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A perfect match

In history, statistics and style, Oklahoma and Southern Cal are virtually impossible to distinguish as they face off for the national title.

FORT LAUDERDALE - The mess that is the BCS will be all but forgotten tonight. That is the fortunate fallout of the system that can match only two schools in a championship bowl game. At least there is no denying the greatness of the teams in tonight's Orange Bowl.

With apologies to Auburn, which perhaps deserved a shot at playing for the national championship, No.1 Southern Cal vs. No.2 Oklahoma is the game many desired, even dating to last season.

They will get it tonight at Pro Player Stadium, site of the Bowl Championship Series national title game.

"The buildup the last couple of years, I think this is the matchup fans have wanted to see because we're so similar in all aspects," said USC quarterback Matt Leinart, the Heisman Trophy winner. "Offensively, we're very explosive, both teams. A lot of great players on both sides of the ball. Defenses are very similar. Great coaching staffs on both teams.

"It's just kind of weird how things worked out. Being No.1 and No.2 all season. Great things going on with both teams the last couple of years. Both teams have been on top, and it worked out that we both finished at the top of the polls."

It truly is remarkable how the teams that came together to play for the national championship have so much in common.

Each has at least a share of a national championship this century; each has a quarterback who has won college football's most prestigious award, with Oklahoma's Jason White winning the Heisman Trophy last season; each has a tailback who was a finalist for the Heisman, Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson finishing second, USC's Reggie Bush fifth; each has six All-Americans determined by at least one media outlet.

For the first time, Heisman winners face each other in the national title game. The Orange Bowl also matches up the teams that were the consensus No.1 and No.2 since the opening game.

These programs have combined for 13 wire service national championships. And it is the first time in 19 years, since Barry Switzer and Oklahoma defeated Joe Paterno and Penn State in the Orange Bowl, that coaches who have won titles have met with another at stake.

Oklahoma's Bob Stoops guided the Sooners to a national title with a victory over Florida State four years ago in the Orange Bowl; last season, USC's Pete Carroll gained a share of the title with a Rose Bowl victory.

"I don't want to say we are mirror images of each other, but there are a lot of similarities in style of play," Stoops said.

And the statistics are nearly identical: USC averages 442.8 yards and 36.8 points; Oklahoma averages 469.6 yards and 36.1 points. USC allows 271.6 yards and 12.5 points; Oklahoma surrenders 280.2 yards and 13.7 points.

Take the quarterbacks. In the past two seasons, Leinart has completed 506 passes, White 509. Leinart has thrown for 6,456 yards, White for 6,807. Leinart has 66 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, White 73 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Leinart is 23-1 as a starter over the past two years, White 24-2.

"Our numbers are so comparable in points allowed and yardage and all of those areas on both sides that it takes the same kind of makeup," Carroll said. "There's just tons of similarities."

This will be the seventh bowl meeting of unbeaten, untied teams in the past 30 years. The Trojans have been ranked No.1 in the Associated Press Top 25 for 17 straight weeks, the third-longest streak dating to 1936. They have been in the AP Top 10 in their past 31 games. The Sooners have been in the Top 10 for 51 of their past 52 games dating to October 2000.

The Sooners are appearing in their third national title game in the past five years and are 60-6 in that time. They lost to LSU last January in the Sugar Bowl, last season's BCS title game. USC has won 32 of its past 33 games.

Both teams have been dominant this season. Though USC and Oklahoma had their moments, neither needed last-second heroics to pull out a victory. Each trailed just once going into the fourth quarter, and neither trailed in the final six minutes of any game.

"This is awesome," Oklahoma receiver Mark Clayton said. "I think it's the greatest national championship ever. I don't think there's ever been four (Heisman) finalists in the same game together. There's going to be a lot of explosion, a lot of excitement, a lot of great players on the field."