BCS National Championship Game: 10 Reasons Auburn Will Beat Oregon
The BCS National Championship Game is now under two weeks away. Two undefeated teams, Oregon and Auburn, will square off in what's expected to be a shootout and very exciting game to watch. Both teams have their playmakers in LaMichael James and Cam Newton, and both teams are hungry to win their team's first BCS championship, and first championship period for Oregon.
Yesterday I wrote an article on why Oregon should beat Auburn. Today, I'm arguing the other side of the equation. The two teams both have their strengths and weaknesses, and it will make for an exciting match either way. In Auburn's case, here are 10 reasons why they will beat Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game.
Coaching
1 of 10
Chip Kelly's a great coach for Oregon, I don't doubt that. Gene Chizik has been great for Auburn so far as well. What separates the two, however, is their coordinators, namely on offense. Gus Malzahn is likely the best offensive mind in college football today, which is saying something since he's facing his competition in that department.
While defensive coordinator Ted Roof has not been as great as Malzahn, he has helped to make Nick Fairley a household name this year. This entire coaching staff, now in its second year, is clearly clicking quite well.
SEC
2 of 10
Auburn plays its conference games in the SEC. This means the Tigers have faced the toughest competition in college football, having to play LSU, Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina twice.
Oregon, meanwhile, plays in the Pac-10. Nothing wrong with a dominant win over Stanford, but the conference was relatively weak this year, not even able to fill the five spots it's usually given by various bowls.
Cam Newton
3 of 10
You don't win the Heisman by being an average player. Cam Newton has easily been the best college player this year, not only easily winning the Heisman, but leading Auburn to its undefeated record. Having the best passer efficiency rating on top of great rushing stats is no small feat. It's been a while since we've seen a scrambling quarterback this good.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Running Backs
4 of 10
Are Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb better than LaMichael James? No, James is the better raw talent. Having said that, Cam Newton is good enough to cause defenses to focus on him to try and stop him. This creates holes for Dyer and McCalebb to break through.
The end result? On the off chance Newton is actually stopped, the Tigers still have a myriad of other weapons. If LaMichael James is shut down, Oregon is in big trouble.
Can Outscore Oregon
5 of 10
The main advantage Oregon has over anyone is its ability to score. The Ducks are first in the league in this department, and can score 50 in a game without breaking much of a sweat. Can Auburn beat someone like that?
They already have. Arkansas and its high-powered offense scored 43 points on the Tigers. Auburn's response was simply to score 65 on them. So yes, Oregon could score 50, but Auburn can just turn around and score 60.
Defensive Line
6 of 10
Both teams do a good job stopping the run, totaling under 1,500 yards on the season. However, Auburn has the playmakers on its team. Defensive lineman Nick Fairley has shot up draft boards with his dominant play, and the other three can be called upon to make plays as well. The D-Line is the strength of the team, and although Oregon's offensive line is good, it'll have its work cut out for them.
Power/Speed Combination
7 of 10
No matter how you stack things up, the end result is that Auburn had bigger, stronger players who are also able to keep up with Oregon's speedsters. Even if one gives the speed advantage to Oregon, Auburn's size advantage will prove to be a major factor over the course of the game.
Oregon Is Not As Good Away
8 of 10
Here's something that seems not to be noted much, yet could be the most important fact. When on the road, Oregon's offense doesn't have the spark that it does playing at home. It's still effective, but there's a big difference between a very good offense and an unstoppable one, and Auburn can easily go toe-to-toe with the former.
Third Down Conversions
9 of 10
Auburn is third in the nation in third down conversions, converting 77 of 145 chances, 53.1 percent. Oregon's defense is decent, but does it have the tools to stop an attack like that? It would be very difficult to do so. This could very well be the difference maker in the game. If the Ducks can't stop the Tigers on third downs, that's likely it.
Cam Newton's Mental State
10 of 10
I may be repeating myself, but in the earlier slide I noted his physical nature and how well he plays. Here, I note that he will be more ready for this game than anything.
Over the past several weeks, the NCAA investigation has ended with no action taken on him. He's won the Heisman and has been able to concentrate on just one team while having a lot of stress taken off. I'll take stressing over an opponent over stressing about sanctions any day, and I'm sure he would as well. He'll be focused and ready to have a monster game, one I can't see Oregon stopping.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
