will play Tuesday for the national championship. No. 1 USC and second
ranked Oklahoma have made the contest the most hyped championship game
in recent memory.
With Jason White and Matt Leinart owning the hardware and Adrian
Peterson and Reggie Bush earning the accolades, it would be easy to
choose one of them as the key player who will decide the winner of the
2005 FedEx Orange Bowl.
Yet, it is actually a group of big men that may have the most influence
on who will hold up the Bowl Championship crystal football when the
night is over. Led by Oklahoma offensive tackle Jammal Brown (6-6, 313
pounds) and his matchup with Southern California's defensive end Shaun
Cody, the battle in the trenches will be pivotal, gigantic and of epic
proportions.
"It's going to be a very, very physical game," said Oklahoma center
Vince Carter. "They have a great front, we have a good front, and
basically it's going to come down to who's the most physical in the
trenches.--That's where every game is won, so it's going to be a good
challenge."
Even though they do not have the name appeal of their more recognized
teammates, the linemen have shown the country and each other just how
good they are.
"He is a great player," said Cody about Brown. "He has great hands and
great feet. And he moves real well. Once he gets his hands on you, you
are pretty much blocked. They are definitely the best offensive line we
will have played."
"They're physical and they have a good scheme," said USC defensive
tackle Mike Patterson. "We've faced guys that were physical but didn't
have too much of a good scheme, or just haven't had both. They're going
to be real good. They're a real good offensive line and it's going to be
a challenge for us on the D-line.--We're excited to get after it."
Brown's estimation of the USC defenders is just as high.
"They're real athletic, fast, they use their hands well," said Brown, a
Lawton McArthur graduate. "They're just a good defensive line
well-coached, good size, and you can just tell that they're well
coached."
Southern California front four will have to contend with a line that
paved the way for Peterson to rush for 1,843 yards and 15 touchdowns
while also trying to get at White, who passed for 2,961 yards and 33
touchdowns. Southern California allowed only 12.5 points a game during
the season and a total of only 904 yards rushing. Peterson alone has
twice that many yards.
"We want to make a team as one-dimensional as possible," Cody said. "We
feel if we can shut down Adrian Peterson, then the game should turn in
our favor."
For Oklahoma, it will all come down to containing the Trojan's speed.
USC is fast coming off the corners and up the middle.
Yet, according to Oklahoma, speed is nothing new for the Sooner offense.
"We go against a good defensive line at practice every day, so it's
nothing we haven't seen before, we just have to prepare right for it,"
said Brown. "I don't think their defense is overlooked at all. That's
all I've heard is about their defense, so I've got a lot of respect for
them because they always talk about them. I don't think their defense is
overlooked at all."
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