Florida vs. Florida State is more than a premier intrastate rivalry of great proportions -- it is personal battle after personal battle.

Everyone from Bobby Bowden and Steve Spurrier, down to the water boys, has a counterpart who wants to whip his tail. This week the Xs and Os match-up with each other in size, speed, experience and overall talent. Chance will favor the prepared as well as the one who makes the fewest mistakes and can capitalize on the miscues of the other.

They swagger, they talk, they plan their strategies -- and they hit each other every play. This is no place to be if you cannot step up to the challenge of the game.

Because both teams have lost once, and Miami has moved in front of them in the BCS, the winner will get in the thick of the national championship picture. Strength of the opponent plays such a significant role in the BCS at this stage of the season. This is definitely a playoff game, because the loser is out of the race.

Florida State only has to win and sit back to see what else might happen over the next couple weeks. Florida most likely has a date for the SEC Championship game against Mississippi State in two weeks. By beating FSU and then MSU, the Gators would significantly strengthen their position.

Florida State is guaranteed a BCS bowl game and the more than $10 million payday. Florida must win its way to such a game with the SEC title.

No. 3 Florida State

Game Plan: No. 3 Florida State

Offense: Do not give up on the running game ... use it after the pass has loosened up the defense. Stay away from screen passes early in game ... save them for later when forgotten. Protect the ball ... no turnovers. Defense: Blitz them ... they will not be ready; get 5-plus sacks. Roll the safety to Gaffney and double cover him. No runs over 10 yards ... no passes over 20 yards. Kicking: Use 10-man looks on punt rush and return. All kick off returns past the 30-yard line ... never get stopped inside 20-yard-line. No punt return over five yards. Players: Play to defensive strength ... get field position early and get some quick scores. Do not get behind like Miami game ... answer any score by Gators. Minimize mistakes ... penalties and turnovers. Coaches: Keep the ball in hands of the playmakers. Stay focused if you get big lead early. Kick field goal early for confidence.

The only thing most coaches worry about prior to a big game is an injury to a key player or players. Murphy's Law has hit the Seminoles at running back.

When Chris Weinke was hobbled in the Miami game, the Noles played tentatively in the first half, fell behind, and could not mount a charge early enough to win. They really do live and die with their passing game, but Bobby Bowden has insisted that the running game is dependable. Dependable may not be the correct description this week if wobbly legs cannot break tackles and get tough yards on goal line and short yardage situations.

FSU has always used its running game to set up the play-action passes that have destroyed opponents over the years. Weinke is averaging 9.9 yards per pass attempt because teams must respect the run, which sets up long gainers. Without the run threat, Weinke will need to use the spread offensive attack using four receivers.

Extreme pressure will be put on the offense line to protect the passer and keep him clean to read routes and make his throws. Just as watchful will be the pass protection of younger backs who will be pressed into service.

When Weinke gets the time to throw, he has the nation's top receiver over the last month to throw to -- Marvin Minnis. These two have hooked up for nine touchdown passes, while Minnis has been averaging 21 yards per reception. Early in the season Atrews Bell was Weinke's main target, and he also has nine touchdown catches. Throw in Anquan Boldin with six more scoring grabs and that accounts for 24 of Weinke?s 30 touchdown passes.

The lightning speed of this offense is reminiscent of the St. Louis Rams.

If the FSU offense finds itself limited, it can turn to its vaunted defense to set the tempo and gain control of the game. The Seminoles' unit is the nation's No. 5 defense, allowing a meager 273.5 yards a game. The front four is the best total unit in college football, which allows the linebackers to help with pass coverage, running sideline to sideline, making tackles in the running defense.

FSU coaches the defense to play to the "echo of the whistle," so you had better not be the one who's standing around countin' his change at the end of a play.

No. 4 Florida

Game Plan: No. 4 Florida

Offense: Get 100-plus yards rushing to help control the ball. Do not squander good field position ... get some points. Block your butts off for both run and pass. Defense: Cover any back who flares out of backfield ... screens. Keep safety in middle of field to help on deep throws. Stuff the run ... 50 yards max rushing; make it tough. Kicking: Absolutely no one lets a rusher get to the punter. Directional kick to prevent returns because of extra time blocking on punt protection. Identify worst blocker on punt team and attack him. Players: Keep your poise ... do not let the game get away. Play with confidence ... you can win this game. Be aggressive, not belligerent. Coaches: Make sure QBs get excellent pass protection. Second-half offense should have new looks. Take it one quarter at a time; stay close until the fourth quarter ... then explode.

Now that Steve Spurrier has resolved the quarterback situation and paid some compliments to the entire team, everyone at the Swamp is feeling better and looking forward to this week. Bad news ... the game is in Tallahassee!

Spurrier is 0-fer at the Doak. Could this be the year to tally a big victory and move up in the BCS? Most fans think this team is still a year away from greatness, but time waits for no man and history could be within the Gators' grasp right now. It will take a total team effort to win this week, and it will take a game with few, if any, errors in any area of play.

The Gators are much different from the Seminoles with their passing attack this year. Rex Grossman and Jesse Palmer have split time almost 50/50, but if you add their stats together they are not much behind Chris Weinke. The duo has 27 touchdown passes and only 7 interceptions. They also have accounted for 3,003 yards passing.

The receiving corps is also different. Although the ball gets spread around liberally, only Jabar Gaffney, with 13, has a significant number of touchdown passes. Gaffney has been just as electrifying as Minnis (Keep score of total catches and yards for these two in the game).

The Florida running game has been inconsistent throughout the year with Robert Gillespie and Earnest Graham carrying the bulk of the load. No one else has touched the ball more than a handful of times. But someone may need to be ready to play if the Florida State defense knocks some people around.

Every time I predict Spurrier will turn to his running game, I get fooled. No such prediction this week. The Gators will need the arms and legs of Palmer, Grossman, Gaffney and Caldwell in a big way.

When Mississippi State mauled the Gators earlier in the season, the defense came under strong suspicion for its lack of performance. Much improvement has been made with this unit, but the jury is still out until these Gators prove it against FSU on Saturday night.

Alex Brown has set the tempo for his teammates for most of two seasons, and that has not always been good for them as they have emulated his on-again, off-again play. Spurrier has challenged them personally and totally to live up to the demands of a championship defense. They may want to watch the Seminoles defense this week to see what it will take to win.

The kicking game may kill the Gators if it has as many holes in the punt protection as it did last week against South Carolina. No team should get two punts blocked at this stage of the season -- there just are not that many new schemes for the blockers to blow it twice. Thank goodness for Gaffney and his acrobatic, graceful returns.