MIAMI - In two days, it all ends.
In two days, a national champion will be crowned.
Two days normally come and go. They're a fraction of a lifetime.
But for many members of the UF football team, two days is a period of time they are struggling to deal with.
Take wide receiver David Nelson, for example.
"I wish the game was two weeks ago," Nelson said. "It's tough to keep us caged in."
When No. 1 UF takes on No. 2 Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game on Thursday at 8 p.m., all that waiting - 33 excruciating days, to be exact - will finally come to an end.
The light at the end of the tunnel couldn't come soon enough.
"Probably for 20-something of those days, we've been waiting for the game," cornerback Joe Haden said, the letters "BCS" carved into the left side of his head.
Plenty has changed for the Gators and Sooners in that time. Consider:
On Dec. 10, Dan Mullen was the Gators offensive coordinator. On Dec. 11, he was not. Mullen, who will call the plays Thursday, took the head coaching job at Mississippi State and is being replaced by current UF offensive line coach Steve Addazio.
UF quarterback Tim Tebow failed in his attempt to win a second consecutive Heisman Trophy. The junior finished third, just behind Texas' Colt McCoy and two spots back of his counterpart in the National Championship Game - Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Tebow has also since filed paperwork to receive advice from the NFL Draft advisory board.
Gators wideout Percy Harvin went through a will-he-or-won't-he week before the Southeastern Conference Championship Game on Dec. 6, but is by all accounts ready to play Thursday night.
The Sooners' most explosive running back, DeMarco Murray, hurt his hamstring and will be out for the championship bout. Oklahoma still has leading rusher Chris Brown to carry the load, however.
All that in the last month. And yet that month has taken longer for UF linebacker Brandon Hicks than an entire off-season.
"It feels like every day, 'Come on, man. Come on, man,'" Hicks said. "'I wish it was here tomorrow, I wish it was here tomorrow.'"
Meyer, known for his motivational tactics all season, will not have to do much for this game to get his players fired up.
"If you don't want to play in the national championship, who are you?" said center Maurkice Pouncey on Sunday. "I know all of ya'll (media members) would probably dress up for the game if you all had the chance."
Meyer hinted last week that he would be bringing some motivational speakers to prep his team for the game. He might not need them.
"All of us are motivating each other now," linebacker A.J. Jones said. "We're going out there, going, 'Come on, come on. We gotta get it right."
The feeling of eagerness is the same inside the Oklahoma locker room. Sophomore defensive end Adrian Taylor explained his team's wish to play against someone other than its own offense.
"I kinda feel like two-a-days, hitting on our own teammates, it's kinda getting old," Taylor said.
Taylor is so ready for this game, in fact, that he had a dream about it Sunday night.
"It stopped in the fourth quarter, it was a tie game," Taylor said of his dream. "We had to wake up."
When both teams wake up in two days, they won't be dreaming. It will be time for action down in Miami.
In two days, their dreams might be coming true.
