FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Oklahoma sophomore defensive back Dominique Franks was one of six Sooners who spent 45 minutes answering questions Sunday during the ramp up for Thursday's BCS National Championship game.

When he left the hotel meeting room, you could almost hear the copy machines whirring as Florida was manufacturing what's best known as "bulletin board material."

After a few minutes fielding questions about Florida's speed, the importance of sure tackling, the emergence of freshman linebacker Travis Lewis, Franks was asked about the Sooners' defensive ranking (63rd in total defense, 98th in pass defense).

"We've got the three best quarterbacks, the three best wide receivers, the three best tight ends in the country," he said, referring to finalists for the O'Brien, Biletnikoff and Mackey awards. "A lot of people don't understand that other conferences don't have to face what we face. To hear people say that we don't play defense ... if you look at the stats, you'd say we don't play defense."

A writer from a Florida newspaper asked if that makes Florida quarterback Tim Tebow the fourth-best QB in the country.

"Yep," Franks said. "With us being in Florida and playing against Florida, everybody's going to think Tebow should have won the Heisman. But the right person (Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford) won the Heisman, and we're going to go out there and show everybody the reason why he won it."

Franks, who had four interceptions, also made note of a comment that is becoming an urban legend. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner supposedly made an off-camera remark to ESPN announcers that he was anxious to go up against a Big 12 defense. Tebow has denied making the remark.

"No, he said he wanted to face a Big 12 defense," Franks said. "It's been great listening to all the comments they've been making. On January 8, we're going to see. Everybody is saying our defense is suspect in the back end. Hopefully, he'll throw me the ball a couple of times, and I can get my hands on it."

The Gators, as Franks alluded, haven't exactly been vanilla with some of their comments.

Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes after watching Oklahoma's offense on film: "They are a step slower. It will be different for them when they see the speed of our defense."

More Spikes: "I know they (Big 12 offenses) have been tearing it up out there, but this is going to be a defensive game. Defense wins championships."

Florida defensive back Joe Haden: "They haven't played against us. Nobody puts 60 points up on us."

Sooners defensive coordinator Brent Venables, sitting at the same raised platform that Franks had occupied, turned into an amateur firefighter Sunday morning.

"I don't know, maybe it's just a young guy who doesn't know any better," Venables said with a wry smile. "He doesn't watch enough tape. I really mean that. But I think he's going to bat for a lot of guys who he has a lot of respect for."

"Obviously, any time anybody doubts you if you have any competitive fire or competitive nature, you get fired up and excited for that. It gets you to perk up and sit up a little bit straighter in your chair. But still, being mad doesn't make you play better."

Short yardage
* The hot rumor since Oklahoma arrived in South Florida involves coach Bob Stoops and the vacant head coaching job with the Denver Broncos. Team owner Pat Bowlen is an OU graduate. Stoops wasted little time squashing the speculation. “We’re preparing for a national championship and that’s all my focus and all my concentration’s on,” he said Saturday. “So obviously, I’m not a candidate. I’m sure someone might have told me other than you guys if I was a candidate.”

* Miami Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells visited Oklahoma's practices Saturday. “For most of you, this may well be the highlight of your athletic life,” Parcells told the Sooners. "You are playing for big stakes on a big stage, something you are going to remember for a long time. So what you’ve got to do in this situation is promise each other in that dressing room that you are going to do everything you can to help your team win."

* The Sooners and the Gators will play on new turf at Dolphins Stadium. For the third time in seven days, over 100 workers will re-sod the natural grass. They went through the process, which includes new turf and painting, for last Tuesday's Orange Bowl and for Sunday's NFL playoff game between Miami and Baltimore. As soon as the NFL game finished, the crew started work for the BCS title game.

* Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford on the Sooners' record-setting offense: "Some people talk about the '03 or '04 Oklahoma offenses but obviously when it counted in the national championship they didn't come through. We want to be different than those offenses."

* The BCS National Championship game will feature two Heisman Trophy winners - Florida's Tim Tebow (2007) and Oklahoma's Sam Bradford (2008). Sooners senior safety Nic Harris doesn't think the historical tidbit is worth consideration. "It's cool for who? Cool for fans, cool for the critics, cool for us at the end of the day? It's not really cool for us," Harris said. "We're not worried about trophies. The only trophy we're concerned about is the one that will be presented when the last second comes off the clock. We need to care of what we need to take care off on the 8th."

* Florida cornerback Joe Haden on the leadership of junior linebacker Brandon Spikes: "If you don't love the game the way he does and play with that same passion, then you're going to have trouble being on the same field with him," Haden said. "He brings everybody's level up to his."