 11 titles. … Alabama began the season with a 33-23 victory over West Virginia in the Georgia Dome as part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic.