Florida Gators Odds to Win the 2009 BCS Championship

The Gators have to be more consistent up front to make Urban Meyer's spread offense as good as it can be. With all that said, Florida will only go as far as its defense will take it. The Gators won a national championship with an extraordinary defense and an average offense two years ago. If the defense improves to be just above average this season, Florida should have a special season. Three straight superior recruiting classes should give Meyer enough talent - albeit young - to deal with a brutal schedule and high expectations. A second national title in three years is well within reach for the Gators.

Everything is in place for Florida to win its second national title in three years ... almost. The defensive tackles are a question, the O line is young, the the secondary, led by CB Joe Haden, has to be much better.

There are just enough problems to keep the Gators from going unbeaten, but this is still a slate good enough to win a national title with. Getting Ole Miss from the West is offset by the home date against LSU, while the non-conference schedule is easier than it appears on paper. Playing Miami and at Florida State might be nasty again in a few years, but not now for a superior Florida team. Of course, in SEC play it's all about the East, and if the Gators can get by the early showdown.

Key game: Nov. 1 vs. Georgia. As the last two years have shown, an SEC team can suffer a loss, or even two, and still play for the national championship. However, winning the conference title is a must, and the loser of the Cocktail-Don't-Call-It-A-Cocktail-Party will likely be out of the hunt. If Florida wins at Tennessee early on, this, along with the SEC title game, will be the one big hurdle to getting to Miami on January 8th considering LSU and South Carolina have to come to The Swamp.