BCS National Championship: Does Oregon or Auburn Have the Superior Offense?
BCS National Championship game is one week from Monday and with that will come a showdown between two of the best offenses in football.
Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers will square off against LaMichael James and the Oregon Ducks. It will be a clash of the titans and we're breaking down both offenses to find out who has the top unit. If you agree or disagree, make sure to leave it in the comments.
Who do you think will win the big game?
Oregon Ducks: Quarterback
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Darron Thomas didn't expect to be the starting quarterback this time last year, but has played great this season under center.
Thomas has thrown for 2518 yards and 28 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. Not only that, but he's run for five touchdowns as he's helped lead the Oregon offense to an amazing season that exceeded a lot of expectations.
It was a very, very good year for Thomas under center.
Auburn Tigers: Quarterback
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Cam Newton is the Heisman Trophy winner, that's really all you need to know.
When you look at his stat line next to Darron Thomas', you think that they're almost identical, and they are. Newton threw for 2589 yards, only 71 more than Thomas. The Heisman winner found the end zone through the air 28 times, exactly the same as his counter part and threw one less interception (six) than Thomas.
Then you realize Newton put up those numbers with 75 less attempts, making it even more impressive. Not only that, but Newton ran for 1409 yards and 20 touchdowns, crushing Thomas' stats in those categories.
Oregon Ducks: Running Back
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LaMichael James is far and away the best back in this game.
James was a Heisman Trophy candidate and ran for 1682 yards and 21 touchdowns this year, as he was the featured player in Oregon's high-powered, speedy offense. However, James wasn't a real featured player in the passing game and only caught one touchdown this year.
He's still a nightmare to face if you're an opposing defense.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Auburn Tigers: Running Back
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Michael Dyer is the running back for the Auburn Tigers and I'm telling you that because the running attack has been so focused around Cam Newton this year.
Dyer had 160 carries to Newton's 242, but the running back was successful when he got the ball, averaging 5.9 yards a carry and finding the end zone five times. The running back was a non-factor in the passing game though, only registering one catch all year.
He's no LaMichael James, but he can hurt you during the course of a game.
Oregon Ducks: Wide Receiver
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Jeff Maehl is the top target in the Oregon Ducks' passing game and has been wreaking havoc on opposing defenses.
Maehl has caught 68 passes this year for 943 yards and 12 touchdowns. After that, Oregon has a group of wideouts that are effective, but the distribution is nowhere near Maehl's. They aren't scrubs, but they aren't as vital to the passing game as Maehl is.
Stopping him will be one of the keys to the game for Auburn.
Auburn Tigers: Wide Receiver
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Darvin Adams is the top target in the Auburn passing game, but he isn't the only guy who can burn you.
Adams is joined by Terrell Zachary and Emory Blake. The three had 48, 38 and 28 grabs respectively and form a trio that will give Oregon's secondary some issues when the two teams take the field next week. The wideouts also put up 18 combined touchdowns, while the rest put up 11 total.
Look for these guys to make plays in the big game.
Oregon Ducks: Tight End
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David Paulson is the tight end for the Oregon Ducks and he is third on the team in receiving.
He has 21 grabs for 370 yards and four touchdowns on the year. That makes him a big source of concern for the Auburn linebackers, who will need to account for him on every single play, because he can get behind the defense and gash the Tigers if they lose him.
Look for him to get a good number of looks during the course of the game.
Auburn Tigers: Tight End
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Philip Lutzenkirchen is the tight end for Auburn and even though he's not used a lot, when he is, he makes plays.
Lutzenkirchen has been injured at times this year and that really hurt his productivity. But he has five touchdowns, so when the ball goes his way, watch out if you're an opposing defense. He'll be a weapon around the goal line, especially with the threat of Newton and his running ability in the offense.
I think we'll see him make plays in the offense next week.
Oregon Ducks: Offensive Line
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Oregon has a very experienced offensive line, it just isn't a very acclaimed one.
The Ducks returned all of the starters from last season, but none of them are what you'd consider the top lineman in the country. It's a very strong unit, possibly underrated unit, but no one is calling Oregon's offensive line the top in the nation.
It should be interesting to see how many holes they can create for LaMichael James.
Auburn Tigers: Offensive Line
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Despite how experienced Oregon's offensive line is, Auburn's is even more battle-tested.
The Tigers have four seniors and a junior on the line in front of Cam Newton, and center Ryan Pugh and left tackle Lee Ziemba are coming off of all-SEC seasons on the line. It's a big, physical unit that has gone against some of the top defenses in the country.
I think that line will be able to handle whatever Oregon throws at it with ease.
Conclusion
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In the end, Auburn has a better offense than Oregon.
There's no denying how explosive the Ducks were this year and how good LaMichael James is, but Auburn has the guys up front, along with a depth at the wideout position that makes the Tigers a hard team to stop.
Not only that, but they'll have the best player in the stadium in Cam Newton. That's just icing on the cake.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
