Florida Ices Ohio State

By JOEY JOHNSTON The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jan 9, 2007

GLENDALE, ARIZ. - It was a desert swarm.

With a dash of destiny thrown in.

The University of Florida Gators, a team that some thought had no business playing for a national title, swamped the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 41-14, in Monday night's BCS Championship Game.

The Gators (13-1) won the program's second national title in the school's 100th season of football - punctuating Coach Urban Meyer's second season - and ended a 19-game winning streak by Big Ten Conference powerhouse Ohio State (12-1).

Meanwhile, Florida became the first school to hold football and men's basketball national championships at the same time.

"It all fell into place for us," said Florida senior Nicole Dutreil of Orlando, an industrial engineering major who planned driving a straight-through return (about 32 hours) to Gainesville with friends so she could attend classes Wednesday. "It's fate. This was meant to happen."

But who expected this to happen?

The Gators withstood a 93-yard touchdown return by Ted Ginn Jr. on the opening kickoff. They held Ohio State to just 73 yards at the half and capitalized on two turnovers. Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner, was sacked three times and limited to 2-for-8 passing for just 24 yards in the half.

"People kept building up Ohio State, but nobody talked about our defense," said Florida graduate Rodney Clements, a registered nurse in Jacksonville. "All along, I just felt like we were going to smack 'em in the mouth."

Before the game, Florida fans were in a festive mood, even though they seemed to be solidly outnumbered by Buckeye supporters.

The party mood was prevalent with Dutreil and Anne Cox of Orlando, who were part of a 10-person caravan from Gainesville to the desert. It began on New Year's Eve with a stop in New Orleans, a jaunt through Texas and a finishing kick to the Phoenix area.

"I couldn't even sleep last night," Cox said. "I'm beyond excited to be here."

At least she had a ticket.

Many fans weren't that fortunate. Scalpers were asking between $1,500 and $2,200 for a single ticket (face value: $175).

Gator fans Todd Stansbury of Tampa and David Freeman of Madeira Beach traveled to Arizona without tickets. Two hours before the game, they held signs that read: "I Need 2 Tickets! I flew all the way from Florida with nothin' but a dream. Please Help!"

"Both schools travel incredibly well, so the ticket demand is way, way ahead of the supply," said Stansbury, who was willing to pay $750 for a ticket but prepared to watch the game on television at a nearby sports bar. "We're hoping for a miracle, I guess."

Ohio State fans arrived by the thousands, also without tickets.

It was a scarlet-and-gray onslaught reminiscent of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, when the Buckeyes upset top-ranked Miami in two overtimes.

"Those Miami people kept telling me, 'Oh, you've never seen anything like our speed,'" said Deborah Johnson, mother of Buckeyes defensive end Jay Richardson.

"They were right. After we beat them, I think their fans were out of that stadium in about 90 seconds."

Not this time. Gator fans lingered, savoring their national championship.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.