Either Ryan and I are just lucky or there are tons of First Coast people here to see the Gators play Ohio State.

Initially I wondered how difficult it would be to find Jacksonville-area Gators in Glendale for the championship game. Would it be like finding needles in a haystack?

The answer came during last night’s mega Gator pep rally in Old Town Scottsdale. (See Ryan's photo gallery from the rally).

We hadn’t been on the scene more than five minutes when we found Gator fan Anna Shea of Ponte Vedra Beach. She was there with her father, John Shea, and her sorority sisters. One of them, Michelle Esserman, is a Jacksonville native who lives in Hermosa Beach.

At one point I decided just to walk through the middle of the crowd to see who turned up. Right in the middle of 7,000 cheering fans I came across Gator fan Robert Mouro arguing with Ohio State fan Joe Vowell. Vowell asked me which newspaper I’m from. When I told him, Mouro said, “I’m from Jacksonville.”

It went like that all night.

Ryan and I also had some pre-arranged meetings. That’s how we found Westside resident Reecy Thornton and her family, and Judy and Mark Fore of Neptune Beach. (Pictured at right)

I’m sure we’ll meet more of them today.

VIDEO: Gator fans party at a pep rally in Scottsdale.