All Tied Up Inside

Defending national champion University of Florida football team hopes to tie for a national championship this year. The Gators have won two titles in the past three years, and three total in the program's history, but have never tied for a championship.

"This is something which our team has set as a goal for itself," Head Coach Urban Meyer said. "We've had a history of winning. Been there, done that. But tying with another team for the overall prize is something that these guys have never experienced before."

A favorite to repeat their appearance in the last bowl game of the season, the Gators have garnered a variety of responses from college football experts.

"I don't think they have it in them," ESPN annalist Lee Corso said. "They might just be too talented of a team and could simply win the thing outright. If they expect to share the crown with another school by the end of the year, they are going to have to shave points and underachieve."

Since the BCS was introduced in 1998, there has only been one split decision in the final polls as to the year's No. 1 team. In 2003, LSU defeated Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl to claim the BCS national championship. However, USC beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and were awarded the AP national championship. The ensuing chaos haunts pollsters to this very day.

If Florida hopes to achieve the same frustrating dead-lock, they will have to fail to work very hard.

"In order to tie, they're going to have to disappoint voters in some ways," South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier said. "They're going to have to slack off in the second half of the season and start to run out of gas. I think they're too competitive to drop to that level."

A big part of the last two Gator national championships, Senior Quarterback Tim Tebow has a few expectations of this season as well. The Heisman Trophy winner hopes to come in second for the coveted award.

"I've won the thing and came in third place last year," Tebow said. "I figure I should try and come in second place this time around, give someone else a chance to shine. That way I'd have come in first, second, and third place in the voting, and be just like Herschel Walker, except without as much hope for a decent pro-carrier."