BCS National Championship 2011: 10 Things You Need To Know
Cam Newton’s No. 1 Auburn Tigers against Darron Thomas and LaMichael James’ No. 2 Oregon Ducks.
The match-up most of us have been waiting to see all season will finally take place on January 10 2011 in Glendale, Arizona.
Both teams remained undefeated this season and there is not a single match-up more exciting than this one.
The BCS got it right this year, giving us what we wanted: two undefeated powerhouses with Heisman hopefuls and a couple of excellent defensemen on each side of the ball.
The BCS Championship can’t come soon enough, but what are the things we need to know heading into the coveted Bowl game?
10. Oregon’s Late Season First Half Woes
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Although the Ducks went into halftime with a lead against Oregon St. last week, the Ducks had issues starting off slowly in the weeks leading up to their regular season finale.
In their win over Washington, they went into halftime up 18-6.
In their close win over California, they led 8-7 after the first half.
Against Arizona, they trailed by five going into half time before rallying in the second half to outscore Arizona 34-10.
If Oregon starts off slowly against Cam Newton’s Tigers, they may not be able to rally back. Cam Newton will keep the pedal to the metal with the Championship on the line.
Oregon needs to come out prepared, focused and determined to light up the scoreboard from the opening kickoff if they want to win this game.
9. Oregon’s Backup RB Kenjon Barner
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Lost in the LaMichael James Heisman campaign is Oregon’s back up running back Kenjon Barner. People don’t realize that this sophomore is an extremely talented back.
With just 80 touches on the year, Barner has rushed for 519 yards and six touchdowns for an average of 6.5 yards per carry. He caught just 11 passes but they went for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Barner is quick, agile and very fast.
Essentially, Oregon doesn’t suffer any setback when Barner spells James.
Barner is a potential x-factor for Oregon on offense and special teams as he has the skills to take one back to the house.
8. Auburn’s “Other” Rushers
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Cam Newton is the primary ball carrier for Auburn. He is too strong for secondary defenders and too quick for linebackers. Even if a linebacker decided to test Newton, they wouldn’t have the easiest time getting this freak of an athlete to the ground. Still, many forget that Auburn actually has a very capable running back core.
Freshman Michael Dyer has picked up 950 yards and five touchdowns on 160 carries. Dyer is a nice compliment to Newton.
Sophomore Onterio McCalebb and Senior Mario Fannin are the runners that truly make the most of their touches. With just 89 carries, McCalebb ran for 763 and nine touchdowns. Fannin, with just 61 carries recorded 395 yards and five touchdowns.
With the focus locked in on Newton, these are the backs that are going to be needed to pick up any slack. Good thing for Auburn, he has the talent to do so.
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7. Oregon Not as Battle Tested as Auburn
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Oregon is simply not as battled tested heading into the BCS Championship game as one would expect from such a powerhouse.
Yes, they were in “tough” matchups with Stanford and USC but coasted in the second half. Their closest win was a two-point victory over California in which everyone thought the blue print was developed on how to stop the Ducks. They were wrong, as Arizona and Oregon St. couldn’t follow suit.
Auburn, however, bested five ranked teams this season. They took down South Carolina twice, Arkansas, LSU, and Alabama. Their most impressive win came in the Iron Bowl against Alabama when they won 28-27.
The most important thing to take away is that the Tigers, in each and every game, found ways to win.
Oregon rarely had to figure that out as they cruised through the season, for the most part.
6. Can Auburn Continue its Late Game Heroics?
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Auburn has been one of the most resilient teams this season, somehow coming back in most of their games to stay undefeated on the season.
It started against Clemson when they were down 17-3 at half. They scored 21 points in the third quarter and won the game in overtime.
The following week against South Carolina, they were down 20-14 at halftime. They outscored the Gamecock 21-7 in the second half to stay undefeated.
On the road against Kentucky, they gave up the lead in the third quarter and won on a field goal with two seconds remaining.
Against Arkansas, Auburn scored four fourth quarter touchdowns to win 65-43.
Auburn took a 24-17 lead over LSU with just over five minutes to go to seal the victory.
Their win over Alabama was easily their most impressive win of the season. Auburn trailed 24-7 going into halftime. Their BCS Championship hopes appeared to be fading. Yet they outscored Alabama 21-3 in the second half to take the improbable victory.
Those are six wins this season that Auburn needed to comeback from behind at some point in the second half to win the game.
Is it possible that Cam Newton could recreate that magic a seventh time if they fall behind to the powerhouse Ducks?
5. Both Programs Finally Given Proper Respect
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Oregon and Auburn have both craved this opportunity for years.
They have both been snubbed in the past. The past is the past though.
Both of these programs are entering this game with a ton of pride. Each team will give it their all to bring the coveted Championship to their school and its fans. This is going to make for the most intense and exciting game of the season.
4. Overlooked Defenses Key Factor
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The offenses for both teams are receiving all of the praise. Most likely, this game will have to come down to one of the two defenses creating a turnover or huge stop to determine the game. Luckily for the fans, each team has one of the better college football defenders in the nation.
Linebacker Casey Matthews is the best playmaker on defense for the Ducks, resembling Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews. Casey Matthews will most likely be responsible for the daunting task of shadowing Cam Newton.
Nick Fairley is a monster for the Tigers. Against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Fairley sacked quarterback Greg McElroy, forcing and recovering a fumble at Auburn’s own eight-yard line that change the dynamic of the game.
3. Darron Thomas, Oregon QB
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In another season, Darron Thomas would most likely be eligible for the Heisman trophy. He had an excellent season leading the Ducks. Thomas completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2518 yards, 28 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 492 yards and five touchdowns.
Thomas is a dual threat talent with a big arm. Against an Auburn secondary that can be lit up, Thomas will put on a show during the BCS Championship.
2. LaMichael James, Oregon RB
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LaMichael James had an amazing season but will lose the Heisman to Cam Newton. Still doesn’t take away from the performances James put together this year. James carried the rock 281 times for 1682 yards and 21 touchdowns. He led the nation in rushing yards and touchdowns. The electrifying runner will be counted on to control the clock to keep Cam Newton off the field. If there is any runner to do so this season, James is that man.
1. Cam Newton, Auburn QB
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The LeBron James of college football.Cam Newton is simply a freak of an athlete.
He is too big, strong and fast at the quarterback position. He has great field vision to go along with his strong, accurate arm. He has even shown the ability to catch the football as he has a receiving touchdown under his belt this season.
For the year, Newton completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 2589 yards, 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He included 1409 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. Newton did it all and deserves every bit of praise he receives.
Our Heisman winner is going to put on an incredible, memorable show on this grand stage.
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