Notebook: Holiday good for Gators

Even with a national championship on the line, Florida’s football team will get to celebrate the Christmas season.

It might only be a few days, but UF coach Urban Meyer will allow his players to leave town on Dec. 22 and return on the 27th.

Meyer said Wednesday that the break will be good for his team and will allow his players to take their minds off of football for a while before full preparation for the FedEx BCS National Championship against Oklahoma on Jan. 8.

Meyer used the same tactic in 2006 during his team’s preparation for the national championship against Ohio State. With such a long layoff, Meyer said it’s important to split up practice schedules to keep players from getting burned out.

“If you ever stood up and said you have 29 practices, players look at you like, ‘This is our reward for a great season?’ ” Meyer said. “Instead, we go three phases and we try to keep the same routine and go three game weeks.

“Players like game weeks. Players don’t like training camp where you’re just going through three weeks of practice.”

Meyer said he will finally put his players in pads Friday, after having them run through drills in shirts and shorts in prior practices.

Not much game-planning has begun, but the defense is getting a head start.

Like most of the Big 12 teams, the Sooners run a very up-tempo offense with players getting set and the ball being snapped a lot faster than the Gators are used to seeing.

Meyer compared it to watching a jailbreak.

“It’s impossible,” Meyer said of preparing for OU’s offense in a week. “I don’t know how you do that unless you play in the league.”

Regardless of the opponent, taking three weeks to plan for a single game can wear on players mentally. According to junior quarterback Tim Tebow, it won’t be too hard for this team to stay focused.

“We’re playing for a national championship,” he said. “That’s how.”

Offense is fine

Meyer said Tuesday that offensive coordinator Dan Mullen will be a part of UF’s coaching staff for the championship before he gives all his focus and time to his new team at Mississippi State.

Wednesday, Meyer made it clear that while he has yet to inform his players — except Tebow — about Mullen coaching, he’s not worried about it having any kind of effect on how the offense functions against the Sooners.

The team already has its third-down packages down, most of the offensive game plan is ready and the plays will be called by committee.

“Dan’s not going to call plays,” Meyer said. “The University of Florida calls plays.

“Trust me. It’s not a big deal. I can go tell (defensive lineman) Terron Sanders and I’m sure he’ll be OK with it.”

Said Tebow: “(Mullen’s) going to do a great job like he always has. He’ll be focused and he’ll be one of us until the end of that game.”

Injury update

Redshirt freshman tailback Chris Rainey is still battling through a groin injury he suffered this summer and will have an MRI today to see if doctors can finally diagnose the injury, Meyer said. Rainey will have surgery after the season, but is expected to play in January’s title game. However, freshman defensive lineman Matt Patchan (knee) will not play. ... Senior receiver Louis Murphy and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Carl Johnson are progressing through their knee injuries. Meyer said Johnson worked out a little Wednesday, while Murphy ran in the exercise pool. ... Meyer also said junior receiver Percy Harvin (ankle/heel) is ahead of schedule in his rehab.