Top 5 takeaways from Florida's wild comeback win over Houston in NCAA title game 

The Florida Gators might not get a ton of style points, but their 65-63 win over the Houston Cougars will be remembered by Gator fans as a masterpiece. Florida led for only 1:04 of the entire game, but found a way to outlast Houston to win their third national title, and first since 2007.

In the immediate aftermath, here's a closer look at five big takeaways from Florida's impressive victory.

Top 5 takeaways from Florida's title game win

Two chaotic final possessions for Houston will likely haunt Kelvin Sampson. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

#5. Florida managed to beat Houston at its own game

Within five minutes of the opening of the game, it was clear that this one would be played at Houston's pace. Florida scored 85.3 points per game this year. But had this game been 100-90, there was no question who would be on the upper end. At 65-63, Houston was playing at the pace and style it preferred.

#4. The SEC ended up living up to its hype

One of the most obvious takeaways is that the battle testing of the SEC paid huge dividends for Florida. The Gators never blinked, never seemed hopeless, and dug deep to win this game. In a season when the SEC was regarded as a colossus, the last chance to dethrone the league was the title game. What good is putting 12 teams in the league if you don't win? Thanks to UF, the SEC does not find out.

#3. UF didn't need a Superman game from Walter Clayton Jr. to win

Considering the level of his play throughout the NCAA Tournament, it seemed like Walter Clayton Jr. might need another huge game to propel Florida across the finish line. He didn't have that game, and Florida found a way anyhow. Clayton finished with 11 points, but shot just 3-for-10 to get there.

Clayton did have seven assists and it's worth noting that his second half was solid, as he scored all 11 points then. Still, with a big assist to Will Richard, Florida weathered a subpar game from its top scorer and still won the crown.

#2. After the last two possessions, it's fair to say a bit of a negative spotlight will stick with Kelvin Sampson

The knock on Houston and Kelvin Sampson is that it's a nice program and he's a very good coach... but neither of them has ever won the big game. Houston's two final offensive possessions not only weren't successful, but they ended without the Cougars getting a shot away.

Some of the credit for the chaos will rightly go to the Florida defense. But for a veteran coach of a senior-laden team, those possessions were unimpressive.

#1. On the other hand, Todd Golden is now quasi-officially a great coach

One of the axioms around college basketball is that a championship-winning coach is a great coach. Not that one has to win a title to be a great coach, but anybody who does is a de facto great coach. As an aside, take this as a challenge to figure out the least imposing title-winning coach. Kevin Ollie maybe?

But Golden, at just 39 years old, is a proven quality. He outlasted several of the top teams and showcased a deep and talented squad that was adjustable enough to survive the NCAA Tournament juggernaut.