Why Florida Won

Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Troy Smith probably cost himself several million dollars in draft position in Ohio State's 41-14 trouncing at the hands (and feet) of the underdog Florida Gators on Monday night. Big Ten aficionados say Ohio State's long layoff (about 50 days between games) was a major factor in the blowout to the battle-tested SEC champs. Perhaps it played a minor role, but Florida also had over a month's wait, or a little over two weeks less. Does that difference account for the shocker in Arizona? I doubt it.

Also, Florida had a ready-made excuse, too: All the teams that played conference championship games lost their bowl games. Florida overcame what is arguably a bigger disadvantage–playing in a brutal and draining SEC contest just to get to the BCS championship game. And won.

Florida was, as nearly everyone predicted, faster than the Buckeyes. What no one foresaw was how much smarter they were. Other than sheer talent, here are a layman's suggestions on why Florida dominated (disclosure: I'm a proud Florida alum):

1. Coaching: Ohio State's Jim Tressel is supposedly a big-game coach, but he looked completely unprepared. Ohio State looked confused by Florida's motion and sets. Florida coach Urban Meyer prepared his schemes to perfection, once he was out of the SEC meat-grinder. There was so much green around the Gators every time they got the ball, I thought they were playing in a bank.

2. Motivation: Told they didn't belong and weren't as good for a month, the Gators were angry. Ohio State, meanwhile, after 50 days of being told they were the best, let it go to their heads.

3. Pressure: The Gators, as the underdog, had no burden of expectations. I wasn't even nervous for them, because I didn't expect them to win (although I thought they would make a good game of it). The Buckeyes had all the pressure, plus the Heisman Trophy winner. They didn't respond well, to put it mildly.