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Jan 6, 2009 2:20 pm US/Central
Gators Going For SEC's 3rd Consecutive Title
ATLANTA (AP) ―
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Receiver Carl Moore #16 of the Florida Gators celebrates their first touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the SEC Championship on Dec. 6, 2008, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
A third straight national championship for the Southeastern Conference will be at stake when top-ranked Florida meets high-scoring, second-ranked Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series title game in Miami on Thursday night.
The Gators beat Ohio State for the national crown two years ago and LSU knocked off the Buckeyes last year, with both SEC teams exploiting their superior team speed in each game.
Florida has more speed again, but not nearly as big an advantage as it had on the Buckeyes.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma plays fast, using a no-huddle offense to rack up plenty of quick touchdowns. The Sooners have scored more than 60 points in each of their last five games.
High scoring has been the way the way it has gone in the Big 12 this year.
The knock on the Big 12 has been what appears to be an absence of defense, and a couple of bowl games give that some credence.
Ole Miss beat high-scoring Texas Tech 47-34 in the Cotton Bowl and third-ranked Texas beat Ohio State 24-21 in the Fiesta Bowl, the fewest points scored by the Longhorns in any game this season.
Both the Gators and Sooners feature solid attacks led by a Heisman Trophy winner.
Florida's Tim Tebow won the Heisman for 2007 and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford won it this season, with Tebow finishing third behind runner-up Colt McCoy of Texas.
Bradford passed for 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns while Tebow threw for 2,515 yards and 28 scores, adding 564 yards running with 12 touchdowns.
Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks rates Tebow only the fourth-best quarterback in the land, trailing Bradford, McCoy and Texas Tech's Graham Harrell.
"If you look at the three best quarterbacks in the country, (they) came from the Big 12," Franks said. "The three best receivers in the country came from the Big 12. The three best tight ends came from the Big 12. So we've faced some great offenses, and a lot of people don't understand that other conferences don't have what we face."
The pregame banter didn't bother Tebow.
"I like it. It's fun," he said. "It makes it more competitive, and I'll enjoy it. You can say whatever you want. That's fine. We still get to go play. That's what I like I do."
"He's a great player, but I think we'll be able to handle him," Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said of the Florida quarterback.
Tebow won't be the only problem Oklahoma's defense will face. There's also four players with track speed -- Percy Harvin, Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps and Brandon James.
Harvin, who has a TD in 14 straight games, is expected to be recovered enough from a high ankle sprain that left him out of Florida's SEC championship game victory over Alabama.
The Gators are a 4-point favorite. That's not enough. Florida 35-28.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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