Football coaches love defense.

Butler County area football coaches are no different. When 10 head coaches were asked which team is going to win Super Bowl XLIII, every one of them chose the Steelers.

And defense was the reason every time.

"It's real simple,"Slippery Rock University coach George Mihalik said. "Offense wins games. Defense wins championships. Pittsburgh's defense has been nothing short of outstanding."

Grove City High School coach Jeff Bell agreed.

"At any level of football, the team with the best defense wins the game," he said. "I don't think Arizona's protection will hold up. They haven't faced a team that can bring the heat like Pittsburgh can."

Knoch coach Mike King echoed those sentiments, saying, "the Steelers will pose problems the Cardinals haven't seen."

In the first 42 Super Bowl games, the Most Valuable Player award has gone to a defensive player just seven times.

Only three coaches believe Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be named MVPof this game. The other seven selected a defensive player:James Harrison, Troy Polamalu or James Farrior.

"The Steelers will keep that Arizona high-powered offense under control,"Union coach Jeremy Lipps said. "The Cardinals will put the ball in the air a lot, giving Polamalu a chance to have a major impact on this game."

Karns City coach Ed Conto also believes Polamalu will earn MVPhonors, but uses a different logic.

"It's the 43rd Super Bowl and (Polamalu) is No. 43,"Conto said, laughing. "There's no way Arizona's going to be able to run the ball. And if you can't run the ball, you can't win."

Slippery Rock High coach Clyde Conti said Harrison will be MVP"because he'll probably force a turnover or two and get a couple of sacks."

Conti said the Steelers' rugged schedule this season will pay dividends in the Super Bowl.

"That team has faced and overcome a lot of adversity,"he mentioned.

Conti formerly coached at Clarion-Limestone High School. During his career, he watched Cardinals offensive lineman Reggie Wells play for Clarion University and Arizona wide receivers coach Mike Miller go through the school's football program as well.

Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said the Steelers have the perfect formula for winning a championship game.

"Any team that can play defense and run the ball is tailor-made for a game like this,"he said. "The Steelers won't make mistakes offensively and I don't see any team scoring 28 points on that defense."

Mars coach Scott Heinauer picks the most lopsided score of all the coaches. He has the Steelers winning by a 28-10 count.

"Pittsburgh's defense is playing very, very well, as is the Arizona offense,"Heinauer said. "But anytime you've got a good offense against a good defense, I think the defense will prevail."

Moniteau coach Jeff Campbell preaches defense and likes the versatility of the Steelers' unit.

"Those guys make so many big plays,"Campbell said. "They're going to have (Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt) guessing. ... Are they gonna blitz us?Are they gonna sit back in coverage? Who's coming from where?"

Freeport coach John Gaillot thinks Roethlisberger will be the ultimate difference-maker.

"I'm a little concerned about Pittsburgh's offense because they haven't always been able to run the ball this year like they have in the past," he said. "But if Ben's able to scramble, I don't think Arizona can cover everybody.

"With a quick-strike team like the Cardinals, you have to control that clock. That's the mentality. Roethlisberger will find a way to do it."

Even if Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald finds his way to the end zone, he may not be enough.

"Fitzgerald has 12 touchdowns this year and that's impressive, but it's still less than one per game,"King reasoned. "The Steelers have shown resiliency. They've come out in the fourth quarter and bounced back many times.

"They're not going to be rattled by anything that happens to them in this game."

Here is how area football coaches view Super Bowl XLIII:<B>Coach Winner Score MVP</B>Jeff McAnallen (Butler) Steelers 31-17 Ben RoethlisbergerGeorge Mihalik (SRU) Steelers 24-13 Troy PolamaluClyde Conti (Slippery Rock) Steelers 20-17 James HarrisonJeremy Lipps (Union) Steelers 24-17 Troy PolamaluScott Heinauer (Mars) Steelers 28-10 Ben RoethlisbergerEd Conto (Karns City) Steelers 17-10 Troy PolamaluJohn Gaillot (Freeport) Steelers 24-20 Ben RoethlisbergerJeff Bell (Grove City) Steelers 23-13 James FarriorMike King (Knoch) Steelers 28-17 James HarrisonJeff Campbell (Moniteau) Steelers 21-14 James Harrison