Odrick will be at center of Penn State-Ohio State battle

THEY ARE ALL big and powerful. You don't cut it as a lineman in a major college program unless you meet certain requirements in terms of size and strength.

But XXXL physical dimensions are about the only tie that binds offensive linemen to their rowdier defensive counterparts. A mental divide separates those who play on one side of the ball or the other, a divide created by a player's natural proclivities or a coach's assessment of his nature.

Almost everyone agrees that Saturday afternoon's nationally televised Big Ten showdown between No. 11 Penn State (8-1, 4-1) and No. 15 Ohio State (7-2, 4-1) in Beaver Stadium will be another low-scoring war of attrition, settled in the trenches by straining giants. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are ranked first and second in the conference in virtually every team defensive category, which suggests another round of smash-mouth football. First group to hammer a crack in the other side's Wall of Jericho triumphs.

"It's almost always a situation that comes down to whoever's offensive line does the best job of controlling the defense is going to win," judged Penn State senior left tackle Dennis Landolt, of South Jersey's Holy Cross High.

That's one way of looking at it. The opposing view, of course, is that whoever's defensive line does the best job of controlling the offense is going to win. The objective is the same, but the path to that common goal is often altered by perspective.

It is axiomatic that offensive linemen and defensive linemen are, well, different. The prevailing image of o-linemen is that of orderly types who knot their ties just so, hang their clothes neatly and are very good at following directions. The best blocking fronts are all about cohesion.

D-linemen are rumpled, wild-eyed reactionaries. Oh, sure, there are general scripts they are asked to memorize, but rewrites of the game plan can occur on every snap.

"A mental component? I'm not sure," Penn State senior defensive tackle Jared Odrick said when asked what ultimately determines whether a lineman is more suited to offense or defense.

"As a defensive lineman, you always have to have the mind-set that you want to play fast, you want to play reckless. It's all about reaction and being able to go full speed. If a play goes in the opposite direction or if something happens that you weren't expecting, you have to be able to react and adjust.

"On offense, you know the play that's been called. You know the snap count. You see where the defense is lined up. You have to react on offense, but not nearly as much as you do on defense."

The 6-5, 306-pound Odrick is a bundle of combustible energy. Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley and d-line coach Larry Johnson both call him the best three-technique player in the country, but that defines the scope of his duties too narrowly. Odrick is the subject of more game-planning by opposing coaches than any other Penn State defensive player; he has to fight through double-teams on almost every play, as guys in different-colored jerseys come at him from myriad directions.

The price Odrick pays for all that attention is that he frequently gives up his body so that a teammate can fill a hole and make the stop. But every now and then, his power and quickness enable him to defeat the combo blocks, resulting in a sack or a tackle for loss. And those occasions are the most satisfying of all . . . fun, even.

Odrick has played defense since he arrived in Happy Valley in 2006, but part of the reason for Penn State's tradition of success is that the veteran coaching staff is so astute at making position changes that bring out the best in every player.

Levi Brown was an All-America left tackle at Penn State and the Arizona Cardinals' first-round draft choice in 2007, but the 6-5, 328-pounder acknowledged being disappointed when he was told, after redshirting as a freshman in 2002, that he was switching to offense.

"I loved playing defense," Brown said before his senior season with the Nits. "On defense, you just go get whoever has the ball. You can take off the wrong way, but as long as you get in on the play, everything's OK.

"Offense is different. There are more rules for offensive linemen. You can't hold. On defense, you can pull, you can hold, throw guys on the ground if you want. On offense, you have to be more controlled. You have to keep things more on the inside."

Reminded of Brown's initial reluctance to switch, Odrick said he understood.

"Levi wanted to be a defensive tackle, so I can see where he was upset," Odrick said. "But I'm pretty sure he's not upset now." *