BCS National Championship Game 2011: 10 Reasons Auburn Will Beat Oregon
The wait is almost over. The BCS National Championship Game is inching closer.
If you can't wait for the game to be played, I have just the thing for you. In the next 10 slides, I am going to show you why the Tigers will prevail over the Ducks.
Of course, if you prefer to be surprised as you watch the game, you should probably stop reading now.
10. Auburn Has Time to Prepare for the Oregon Attack
1 of 10
The Ducks play the entire game in two-minute mode. They avoid huddling like it is the plague. As a consequence, defenses never get an opportunity to get set and are often confused.
However, the Ducks' offense is fairly simple. They do not have a deep playbook.
The increased preparation time was a problem for the Ducks in last year's Rose Bowl. Ohio State was able to slow down the Ducks' offense and held them to 17 points.
9. Auburn's Defensive Line Will Win the Point of Attack
2 of 10
Auburn's defensive line has shown the ability to take over games. DT Nick Fairley will be the best defensive player on the field. If Auburn can consistently take away the middle of the field, the Ducks' offense is going to be limited.
The Tigers' defensive line can also pressure the quarterback. While the Ducks prefer to run, if Auburn can pressure them when they do pass, they could create some turnovers.
8. Auburn's Diverse Offensive Attack
3 of 10
Auburn's offense can attack defenses in multiple ways. They feature speedy running backs and a bruising QB. They pair this with an accomplished passing game.
Cam Newton's passing has progressed with the season. He has also benefited from talented receivers. Darvin Adams caught over 900 yards' worth of passes on the season, and his speed and skill command a double team when he goes long.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. The Ducks Will Not Be Able to Wear Out the Auburn Defense
4 of 10
The Ducks' dominance and margin of victory was largely reliant on their incredible second-half performances. Their lightning-quick attack wears teams out and leaves them vulnerable to the big plays.
Auburn is a deep team, and it will be able to keep a good rotation. While Oregon makes it impossible to rotate during drives, Auburn can rotate players from drive to drive without suffering the talent level drop-off that Oregon's past opponents have.
6. The Ducks Will Miss Their Home Cooking
5 of 10
The Ducks enjoy one of the greatest home field advantages in all of college football. The noise, combined with their dizzying attack, helps to keep the opposition off balance.
The Ducks did not enjoy nearly the margin of victory on the road that they did at home. Their average yards on the ground is over 130 yards less on the road than it is at home.
5. Auburn Will Be More Familiar with Oregon's Attack
6 of 10
Oregon brings a unique version of the spread offense to the national championship game, but the spread is something that Auburn has had to deal with throughout the course of their season.
They have played several opponents in the SEC that have many spread option plays in their offense.The Ducks, meanwhile, play in a conference that is almost entirely built on pro-style offenses.
4. Nick Fairley Will Have the Game of His Life
7 of 10
We've already touched on the potential impact of Auburn's D-line and Fairley's impact on that line. He is worth noting twice. Fairley's NFL draft status has been on a steady incline. While he has some character issues looming over his head, he has the potential to be a top five pick.
No one is more aware of this than Fairley. He knows that a dominant performance in the championship game will earn him millions of dollars. There will not be another player on the field with more incentive. When motivated, Fairley has shown the ability to take over games.
3. Oregon Will Suffer from a Uniform Malfunction
8 of 10
Well, it was too much for me. I couldn't get through a whole slideshow without mentioning the Ducks' uniforms. While the following scenario is highly unlikely, if it was ever going to happen, it would happen to the Ducks.
Oregon will change uniforms at halftime. The color scheme of their new uniforms is going to be so violently obnoxious that it will strike almost every Duck player with temporary paralysis before they can take the field for the second half.
2. Auburn Is Battle-Tested
9 of 10
Auburn has already played five games against teams in the Top 20. They were on the brink of losing their season to defending champion Alabama. They have been in several close games against top-tier teams, and they have even had to come back to win them.
This experience will be invaluable on college football's biggest stage.
On the flip side, Oregon only has one game against a Top 20 team. Granted, it was against No. 4 Stanford, and they demolished them 52-31. The Ducks only played one close game all year, and that was a 15-13 victory against unranked California.
1. Cam Newton
10 of 10
Cam Newton won the Heisman by a landslide. He did so by being far and away the nation's best player. He has the experience and the skills.
At the end of the day, in a close game, Auburn has the best player in the land preparing to give his team one more victory.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
