TEMPE, Ariz. - The move was made mostly out of desperation during the fourth game of the season. With his highly ranked team on the verge of being upset on the road by Cincinnati, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel told wide receiver Chris Gamble to get in there at cornerback.

It is difficult now to look at any one decision being the most crucial in the course of what has turned out to be an undefeated season for the second-ranked Buckeyes, but using Gamble on defense and offense helped put Ohio State on the brink of a national championship.

The sophomore from Sunrise, Fla., is expected to play a significant role in Friday's matchup with No. 1 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Considering he will be on the field at Sun Devil Stadium more than anyone else, he could play the biggest role.

"I just love the game of football, and I just want to be on the field as I much as I can," Gamble said during a news conference yesterday.

The genesis of Gamble's playing defense as well as offense occurred during spring practice, when Tressel ran a drill in which receivers became defensive backs. Gamble found himself covering strong safety Michael Doss.

The first pass intended for Doss was knocked away by Gamble. The coaches took notice.

"They liked my technique and my footwork at cornerback," recalled Gamble, who had played the position in high school. "I just wanted to do anything I could to help the team."

Gamble started the season playing exclusively at wide receiver. But when freshman E.J. Underwood got burned for a couple of long passes against Cincinnati, Tressel tried Gamble. He immediately intercepted a pass.

Gamble's interception, which prevented Cincinnati from building on its lead, helped the Buckeyes in their 23-19 comeback win. It was only a foreshadowing of the kind of season it would be for Gamble and Ohio State.

It was the first of four interceptions for Gamble, who also picked off passes against Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue. His interception against Purdue came after the Buckeyes had gone ahead with 1:36 remaining.

Gamble also caught 29 passes for 430 yards. Along with quarterback Craig Krenzel, Gamble was named the team's co-Most Valuable Player. That Gamble is being used for more than 100 plays a game - 125 against Penn State - has become part of the game plan.

"He's got pretty good ball skills, if I had to pick out one thing that stands out about him," defensive backs coach Mel Tucker said after the Cincinnati game. "It's being able to judge the ball in the deep part of the field, to play the ball and have the poise while the ball is in the air."

Gamble is now considered as important to the defense as he is to the offense, perhaps even more vital on defense.

"At this point of the season, we take it for granted," senior Matt Wilhelm, the team's All-America middle linebacker, said yesterday. "The hardest part is when Coach Tressel tries to steal him back to the offense."

While his teammates and coaches admire his versatility, it is nothing new to Gamble.

"I did it ever since I was a kid in Little League," Gamble said. "I always stayed on the field."

Gamble might have wound up staying in South Florida and going to Miami, but the Hurricanes didn't begin recruiting him until late in his senior year. Gamble said he isn't using Miami's snub as motivation, but he sure would like to shut up his friends back home.

"They all said, 'You're going to lose against Miami,' " Gamble said. "I just took that as a challenge."

Gamble's speed and athletic ability will be counted on heavily against the Hurricanes. In particular, Gamble will have to help contain Andre Johnson, who last season caught seven passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in Miami's national championship game rout of Nebraska in the Rose Bowl.

"I've just been watching film on him, and I just see how he comes off the ball and how Ken Dorsey gets him the ball," Gamble said. "I know it might be a big challenge, but I just want to go out there and watch his hips and play like I've been playing all year and just go out there and have fun.

"I know they're fast, but I think we can hang with those guys. I played against some of them [in high school], so I know what kind of speed they have and how they play. I know they're going to talk a lot of trash, so I'm already used to it. I'm going to try and stay focused."

Johnson, who caught 48 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns this season, is well aware of Gamble.

"He's a great athlete and a great player," Johnson said. "He's made a lot of big plays for them."

Gamble looks at his move to defensive back as a way to help the Buckeyes overcome one of their few deficiencies on defense, as well as a means to enhance his own prospects for the NFL. Among the players Gamble watches closely is Champ Bailey, who can play both ways for the Washington Redskins.

"If I keep doing whatever I'm doing, I think I could handle it if I do it in the NFL," Gamble said.

One thing Gamble is not considering is having a double major. Between his healthy dose of meetings and repetitions in practice, the idea of increasing his academic load would be a little daunting.

"That," he said, "would be too much."

NOTE: Retired Oriole Cal Ripken will serve as the grand marshal at tomorrow's Fiesta Bowl Parade.

Fiesta Bowl

Matchup: No. 1 Miami (12-0) vs. No. 2 Ohio State (13-0)

Site: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.

When: Friday, 8 p.m.

TV: Chs. 2, 7

Line: Miami by 12 1/2