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Florida Cements Status As Football's Current Dynasty

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By JOE HENDERSON

jhenderson@tampatrib.com

Published: January 9, 2009

MIAMI - It's time to call this for what it is. While the word "dynasty" should be reserved for only the most special teams, the Florida Gators just may qualify.

In an era of college football marked by parity and upstart surprises, the Gators have become the pre-eminent program in the land. That became official late Thursday night at Dolphin Stadium as a football game for the national championship turned into a Florida jubilee.

The Gators beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS Championship Game, winning their second national title in three seasons and third since 1996. The program once referred to by Bear Bryant as a "sleeping giant" is awake and stomping through the landscape.

"It never gets old, I'll tell you that," UF coach Urban Meyer said as the celebration went on around him on the field after the Gators made their emphatic claim to immortality.

They did it every way you could in this one to beat the Sooners, who were the top-ranked BCS team. They stopped the offense everyone said couldn't be contained, a record-setting pinball machine in cleats. They stared down Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford, and when the game and championship were there to be claimed, they turned to their most reliable weapons.

There was running back Percy Harvin, his sprained ankle still gimpy - or so it appeared. But it didn't stop Harvin from gaining 122 yards on the ground and 49 more through the air.

And, of course, there was quarterback Tim Tebow.

As always, there was Tebow.

On a night when Oklahoma came at him hard and not always clean, Tebow, as usual, was everywhere. He ran for 109 yards and threw for 232 more, including a knockout-punch jump pass from 4 yards away for a touchdown to tight end David Nelson with 3:07 to play that put the game and the championship away.

Could Do It Again

Something else to think about:

As good as they are now, next season they might be even better.

A lot depends on whether Tebow and Harvin return for their senior seasons, but the feeling around Gainesville is there's a fair chance at least Tebow will. They could have every defensive starter back, too, provided junior linebacker Brandon Spikes doesn't jump to the NFL.

But even if the Gators take a hit - they lost four defensive line starters to the NFL after beating Ohio State for the BCS title two years ago - Meyer has such a deep reservoir of talent already on hand, they could overcome it. Add to that a recruiting class that is sure to be among the nation's best and we see a deep, enduring program that is on full display - not just a team.

They are as versatile as you could ever ask a team to be.

Oklahoma came in as the highest-scoring team in NCAA history but never led. As celebrated as Tebow and Harvin may be, Florida's pass rush and secondary deserve every bit of star billing they can get.

They bent, but only so far.

They were in trouble for much of the night, but when a play had to be made, they made it. It's what you expect a champion to do.

Ahead Of Schedule

Funny thing, but when we look back at the start of this season, defense was the big question mark. It was the reason the Gators skidded to a 9-4 finish last season. But it's also the reason they stand alone today.

If you had asked back in August, few people probably would have been bold enough to predict Florida could get this far. They might have been a year away. Or so it seemed.

Now, it's inescapable to think what might come, again, next year.

They'll go into the season ranked No. 1 in the land, no doubt. Everyone will expect them to be in the Rose Bowl for this game next year. That's what it has come to for the Gator Nation.

"This is one of the best teams in college football history," Meyer said.

Think how they might add to that history. Even as one season ends and a championship is celebrated, the truth is that Florida's run may be a long way from being over.

By this time next year, everyone should know that.

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