Changing BCS History: 10 Game Records in Jeopardy When Ducks and Tigers Meet

The history of the Bowl Championship Series is short in length and uncertain in longevity. The BCS took took over college football nation in 1998 and has not let us go since. 

Both Oregon and Auburn fly into Glendale this January with explosive offenses and questionable defenses. Many expect the most entertaining BCS Championship game since an epic battle in 2006 between Texas and Southern California.

With Cameron Newton, LaMichael James, Nick Fairley and Cliff Harris, this matchup is certainly not short on storylines and game-breaking potential.

Here is a look at ten BCS Championship game records that could fall when the Tigers and Ducks battle for a national title. 

Individual Rushing Touchdowns (3)

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 04: Running back LenDale White #21 of the USC Trojans scores on a 4-yard run against Michael Griffin #27 of the Texas Longhorns in the first quarter during the BCS National Championship Rose Bowl Game on January 4, 2006 in Pasadena

Set in the same game, two players share this honor. Vince Young of Texas and LenDale White of Southern California each rushed for three touchdowns in the 2006 Rose Bowl. 

Both Cam Newton and LaMichael James have a great chance of meeting or breaking this record. James leads the nation in scoring and Newton has the ability to score anytime the Tigers reach the red zone.

Both players have scored more then three touchdowns in a game several times this year. 

Longest Touchdown Run (65)

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NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 07: Chris Wells #28 of the Ohio State Buckeyes runs for a 65-yard touchdown in the first quarter against Craig Steltz #16 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the AllState BCS National Championship on January 7, 2008 at t

Never known for his speed, Chris "Beanie" Wells ran for a 65-yard touchdown run against LSU in the 2008 BCS Championship game. 

Auburn's Cam Newton has recorded rushing gains of 71 and 54 yards this season. Tiger running back Onterio McCalebb has contributed with big gains of 70 and 68 yards.

LaMichael James has shown his speed with runs of 76, 72 and 66 for the Ducks. A possible wild card: Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff broke free for an 85-yard touchdown run against Arizona in late November. 

Most Points Scored By One Team (55)

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USC quarterback Matt Leinart gets behind the center during the FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida on January 4, 2005. USC beat Oklahoma 55-19. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

The Trojans capped off an unbeaten season with a 55-19 drubbing of Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl. The 55 points scored by USC broke the previous record held by Florida State of 46 in the 2000 Sugar Bowl.

Both Auburn and Oregon have a great opportunity to break this record. The Ducks are first in the nation averaging 49.1 points per game and Tigers are sixth nationally at 43.2. 

Auburn and Oregon have both surpassed the 55-point mark three times this season. 

Total Yards Gained By One Team (574)

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 04: Kicker Mario Danelo #19, center, of the USC Trojans looks to the stands during the national anthem before the start of the BCS National Championship Rose Bowl Game between the Trojans and the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl on

In a losing effort, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White helped the Trojans amass 574 total yards in the 2006 Rose Bowl against Texas. In that game, the Trojans gained 209 yards on the ground and 365 through the air. 

If a shootout erupts in Glendale, this mark held by the Trojans is likely to fall. The Oregon offense is second nationally averaging 537.2 yards per game. The Ducks average 303.5 on the ground and 238.1 through the air.

The Auburn offense averages 497.7 total yards per game. The Tigers are balanced, averaging 287.2 yards rushing and 221.2 yards passing per game this season. 

Longest Punt Return (71)

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3 Jan 2002: DeJuan Groce #5 of Nebraska runs up the sidelines for a touchdown on a kick return scoring Nebraska's second during the Rose Bowl National Championship game against Miami at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Miami won the game 37-14,

In one of the few bright spots for Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl, DeJuan Groce returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown against Miami. 

Only one player in this game will have a chance to test Groce's record.  

The Auburn punt return game is downright depressing with a team-long of 18 yards this season. 

On the other hand, Oregon's Cliff Harris has returned four punts for touchdowns in 2010. He averages 16.2 yards per return and holds a long of 79 yards on the season. 

Individual Receptions (11)

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TEMPE, AZ - JANUARY 3: Tight end Kellen Winslow #81 of the University of Miami Hurricanes catches the team's only overtime touchdown against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on January 3, 2003 in Tempe, Arizona

In an epic game, Kellen Winslow Jr. caught eleven passes from Ken Dorsey in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. It wasn't enough for the Hurricanes as they fell to Ohio State 31-24 in double overtime. 

The record of eleven receptions may be the toughest to reach in this year's game.

Oregon's Jeff Maehl holds a career high of 11 from a 2009 contest and caught eight passes or more in a game three times this season.

On the other side, Terrell Zachery and Darvin Adams will need career nights to even come close to this mark. 

Combined Total Team Points (79)

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 04: Reggie Bush #5 of the USC Trojans runs past Michael Griffin #27, Drew Kelson #4 and Aaron Ross #31 of the Texas Longhorns en route to scoring a 26 yeard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the BCS National Championship Rose Bowl

In a back-and-forth battle, Texas and Southern California combined to score a total of 79 points in the 2006 Rose Bowl. The Longhorns came out on top 41-38 over the Trojans. 

While Oregon plays respectable defense, the jury is still out on Auburn. If the offensive output of both teams hold true to form, this mark is in desperate jeopardy. Together the Tigers and Ducks combine for 92.3 points per game.

Tempo of play, ball control and motivated defensive play is the only thing that can keep this record from falling. 

Individual Rushing Yards (200)

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 04: Vince Young #10 of the Texas Longhorns runs past Frostee Rucker #90 of the USC Trojans to score a touchdown and put the Longhorns up by one in the final moments of the BCS National Championship Rose Bowl Game at the Rose Bowl o

Another record was set in the 2006 Rose Bowl when Texas quarterback Vince Young rushed for 200 yards on 19 attempts. Most importantly, Young rushed for a late fourth-quarter touchdown to give his team the victory. 

LaMichael James leads the nation in rushing with 1,682 yards and topped 200 yards in a game three times this season.

Cam Newton rushed for 217 yards against LSU in October and nearly reached the mark three other times in 2010. 

Longest Interception Return (54)

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4 Jan 1999: Dwayne Goodrich #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers in action during the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Seminoles 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Jed

In the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, Dwayne Goodrich of Tennessee intercepted a Florida State pass for 54 yards and a pivotal Volunteer touchdown. The SEC team would hold off the Seminoles 23-16 to claim the first-ever BCS Championship. 

Both teams have plenty of speed in the secondary to challenge this record. Cliff Harris and John Boyett of Oregon each have five picks on the season. Harris has a long of 76 yards and teammate Talmade Jackson returned a pick for 52 yards this year.

The advantage goes to the Ducks, as two Tigers have returned interceptions for only 33 yards. Linebacker Josh Bynes leads his team with three picks on the year. 

Individual Sacks (3)

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 08: Quarterback Troy Smith #10 of the Ohio State Buckeyes scrambles with the ball under pressure from Derrick Harvey #91 of the Florida Gators during the 2007 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at the University of Phoenix Sta

The Florida defense wreaked havoc on Ohio State in the 2007 BCS National Championship game. Derrick Harvey of Florida set a game record by sacking Troy Smith of Ohio State three times. 

The most likely player to test this record is Nick Fairley of Auburn. The Tiger defensive star has recorded 10.5 sacks this season.

Keep an eye out for Kenny Rowe, who sacked Terrelle Pryor three times in the 2010 Rose Bowl. Rowe has recorded six sacks this season.