Tebow, Harvin power Gators to second title in three years

MIAMI -- The method looked familiar for Florida. So did the result.

With his offense bogging down, Urban Meyer relied on the familiar appendages of his quarterback and fastest player to win his second national championship in three years. The legs of Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin carried the Gators to just enough offense in the second half to beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS title game.

Tebow was supposed to get less work this season because Florida had more weapons. But with the teams locked in a defensive battle, Tebow led the Gators to 17 second-half points. He ran for 49 of the 75 yards covered by the Gators on a go-ahead touchdown drive in the third quarter.

Percy Harvin's 1-yard run with four minutes left in the quarter gave Florida a 14-7 lead. Harvin then broke a 52-yard run early in the fourth quarter that led to a go-ahead field goal. Tebow capped it off with his signature play, a jump pass for a short touchdown with three minutes left.

The debate about Big 12 offenses vs. SEC defenses was answered. The highest-scoring offense of the modern era was stopped twice inside the 10 in the first half. Florida also blocked a field goal in holding OU to its lowest point total in more than two years.

Florida (13-1) joined USC (2003, 2004) and Nebraska (1996, 1997) as the last teams to dominate the sport to this extent. For Oklahoma's Bob Stoops it was another bitter BCS loss. The Sooners' coach now has lost five consecutive BCS games and is 1-3 in championship games. Both teams were forced out of their comfort zones. Tebow threw two first-half interceptions, matching his season total. Oklahoma could not convert consistently in the red zone, a place where it had come away without points only four times in 80 tries.

It's the kind of game that might convince some voters that undefeated Utah indeed is the best team in the land. The teams slogged through a turnover-filled first half before Florida broke away in the second half.

Oklahoma, the nation's best red zone team, couldn't covert twice near the goal line in the first half. Florida stopped Chris Brown on fourth down from the 1. On its next possession, Bradford was intercepted at Florida's 1 with 3 seconds left in the first half.