MIAMI - UF's win against then-No. 1 Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Championship was an unforgettable experience for most members of the UF football team.
For receiver Percy Harvin, sidelined with a sprained ankle, it was depressing.
A few weeks later, Christmas break offered the Gators a rare chance to relax with their families before resuming preparations for their BCS championship matchup with No. 2 Oklahoma.
But Harvin didn't have time to kick back, so he stayed in Gainesville and spent 15 hours per day stretching, working out and trying to get healthy before UF's championship showdown Jan. 8.
Harvin's glum mood in Atlanta and maniacal work ethic over the holidays are both due to his competitive nature and desire to play, and now that he's healthy, he's ready to dazzle his teammates and fans when he faces the Sooners' defense Thursday night.
"What I told the team, and what coach (Urban) Meyer told me was, if I get to play in this game, it's going to be one of the best shows that has ever been put on," Harvin said.
As the Gators prepared to take the field against the Crimson Tide for the SEC title, Harvin was in the locker room, pleading with team doctors to let him play.
"At the last minute, I was still trying to put on my cleats, but I could barely walk," he said. "Me and the doctor sat in (the locker room) and cried, and he said, 'I'm sorry, but there's no possible way (to play).'"
So Harvin was forced to watch UF's 31-20 win, an experience he described as "almost like I was at a funeral."
Meyer and UF quarterback Tim Tebow have often said Harvin's impact on the Gators' offense can't be properly expressed in words, but UF's performance with him watching gave a pretty good indication.
The Gators totaled 358 yards - their lowest output since September - and while that was partly due to the Tide's stingy defense, Harvin's absence alone puts a kink in the machine.
Running back Jeff Demps picked up a season-high 14 carries, but the speedster wasn't able to wiggle free for his usual big runs without Harvin drawing attention from the defense.
"He's a guy who, whenever they break the huddle, you always have to know where he is," Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks said.
The Sooners, however, aren't intimidated by Harvin, who averages 8.8 yards per rush and 17 per reception, and Franks said he wants Harvin to be 100 percent on Thursday, "because when we win, we don't want any excuses."
"He's like any other receiver as far as we're concerned," Oklahoma safety Nic Harris said.
The Gators see things differently.
"Nobody on our team can replace Percy. We have to do it as a unit," receiver Louis Murphy said. "When he comes back, it's just going to open up the game so much more."
But before Harvin can open up the Gators' offense again, he still has one last hurdle to overcome.
"The problem I have now is slowing down," Harvin said. "I can't slow down, I just keep going, and it kind of locks up sometimes when I'm slowing down."
