PASADENA — Kirk Robertson looks like a center. He stands thick and square, a good bit of lineman's gut protruding over his belt. His hair is cut razor-short on the sides.
As the anchor of the Arizona State offense, he presides over pure havoc at the line of scrimmage--the repetitive clash of arms and legs, the chorus of pad against pad. It is a violent realm.
Yet, amid the chaos, Robertson plays a thinking man's game.
In the moments before each snap, he must assess the defense and call adjustments to the other offensive linemen. As the play unfolds, he must account for pulling guards and blitzing linebackers. Finally, he must find someone to hit.
So don't talk to Robertson about savoring the hoopla preceding today's Rose Bowl game against Ohio State, even though he has dreamed of this moment since he was a schoolboy just up the freeway at Simi Valley High.
"I probably won't enjoy it until three or four days after," he said. "Being the center, I'm the one who worries a lot."
Maybe that's why his coaches comment on his intelligence quotient before mentioning his brute strength. Or why teammates call the 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior--a zoology major and cellist by hobby--"Doc."
Said Sun Devil quarterback Jake Plummer: "He's the brains."
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Think of the Rose Bowl as a giant chess match with helmets. No. 2 Arizona State (11-0) averages almost 500 yards of offense behind a line that features All-American tackle Juan Roque and Robertson, named All-Pacific 10 Conference honorable mention. No. 4 Ohio State (10-1) allows only 243 yards and 10 points per game.
"We have to stay within ourselves," said Buckeye noseguard Luke Fickell, who will line up opposite Robertson. "We have to play the same sound defense that we've been playing all year."
That defense, with 35 sacks this season, will throw stunts and blitzes at Plummer. Robertson will counter by calling various blocking schemes. This task is made all the more worrisome by his quarterback's tendency to scramble from the carefully planned pocket.
In addition to the vaunted passing attack, the Sun Devils average 248 yards rushing. "We can't get out of control trying to rush the passer," Fickell said. "People think that West Coast teams only pass, but they've been successful at everything they've done this year."
Added Robertson with a grin: "I think it will be a great matchup."
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