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Show DAILY C4 Tuesday, Januarys 2005 HERALD BCS TITLE GAME , Orange BoM the greatest seasons in NCAA history, White became a target for critics. "I think the biggest thing that sticks that I got in my head was the last year after the Sugar Bowl, just saying that I need to give back the Heisman Trophy," he said. White, from Tuttle, Okla., wasn't thrilled with all the attention the Heisman comes with, anyway. . Oklahoma freshman tailback Adrian Peterson has helped take the focus away from White on and off the field this year, much to the quarterback's Ralph 0. Russo ASSOCIATED PRESS '. Matt Leinart is an easy- MIAMI going Californian, who used an left arm to win a Heisman Trophy for USC this season. Jason White is a tough kid from ' NFL-calib- fA small-towOklahoma, who overcame two devastating knee injuries to become a Heisman winner for the Soon-er- s n 'f . II J; last season. Their most common trait is success. Leinart and White will become the first Heisman winners to play each other in a college game when Southern California and Oklahoma meet in the Orange Bowl on tonight for the na- delight. tional title. "We don't want to make it a battle because it's a team game," e Leinart said. d The Trojans ( ) are looking to become the first team since Nebraska in 1994-9to win Associated Press titles. It would be USC's fifth title overall, but first Bowl Championship Series title. Second-ranke- d Oklahoma (12-0- ) is shooting for its second national championship under coach Bob Stoops. The Sooners won it all in 2000 at the Orange Bowl and played in the BCS title game last season, losing to LSU in the Sugar Bowl. Leinart and White lead offenses that take a slightly different approach, but 12-0- , back-to-bac- 5 X k """""V 16-1- 44 v nv M " front-runne- h'" . '. : . - , ' ,'S ' 21-1- 4 produce similar stellar results. "They both execute their offense in a great way," Stoops said. "Our offensive styles are a little bit different, but the quarterbacks do a great job of managing. They are accurate and they can both make all the throws." LSU and USC split the national crowns last year, a scenario that is highly unlikely this year despite No. 3 Auburn (13-0- ) finishing off its perfect season by beating Virginia Tech 3 Monday night in the Sugar Bowl. "I don't really know how it could come out that way," USC coach Pete Carroll said Monday morning. "I didn't have any problem with what happened last year. We did everything we could with the season that we had and with the finish and all of .that, and the sys- tern made a statement." "Here again, it does it again. Hopefully, this just continues to generate energy to try and fix the thing," he said. "When you have teams that play great schedules and play great like this, how v : L 1 ALVAREZAssociated LUIS M. Press DAVID Matt Leinart The past two Heisman winners, Oklahoma's Jason White in 2003, left, and USC's as their two teams square off for the BCS title in the Orange Bowl. The main difference between this year and last for White? "I'm not spending as much time in the training room," he said. It's a place White has become far too familiar with during his six years in Norman Major knee injuries ended both the 2001 and 2002 seasons for him. The rehab was grueling and at times lonely. "Some days it felt a little better and I'd try to get some extra in and some can you do this unless you keep playing games, and that system isn't intact. This is going to happen again, most likely. That's just the way it is. You can't do anything about it." The Sooners enter the BCS championship game in far better shape mentally and physically than they did last year. Oklahoma had lost 35-- 7 to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game before the Sugar Bowl and White was aching. Press ADAMEAssociated (2004) will face off today days I couldn't because of how sore it was," he said. "As a player you want to be out there playing and if you're not playing you don't feel like part of the team." He made his way back and finished his career with two phenomenal seasons. Last year, he threw for 3,846 yards and 40 touchdowns. But in the final two games he didn't throw a TD and was picked off four times. After putting together one of ' "I'm not a guy who wants to be in the spotlight all the time," said White, who has passed for 2,961 yards and 33 TDs. "I've been able to enjoy this week a lot more." Peterson has run for 1,843 yards, 20 shy of Ron Dayne's NCAA record for a freshman. "Not too many people tackle him USC defensive tackle Mike Patterson said. Coming into this season, Leinart He and was the Heisman White chatted before the season about playing in the spotlight and White gave Leinart some more advice after he won it. "He said my life is going to change," said Leinart, who has passed for 2,990 yards and 29 TDs. "He was right." Leinart, a junior from Santa Ana, Calif., who replaced 2002 Heisman winner Carson Palmer, has seemed more at ease with the fame that comes with the big bronze statue. "You know it's been fun. been kind of overwhelming at times, but it comes along with success and being at USC, and obviously I wouldn't change anything for the world," Leinart said. There is a chance this could be Lein-art'- s last college game. He's already talked about his future with Carroll, but the quarterback has been saying it's "95 percent" likely he'll be back at USC next season. Despite all the BCS controversy over which teams should be playing in the Orange Bowl, it's hard to argue with the star power of Oklahoma vs. USC, two of college football's traditional powers again at the top of the sport. "The fact that it's two storied programs coming together at a time wheh they're really on the rise," Carroll said, "you capture all of the people that ever loved Oklahoma football and ever r. loved USC football." SUGAR BOWL Red zone failures cost Virginia Tech chance at upset Sugar Continued from CI on the Bowl Championship Se: ries by upsetting Auburn. But the Hokies had a couple of major blunders, dropping a pass in the end zone and missing a field goal. chip-sh- When Bryan Randall threw touchdown pass to a Josh Morgan with 6:58 left in the game, ruining the shutout, one could almost sense that USC, Oklahoma and espethe BCS were breath- cially ing a little easier. Randall dealt another blow to the Tigers when he threw the long touchdown pass to Morgan, surely costing a few more votes. Auburn recovered the onside kick and kneeled down to run out the clock, deciding to preserve the victory rather than try to win more impressively. The Auburn band even launched into a Bon Jovi song that summed things up for the Southeastern Conference champions: "Living on a Prayer." "I just wanted to win by one," said Tuberville, who nearly lost his job at the end of last season. "That's all that counts. If you have to win with style points, you might as well throw out all the systems." Campbell was named MVP after completing for 189 yards with one interception. Randall threw for 299 yards but was picked off twice. "People just don't understand how hard it is to go Campbell said. "I'm not going to sit here and say we're No. 2 behind anybody." The odd team out in a troika of 12-- teams, Auburn settled for a spot in the Sugar Bowl against the Hokies, while USC and Oklahoma were tapped for the Tuesday night's Orange Bowl the BCS title game. Nothing ever seems to work 29-ya- Nancy Armour THE t( champion. The winner of the Orange Bowl is assured of being voted No. 1 in the coaches' poll. But ,the AP rankings aren't tied to dered two gimme scoring opportunities, including a chip-shfield goal, in a 3 loss d Auburn in the to Sugar Bowl on Monday night. Bryan Randall finally connected with Josh Morgan on two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, but the Hokies "botched an onside kick with two minutes to go and could only watch helplessly as Auburn ran out the clock and then partied on the Superdome field. Virginia Tech had eight plays line through inside the the first 58 minutes; but came every time. away empty-hande- d Randall was intercepted twice double his total in Virginia Tech's previous seven games. Randall had what appeared to be a clear path to the end line at zone from the the start of the fourth quarter. But as he crossed the 6, Auburn defensive back Carlos Rogers closed in fast, sending Randall tumble. on an When Randall came to rest practically on his head . he was still well short of the goal line. Two plays later, Brandon Pace missed what should have field goal, shankbeen a left. ball wide the ing Virginia Tech had an equally maddening miscue in the first Randall conhalf. Trailing nected with Josh Hyman on a . 16-1- 0 champion rather than settling things with a playoff. Auburn's hops were based on this convoluted scenario: The Tigers defeated Virginia Tech convincingly, Oklahoma knocked off USC in an ugly Orange Bowl and enough voters in The Associated Press media poll picked Auburn as the No. 1 team, creating another split fit V third-ranke- 13-0- out smoothly in Divisionl-football, the only college sport that insists on using a mix of polls and bowls to determine its PRESS NEW ORLEANS -- The missed chances came early, the big plays too late. No. 9 Virginia Tech squan- Nokia TV-- f ASSOCIATED FW ANDREW completion to give the Hokies first at the Auburn 2. Two plays later, Randall got the Hokies inside the 1 and they decided to go for the touchdown rather than settle for a field goal. Virginia Tech called the right Randall faked a handof f play to Mike Imoh and flipped a pass to fullback Jesse Allen, who was open in the end zone. But the ball bobbled in and out of Allen's hands, giving possession to Auburn. and-goal 6-- FREHMAssociated Press Press from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the Sugar Bowl on Monday. 23-ya- RON J. COHOONAssociated Virginia Tech quarterback Bryan Randall watches dejectedly Auburn's Devin Aromashuda and Courtney Taylor (86) celebrate after Aromashuda's touchdown in the second half of the Sugar Bowl on Monday night. At left is Virginia Tech's James Anderson. the BCS. Last season, USC was voted No. 1 by the AP after winning the Rose Bowl, while LSU won the BCS title by beating Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. The overlooked Hokies hurt themselves with those two major miscues. Jesse Allen dropped a sure touchdown at the pass on 1 midway through the second quarter. Then, Brandon Pace field goal just yanked a fourth-and-go- 23-ya- left of the upright early in the fourth. First VT 19 downs 14 43 110 189 s 299 NO 3 AUBURN 16 NO. 9 VIRGINIA TECH 13 0 0 0 13 6 3 7 0 First Quarter Virginia Tech Auburn Vaughn 24. Aromashodu kicw 10 39 AU VT Morgan VT Morgan 29 80 5 Second Quarter 50 Thin) Quarter pass hom J Campbell Fourth Quarter pass hom Randall (pass pass trom Randall (Pace if he felt his status was good . Possession RUSHING Humes6-10- . Ca Williams 26 26 33 34 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Imoti Virginia Tech. Randall Hamilton Auburn. R.Bravm J Campbell 6 58 201. Auburn. JCampbell RECEIVING Royal failed) kickl. ' 3). learn 16) PASSING Virginia Tech. Randall (Vaughn enough. 435 s Humes 8) Auburn. 6). Wallace Morgan Virginia Tech. Hyman Mauetta Clowney King Hamilton Imoh 6. Harper Ca Williams Mm Taylor Aromashodu ' "Can I improve myself that much? Can I get better over the year? Can I help my stock? That's kind of what this is going to come down to," Smith said last week. "Would it be better for me to leave now? Those are the things that are going to have to get weighed." The 2 Smith has a strong arm, but may have to answer skeptics who question whether his thin build can stand up to the NFL Smith's departure would leave the Utes in the hands of V Brian Johnson, a freshman who's played very little. Steve Savoy, Utah's second-leadinreceiver with 60 catches for 891 yards and a team-hig- h 1 1 touchdowns, is also considering leaving early. ' Cdntinued from CI Fumhles-Los- t Time ol 13 16 AUFG Vaughn 23 8 44 AUFGVaughnl9.n0 AUFG 2 Smith AU ' g |