BCS Bowl Projections: 10 Reasons the Auburn Tigers Will Beat the Oregon Ducks
With one more game to play for both Oregon and Auburn, it looks like these two teams are on their way to facing off against one another for the BCS National Championship on January 10, 2011.
These two teams are very evenly matched with not one significant advantage going to either team. The biggest advantage is in points allowed per game with Auburn allowing 25.6 PPG and Oregon allowing 18.3. When factoring in competition, that difference isn't that big of a deal because Oregon shutout New Mexico and Portland State. Plus, three of the teams that they faced (UCLA, Washington and Cal) all ranked 72nd or lower in points per game in the FBS.
It all comes down to this Saturday when Auburn plays South Carolina for the SEC Championship and Oregon plays Oregon State in the annual Civil War Game. Here are the 10 Reasons That Auburn Will Beat Oregon In The National Championship Game.
Offensive Dynamic
1 of 10
I know that Oregon scores the most points per game in the country with 50.5 PPG. However, I think that Auburn's offense has been underrated by some. All the talk is about Cam Newton, and deservedly so, but he isn't the whole team and they have averaged 41.6 PPG in a superior conference. I think that Auburn, while not as explosive as Oregon, can score points with any team in the country. That factor only serves to help Auburn in a game like this.
Defensive Efficiency
2 of 10
Neither team is an elite defensive team, in fact, both teams have looked mediocre at times. However, Auburn can say that they played seven games against teams that rank in the top 50 in the nation in points per game. By contrast, Oregon played four games against teams in the top 50. Auburn, in their biggest game so far, against Alabama looked bad in the first half. They came out in the second half and gave up only three points en route to that stunning comeback victory.
The Better Playmaker
3 of 10
Cam Newton is the most dynamic playmaker in the country. He has thrown for 24 touchdowns and completing passes at a near 68 percent rate. He has run for over 1300 yards and 18 touchdowns. He can beat you with his arm or with his legs. He has been the best player in the country since the first game of the season. Forget about the off-field issues, when he is playing football there is no one in the country that is better.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Better Coaching
4 of 10
Gene Chizik has turned all the skeptics into believers in a very short time. The recruiting classes in his two years at Auburn have ranked 19th and fourth. He has been able to get the most out of his talent in such a short time there. At the time that Chizik was hired, he was not a popular choice and many people were angered at it. Now, two years later he has transformed himself into one of the elite coaches in the nation.
The Luck Factor
5 of 10
When you are playing any sport, you have to have some luck in order to win a championship. Every team has had that at some point in the year. This year, Auburn got their luck in their biggest game. They were punched in the mouth early at Alabama, facing a 24-0 deficit. They were able to adjust and comeback for the 28-27 victory. That could have been adjustments made but the moon and the stars in the sky tend to line up for these national title teams.
Level Of Competition
6 of 10
In the 13 games that Auburn will play, five will have been against ranked teams (South Carolina 2x, Arkansas, LSU and Alabama). They play in the SEC, which has been the best conference in the country by far for the last decade. Oregon played one team that will finish the season ranked in the top 25 (Stanford). The Pac-10 has been a down conference this year with only two really good teams.
Oregon's More One-Dimensional
7 of 10
For all that LaMichael James has done this year, he is only a running back. He has been great this year with 1548 rushing yards and 19 rushing TD's. But he is only a running back. Are you game planning for Darron Thomas? He hasn't shown enough to warrant the kind of respect that you would like from a quarterback. Maybe he can be that guy, maybe Oregon can run all over Auburn and put them away on the back of LaMichael James. Personally, it would be better if Oregon had more of a balanced attack. They are too run-oriented and if they fall too far behind in the second half, they could run out of time.
Before I get hate mail from Duck fans, I know that Thomas played brilliantly in the Stanford game. That was one game and he did show a lot, but he still doesn't scare me for some reason. If he plays like that against Auburn, I would be the first to admit that I was wrong and eat my words. But until then, I don't see it.
Auburn Has Overcome Adversity Already
8 of 10
First, it was the Cam Newton allegations: How could this team come out and play when their star quarterback was having to deal with all of these stories that he took money and that he was cheating on tests at Florida? They came out and dominated Georgia.
Then, everyone was picking Alabama to beat Auburn and ruin their hopes of a national title. Alabama opened up the game fast and furious and looked like they would prove everyone right. But Auburn would not be denied and wound up dominating the second half against Alabama to put another exclamation point on what has been an astounding season so far.
What Happens When You Are Smacked In The Face?
9 of 10
Both of these teams have had a game where they were smacked early and they were smacked often. For Oregon, that game happened when they played Stanford. The Cardinal jumped out to a 21-3 lead after the first quarter. Oregon woke up after that and outscored Stanford 48-10 in the final three quarters.
Auburn has been smacked in the face, and I keep coming back to it, against Alabama. That was as impressive a performance by a team as I have seen all year. They were down 24-0 in their biggest game, against their biggest rival, against one of the best teams in the country. They came back on Alabama's home field. That was the biggest thing, they did to 'Bama in 'Bama. To have that comeback in that stadium was something special.
Team Of Destiny
10 of 10
Watching these two teams, I am reminded of the Texas-USC National Title Game. USC was this high-powered, high-octane team that played a lot like this Oregon team plays, only USC had better playmakers all-around. Texas had the quarterback that could run and throw and a bunch of other solid players. Auburn has that kind of quarterback and they have that feel to them like they are going to beat anyone that they play, no matter what the stakes. I think that Auburn can contain this Oregon team and they have the athletes to get the better of them in this game.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
