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Between them, they've lost one regular-season game during the last two years.

Between them, they make almost $8 million per year.

And between them, they've won three SEC championships and three national championships.

At least one of those numbers is about to go up.

Florida's Urban Meyer and Alabama's Nick Saban are perhaps the two preeminent coaches in college football right now.

For the second straight year, they meet in the SEC championship game, only the second time they've faced each other as head coaches.

SEC blogger Chris Low talks about key players in the SEC championship game.

And we thought last season’s SEC championship game was the biggest thing we’d see in this conference in a long time.

Well, we had to wait all of a year for a game that’s even bigger.

In my book, it’s not even close. Saturday’s game will be the biggest game the SEC has seen, certainly since the split and league expansion in 1992.

If you want to go back further, I’d say Bear Bryant’s last game in the 1982 Liberty Bowl would rate way up there, just seeing an icon coaching in his final game.

Here are some others that come to mind. Again, these are SEC games going in that you knew would be epic in some form or fashion, and/or games that ended up being memorable:

1. 2008 SEC championship game: Boy, the game for the ages didn’t disappoint. Both teams played excellent football for three quarters, and then Tim Tebow took over in the fourth to will the Gators to a 31-20 win, propelling them to their second national championship in the last three years. Alabama only had the football for six offensive plays in the final quarter.

2. 1992 SEC championship game: The inaugural SEC championship game was a classic, and it was only fitting that Alabama and Florida would be the participants. The game was played at Legion Field. Alabama’s Antonio Langham returned an interception 27 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes, keeping the Crimson Tide unbeaten in a thrilling 28-21 win. They went on to destroy Miami in the Sugar Bowl and win the national title.

3. 1994 SEC championship game: The two heavyweights met for the third straight year in the title game, and Florida held on for a 24-23 win. Danny Wuerffel engineered an 80-yard touchdown drive to win it for the Gators, who intercepted an Alabama pass on the final drive to seal their second straight SEC title. It was the first SEC championship game played in the Georgia Dome. Alabama came into the game unbeaten and ranked third nationally.

4. 1998 Tennessee 28, Arkansas 24: The Hogs were on the doorstep of going to 9-0 in Houston Nutt’s first season in Fayetteville, but Arkansas quarterback Clint Storner stumbled and fumbled in the final minutes, paving the way for the Vols to miraculously escape and go on to win their first national title in 47 years.

5. 2006 Florida 17, South Carolina 16: Steve Spurrier made his first trip back to the Swamp as an opposing coach and had the Gators beat. But Jarvis Moss blocked a field goal on the final play of the game, and Florida survived after losing to Spurrier and the Gamecocks the year before in Columbia. The Gators went on to win their first national championship under Urban Meyer.

6. 2001 Tennessee 34, Florida 32: The game was moved to December because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Florida was No. 2 and Tennessee No. 5. The Vols, who were 18-point underdogs, got 226 rushing yards from Travis Stephens and had to survive a two-point conversion pass attempt by Rex Grossman in the final minute to hold on.

7. 2001 SEC championship game: Nick Saban won his first SEC title, as LSU overcame injuries to its starting quarterback and starting running back to upset No. 2 Tennessee 31-20. The Vols were poised to play in the Rose Bowl for the national championship had they won.

8. 1994 Auburn 23, Georgia 23: Auburn was ranked No. 3 nationally and had won 20 straight games, but an unranked Georgia team in Ray Goff’s next to last year came into Jordan-Hare Stadium and played the Tigers to a stunning tie.

9. 1997 Florida 33, Tennessee 20: Peyton Manning got one final shot at the Gators, but the result was a familiar one for Tennessee fans. The No. 2 Gators pulled away from the No. 4 Vols in the Swamp thanks in large part to Tony George’s interception of a Manning pass and 89-yard return for a touchdown.

10. 2003 Arkansas 71, Kentucky 63: The longest game in NCAA history. The Hogs prevailed in the seventh overtime when DeCori Birmingham scored on a 25-yard touchdown run. They then stopped the Wildcats on fourth down. The game lasted nearly five hours.

Florida already knew it would be playing without star defensive end Carlos Dunlap in the SEC championship game.

But Florida coach Urban Mayer said Dunlap won't even be making the trip after being arrested this week on DUI charges.

Dunlap has been suspended indefinitely, which means his status for the postseason is also up in the air. Meyer has not specified when or if Dunlap might return.

One of the top NFL defensive line prospects in college football, Dunlap was considered to be a a top 5 to 10 pick in the upcoming draft if he elects to come out, which most people think he will.

However, the arrest certainly won't help his stock. ESPN's Mel Kiper dropped Dunlap from No. 3 to No. 17 on his most recent Big Board of 2010 draft prospects.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that as we get ready for the SEC championship game:

• Florida has won a nation’s best and school-record 22 consecutive games, the fourth-best winning streak in SEC history. It marks the longest winning streak in the SEC in the past 15 years and the third longest in the nation this decade.
• Alabama running back Mark Ingram did not have a run of 10 or more yards last week against Auburn. The last time Ingram didn’t have at least one run of 10 yards was last season's SEC championship game against Florida.
• Ingram has gained 908 yards after contact this season on 249 touches (221 rushes and 28 receptions). He's gained 54.2 percent of his total yards after contact this season (908 of 1,675). He reeled off a season-best 167 total yards after contact against South Carolina on 24 rushes and two receptions. He also broke the 100-yard barrier on yards after contact against Virginia Tech (115) and LSU (107) and got close at Ole Miss (95).
• Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy has been excellent this season when the Crimson Tide trail in the fourth quarter, completing 11 of 14 passes. On the other side, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has thrown just one pass this season with the Gators behind in the fourth quarter, and it was a 1-yard completion to Brandon James.
• Florida has allowed 11 touchdowns this season, four fewer than any other team in the nation. The Gators are the only team in the country allowing less than one touchdown per game on average.
• Alabama is the only school in the SEC to have won a conference title in every decade since the league was formed in 1933. This is the Crimson Tide’s last chance to keep that streak alive. They’ve won 21 SEC titles. Their last one came in 1999, which means this is the longest they’ve gone without a title.
• One of Alabama’s strengths under Nick Saban has been controlling the football. The Crimson Tide ranked 11^th nationally last season with an average time of possession of 32:08. They’re fifth nationally this season with an average time of possession of 33:00.
• Florida returns 19 starters and 44 players who saw action in last season’s SEC championship game, while Alabama returns 10 starters and 36 players from the 2008 game.
• Florida has committed the fewest turnovers in the nation (80) since Urban Meyer arrived as coach in 2005. Alabama and Central Michigan are tied for the second fewest nationally during that span, each with 81.
• Alabama’s Javier Arenas needs 37 yards to become the NCAA leader in career punt return yardage. Arenas has 1,725 yards. The record is held by Wes Welker, who had 1,761 yards at Texas Tech from 2000-03. Arenas has already broken the SEC record with seven punt returns for touchdowns in a career. If he returns another one for a score, he would tie the NCAA record.
• Florida is one of only four FBS teams that has averaged over 6 yards per carry this season when you discount sacks. The threat of the running game has really helped Tebow when throwing downfield this season, and in 2008 it helped Tebow against Alabama. On throws of 15 yards or longer this season, Tebow is 18-of-33 with nine touchdowns and one interception when using play-action. When he doesn’t use play-action, he’s 10-of-24 with two touchdowns and one interception.
• Florida and Alabama have been two of the worst teams in the country this season at converting red zone trips into touchdowns. Florida has 28 touchdowns on 56 trips inside the red zone, which puts the Gators in a tie for 90^th nationally. Alabama has been even worse. The Crimson Tide have only scored 21 touchdowns in 49 red zone trips, which ranks them in a tie for 112^th nationally.
• Alabama receiver Julio Jones has been non-existent in the red zone this season. His only catch came against FCS opponent Chattanooga. The Crimson Tide have thrown to him 14 times in the red zone.
• Jones appears healthier and has been much more involved in the Alabama offense the last half of the season. He has 27 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns over his last five games. That’s after catching just 13 passes for 175 yards in the first seven games. Jones missed the North Texas contest and most of the Florida International game with a bruised knee.
• The Gators are 44-1 under Meyer when scoring first in a game, and they’re 50-3 when leading at the half.

The SEC was loaded with great tight ends entering this season.

There was Arkansas' D.J. Williams, LSU's Richard Dickson and Auburn's Tommy Trott. And during the season, Tennessee's Luke Stocker and Alabama's Colin Peek established themselves as big-time receiving threats.

But as we get set to play the SEC championship game on Saturday, I have to agree with one of my colleagues at ESPN, Todd McShay.

Florida's Aaron Hernandez is perhaps the most dangerous tight end in the college game . He could also be one of the deciding factors for the Gators on Saturday against an Alabama defense that will no doubt be paying close attention to Hernandez, who leads the Gators with 54 catches for 654 yards. He also has four touchdown catches.

As McShay points out, Hernandez is one of those tight ends who can help you move the chains, but he also has big-play capability. He's an excellent runner after the catch and is athletic enough to be involved in the option part of the Gators' offense.

They will use him with the shovel pass and will also set up screen passes to him.

And, of course, don't forget about the jump pass when the Gators get near the goal line.

Let's break down five key matchups in Saturday’s SEC championship game:

1. Alabama’s offensive line vs. Florida’s defensive line: The Crimson Tide have played a lot better up front offensively than anybody expected after losing three starters from a year ago, including two All-Americans. The anchor of the line is senior guard Mike Johnson, but junior college transfer James Carpenter has come in and done a nice job at left tackle. Nobody has really run the ball against Florida all season. The biggest challenge for Alabama may be protecting Greg McElroy if the Tide can’t get the running game going. The Gators are missing their most talented defensive lineman. Junior end Carlos Dunlap is suspended, but Jermaine Cunningham is equally adept at rushing the passer and will move around some.

2. Florida cornerback Joe Haden vs. Alabama receiver Julio Jones: Haden is one of the best cornerbacks in the college game. Jones is one of the toughest one-on-one matchups in the college game. This will be a battle from the opening kickoff. Jones has been much more involved in the Alabama offense the last month of the season and had two key third-down catches in the game-winning drive against Auburn. The Crimson Tide would love to get him isolated in man coverage and give him a chance to break a tackle and make a big play, but Haden doesn’t give up much of anything at his position.

3. Alabama punt returner Javier Arenas vs. Florida’s punt coverage: The Gators don’t give up return yards in the punt game to anybody. Then again, Arenas isn’t just anybody. He set the SEC record this season with his seventh career punt return for a touchdown and is bearing down on the NCAA mark for most career punt return yards. Only three punts have been returned against Florida all season for a total of 13 yards. Because the defenses are so good, both of these teams are going to need to find some big plays somewhere, and Arenas is probably Alabama’s most dynamic big-play threat, albeit on special teams. The Gators probably won’t give him many punts to handle. But if they do, it could get interesting.

4. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow vs. Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain: Both of these players have tremendous respect for each other. They’re both fierce competitors. They’re both strong leaders, and they both think the game as well as they play it. McClain doesn’t mince words when he says Tebow willed the Gators to the victory last season in the fourth quarter. When those key third-down plays and key red zone plays come up again this Saturday, you know McClain will be shadowing Tebow’s every move. And the thing we know about Tebow is that he won’t shy away from any collision, even if it’s with the 250-pound McClain.

5. Alabama coach Nick Saban vs. Florida coach Urban Meyer: It’s hard to pick a favorite here. In big games, they’re both money. Saban is the defensive guy and Meyer the offensive guy. Early on, it will be interesting to see what kind of defensive wrinkles Alabama has implemented to keep Tebow at bay. Saban is one of the best in the business when he gets a second shot at a team after losing the year before. Meyer is one of the best in the business in marquee games -- period. He has yet to lose in two previous SEC championship games and three BCS bowl games, including a pair of BCS National Championship Games.

Mike Johnson, Alabama’s senior offensive guard, looks at Florida’s defense and sees a lot of familiar faces.

He knows what the Alabama offensive line is up against. He faced these same guys a year ago in the SEC championship game. But he did so with a different cast around him.

Johnson and senior right tackle Drew Davis are the only holdovers from the Alabama offensive line that went up against the Gators last season.

It’s a line that included two All-Americans now playing in the NFL -- Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell.

It was also a line, according to conventional wisdom, that would have to fight through some serious growing pains this season with three new guys being added to the mix.

Well, the statistics say that the Crimson Tide have been even better up front offensively than they were a year. Just about all of their offensive numbers are up.

And this production has come while blocking for a first-year starter at quarterback, Greg McElroy.

The Crimson Tide are averaging 212.9 rushing yards per game after rushing for 184.6 yards per game a year ago. They’ve given up just 14 sacks all season after allowing 25 a year ago.

“Really, it's just been guys putting in hard work,” Johnson said. “I’ve said time and time again about the offensive line putting in a lot of hard work. That’s the same thing Mark (Ingram) did and Greg (McElroy).

“It’s just all those guys getting their nose in the book and learning this offense and being able to be prepared for situations we see on Saturdays.”

While Alabama has exceeded most outsiders’ expectations with the way it’s played this season in the offensive line, its most recent outing wasn’t exactly one of those performances you hang your hat on.

The Crimson Tide’s running game was stopped cold last week by an Auburn defense that stacked the line of scrimmage and really hadn’t been very good against the run all season. The Tigers are 10^th in the league in rushing defense.

Alabama was held to a season-low 73 rushing yards in its come-from-behind 26-21 win over Auburn, and McElroy was sacked three times and hurried 10 times.

“It just seemed like they were in the right place at the right time, to be honest with you,” Johnson said. “It seemed like every time they had a safety come up, he was right in the hole we were running to.”

Johnson also knows that the Crimson Tide will need to be at their best Saturday against the Gators, who will be playing shorthanded in the defensive line. Junior defensive end Carlos Dunlap, one of their most athletic defensive linemen and a dominant pass-rusher, is suspended after being arrested on DUI charges earlier this week.

But it’s still a Florida defensive front that has plenty of depth and is probably as healthy as it’s been all season. Junior Justin Trattou, the star of the South Carolina game, will start in Dunlap’s place, and the Gators are also planning on moving Jaye Howard out there some from tackle.

The one thing Florida doesn’t have is a dominant interior defensive lineman, one of those run-stuffers that clogs up the entire middle. But the Gators are extremely active at linebacker with Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper and haven’t given up much of anything on the ground all season.

They’re second in the SEC to Alabama in rushing defense, giving up an average of 89.9 yards per game and have allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season.

The Gators have held four straight opponents under 100 yards rushing, and nine of the teams they’ve faced this season have failed to crack the 100-yard barrier.

That’s significant, too, because Florida is 39-1 under Urban Meyer when its opponent rushes for less than 100 yards.

“They play great team defense,” Johnson said. “It seems like they’re never out of place. They’re always in the right place at the right time (with) good gap control. I think the biggest thing for us is being able to get movement up front and displace that gap control defense they have, just make sure we communicate.”

Alabama’s offensive line took over the game in the third quarter a year ago, driving 91 yards in 15 plays for a touchdown coming out of halftime and going into the fourth quarter with a 20-17 lead.

But in the final quarter, the Crimson Tide only had the ball for six plays and managed just one yard.

It was Florida defensive end Jermaine Cunningham who turned in the critical defensive play in that quarter. He flew in to sack John Parker Wilson on third down.

“When they went up in the fourth quarter, we needed to put a drive together and put points on the board,” Johnson said. “They were prepared to stop us in that way. Hopefully, we’re better equipped for that this year, having been through that last year.

“We’ve just got to put it together this time.”

The SEC flexed its muscle last week with South Carolina taking down Clemson and Georgia knocking off Georgia Tech.

I got one of the two right, but didn’t have the foresight to pick the Bulldogs. I was a ho-hum 5-2 for the week, also missing Mississippi State’s upset of Ole Miss.

For the season, that makes me 80-16 (.833) heading into Saturday’s SEC championship game.

In my contract, it stipulates that I get a limo ride to the Georgia Dome if I’m .800 or better at the time of the SEC championship game.

But that decision has gone to the replay booth, and the replay official is now saying that he’s counting SEC games only. Regrettably, I didn’t finish .800 or better in SEC games, which means I’ll probably be riding the media shuttle to the game.

I’ve got to get a better agent.

Anyway, here goes with my SEC championship game pick. For the record, I correctly picked Florida last year:

Alabama 24, Florida 17: The Tim Tebow factor is difficult to ignore, and I understand he’s the reason a lot of people are picking the Gators. He’s a good reason to do so, and if he plays the way he did in the fourth quarter a year ago, the Gators probably will win. But my money’s on the Alabama defense being able to get some pressure on him and keep him out of those “third-and-Tebow” situations that he’s so good in, the third-and-3s and third-and-4s. Everybody’s making a big deal out of which quarterback is better in the fourth quarter. This season, Alabama’s Greg McElroy hasn’t exactly shriveled up in pressure situations. He’s 11 of 14 passing in the fourth quarter when the Crimson Tide have trailed. But that’s not the reason I’m picking Alabama. I like the Crimson Tide’s ability to be physical in the run game. I like the fact that Julio Jones has been more involved in the offense the last month of the season. I like the fact that Alabama is more complex on defense, according to coaches who’ve played both teams this season, and I like the fact that Nick Saban loses to the same team two times in a row about as many times as tickets go unused to the SEC championship game. I look for another classic battle. And this time, it’s simply Alabama’s turn.

All of your questions will be answered two days from now.

Who’s better on defense? Can Greg McElroy get it done? Does Tim Tebow sparkle again in the fourth quarter? Can Alabama avenge last season’s bitter loss?

It’s Alabama vs. Florida for all the SEC marbles on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

Here’s an SEC championship game version of what to watch:

1. Dealing with distractions: The good thing for Florida is that the Gators have been putting out fires since before the season started. So they ought to be used to this. There was all the Urban Meyer-Lane Kiffin stuff, the Meyer-to-Notre Dame rumors, the flu bug in September, Tebow’s concussion, Meyer being fined by the SEC, all the gaudy expectations and now star defensive end Carlos Dunlap’s DUI arrest and suspension and the likelihood that defensive coordinator Charlie Strong is on his way to Louisville as head coach. It’s been an eventful week for the Gators. It’s been an eventful season. Can they overcome it all one final time and move a step closer to their third national championship in four years? We’re going to find out.

2. Ingram’s health: Despite his hip pointer, Alabama running back Mark Ingram has been practicing this week and will play Saturday. The word coming out of Alabama is that he looks fine, although it still remains to be seen how he might be affected if he takes a couple of early hits on that hip. Ingram had an extra day to rest it, which helps. The Crimson Tide won’t be hesitant about using freshman Trent Richardson, either. He was on the field that final drive against Auburn, and several in and around the Alabama program think he has more raw ability than Ingram. The Crimson Tide won’t have to change their game plan regardless of who’s in the game. Ingram might not be 100 percent, but he’s itching to play in this game and show his stuff against the best defense he’s faced all season.

3. Being special on special teams: Florida has the best special teams in the country, which has long been an Urban Meyer staple. The Gators are 14-0 under Meyer when they block a punt. This season, they’ve only had three punts returned against them for a total of 13 yards, and Brandon James has returned four punts and one kickoff for touchdowns during his career. They can beat you a number of different ways on special teams, which means the Crimson Tide need to have one of their better games in special teams. They’ve been particularly shaky in kickoff coverage, finishing 10^th in the SEC. But Javier Arenas is one of the best return men in college football and gives the Crimson Tide the same threat at James. One of Alabama’s best special teams players, linebacker Cory Reamer, has a pulled hamstring, which will limit how many specials teams units he plays on in this game. And if it comes down to the kickers, Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin and Florida’s Caleb Sturgis both have strong legs. With this game being played indoors and both defenses being so strong, don’t be surprised if Tiffin and Sturgis both get shots at long field goals.

4. Chasing history: Both teams will be chasing history Saturday. Alabama is the only team in the league to have won an SEC title in every decade since the league was formed in 1933. This is the Crimson Tide’s last chance to keep that streak alive. They’ve also gone nine years without an SEC title, which is the longest drought in school history. Florida is seeking to win back-to-back SEC titles for the first time since Tennessee did it in 1997 and 1998. And by winning, the Gators would get a chance in the BCS National Championship Game to do something that hasn’t been done in 60 years: win three undisputed national titles in a span of four years. Notre Dame won in 1946, 1947 and 1949. The Gators are also vying to finish a season unbeaten for the first time in school history.

5. Saban’s second chance: Only once since he arrived in the SEC from Michigan State has Nick Saban lost back-to-back games to the same team. As fate would have it, those two losses were to Florida in 2000 and 2001, Saban’s first two seasons at LSU and when Steve Spurrier was coaching the Gators. In other words, Saban is pretty good in rematches. He’s 13-1 during his stints at LSU and Alabama in return games against teams. One of the reasons is that he never rests. He’s always looking for ways to get better, how to tweak things, new ways to pressure the quarterback and new ways to attack a certain offense. Alabama’s proud defense gave up a staggering 129 yards and two long touchdown drives in the fourth quarter of last season’s 31-20 loss to Florida in the SEC championship game. The Crimson Tide’s defense couldn’t get off the field, as the Gators kept the ball for nearly 12 minutes in that final quarter. We’ll see what answers Saban has for Tebow and Co. the second time around. Think he's looked at much tape from the fourth quarter of that game last year?

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin won't be taking part Saturday in the SEC championship game, but he doesn't mind taking part in the buildup to the game.

Kiffin broke down the Alabama-Florida showdown this week on Knoxville radio station WNML-AM 990, and it's pretty obvious that he thinks the Crimson Tide have a decided advantage in the coaching department.

"It's kind of hard to call," Kiffin said. "There's a bunch of great players on both teams. Florida has so much speed. I think you'll see that Alabama will out-scheme Florida, and Florida has given up 28 sacks this year when a bunch of guys come free. But the problem is Superman [Tim Tebow] is back there. It comes down to: Can you tackle him.

"It will be a real interesting matchup. Florida has better players, and Alabama has better coaches."

Think that last line was an early Christmas present to Kiffin's good buddy, Urban Meyer?

The subtle digs keep coming.

No matter how you slice it, Alabama's Greg McElroy is the “other” quarterback in Saturday's SEC championship game.

But, then, just about anybody paired against Florida's Tim Tebow is going to be the “other” quarterback.

On paper, Tebow vs. McElroy may look like a mismatch. And you're already hearing the invariable, “Who do you like best if the game comes down to the fourth quarter?”

It almost certainly will come down to the fourth quarter, and nobody has forgotten what Tebow did in those final 15 minutes a year ago against the Crimson Tide.

But if you put McElroy's passing numbers up against Tebow's passing numbers this season in SEC games, they're very comparable.

In fact, McElroy's touchdown-to-interception ratio is better, and he also passed for more yards. McElroy threw 11 touchdown passes and just three interceptions against SEC defenses, while passing for 1,484 yards.

Tebow threw just seven touchdown passes this season against SEC defenses and was intercepted four times. He had 1,305 passing yards.

Granted, a huge part of Tebow's game is running the football, a dimension that McElroy doesn't possess.

And this is also familiar territory for Tebow. He led the Gators to fourth-quarter wins in both the SEC championship game and BCS National Championship Game a year ago.

But McElroy also comes off arguably the most important drive of his career last week against Auburn.

To be in that situation, on the road, and deliver was a huge boost for him and a huge boost for all the guys around him.

If there were any doubts about McElroy and this offense being able to get it done in crunch time, they were erased last Friday on the Plains.

“I think it was important for everybody involved,” McElroy said. “I think the fact that we didn't play our best game and the fact that we were able to learn and also having gotten the victory is obviously huge for us as a team and as our confidence is concerned.

“So it was important for us as an offense because most times people will sit back and say, ‘OK, if our offense is put in charge of winning that, shoot, we're going to be out of luck.' But it was nice for all of us to kind of be able to put together a drive and give them a memorable moment.”

The thing that stood out to McElroy was the confidence in that huddle last Friday during that decisive drive. The Crimson Tide hadn't run the ball well and really hadn't done anything consistently well on offense the entire game.

But needing a drive to keep alive their national championship hopes, they came through.

And the guy leading the way was McElroy, who's now 28-0 as a starting quarterback going back to his high school days.

“He's a cool customer when the pressure's on,” Alabama tight end Colin Peek said. “A lot of quarterbacks may have stumbled or had nerves, but he just stayed really relaxed in the pocket and showed tremendous poise.”

He'll need that same kind of poise Saturday (and maybe then some) against the best defense he's faced all season.

In the football vernacular, it’s called "Tim Tebow Time."

And more specifically, you might hear it referred to as “Third-and-Tebow.”

It’s what makes him one of the best college football players of our era. He’s good all the time, but he’s at his best on third down or in those situations when Florida needs a drive or needs a touchdown.

In a lot of ways, this has been a circa-2007 version of Tebow. He hasn’t held anything back, and he hasn’t been shy about running the football.

The Gators haven’t been shy about running him, either.

Even with the concussion he suffered against Kentucky back on Sept. 26, Tebow is on track to carry the ball more times in a season than he ever has. He had 210 rushing attempts during his 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning season. He has 193 attempts heading into Saturday’s SEC championship game.

There was a time this season that Tebow might have scaled back his running right after his concussion, and it was pretty obvious against LSU that the Gators were somewhat conservative with him.

But as this season has worn on and this game has approached, it’s been a familiar version of Tebow that has romped his way to 13 touchdowns and 796 rushing yards.

The only SEC quarterback who’s rushed for more yards in a season was Tebow in 2007 when he had 895.

The Gators’ limitations on offense this season have called for Tebow to do more than he did a year ago. At times, he might have tried to do too much.

Go back to the Mississippi State game when he threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

But more so than the Florida team that mauled everybody in its path last season on its way to the national championship, this team has had to grind its way just to get to this point.

Tebow, whose performance in the fourth quarter last year against Alabama was the difference in that game, thinks everything the Gators have gone through this season will pay dividends this Saturday in the Georgia Dome.

“The thing about our team is we’re not as flashy as we've been, probably [not as] potent offensively as we have been in scoring points in some games,” Tebow said. “But what we do have is we have the character when we need to, when our backs are against the wall, to really find ways to get things done.

“And I think that's the character of this team, when we have to get things done, we get it done.”

Especially when you have No. 15 at quarterback.

Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap put Urban Meyer in a tough spot. He put his teammates in an even tougher spot.

They will be without one of their best defensive players Saturday in their biggest game of the season when Florida takes on Alabama in the SEC championship game. As expected, Meyer announced Tuesday that Dunlap has been suspended indefinitely and won't play this weekend against the Crimson Tide. What his status is with the team after that remains to be seen.

Really, Meyer had no choice. When one of your players is popped for DUI at 3:25 in the morning four days before the most important game of the season, what's it say to the rest of the players on the team if you allow him to play?

The tough part for the coach in making a decision to suspend a key player for such a crucial game is that you penalize the entire team because of one player's selfish actions.

That's something Dunlap has to live with if the Gators lose this game.

Justin Trattou will start in Dunlap's place at defensive end, and tackle Jaye Howard may also play some at end. Sophomore William Green and junior Duke Lemmens are two other guys who may see their roles increase.

When is a punt out of bounds at the 35-yard line a good thing?

When you’re kicking to Javier Arenas or Brandon James.

Between them, they’ve taken back 12 punts or kickoffs for touchdowns during their careers.

Arenas, Alabama’s senior cornerback, set the SEC record earlier this season with his seventh punt return for a touchdown. James, Florida’s junior running back/receiver, took a kickoff back for a touchdown in the opener this season. He already had four career punt returns for touchdowns.

They’re both fearless. They’re both impossible to tackle in the open field. They’re both the kind of players who can completely change the complexion of a game with one stutter step, one broken tackle and one burst down the sideline.

This Saturday, they may also be their respective offense’s best friend in the SEC championship game.

Points won’t be easy to come by against either one of these defenses and neither will yards.

So it goes without saying that a short field set up by a nice return would be extra valuable, and a touchdown on special teams would be worth its weight in gold.

Florida’s defense has allowed just nine touchdowns all season, while Alabama’s defense has given up 13 touchdowns. They’re both serious about protecting their end zone, which makes game-changers like Arenas and James all the more critical in a game of this nature.

For Arenas, who needs 37 yards to pass Wes Welker as the NCAA’s all-time leader in punt return yardage, the hardest thing might be staying patient.

When he’s back deep, he’s thinking touchdown -- every time.

“I've always got to have people on the sidelines telling me relax, to calm down, [that] it's going to come to you,” Arenas said. “I'm like, ‘You’re right.’ I need somebody in my corner to help me out with things like that. I want to get back and make the play.

“I know at the same time that I have experience from trying to do too much and fumbling the ball or muffing the ball, all the worst that you can expect. I had experience from that, and I think it's helped me grow as a return man back there.”

While Arenas may be a little more powerful and more adept at running through would-be tacklers, James has Houdini-like moves and an extra gear after he makes that first guy miss.

He has 12 punt returns of 30 yards or more in his career, including four punt returns for touchdowns of 74-plus yards.

“It’s not one man,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said. “It’s the whole scheme, and both teams take great pride in their return games.”

Both teams also have guys who can change the game in the blink of an eye … and may need to Saturday in the Georgia Dome.