Florida likely will play Ohio State for national title

The early indications are that Florida will play Ohio State for the national championship.

The Gators (12-1) jumped over Michigan (11-1) in the USA Today coaches' poll Sunday, taking a 26-point lead on the No. 3 Wolverines, and a BCS analyst expects Florida to also move into second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings, too.

The coaches poll and Harris poll -- due out later Sunday -- make up two-thirds of the formula used by the Bowl Championship Series in its standings. A compilation of six computer rating account for the other third.

The top two teams in the final standings, which along with the BCS pairings were to be released Sunday night, play for the national title in Glendale, Ariz, on Jan. 8.

Ohio State (12-0) has already locked up the top spot.

After Southern California blew its chance to play Ohio State with a 13-9 loss to UCLA on Saturday, Florida and Michigan were vying for that second spot.

Jerry Palm, an independent BCS expert, said he anticipated the Gators moving past Michigan in the computer rating. But even if the Gators and Michigan were tied in the computers, Michigan would need a 48-point lead in the Harris poll to wipe out the Gators lead in the coaches poll.

That would very much go against the trends, said Palm.

"The polls tend to mirror each other," he said in a telephone interview.

In the Associated Press Top 25, which is not used in the BCS standings, Florida also passed Michigan into second, but held just a three-point advantage.

The Los Angeles Times also reported on its website Sunday that Florida would play Ohio State, according an unidentified BCS source.