OPINION

By Matt Hayes

updated 4:33 a.m. ET Nov. 16, 2008

Matt Hayes

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - In this poll-based BCS system, Florida is leaving little doubt about the best one-loss team.

At this point — with one-loss teams jockeying for position in the weekly BCS poll — every week is about style points. How you look when you win is just as important as winning — and the Gators are winning with extreme prejudice.

Count Florida's former coach among the impressed.

"If we had a playoff," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said, "We could see USC and Florida play. That's one everyone would like to see."

In six games since losing by a point to Ole Miss — on a blocked extra point attempt — Florida has won six straight and outscored their opponents 299-63. That six-game streak included wins over No. 4 LSU (51-21), No. 8 Georgia (49-10) and No. 24 South Carolina (56-6).

And while Florida keeps rolling, quarterback Tim Tebow keeps working his way back into the Heisman Trophy race. Tebow threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to increase his season totals to 19 touchdown passes and 11 touchdown runs.

Although he's well off his pace of 55 total touchdowns last year, he's a more complete player this fall, and Florida is a much better team. How much that plays into the minds of voters is yet to be seen, especially because three Big 12 quarterbacks — Graham Harrell, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy — are having significantly better statistical seasons.

Play it safe
Some quick advice for Citadel, Florida State and Alabama: just sit on the ball in the first quarter.

The way Florida has played since losing to Ole Miss in September, it's the safest way to keep it close. There is no better first quarter team in the nation.

Here's the kicker: It's not necessarily the Florida offense. The Gators' defense and special teams have been overwhelming in the first quarter, forcing turnovers, turning momentum and giving the offense short fields.

"Momentum," said Florida coach Urban Meyer, "Is worth 14 points. Sometimes more."

Then there are games when it's worth 56.

Against South Carolina, in a span of 2:15 seconds, the Gators turned what looked what looked like a strong start from the Gamecocks' defense into a 21-0 lead:

• A 12-yard interception return for a touchdown — Florida's fifth this season by linebacker Brandon Spikes.
• Ensuing series, second play: interception by safety Ahmad Black at the South Carolina 26. Next play: Percy Harvin 26-yard touchdown run.
• Ensuing kickoff: South Carolina wideout Chris Hail fumbled a lateral that James Smith returned to the 1. Three plays later, Tim Tebow scored his first touchdown of the game to make it 21-0.

In the last six games, Florida has outscored the opponent 101-0 in the first quarter. In the first half this season, Florida's opponents have scored 26 points and punted 33 times.

The impact of Harvin
Percy Harvin made a lot of NFL money against South Carolina. Made it, in fact, on the first play of the second half, taking a basic inside handoff, breaking two tackles and running past the secondary for an 80-yard touchdown.

Every Florida player says Harvin is the fastest player on the team — even though tailbacks Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey and wideouts Louis Murphy and Deonte Thompson have better 40 times.

Try to explain that to South Carolina, which also barely got a hand on him in the first quarter on a 26-yard touchdown run. At one point in the third quarter, Harvin had five carries for 147 yards — and the Gamecocks cane into the game giving up 101.4 per game.

"That was a very good defense," Harvin said. "Our offensive line made things easy."

Florida coach Urban Meyer says his advice to all his players is fairly simple: If you're a projected first-round pick in the NFL draft and it's in your best interest to go, you should go. The only question with Harvin: his ability to stay healthy. In his three years, he has had ankle and heel injuries.

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"Percy Harvin, if he were a tailback on some other team, he'd be a 200-yard game guy," Spurrier said.

The X-factor
Florida has averaged 50 points a game in the last six games and is toying with opponents. And what, you ask, has impressed Meyer?

The Gators' kickoff team.

"I had the kickoff team stand up in the locker room," Meyer said. 'I am so excited about the way those guys are playing. People are talking about offense and defense, and I'm looking at our kickoff team and saying, wow."

Meyer, of course, coaches Florida's special teams. And South Carolina averaged just 18 yards per kick return on seven attempts.

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