FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Teams will talk about keeping their quarterback "clean." But there's clean and then there's clean.

Florida's Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, can still win even if his uniform gets dirty. In reality, the Gators have a better chance at success if the the 6-3, 240-pound junior winds up a grass-stained, dirt-smudged mess.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, is more effective if his end-game uniform looks like it just came back from the laundromat.

"Every time I see him his jersey is clean," Florida safety Ahmad Black said of Bradford. "I haven’t seen him be hit once."

"Clean" is a football euphemism for not allowing the quarterback to be sacked. When the Sooners take the field Thursday night in the BCS National Championship game, one of several priorities will be pass protection.

Lost among Oklahoma's gaudy offensive numbers is the fact the Sooners allowed 11 quarterback sacks in 476 pass attempts. Getting the feet set, throwing in rhythm, having lanes to see and pass through are crucial for quarterbacks like Bradford.

"Their defensive line is really good," Oklahoma center Jon Cooper said. "All of them make plays. They are very active and fast and they all move around. And another thing they do really well is free up their linebackers to make a lot of plays. They're really good and we look forward to the challenge."

Oklahoma's offensive line is experienced and will have an average weight advantage of 25 pounds against the Gators' defensive line. The Sooners' O-line will need to open up running lanes to balance the attack while giving Bradford time to throw on pass plays.

Florida's defensive line relies on speed and depth. Carlos Dunlap, a 290-pound sophomore, has started only two games but has led Florida and the Southeastern Conference with nine sacks. Former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney is the Gators' defensive line coach and this season Florida had 32 sacks - more than doubling last year's total of 15.

In addition to blocking, Oklahoma's offensive pace could help negate Florida's pass rush. The Sooners' no-huddle offense usually snaps the ball every 20 seconds and that can limit defensive substitutions or alignment adjusments.

"We just need to get to Sam Bradford and get in his head," said Florida defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, who has six sacks this season. "We want to get pressure on him so he makes bad decisions."

Two years ago in the BCS title game, Florida faced a Heisman Trophy winning quarterback in Ohio State's Troy Smith. The Buckeyes averaged 384 yards and 34.6 points per game while Smith was seventh nationally in passing efficiency. The Gators' defense harrassed Smith and limited the offense to one offensive touchdown and 82 total yards in a 41-14 victory.

A similar approach against Bradford and Oklahoma seems in order.

"(Bradford) does have a lot of time back there and that’s one of the things we’re really looking at and working on," Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said. "He hardly ever gets hit. They haven’t given up many sacks. It’s going to be critical for us. 'Can we get pressure on him?' 'Can we rush the quarterback and get pressure?'"

In Oklahoma's only loss, Texas had two sacks in the second half and disrupted the Sooners' offense just enough to limit OU to 35 points. Going into last season's Fiesta Bowl, Oklahoma had allowed 14 sacks but gave up three in the 48-28 loss to West Virginia.

"I think our offensive line is experienced," Bradford said. "They've played in big games before. They know what this is going to be like. But since that Texas game where we got beat, they've taken on a whole different attitude. And I think that's something that has really helped our team."