Written by Ryan Seeloff | 07 December 2009

What a weekend for Gator fans and Gator haters.

For the past couple weeks there has been such a buildup leading to the Saturday afternoon showdown between #1 Florida and #2 Alabama.  This was to basically be the national championship game played a month early.

Don't think so?  I believe I heard from several announcers that if this game was close and Texas lost later in the night that the national championship game could have been a repeat of the SEC Championship.

Guess what?  The Gators were outplayed so badly (Hey, I am a Gator fan) that they should be rewarded by playing UCF in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

I am not sure what team the Gators watched on film to get ready for this game, but it sure did not look like they prepared for Bama.  The supposedly vaunted Gator defense was more porous than Spongebob Squarepants.  Tebow had an opportunity to cement his bid for a second Heisman Trophy, but it was Alabama's Mark Ingram who stole the spotlight by scoring three touchdowns against the #1 defense in the country.

You can cast doubt on Florida's run through the regular season, but Alabama played it's share of cookie games including the same F.I.U. team that Florida played.  Bama did play four ranked opponents to Florida's single game against then #2 LSU, but the SEC games both teams played are more difficult than others think.

Doesn't matter anymore.  The better team won Saturday evening and the world got to see Tebow cry on TV one more time.  Next up for the Gators is a trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and they will all get to watch the Tide play Texas a couple days later in the game that they expected themselves to be in.

*That Notre Dame coaching position is still available last time I checked.  Gator Nation won't rest easy until someone not named Meyer takes that spot.  Every day that the Irish don't fill the vacancy will eat at the Gator faithful as they wonder rightly if Urban would like to jump ship at what might seem the perfect time.  I don't want that to happen, but you have to wonder if it is a stronger possibility now.*