I can't link the article because the publication that contains it comes to me as a .pdf file, and it does not make sense to link to the entire 34 page publication (Sporting News Today). The FL-AL game was the most viewed since CBS began televising the SEC in 1992. I'm not sure from the way it was written if the 1992 threshhold was for the SEC in general or the actual championship game. It was the most watched game on CBS since the ND-SoCal game in 1989. Also, the game attendance set a new record for the Georgia Dome. Again, I could not tell from the article if this was only for the SEC championship game or in the history of the facility.
That game did not let a single viewer down. While I am sure Tide fans would have liked a different outcome, everyone thought that game was going to be a war and they got one. Very entertaining.
The 92 Championship game was also between Florida and Alabama. Alabama was unbeaten and eventually beat Miami handily to win the National Championship in the Sugar Bowl, I believe it was the Sugar Bowl. Florida had lost 3 games coming into that game and was unbelievably lucky to get to the game. We had lost to Tennessee, Miss State and FSU, all three by significant margins. Bama jumped to a 21 - 7 lead but Florida rallied in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 21 - 21. We then held Bama and got the ball back. The Gators were feeling pretty good about our chances when Bama got a interception for a touchdown and held us in check the rest of the game. Final score 28 - 21. Bama had a lot of close ugly wins at that point and there were even some folks that thought a one loss FSU, lost to Miami, was better than Bama and should play Miami. However cooler heads prevailed and Bama was a huge underdog to Miami but whipped them by a good margin. Our 2006 team reminded me a lot of Bama in that we won ugly and close but won all but one game, Bama was unbeaten in 92. What was very similar is that both teams went into their bowl game as a significant underdog and played the best game of their season. I was cheering loudly for Bama the whole game. We had a family get together that day and three of my kids are Gator alumni, two didn't graduate from college. One of them, our son, raised in south Florida was, and still is, a Miami fan. He took a lot of heat from those of us who bled Orange and Blue. The fifth daughter lives in Knoxville and has for a long time and is a Vol. I'm sure kp can tell you more about the game.
Bill, It was of course the Sugar Bowl and Alabama's offense that year had only one job - DON"T LOSE THE GAME - If the offense would just not screw up, our defense would beat people and that is what happened in the Sugar Bowl. If y'all remember these were the years of Miami wearing camos and picking fights with the Alabama players on Bourbon St. I have been an Alabama fan since the 60's and I have watched some great Bama teams and several NC wins but I enjoyed that win more than any other.