One coach has served 10 years in the SEC as a defensive coordinator. The other has yet to win an SEC game.

One coach has been mostly overlooked as Tennessee prepares to play Florida. The other is the hottest young coach in the nation.

Get ready for John Chavis versus Urban Meyer, Part I.

"I'll put it to you like this," UT senior linebacker Kevin Simon said of Chavis. "He's ready more than anybody to get this game started and play this game out. He's really prepared well.

"He's been on his 'A' game this time.''

Chavis will be one of the key figures in Saturday night's game against Florida. He will bear the brunt of criticism if the Vols can't stop Meyer's new, en vogue offense.

Chavis has fielded questions all week about his newest adversary. His answers have been bristly at times. Is Chavis tired of hearing about the new guy on the block?

"Possibly," Simon said with a smile. "I'm not sure but that's a possibility."

Saturday marks the true introduction of Meyer's spread-option attack to one of the nation's top conferences. Florida's new offense outscored Wyoming and Louisiana Tech by a combined score of 73-17 and rolled up 886 yards of total offense in the Gators' first two games this season.

Simon said the key to defending Florida is discipline.

"It just seems to me that they're counting on you to make mistakes whether it be in the run game with the option or the pass game," he said.

UT has had nearly two weeks to prepare for the offense that defensive coaches say forces them to defend the entire field.

Simon said the time has allowed UT's defenders to overcome a natural reaction to one of the most confusing aspects of Florida's offense: pre-snap motion.

"A lot of times when they start motioning people around, a lot of defensive guys tend to panic," Simon said. "That would probably be the toughest thing, just knowing your assignment even though guys are changing.

"We've got some new stuff in our scheme that we're running. We've got a really good defensive plan. But the magic's not going to be in the scheme. Like coach Chavis says, it's going to be in the players."

Meyer was 39-8 as Utah's coach, including 13-0 in 2004. His success came with the advent of an offensive attack that is predicated on running the football with veer option principles and throwing the football with as many as five receivers on the field.

The fundamentals of Meyer's attack aren't unique. The combination is. It's a blend of running from the 1970s and passing from the 1990s.

"It's wide open," senior linebacker Omar Gaither said. "They do one thing and they do it well. They spread you out and they run the veer or they run the option and they throw the ball. I think UAB had more looks than Florida does."

UT's linebackers will be tested. They'll have to play their assignments against the run and cover receivers against the pass.

Meyer might not be as dedicated to the option as he has been during his rapid ascent up the career ladder. At Florida, Meyer has a pure pocket passer in junior Chris Leak, not an athletic quarterback ready to take a hit for an extra yard.

No matter. Whether Leak gains 2 or 200 yards on the ground, UT's defense has spent a good bit of the time preparing for a running game that Chavis hasn't seen since he played at UT from 1976-78.

"They do a lot of veer option principles," Chavis said. "To be honest, we truly haven't seen that style of option."

When Florida runs the option, it will be up to UT's defensive tackles to adjust and be mindful of not being too aggressive, leaving the underneath shovel pass wide open. Meyer utilizes the shovel to limit the aggressiveness of the opposition's defensive tackles.

The option is just part of Meyer's attack. Florida's offense will also rely on a multiple receiver attack that could remind some of another Ol' Ball Coach. Then, there's play action that is set up by a healthy respect of Meyer's running attack.

"They make a lot of big plays with their play-action pass," UT defensive backs coach Larry Slade said.

If there is one underlying key for UT, it is pressure. Leak is a new system and has been often criticized for not welcoming contact.

"I'm not counting on him being comfortable playing us," Simon said with a chuckle.

Simon may be as prepared to play against the veer option as any UT player. At De La Salle High School in California, his team ran a similar type of ground attack. Simon starred at running back and linebacker.

"There's a lot of hype behind him," Simon said. "Coach Meyer has done a really good job. I have a lot of respect for him.

"I think a lot of people are anxious to see what it's going to do against the top end of talent in the SEC."