ABC and ESPN have coined "SEC All Day" for their TV package, which has won the ratings battle throughout the college football season.
It helps when Alabama contributes to that – and the conference is going to need the Crimson Tide moving into November for more than ratings. No. 4 Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) remains the conference’s best bet to win the national championship.
The Crimson Tide came from behind to beat South Carolina 29-22 on Saturday, but this was not a sleepy, run-of-the-mill victory. Deontae Lawson forced a fumble by South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers with 1:39 remaining, which Tim Keenan III recovered without knowing the ball was in play.
Germie Bernard scored a 25-yard TD run on a direct snap with 34 seconds left on a creative call by second-year coach Kalen DeBoer. Alabama didn’t leave this up to the kicker, and that was the best play.
Are the Crimson Tide a dominant team? Not sure about that. But DeBoer led Alabama to five straight wins in SEC play, with four wins against ranked teams and three wins on the road.
MORE: Ranking the head coach openings for 2026
South Carolina pushes Alabama to fourth quarter
Gamecocks kicker William Joyce hit a 47-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining in the third quarter to give South Carolina (3-5, 1-5 SEC) a 15-14 lead. That was the "Sandstorm” warning – the techno staple at Williams-Brice Stadium used to get the crowd rolling.
Then, a South Carolina punt hit off Alabama receiver Jaylen Mbakwe, which South Carolina receiver Nyck Harbor recovered. Sellers’ 10-yard TD run with 10 minutes left gave the Gamecocks a 22-14 lead.
Imagine the takes had this played out. Alabama had lost four of five true road games before the 24-21 victory at Georgia on Sept. 27. The Crimson Tide would have two losses and pushed the playoff fringe, and this loss would have compared to that 35-21 loss to the Gamecocks on Oct. 9, 2010 - one that led to the only three-loss season under Nick Saban from 2008-23.
MORE: Ranking the 12 best head coach candidates on the market
How Alabama rallied to beat South Carolina
Quarterback Ty Simpson didn’t have his best day. He had six passing yards after the first quarter, and was 15 of 31 for 192 yards heading into the fourth quarter. Alabama missed on three third-down conversions in the third quarter, and Simpson missed a wide-open Bernard twice.
So what did Simpson do? He hit 5 of 7 passes for 64 yards on a 14-play, 79-yard drive capped with a 4-yard TD to Bernard with 2:16 remaining. Simpson hit tight end Josh Cuevas for the two-point conversion on a misdirection play. He finished 24 of 43 for 252 yards and two TDs and despite the inaccuracy still kept his Heisman Trophy campaign alive.
Sellers – who finished 17 of 31 for 213 yards, a TD and an interception – had two costly turnovers. The first a pick six to DeShawn Jones in the first quarter – and the second at the worst time just under the two-minute warning.
Alabama did not run the ball effectively against the Gamecocks’ defense. The Crimson Tide had 23 carries for 73 yards, and Jam Miller was limited to 27 rushing yards. Yet DeBoer helped Alabama escape – and they remain one of two SEC teams with no losses in conference play. No. 3 Texas A&M (7-0, 3-0) can match that at LSU on Saturday night.
Why Alabama's win against South Carolina is huge for SEC
Alabama isn’t the only story in the SEC. No. 8 Ole Miss beat No. 13 Oklahoma 34-26 in the noon window. No. 10 Vanderbilt beat No. 15 Missouri 17-10 in the afternoon slot, and No. 6 Georgia was on bye. Those are the one-loss teams left in SEC play. Texas A&M rounds that group out – the five teams trying to squeeze into what might be anywhere from three to five spots in the College Football Playoff heading into what should be a fantastic November.
MORE: Breaking down Vandy's schedule, CFP chances
The Crimson Tide could have been pushed to the brink of that race with a clunker at South Carolina, but it did not happen. Now, Alabama has a week off, and three straight home games against LSU, Oklahoma and Eastern Illinois before the final road game at Auburn in the Iron Bowl. That’s a straight shot to Atlanta for the SEC championship game.
You know what else that is? Great for ratings. The SEC can embrace parity, a demolition derby conference race and anything else it wants. Alabama is still the hammer, and they remain the team best suited to challenge No. 1 Ohio State – the defending champion – if it comes to that in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Because let’s be honest. The SEC does not want to have a three-year national title drought – one the conference experienced since a four-year drought from 1999-2002.
We can say that "All Day," too.