BCS Championship: Cam Newton? LaMichael James? How About Darron Thomas?

Cam Newton won't decide this year's college football championship. Neither will LaMichael James. It's not going to be Nick Fairley or Michael Dyer either.

This year's BCS Championship Game is going to be decided by Darron Thomas, the quarterback of the high-scoring Oregon Ducks.

During the season, Thomas threw for 2,518 yards, 28 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

He also ran for nearly 500 yards and had five touchdowns on the ground.

But, most importantly, he's the one calling the plays, he's the one getting everyone set and he's the one running the fastest and most explosive offense in the country.

There's no denying that Cam Newton deserved the Heisman, and there's no question that LaMichael James is an outstanding running back and deserved the Doak Walker trophy.

But, it would be foolish to look past the guy who orchestrates Oregon's offense that put up 592 points in their 12 wins this season. That's an average of 49.3 points per game.

If Auburn can shut down Thomas, they can then make James less dynamic than normal.

Thomas thrives because of the way the Oregon offense keeps defenses tired and on their heels. If Auburn can copy Cal's strategy of keeping the same players on the field and running a very basic defense, they can have success and stop (or at least slow down) the Oregon attack.

However, if Thomas has a good game, there's simply no way Auburn will be able to keep up when they are on offense.

Putting points on the board and keeping Cam Newton playing catch-up will make this game a lot easier for Oregon.

What Does Thomas Have To Do for the Ducks To win?

If Oregon is going to be crowned national champions, they'll need a solid performance from Thomas.

First and foremost, he can't turn the ball over. If he has either one fumble or one interception, the Ducks can recover.

But, if he gets into the multiple turnover area, it'll be a long night for Oregon fans.

When it comes to stats, he'll need to have over 200 yards and a couple touchdowns through the air for his team to prevail. Adding 50 or more yards on the ground would be a big lift as well.

Prediction

Thomas has a solid game, opening up running lanes for LaMichael James, who has a strong, but not spectacular game on the ground.

Thomas wins the MVP and the Ducks hoist the BCS trophy.

Oregon 52, Auburn 42