When quarterback Tim Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes announced they'd stay at Florida for their senior seasons, the Gators became a favorite to win their third national title in four years.
That chance was part of what brought them back, and they've been talking about it all through spring practice.
"We just talked about getting a three-peat," Spikes said. "We have the whole defense back and you win championships with the defense. So we have a great chance of doing it."
Spikes' math is a little off, as he forgot about the 2007 season that ended with a Capital One Bowl loss instead of a championship. But it's fitting that he considers that as a lost season-an anomaly wedged between titles.
That year started much like the 2009 season will, with Florida coming off a championship, but the team suffered. There weren't enough leaders, and coaches say there was a sense of entitlement throughout the squad.
Spikes and Tebow are determined to keep that from happening again.
"We know the standards are high because we're bringing everybody back on defense," Spikes said. "People are expecting us to play well, but our thing is that we can't get complacent. We know we're good, but we have to keep working."
Winning another title wasn't the only thing that convinced Spikes to stay. His brother, Breyon Middlebrooks, is serving a life sentence for a first-degree murder conviction, and using a professional contract to hire a lawyer for an appeal has always been a top priority.
But Middlebrooks took a load off of Spikes' shoulders when he was making his decision.
"I spoke with him when I was going through the process, and he just told me to follow my heart," Spikes said. "He didn't want me to make any decisions on his behalf or on what he did in the past. I felt like coming back would benefit me more."
With their decisions behind them, Spikes and Tebow can get back to the task at UF.
The key for Tebow is to keep a narrow focus on the Southeastern Conference. The national championship isn't his main goal, but it would result from a strong showing in conference play.
"The SEC is our No. 1 goal," Tebow said. "It's our conference, and it's what we want to win. It's what we take the most pride in because we feel it's a great conference, one of the best in the country. If we win that, we think we deserve to be in a big game."
MEYER BREATHES SIGH OF RELIEF: After Monday's practice, coach Urban Meyer had a tough time getting to sleep.
"We left practice, and I had to take an Ambien that night because (defensive end Justin Trattou) went down, (tight end Desmond Parks) went down and (offensive lineman) James Wilson went down, all the same day," Meyer said.
But after examining all three, Meyer said none of the injuries were serious, and Trattou (shoulder) and Wilson (foot) may both be able to return before the end of spring practice.
Parks will miss the rest of spring practice with a dislocated kneecap, a much better diagnosis than Meyer expected, as Parks was carted off the field Monday.
