GAINESVILLE -- The Southeastern Conference championship game is still 14 days away, but the comparisons between Florida and Alabama already have begun.

When the top-ranked Gators (10-0) host Florida International (3-7) at 12:30 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, it will be the seventh and final time this season in which Florida and Alabama have played a common opponent. Alabama defeated FIU 41-14 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the Crimson Tide's second game of the season. Since then, No. 2 Alabama (10-0) and Florida have played Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana State and Mississippi State.

Florida's coaches and players have said this week that they're not looking past FIU. That might be true, but it's also true that a team ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll has not lost at home in November to a team with a losing record in almost 50 years.

``There is no question FIU will be a bowl team sooner than you think,'' Gators coach Urban Meyer said earlier this week. ``This is not a smaller Division I team. This is a very good team that will be in a bowl game within two years. That's our opinion, because they have very good personnel and they throw it around.''

FIU, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, never has defeated a team from a major conference, and its defense is allowing 33.4 points per game. Meanwhile, Florida's defense has allowed a total of 105 points this season, and the Gators defeated Troy, the Sun Belt powerhouse, 56-6, on Sept. 12.

``It's a great opportunity for a bunch of young guys that are building a program to measure up against the very best in the country,'' FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. ``It's what you play college football for.''

While UF's coaches and players aren't discounting FIU, no one else is giving the Golden Panthers much respect. The game is being televised on a pay-per-view basis, and Florida is a 45-point favorite. For Florida fans, Saturday likely will be a good time to contemplate the future and pay homage to quarterback Tim Tebow, who will be playing in his second-to-last game in The Swamp. Expect to see plenty of UF backups if the lead balloons to more than 35 points.

Considering Florida and Alabama share so many common opponents, the statistical comparisons offer an interesting barometer for analyzing the upcoming SEC championship game. Florida has outscored common opponents 153-76. The Crimson Tide's scoring numbers are slightly better, 160-61.

Florida and Alabama feature run-first offenses. Common opponents of Florida and Alabama have allowed 214.6 yards per game to the Gators while Alabama has gained 194.3 yards per game.

Tebow, a Heisman candidate, has rushed for five touchdowns against those opponents. Alabama running back Mark Ingram, also a Heisman candidate, has rushed for six touchdowns.

More statistical parallels will be drawn after the FIU game. Against the Golden Panthers, Alabama rushed for 275 yards while allowing only 1 yard on the ground. Alabama trailed FIU 14-13 in the second quarter after Golden Panthers' star T.Y. Hilton returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and quarterback Paul McCall led a 60-yard touchdown drive.

``It's a similar atmosphere [to Alabama], an SEC environment,'' Cristobal said. ``There are some similarities. They're big, physical, fast, explosive athletic elite football teams.''