It’s eerily and uncomfortably reminiscent of 2002.

The only problem is that if history repeats itself, then my New Year’s resolution to stop dropping the f-bomb in normal, everyday conversation will be broken repeatedly just eight days into the new year.

No one is giving Florida a chance to win the title game against the Buckeyes; the early line was something like seven points. OSU has far superior, better athletes, is better coached, the best team in the country since the preseason; sound familiar?

The same sentence could have been written about Ohio State’s opponent in ’02. Back then, the Bucks were the underdog, the team with nothing to lose and everything to gain. They did the impossible, they beat the top dog and it sent them on a path to three BCS wins and the very same desert that holds the dreams of a second title in five years.

Florida hopes to use OSU as that same spring board.

It’s only right that two of the most football-rich states in the country do battle for college football’s highest honor. In 2002, it was the lowly underdogs from Ohio, the team without a title in more than 30 years, that managed to steal the ‘ship away from the defending champs from Miami.

This year the state of Florida will get their chance for redemption.

Back then, we heard all about Miami’s speed, their fearless field general, Ken Dorsey, the unstoppable running back, Willis McGahee, and the soldja, Kellen Winslow. The Buckeyes defense didn’t stand a chance.

How fitting was it then that McGahee left the game with a rearranged knee and Dorsey knelt in stunned disbelief after his final pass attempt fell to the carpet?

Now it’s the Buckeyes’ Fun Bunch with everything to lose. The number of big names and athletes that come to mind when you consider Ohio State this season is almost gross. Smith, Pittman, Wells, Ginn, Gonzalez, Robiskie, Hall, Hartline and Small would all start at any other school, but since Jim Tressel hasn’t found a way to run a full backfield, eight-wide set, they have to take turns.

On paper it has all the makings of another instant classic; a David versus Goliath only this time round, OSU is Goliath. It’s a scary proposition for lifelong fans.

But there is one reason why the Bucks will prevail in the Arizona desert on Monday night. It’s not Sweater Vest, not Heisman Trophy, not Fun Bunch and not the Animal.

Ohio State will win the 2007 National Championship by at least 10 points and they’ll have Florida quarterback Chris Leak to thank.

Leak, who has split time with Frosh Tim Tebow, has an affliction that does not bode well for a quarterback who will be facing one of the most opportunistic defenses in the country — he throws passes to the wrong team.

In their 13-game season Leak has tossed 13 passes to opposing team’s defenses. So, for the math-challenged, that’s a pick per game. Its fair then to assume that he’ll stick to his averages and will give up No. 14 on his own. The Buckeye defense, which according to the athletic Web site has 21 picks and six fumble recoveries this season, will steal another.

The result? A 10-14 point win, the school’s eighth national title and one New Year’s resolution still intact… for the moment.