BCS Title Game preview

By Rick Morris

With college football fans a bit jaded by the fact that USC, Utah and [snicker] Texas have all put in bids to be considered #1 in the polls in a split decision, the only two teams who can lawfully contend for the BCS Title will do battle in Miami Thursday night. It will take a heck of a game to put the squabbling about who belongs/belonged where in the background -- probably an effort on par with this decade's two best big games, the 2006 Rose Bowl (Texas 41, USC 38) and the 2003 Fiesta Bowl (Ohio State 31, Miami 24). Fortunately, Florida and Oklahoma may well deliver.

The Sooners are by some statistical measures the greatest offensive team in the history of college football and the Gators aren't far behind. With the last two Heisman Trophy winners in Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford at the helm of the opposing offenses, one is certainly put in mind of the aforementioned Rose Bowl with Matt Leinart and Vince Young -- although surely both QBs are hoping for better starts to their pro careers than those two studs have had to bear.

The differentiation comes on the other side of the ball, where Florida yielded roughly half as many points this season. The Oklahoma defense should struggle to contain two of the most athletic NCAA players at their positions, Tebow and RB/WR hybrid Percy Harvin (who is said to be mostly recovered from his ankle injury).

The guess here is that the aerial show everyone expects will materialize, but the Gators will prevent a few more touchdowns. Florida wins, 41-30.

An excellent preview of the game at CBSSports.com can be found here and a clearinghouse of most CBSSports.com content regarding the game can be found here.