Reputation for speed on line when Florida meets OSU

	The Gators' defense, led by end Jarvis Moss, have been chasing down opponents all season. Doug Benc/Getty Images

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Standing outside the practice field at Scottsdale Community College on Wednesday, surrounded by a mob of reporters and television cameras, Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss explained why his team holds an advantage over top-ranked Ohio State in Monday's BCS National Championship Game.

"I feel like they [the Buckeyes] haven't seen guys like us," said the shirtless, 6-foot-6, 251-pound athletic specimen. "In the South, we've got guys who can run. You really can't simulate our speed and athleticism. They're going to get a taste of that on the 8th. Hopefully it will shock them."

They're faster in the South. Let's see -- where have we heard this before? Oh that's right -- we've heard it all season long.

You've heard the quotes, the testimonials, the bragging and the chest-bumping. For the past four months, SEC coaches, players and fans have told anyone who will listen that their conference is without question the greatest in the land. Their No. 1 argument: the league's superior speed.

Come Monday, it's put up or shut up time.

There could be no better way to settle this endless little argument than to have the SEC's champion, Florida, play the champion from the Big Ten, Ohio State -- a team that's been hailed as the best in the country from the start of the season.

You couldn't ask for a better litmus test.

"When I watch [Florida's] defense, I feel like they say to themselves, 'Okay, we have better athletes than you and we are just going to prove it,' " said Buckeyes receiver Anthony Gonzalez. " 'We are going to play man coverage, and we are just going to be better than you.' I feel that's one of their philosophies. Whether it's true or not, I don't know."

It's certainly the entrenched belief of most SEC fans.

If any team defies the old Big Ten stereotype of big and slow, however, it's the Buckeyes. Anyone who's ever watched Gonzalez streak down the sideline or Ted Ginn Jr. break a punt return can attest to that. "[Ginn Jr.] is one of the fastest people I have ever seen," said Ohio State center Doug Datish. "We have tons of guys that can move and make plays."

On the other hand, the Gators typify many of their SEC brethren in that their speed does not end at the skill positions. It extends to defensive linemen like Derrick Harvey and Moss, linebackers like Brandon Siler and Earl Everett.

"When people talk about the speed in the Southeastern Conference, they're talking about the speed on the defensive front," said Florida co-defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. "They're talking about a defensive end like Jarvis Moss, a guy who we can drop into pass coverage."