Hands-On Approach Is Heaven-Sent for USC

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — If USC wins the Orange Bowl, it will be on an ankle and a prayer.

That became official Sunday when LenDale White said that his sprained right ankle had been healed by treatment that was, well, heavenly.

"A miracle," he said.

It will be a miracle if any Oklahoma players believe it, but they will have to tackle it, so they might want to grab a pew and pay attention.

The event occurred Thursday in the swimming pool at the team hotel. A group of players were questioning White about the injury that had kept him off the field for nearly a month.

Into the bunch swam Glena Carroll, wife of Coach Pete Carroll.

According to White, she summoned him to the side and asked him to stick his ankle into the water.

"She put her hands on it and prayed over it," he said.

And then?

"The next day, I woke up and the ankle felt better than it had for days."

For real?

"It's crazy, but I went out the next day and it didn't hurt."

Glena Carroll?

"She's probably my guardian angel."

Pete Carroll says that makes two of them. Not that he's completely buying the idea that his wife has certain powers, but ...

"All I know is, I'm very rarely sick," he said with a grin.

No matter what one believes, Glena Carroll certainly had the right idea last week, conveying with her hands a truth that many are uncomfortable speaking.

LenDale White may be the Trojans' most important player in this game.

He is the pull cord on Reggie Bush's engine.

He is the man in Matt Leinart's Heisman.

He is the default setting on Norm Chow's computer.

"If our offense was a courtroom," said tackle John Drake, "LenDale White would be the gavel."

The second question in the first news conference of the week was about White, posed to Pete Carroll, who was asked about the effect of White's possible absence.

"You'll get to see a lot more of Reggie Bush basically," Carroll said. "I don't know that that's a bad thing for us."

He smiled, and everyone chuckled, but, on the contrary, it might indeed be a bad thing for them.

The Trojans need a punishing ground attack to keep Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson off the field.

But Bush has carried the ball more than 15 times once this season; White has done it seven times.

"White is their control back, that big body," said Oklahoma linebacker Lance Mitchell. "I haven't seen Bush carry that load."