The stars must align. The dominoes must fall the right way.
Balls are tipped but caught anyway.
New faces say hello. Old ones say farewell.
Some moments last a little longer thanks to timeouts.
In the end, it's the actors of the moments - the players, the coaches, even fate - that led to the winning of a crystal ball in Miami.
The 2008 UF football team won the BCS National Championship as the youngest team to do so, with a safety too small, a quarterback who couldn't lead a comeback and an offensive coordinator who couldn't use all his playmakers.
Ten years ago, Urban Meyer walked into the Swamp.
He came to the Sunshine State on a recruiting trip while he was the wide receivers coach for Notre Dame.
He left blistering cold temperatures behind in South Bend, Ind., and welcomed Gainesville's sunshine, palm trees and tan young ladies.
He stepped onto the field.
He saw the dividends of Steve Spurrier in his prime, Southeastern Conference Championship years painted on the walls as if they were free handouts. He saw the spoils of a '96 national title.
When he reached midfield, he pulled out his phone and dialed his wife, Shelley.
"Guess where I'm standing," he said.
"Where are you?" she replied.
"I'm at the Swamp, at the 50-yard line."
"What's it like?" she asked.
"This is it. This is the place."
A little over three years ago, a St. Augustine Nease High senior named Tim Tebow announced he was coming to Gainesville on live television.
Tales of his immense will, such as playing through a broken leg, had already begun to spread.
Turns out the legend was just beginning.
On Sept. 27, 2008, it got 75 words longer.
Years from now, it will likely only be known as "The Promise." That's what happens when history has a chance to reflect on itself.
At the time, it was just a 21-year-old kid standing at a podium, unable to stop the tears from welling in his eyes.
He had to commit to playing better, if only because he couldn't bear to feel like this again.
And he never did.
The Gators rattled off 10 straight wins, including eight by 28 points or more.
He battled through rain in Tallahassee. He led his first fourth-quarter comeback to seal an SEC title. He overcame his worst first-half performance to take home a BCS title and Offensive MVP honors.
Now he just wants a shot to do it all again.
Five months ago, a 5-foot-9 sophomore named Ahmad Black switched to safety.
It was a move made out of desperation after projected starting safety Dorian Munroe tore his ACL.
The converted cornerback had played in just seven games the year before, and most fans probably didn't know his name. He considered transferring to a Division I-AA program.
Everyone learned his name this year.
The player called too small and too slow by his own head coach ended up being too strong for Oklahoma receiver Juaquin Iglesias. Black sealed the BCS title game when he stole Sam Bradford's pass from Iglesias' hands and left the Heisman winner wondering what else he could do.
Now the offseason brings hellos and goodbyes. National Signing Day awaits on Feb. 4. The seniors have played their last games. Dan Mullen and John Hevesy have left for Mississippi State. Phillip Fulmer has departed from Tennessee, and Steve Spurrier tasted a blowout in his old home. Georgia had an extra couple of minutes to relish in defeat.
Now Meyer, the king of even-numbered years, must face possibly his toughest test in '09: handling a team projected to repeat with the talent to do so.
He went 13-0 at Utah in 2004 and holds two crystal balls for his '06 and '08 UF teams, but he still understands all the factors that must align.
"Very rarely do you get to be a part of something like this," he said. "I've been involved with college football for over 20 years. I'm a big fan of college football. I study college football. This is as good a group of young people as I've ever been around. This is certainly one of the greatest football teams in college football history."
