The Gators awoke yesterday with a fourth straight Southeastern Conference championship, a rematch with the Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl and an unlikely opportunity to finally claim the national championship that has seemed their destiny ever since coach Steve Spurrier arrived in Gainesville.
"It's almost like it was meant to be," kicker Matt Teague said. "We're very fortunate to get the chance to play Florida State again."
The Sugar Bowl appeared out of the question when Saturday began. Nebraska, ranked No. 3, was a 20-point favorite to beat Texas in the Big 12 title game and earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl to meet top-ranked Florida State.
Florida, a 24-21 loser to the Seminoles in the regular-season finale, was apparently going to have to be content with another conference championship. But before the Gators trotted on the field at the Georgia Dome to meet Alabama, they watched on television while Texas shocked the two-time defending national champion Cornhuskers, 37-27.
"I was rooting for (Texas) a little," receiver Ike Hilliard said. Then he was overcome by honesty, saying, "Well, maybe a lot."
Duly inspired, Florida (11-1) went out and beat Alabama 45-30 - a performance that not only secured the Sugar Bowl bid but may have locked up the Heisman Trophy for Danny Wuerffel.
Throwing against a team that had the top-ranked pass defense in the country, Wuerffel passed for a staggering 401 yards and six touchdowns - one more than Alabama's secondary had allowed all season.
"I'm so used to it," said Jacquez Green, who caught an 85-yard touchdown pass from Wuerffel during a wild third quarter. "He stays calm in the pocket and never gets roused."
Wuerffel has proven the last two weeks that he is more than just a product of Spurrier's genius. He might be the toughest quarterback in the country, a fearless competitor who's willing to sit in the pocket until the last possible second and take some brutal beatings from opposing linemen.
Wuerffel was sacked six times by Florida State and pummeled to the turf on just about every attempted pass. With only a week to recover, he stood up bravely to an Alabama team that came with the same blitzing strategy used by the Seminoles. Sacked four times, he still managed to burn the Tide's secondary time after time.
"I've got to give all the credit to Danny for taking all the punishment he does and still getting the ball off," said Reidel Anthony, who had the best game of his career with 11 catches for 171 yards and three touchdowns. "He gives me and Ike (Hilliard) and Jacquez the opportunity to make a play on the ball."
Wuerffel remained humble when the Heisman was mentioned.
"You're completely dependent on the players around you," he said. "Any award I win, I'll want to share it with my teammates."
Florida's fourth consecutive SEC title is one short of the record held by Bear Bryant and Alabama and sends the Gators into the bowl season for the second straight year with a chance for a national title.
Last season, Florida was routed by Nebraska in a Fiesta Bowl matchup of the two top-ranked teams. This time, the Gators' fate isn't entirely in their hands, since they need to beat Florida State in the Sugar Bowl and hope No. 2 Arizona State loses to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
"I'm not up to date on that alliance stuff, to tell you the truth," Spurrier said. "Right now, realistically, Arizona State is in very good position, but anything can happen. We'll be prepared to play the best we can in whatever bowl they send us to."
Alabama (9-3) will have to be content with the Outback Bowl for Gene Stallings' final game. The Tide hoped to give their coach an SEC title before he retired, but they couldn't stop the Gators or muster any sort of running game.
"Everyone wanted to send Gene out o a good note, but we came up short," running back Dennis Riddle said.
Stallings leaves after presiding over the second-most successful period in Alabama history but one that, ironically, coincided with Spurrier turning Florida into the league's kingpin.
"We've done a lot of good things, but the thing about football is that you have to do it every year," Stallings said. "So, that does not take any of the sting out of this one."