updated 4:46 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2005

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Florida’s unstoppable offense. Chris Leak’s dazzling exploits. Urban Meyer’s brilliant system.

Alabama linebackers DeMeco Ryans and Juwan Simpson aren’t quite sure what all the fuss is about.

“I don’t see what’s so special about this kid,” Simpson said of Leak.

“It’s nothing special. Everyone keeps saying that it’s a special offense,” Ryans said. “They’re a five-wide spread offense. We’ve just got to come up with a defense to stop it.”

The 15th-ranked Crimson Tide defenders said plenty of complimentary things about the No. 5 Gators and their quarterback entering Saturday’s game, too.

But the gist of the message from Simpson and Ryans is: Hey, don’t forget our defense is pretty good, too.

Alabama (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) will find out just how good against the Gators (4-0, 2-0), who provide easily the Tide’s stiffest test of the season.

Even though Florida’s offense has been among the league’s best, this isn’t quite one of those 1990s matchups between the Gators’ high-flying offenses versus the Tide’s heralded defense.

There’s more to it than that.

For all the hype focused on Meyer’s offense and Leak’s statistics, the Gators’ defense ranks fifth nationally (Alabama’s seventh). And the Tide’s offense is only a couple of spots below Florida on the league stat sheets.

The Gators are allowing only 223 yards and 13 points per game.

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“They’re an extremely talented group — one of the best, if not the best, we’ll play all year,” Alabama quarterback Brodie Croyle said. “They’re fast, they’re big, physical. They don’t show any tendencies on their blitzes. They bring anybody at any point in time.

“We’re going to have to play our best game of the year by far, and hopefully that will be enough. We expect to go in there and win the game.”

Meyer said Alabama’s secondary is the best his team has faced.

Ryans thinks the key could come down to turnovers. Alabama has forced at least one in 21 consecutive games and the offense has only lost one fumble this season and has two straight turnover-free games.

Florida has yet to throw an interception, including Leak’s string of 114 consecutive passes without a pick that is only seven shy of Danny Wuerffel’s school record.

Running back DeShawn Wynn scored three rushing touchdowns and caught a TD pass against Kentucky. Chad Jackson, a native of Hoover, Ala., in suburban Birmingham, is the league’s top receiving threat.

Tide cornerback Ramzee Robinson is certainly impressed with the Gators’ big-play capabilities.

“You can’t take a play off,” he said. “You can’t even look at the cheerleaders.”

Leak is completing 71 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns. Alabama opponents are completing just 52 percent of their passes for 145 yards per game.

“He’s a good college player, but I don’t think he’s any different than Brodie Croyle,” Simpson said. “If we let him sit back there, any college quarterback should pick you apart. I don’t see anything that makes him Superman or anything.”

Special feature Florida faces SEC upset

Tide defenders spot one potential Kryptonite in Florida’s offense: the Gators have allowed a league-high 13 sacks. Alabama and South Carolina are tied for the SEC lead in sacks, also with 13.

“I see (Leak) getting sacked a lot,” Ryans said. “Their offensive line is giving up a lot of sacks. We have to come after him and put pressure on him and see how he deals with it.”

Alabama counters with Croyle, tailback Ken Darby — the league’s No. 2 rusher — and multipurpose threat Tyrone Prothro.

Florida defensive end Jeremy Mincey thinks he and his fellow linemen are up to the task of contending with Darby and the Tide running game.

“I love it,” Mincey said. “It’s a big personal challenge. It’s on me, Marcus Thomas, Steve Harris and Joe Cohen. We’re playing to out-physical them, to out-tough them.”

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