BCS Championship Game: 10 Reasons Why Auburn Has No Chance of Beating Oregon
As we all look forward to the No. 1 Auburn Tigers and No. 2 Oregon Ducks facing off in the BCS Championship Game on Jan. 10 in Glendale, AZ, Heisman winner Cameron Newton has been the talk of the college football season.
This year, the electric junior QB became the second player in NCAA history to pass for at least 20 touchdowns and rush for at least 20 touchdowns in a single season.
He's captured the country's attention and in the process shined a spotlight on the Auburn Tigers football program.
But is he enough to beat the Oregon Ducks on Jan. 10?
People seem to be forgetting that they have a mighty fine football team in Oregon, as well.
Here are 10 Reasons Why Auburn Has No Chance of Beating Oregon.
10. Oregon Is Ranked First in Scoring
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With all the hub-bub about Cam Newton, a lot of people seem to forget that the better offense in terms of points per game is Oregon.
Oregon has scored 49.3 points per game this season, good for tops in the country.
Auburn, even with Newton, is ranked sixth, and is averaging about a touchdown less per game.
Auburn has Newton, but Oregon has the better collective offense.
9. Oregon Is Out to Prove Something
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The Oregon Ducks, despite being the No. 1 team in the nation for most of the season, have been overshadowed by Cameron Newton (not to mention Newton's Tigers overtook the Ducks for the No. 1 spot).
Despite having the best offense in the nation and one of the top defenses, the Ducks still haven't gotten the credit they deserve this season.
It's understandable given Newton's prowess, but the Ducks nevertheless must feel a bit slighted going into the championship game.
This will work in their favor.
Note: This photo is of running back LaMichael James at the Heisman ceremony.
8. Oregon Is Ranked 14th in Defense
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Given the Ducks' offensive prowess, you can easily overlook their defense.
But their defense is a good one, giving up 18.4 points per game and ranked 14th in the nation.
Andrew Luck and the Stanford Cardinal—who score 40 points a game—scored 31 against the Ducks.
Not only do the Ducks allow few points, they also create a bunch of turnovers, which I will get to later.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Cam Newton Can't Do It All By Himself
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In the Tigers' come-from-behind victory against Alabama, Cam Newton showed he can score against a top defense.
The only problem facing the Ducks is that he's going to have to score a lot more.
The Ducks' offense is no joke and he may have to score 40-plus points to win the game.
That's a tall order for a player who clearly IS the Auburn Tigers' offense.
6. Oregon Is Ranked Fourth in Rushing
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The Oregon Ducks average 303.5 rushing yards per game behind LaMichael James.
That not only can move the chains, it can also keep the ball out of the opposing teams' hands.
Keeping the ball out of Cam Newton's hands as much as possible would be a good idea.
The Ducks have the ability to give the Tigers a time-of-possession battle like they've never seen before.
5. LaMichael James Is a Better Rusher Than Cam Newton
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Let's face it, Cam Newton IS the Tigers rushing attack.
And LaMichael James is the Ducks rushing attack.
Except James is a better rusher, meaning the Ducks hold the edge in one phase of offense.
Sure, a scrambling QB is a bit different than a running back in a formation, but it's basically the same at this point.
Teams know Newton likes to run, and they adjust their defenses accordingly.
But James is harder to stop on the ground than Newton.
4. Location, Location, Location
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Although Glendale, Ariz., is technically supposed to be a neutral location, let's not kid ourselves: Arizona is a lot closer to Oregon than it is to Alabama.
Oregon fans won't mind heading down the coast to cheer the Ducks on. Auburn fans from Alabama will have to make quite the trek.
I fully expect to see a large majority of Oregon fans rooting on the Ducks, thus making it a "home" game for the team.
3. Oregon Is 5th in Interceptions
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Not only does Oregon allow only 18.4 points per game, the Ducks also are fifth in the nation in interceptions with 20 on the season.
They have the ability to take possessions away from teams and give the Ducks good field position in the process.
This, coupled with their ability to control time of possession with their run game, could topple the Tigers.
2. Oregon Can Get to Cam Newton
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The Oregon Ducks were able to get to the quarterback pretty regularly this season, with 31 sacks on the year.
Compare that to the Alabama Crimson Tide, who gave up few points but were also not the best at getting to the quarterback and creating pressure, with just 22 sacks on the year.
Not only does Oregon have a good secondary, it also can get to Cam Newton.
1. Auburn's D Can't Stop Oregon
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Auburn is ranked 54th in the nation, giving up 24.5 points per game.
That's not going to get it down against the Oregon offense.
This defense has yet to see an offense of Oregon's caliber, and I think it's going to get exposed in Glendale.
Sure, Tigers defensive tackle Nick Fairley is a beast, but I don't see him being a one-man wrecking crew.
The rest of the defense is going to have to have its best performance of the year, and even then, it's going to be hard to stop the Mighty Ducks.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
