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Ohio State vs. USC: Who has the better middle linebacker?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
They will be at the heart of their teams' defenses because, well, that's where you would expect them to be.
James Laurinaitis of Ohio State (above) and Rey Maualuga of Southern Cal are considered the best middle linebackers in college football by everybody from casual fans to NFL scouts.
Both would have been high first-round NFL draft picks had they elected to come out. The two will be fighting it out for many major individual awards.
Who's the better player? Saturday's showdown in Los Angeles Coliseum might help answer that question, among others.
Rey Maualuga, USC, 6-foot-2, 247 pounds
Earned acclaim in the Rose Bowl by sacking Illinois quarterback Juice Williams three times, intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble.
Broke his right ring finger five days before USC's season-opening romp at Virginia but says it's no problem: "This is a big game. Broken leg, pulled hamstring, I'm playing, no matter what."
Has reputation for hitting. Dropped about 20 pounds since last year to improve quickness.
USC tailback Stafon Johnson: "His love for the game, his ambition to be so great every day makes him a great player."
OSU coach Jim Tressel: "He'll hit you, and you'll go backwards. I guess I don't see it as scary because I don't have the ball, but he's a good one."
James Laurinaitis, OSU, 6-foot-3, 240 pounds
Listens to Phil Collins singing "In the Air Tonight" before games, continuing a tradition from his high school days in Minnesota.
Grew up in Hamel, Minn., the son of a professional wrestler whose signature move was the Doomsday Device.
A two-time All-American, he won the Butkus Award (top collegiate linebacker) last year and the Nagurski (top college defender) the year before.
OSU cornerback Malcolm Jenkins: "He's always watching film, he knows the game a lot. He makes plays when plays need to be made."
Laurinaitis: "You have to visualize yourself doing the right thing. Think about yourself making that tackle. You can't have doubts. When you have doubts, then maybe you don't make that play."
