By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

TEMPE, Ariz. - There's no national championship at stake for Ohio State this time in its return to the Fiesta Bowl. But at least there's a collision of another sort of No. 1 rankings to provide sizzle.

The Buckeyes own the nation's top rushing defense, allowing just 60.5 yards per game, and Kansas State's Darren Sproles leads the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. That matchup will be the marquee one Friday at Sun Devil Stadium.

Yet the Buckeyes have one other nut to crack. Wildcats quarterback Ell Roberson has rushed for 943 yards.

"They have 500 carries between the two of them and (nearly) 3,000 yards rushing," OSU defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio said. "It's two bona fide tailbacks in one backfield."

The challenge of stopping both, defensive tackle Tim Anderson said, "would be about the same as climbing Mount Everest."

Then lace up those boots, Bucks. Remember, Michigan's Chris Perry ran for 154 yards and Wisconsin's Stanley Booker for 125 against OSU. Those games are the team's two losses.

The Buckeyes' defense can't afford to cheat toward the run, for KSU is one of just seven teams in the country to average more than 200 yards a game in both rushing and passing. Roberson has thrown for 2,251 yards and 24 touchdowns.

"If they think we don't have a passing game and they want to put everybody in the box, hey, let them," Roberson said. "It'll help us out a whole lot."

In KSU's 35-7 trouncing of then-No. 1 Oklahoma, Roberson threw for 227 yards and four TDs. Sproles ran for 235 yards and a school-record 345 yards of total offense.

On the season, their combined totals are 5,142 yards and 52 TDs rushing and passing.

They rank 1-2 on the school's career rushing list: Sproles with 3,623 yards, Roberson with 2,786. Roberson, a senior, is the career leader in passing TDs (37) and rushing TDs (38).

"The best thing that happens for us on offense is that Roberson touches it on every snap," KSU co-offensive coordinator Greg Peterson said. "The next best thing is that Darren Sproles (gets) it almost as often."

Sproles, a junior who averages 6.6 yards a carry, is the first KSU running back named first-team All-America by the Associated Press.

He's listed at 5 feet 7, 170 pounds, and that appears to be generous. Yet being diminutive has advantages.

"The guy's so small, defenders can lose him in the mixup," KSU center Nick Leckey said.

Sproles is a whirling dervish, spinning and juking.

"He could make you miss him," Wildcat running backs coach Michael Smith has said, "if you were both in a phone booth."

OSU seemingly will have to summon its finest defensive effort one game after its worst. It surrendered 448 yards to Michigan.

It didn't register a sack, and All-America defensive end Will Smith had just one tackle. OSU's leading tacklers were defensive backs Will Allen and Nate Salley, meaning the Wolverines' offensive line got through the OSU front and tied up the linebackers.

"We had so many expectations going into that game, and we let ourselves down," Allen said.

Said Dantonio: "We didn't tackle well. Then we lost our confidence a bit. We lost our emotion. ... That's not the way we play defense."

E-mail nschmidt@enquirer.com