ESPNU’s documentary “The Play that Changed College Football,” which premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on ESPNU, takes fans through the creation of the first SEC Championship game in 1992 between Florida and Alabama, gives viewers an in-depth look at the game as well as everything that was riding on it.
The film goes through the controversial decision for the SEC to add another game to determine a conference championship, talking to many coaches and experts with first-hand experience of the game. The filmmakers interview Steve Spurrier, former Florida and present-day South Carolina coach; former Alabama coach Gene Stallings, former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer, Keith Jackson and ESPN The Magazine writer Ryan McGee.
Perhaps the coolest part of the film captures former Alabama and Florida players reunited at Legion Field to recreate the play in the film’s title – when Crimson Tide defensive back Antonio Langham intercepted a Shane Matthews pass with a little more than three minutes left in the game and returned it for a touchdown, breaking a tie and giving the Tide a decisive 28-21 edge.
The movie could not come out at a better time, as many fans are questioning the importance of the SEC Championship this year. As an Alabama fan, watching this made me a little bummed that the Tide won’t play in the SEC title game this year.
The film definitely takes viewers back to a truly influential moment in college football and provides an even deeper meaning to one of the SEC’s proudest traditions.
“The Play That Changed College Football” is definitely worth a watch, and I encourage any Alabama fan, or any fan of college football in general, to tune into ESPNU at 10 p.m. and discover the story behind an event that truly influenced the college football landscape.