Quarterback Tim Tebow drove Florida to the late game-clinching touchdown as the Gators won college football's championship game with a 24-14 victory over Oklahoma on Thursday. Tebow shook off a career-high two interceptions - as many as he'd had all season - and drove the Gators over the final minutes. With just over three minutes to play, Tebow took two hard steps toward the line, jumped and zipped a 4-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson to make it 24-14. Tebow carried the ball on the Gators' final six plays, smashing into the Oklahoma line five times. He also drew an unsportsmanlike penalty as the teams taunted each other in the closing moments. “I was already motivated for a national championship game. But you know, there was some trash talking going on, and it just gets me going during the game,” said Tebow, who ran for 109 yards. While his passing wasn't so precise - 18-for-30 - yet it was his sheer will that kept the Gators going. Beaten out for the Heisman this season by Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, Tebow outplayed him and was picked the game's most outstanding player. “Tebow, just call him Superman,” teammate Percy Harvin said. The game was not a great spectacle, and would further the claims of teams like Southern California, Utah and Texas that they deserved a berth in the title decider. It would heighten arguments for a more transparent and objective way of deciding the college football championship rather than the arcane bowl system. “I'll tell you, we're going to enjoy a big win, we're going to enjoy the national championship,” coach Urban Meyer said. “Let someone else worry about that. Gators are No. 1.” Tailback Harvin returned from an ankle injury and dashed for 122 yards on only nine carries for the Gators. His 52-yard rush set up Jonathan Phillips' 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter for a 17-14 lead. It was Florida's second title in three years after the 2006 rout of Ohio State and its third overall. It was also the third straight for a team from the Southeastern Conference, and Oklahoma's fifth straight loss in a bowl game. The Sooners set a modern record for scoring with 702 points this season, yet never found its rhythm. Tebow struggled throughout the first half, his lone highlight a 20-yard touchdown pass to Louis Murphy for a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Bradford came right back with a swift 65-yard drive, capped by his 6-yard TD toss to Jermaine Gresham. Poised to break the tie midway through the second quarter, Oklahoma had a first-and-goal at the 9-yard line. Chris Brown carried four straight times but the Gators stood up, twice stopping him at the 1-yard line. Rarely turned back in the red zone this season, the Sooners let it happen to them again in the final minute before halftime. There were 10 seconds left and Oklahoma was out of timeouts when Bradford dropped back from the 6. He tried to hit Manuel Johnson at the goal line, but the pass deflected off him. Those failures made up for Tebow's uncharacteristic wayward passing. His interceptions were bad – Tebow telegraphed a long, cross-field throw that was easily grabbed and later made a short flip over the middle right that was picked off.
