Florida can't be the No. 1 team in the nation. Can it?

This spring, every time I got asked on some radio show about No. 1, I'd throw out Miami or Texas -- and if I was feeling especially cocky, I'd tout a real darkhorse like USC (yeah, I know I'm as big a sucker for the Trojans' speed as Charlie Brown is for that field goal, and invariably we both fall on our butts).

But as I sit here and stare up and down at the Gators schedule and try to come up with reasons why they won't run the table, I must admit -- I'm coming up empty.

I mean, look at this thing. Take the road games. At Kentucky? (I could round up 10 other guys from the office, bring a keg for the ride and I still think we could give the Wildcats a game.) LSU? (Not bad, but you know what happens every time they're supposed to be good.) Auburn? (Maybe two years from now this'll be a tough one, but not now.) South Carolina? (Not a cakewalk, but not exactly Tallahassee either.)

That's it!

Everyone else, namely Tennessee and Florida State, has to come to The Swamp, which is as tough as anywhere to play.

It also doesn't hurt that the Gators have the best coach (Steve Spurrier) in the country. They also have the best big-game player (Alex Brown) in the country, 17 starters back, and attack-dog MLB Andra Davis to shore up the middle.

Some of you may think that because Spurrier might juggle his two QBs, that'll mess everything up.

Nope.

Last year, I watched how he flip-flopped Rex Grossman and Jesse Palmer, and they still beat Georgia. After the game, Spurrier explained how he didn't have time for one of the guys to find himself. And he was right.

Most of you probably hate hearing this, and I'm not a big fan myself, but the guy is almost always right. Not only does he understand his players better than anyone, he also understands the quarterback position better too. It is all about winning, and he never loses sight of that.

Maybe Casey Clausen will be able to deal with The Swamp next month, and the Vols running game (with Travis Stephens or Cedric Houston or Jabari Davis or somebody) will dent the UF defense. Or maybe Rohan Davey will play like he did against Tennessee last year. Or maybe FSU's Chris Rix, with a full season in his belly, will be ready for Gainesville.

Maybe -- but the more I think about it, the less I believe it.

Maybe the pollsters got this thing right. (They almost never do, you know.) I still say watch out for USC.

Bruce Feldman covers college football for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at bruce.feldman@espnmag.com.