BCS National Championship: Are the Sooners prepared for the unfamiliar role of the slow team?

A look at four Sooners in the crosshairs of Florida's speed:

1. Keenan Clayton: The OU linebacker is fast; he's a safety in linebacker clothing. But Clayton has to be more tough than swift against Florida. As the strongside linebacker, he must tackle in space against the Gators' array of speedy ballhandlers, notably Percy Harvin.

2. Phil Loadholt: Remember West Virginia defensive end Johnny Dingle zipping past the Oklahoma aircraft carrier all night in the Fiesta Bowl? Same thing could happen with Jermaine Cunningham, Florida's smallish (250 pounds) pass rusher. As the left tackle, Loadholt must have a better game tonight in protecting Bradford's blind side.

3. Matthew Moreland & Michael Knall: The Sooners need big leg nights. OU ranks 105th out of 119 teams in kickoff coverage. Moreland has produced only 15 touchbacks in 119 kickoffs. OU ranks 82nd nationally in net punting, 33.8 yards, with Knall averaging 36.4 yards a punt. The Sooners need Moreland and Knall to have quality kicking nights. Florida coach Urban Meyer said that if the Gators aren't “dominant” on return yards, he didn't know if they could win.

4. Lendy Holmes: The OU free safety will be in the line of fire all night. He'll be the back man when Tebow launches a deep ball and lets one of his flyers run under the ball. Holmes also will have to run up and tackle in space on underneath passes. And oh, yes, he's also on the kickoff team, which has allowed four touchdowns this season.