MIAMI, Jan. 2 -- Matt Leinart and Jason White both have strong arms, make smart decisions, boast near identical statistics and enter Tuesday's Orange Bowl with college football's ultimate credential: a Heisman Trophy.
What separates the two quarterbacks as they lead Southern California and Oklahoma into Miami's Pro Player Stadium with the Bowl Championship Series title at stake is a subtle difference in motivation.
Southern California quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart will face off against Oklahoma's Jason White in the Orange Bowl.
(Marc Serota - Reuters)
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| USC vs. Oklahoma
• Orange Bowl participants USC and Oklahoma are very similar in terms of talent.
• Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson has a cheering section at the Texas prison where his father is locked up.
• Wilbon: The BCS debate has distracted from a bumper crop of talent in college football this year.
• The two Heisman winning quarterbacks will likely decide who wins the national championship.
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Leinart seeks to build on a sterling reputation that was validated just last month, when he beat White, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson and teammate Reggie Bush to win the 2004 Heisman Trophy as a junior.
White, Oklahoma's 2003 Heisman winner, seeks to redeem a reputation that took a major hit in the eyes of many Sooners fans when he failed to deliver last season's Big 12 championship and then under-performed in Oklahoma's 21-14 loss to Louisiana State in the national title game at the Sugar Bowl.
"This is the reason I came back," said White, 24, explaining his decision to forgo last year's NFL draft to a throng of reporters gathered around him at the Orange Bowl's media day Sunday. "I'm right where I want to be."
Tuesday's game is shaping up as one of the most compelling in the controversial history of the Bowl Championship Series. Southern Cal and Oklahoma finished the season with identical 12-0 records and exactly where they started: ranked No. 1 and No. 2. Each rolled through the season with an explosive offense and smothering defense. And in a game that pits strength against strength, the outcome may well turn on which quarterback handles the pressure best.
"In a game like this, you cannot ignore the fact that because the teams are so matched that it'll take [an exceptional] performance by a quarterback," said Southern Cal offensive coordinator Norm Chow. "They're both winners. They know how to win. If things get tough, Jason can make plays, and Matt does the same thing. That gives you a chance. A lot of plays don't just happen the way you want them to happen, and the good players can come back from that. That's what Matt and Jason can do."
Leinart has already achieved the improbable in matching the lofty standard set by his predecessor and good friend, Heisman-winning quarterback Carson Palmer. Leinart led Southern Cal to a share of the national title last season, his first as a starter. This season, he extended his record to 24-1, picked up a Heisman of his own and stands on the brink of delivering an undisputed BCS title.
Leinart's numbers weren't quite as prolific this season (he threw for 2,990 yards, 28 touchdowns and 6 interceptions), but that's largely because of USC's new depth and power in its running game, led by the multi-talented Reggie Bush.
Draft-day prognosticators rate Leinart as a top pick if he chooses to enter April's NFL draft. But Leinart indicated Sunday that both his heart and mind are counseling him to stay another year.
"I don't want to talk about the future, but I love what we could do next year," Leinart said. "Also I think that I have a lot to work on. I think physically I can get a lot better; I can get bigger, stronger. I realize that there are a lot of awards and accolades. . . . I've probably accomplished most of those. But I really don't care about that kind of stuff. I just want to be the best player I can be when I leave, and I feel like I haven't really achieved that yet."
A sixth-year player, White has no choice but to leave Oklahoma and takes with him school records in passing yards (7,678) and touchdown passes (79), as well as keen insight into the fickle nature of fame.
Oklahoma was the best team in the land in its fans' eyes, and he was its courageous champion as he led the Sooners to an unbeaten regular season on two surgically repaired knees last season. But after back-to-back losses in the Big 12 and BCS title games, many turned on him (one fan sent an e-mail saying he needed to give back the Heisman and quit the team), and the media that had hounded him all year suddenly forgot he existed.
Obscurity suited the plain-spoken White just fine, but the criticism only steeled his resolve. White hit the training room hard in the offseason to strengthen his knees and regain his mobility.
Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops went to work, too, building a running game around freshman Adrian Peterson that would help balance the pass-happy offense.
"We lived by the pass last year, and we died by the pass last year," White conceded. "And we learned a lesson from that."
White's teammates say they also learned a lesson from him.
"Level-headedness," said junior fullback J.D. Runnels. "With all the changes that went on in his body, his mind never changed. The determination never left him, and it was an inspiration to us all. He doesn't take a lot of credit for everything, but a lot things on this team run through him."
