Both are the sons of preachers, both became known as star quarterbacks and football legends at Florida. Both had a major part in a Gators national championship. Both are known for being very different — Spurrier for his offense as a coach and Tebow for his physical play — and both won a Heisman Trophy.

So it's almost poetic that Tebow will play his final Southeastern Conference game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Columbia, S.C., against Spurrier's South Carolina team.

"That's just the way it worked out. I think it's cool," Tebow said. "It's the last SEC game and it's vs. Coach Spurrier, who has done so much for the SEC. He changed the SEC in a lot of different ways, especially early on in the 90's. And what he's done for the SEC and college football in general, it's really cool. Any time you go against a coach like that, it's going to be special. I think circumstances will make it that much more special."

Tebow had one of his best games as a Gator in the 51-31 win in Columbia in 2007, which went a long way in helping him become the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy — rushing for a school-record five touchdowns and threw for two more.

"They are a little different team this time around than they were then," Tebow said. "But it will be exciting, it will be a fun game. I think that was a fun game when we went up there (in '07). It was a good environment and something that was really special for me, that game."

One thing that is very different this year is Tebow's health.

"I actually feel the best physically that I've felt in any season this late in the season," he said. "I'm just feeling really good. Even though I've had some carries the last few games, I feel really good, the body feels good. I feel refreshed, so that's exciting going down the stretch."

In 2007, he played the second half of the season with a bad right shoulder and took pain-killing shots. He also fractured his right hand on a touchdown run in the regular season finale vs. Florida State. Last year, he had ankle, knee and shoulder problems — undergoing surgery after the national title game on his right shoulder. There were also back problems in preseason this fall and a concussion suffered at Kentucky.

But Tebow says he's now healthy for the last part of the season, when he'll be needed most.

"It's nice to be able to just go out there and play and not having to spend as much time in the training room," Tebow said. "I still spend time to keep my body right and everything. That's something I'm always focused on. But being healthy enough to just always go out there and play and not having to worry about something or deal with something that's hampering you is wonderful."

Tebow came into the 2007 game at South Carolina in the middle of the Heisman chase and made a huge jump after that game. This fall, Florida has already locked up the SEC East and a trip to Atlanta for the league championship game against Alabama. But this is a season of great expectations, as the defending national champions.

The Gators need to keep winning to have a shot at repeating. And Tebow could help his chances in the Heisman race once again with a big game. What better place — and against what better coach — to have it all come down to?

"I think there's some sort of kind of special relationship there," Tebow said of Spurrier. "We don't talk. We'll say hey after the game and we've talked a few times at the Heisman. And we have a little bit of a relationship like that. We have a lot of respect for each other."

South Carolina could gain more respect with a win. But ruining UF's bid for a undefeated season is not his team focus, says Spurrier.

"I haven't even thought about that," Spurrier said during Wednesday's SEC teleconference. "As the coach of a team, you're just trying to find some ball plays, trying to get your guys ready to play the best they can. So that's the only thing I'm thinking about this week. We realize we're pretty big underdogs and the Gators are a very good team. But they know we're going to try to win. Obviously, I hope everybody knows that. That's what you do. But I haven't given that other part any thought at all."