In the 100th season of Gator football, Florida fans entered into same confident but even the most optimistic of fans couldn't have seen what loomed on the horizon. After beginning the season 2-0 with expected wins over Southern Mississippi and Central Florida, the Gators traveled to Knoxville for the ever important game with the Volunteers. In one of the best games played all season in college football, the Gators and Vols put on a 60 minute slugfest illustrating to the nation on CBS primetime why the SEC has no peer in the college football world. The Gators battled back from a 17-7 deficit in the second half due to some clutch plays by quarterback Chris Leak and some well timed "change up" plays carried out successfully by Tim Tebow not the least of which was his 2 yard gain on a 4th and 1 on UF's final touchdown drive. Four plays later, Chris Leak hit Dallas Baker for what would eventually be the winning margin. With UF leading 21-20 and UT driving, UT fans thought of nothing else other than the 2004 game where they kicked a field goal with seconds left to win. With the Vols getting dangerously close to field goal range, on 3rd down the Gators' Brandon Siler forced UT quarterback Erik Ainge into an intentional grounding call. Finally on 4th down, Ainge's desperation pass fell into the waiting arms of Florida safety Reggie Nelson. The Gators left Knoxville with a crucial 21-20 win.

The Gators then began a 5 game stretch that would most likey define the direction of how their season would go. On the whole, the Gators responded like the champions they would become. The first leg was a not nearly as easy as the score looked 26-7 win over Kentucky. Next, the Gators had throwback and payback on their minds against Alabama. Wearing uniforms from the 1966 season, the Gators drilled Alabama 28-13 sealed with Reggie Nelson interception return for a touchdown. The LSU Tigers then came to Gainesville and left with a 23-10 loss highlighted by what would become known as the "jump shot touchdown pass" by Tim Tebow. From the 1 yard line, the whole world expected Tebow to run like he most always does. Instead, he jumped, double pumped and lofted a pass to tight end Tate Casey. The lone blemish of the season occurred the following week showing again why the SEC is the toughest conference in the nation. A fired up Auburn squad defeated the Gators 27-17 in a game turning on a controversial call. The Gators regrouped to down Georgia 21-14 keeping the pans alive to win the east and ultimately the SEC. A trip to Nashville along with LSU going to Knoxville turned out to be the best day of the season thus far. The Gators' 25-19 win over Vandy coupled with LSU's win over the Vols resulted in UF clinching the eastern division.

Although the division was already clinched, the emotion of former coach Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks coming to the Swamp was never higher. In yet another SEC bloodbath, the Gators' special teams was the MVP blocking three kicks. The game winner was a 48 yard field goal attempt blocked by the Gators' Jarvis Moss. UF won 17-16 and then frolicked in The Swamp the following Saturday with a 62-0 win over Western Carolina. Sporting a 10-1 record, the Gators went to Tallahassee and left with a 21-14 win with Chris Leak hitting Dallas Baker for the winning score. In the SEC Championship game, the Gators held off a tough Arkansas Razorback squad to win 38-28. That win along with UCLA's win over USC cleared the way for the Gators to Ohio State in the BCS Championship game. In a game that NOBODY thought UF would win the Gators won with incredible ease 41-14 limiting the Buckeyes to 82 yards of total offense. After that game, there would be no off season arguments as to who was the best in the land. In their 100th season of football, the Gators celebrated in the grandest of styles....as NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.