MIAMI -- Larry Birdine was right.
An otherwise faceless Oklahoma defensive end, Birdine has made the only "news" of note prior to the Orange Bowl, calling USC's offense "average." No, no, no, he wasn't right about that. College kids say the darndest things.
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| In the season finale vs. UCLA Reggie Bush racked up 335 yards of total offense. (Getty Images) |
Bush, USC's sophomore tailback/receiver/returner, is the hip insiders' key to decide the BCS title game. Sure, two Heisman Trophy winners (Jason White and Matt Leinart) will be meeting. But that's Joe Six Pack's summary. Head for the mountains of Bush fans who know he is the best talent college football had to offer this season.
"My favorite is to watch him return the football," said Doug Smith, principal of Bush's high school and Bush's high school teammate Alex Smith of Utah. "It seems at that point in time, he has license to do whatever it takes. That seems to turn into phenomenal events."
"Look at his numbers," Alex Smith added. "He's probably the greatest athlete in football right now in my personal opinion."
"Bush, hands down, is the best player in college football right now," said Michigan's All-American receiver Braylon Edwards whose team faced USC in last year's Rose Bowl. "Look at everything he embodies."
USC might have rubber-stamped that fact when it voted Bush the team MVP -- over Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart.
"I voted for him, I didn't hesitate," Leinart said. "Obviously, the whole team felt the same way."
No wonder Birdine has been put off limits to media here. He's essentially given away Oklahoma's game plan. Stop Bush, or as he's known, "The President."
"I think he just puts pressure on because he's such a great player," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "When he's spread out wide, he's a wide receiver, and he's a good one. When he's in the backfield, he's a running back and he's a good one.
"It would be no different if he's lined out wide and has No. 80 on, we're going to treat him as a really good wideout."
At least three times the sophomore from San Diego has rescued the Trojans this season with his personal exploits.
