BCS Championship 2011: 10 Key Numbers For Oregon and Auburn
When Gene Chizik and Chip Kelly lead their teams from the sidelines, they'll be coaching for the coveted crystal ball that is awarded to the winner of the BCS National Championship.
The No. 1 Auburn Tigers are going to be facing off against the No. 2 Oregon Ducks in what is supposed to be an offensive explosion.
The championship game has given us fans plenty of memorable moments and this year's edition is sure to do the same.
From 1 to 180,000, read on for the 10 key numbers to tonight's epic clash.
1: Darron Thomas' Number
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The number 1 is set squarely on the chest of Oregon's Darron Thomas.
For Oregon, the team goes as their quarterback goes. Thomas is one of the nation's premier dual threat quarterbacks and has the ability to provide his team with a spark on any given play.
If Auburn can corral him, it'll make stopping the Ducks' explosive offense far easier. However, if Thomas runs wild, it opens up the passing game and makes it easier for LaMichael James to run all over the Tigers.
This is one important number.
2: Cam Newton's Number
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No player is more important to their team than Cam Newton is to the Auburn Tigers.
This year's Heisman Trophy winner is the reason that the Tigers went from dark horse contenders in the SEC to the No. 1 spot in the BCS rankings.
Newton can pass, run and has even caught a touchdown pass.
He's an unbelievable football player that you can't take your eyes off of.
If Newton has another Heisman-worthy game, the Tigers will be national champions.
5: Number Of Ranked Teams Auburn Beat
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During the season, Auburn played five teams that were ranked in the top 25 at the time of the game and beat them all.
First was No. 12 South Carolina on September 25th. The Tigers easily took that contest 35-27.
Then came the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks. A week after that 65-43 win, the Tigers took on the sixth-ranked LSU Tigers and won that battle of felines 24-17.
The final two weeks saw Auburn beat No. 11 Alabama 28-27 and No. 19 South Carolina 56-17 in the SEC Championship Game.
Beating a sixth ranked team this season would be the feather on Auburn's helmet.
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12: Oregon's Scoring Defense Rank
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Everyone talks about Oregon's high-octane, seemingly-unstoppable offense, but their defense is quite good as well.
After holding their opponents scoreless in two of three games to start of the season, the Ducks defense remained stellar throughout the year.
USC is the scored the most this year against Oregon, and they only put up 32 points.
All in all, the Ducks have allowed just 18.4 points per game this season, the 12th lowest average in the country.
This is especially impressive given the type of football that Oregon plays. Since they score early, often and quickly, the defense spends a lot of time on the field. Yet they still keep opponents out of the end zone.
49: Cam Newton's Touchdown Total
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No other player in the country has found the end zone as often as Newton has this season.
He's completed 165 of his 246 passes for 2,589 yards, just six interceptions and 28 touchdowns. Additionally, he's run for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Newton has even caught two passes for 42 yards and one more touchdown.
It all adds up to an astounding 49 touchdowns for the talented quarterback from Auburn.
49.3: Oregon's Points Per Game
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72, 48, 69, 42, 53, 43, 60, 53, 53, 15, 48 and 37.
Those are the Oregon Ducks' points scored in each and every game this year. If you average those together, you see that the Ducks are scoring 49.3 points per game, the most in the country.
Their offense is simply unstoppable.
54: Auburn's Scoring Defense Rank
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Remember the slide about the number 12? Well this one isn't about Oregon's scoring defense, but Auburn's.
The number, you may notice, is significantly higher.
One of the only flaws on the Auburn team is their lack of defensive presence.
Lately it's been improving, but the Tigers are still allowing 24.5 points per game, the 54th lowest average in the nation.
Nick Fairley and company will have their hands full with the Ducks.
66: Most Points Scored In a Bowl Game
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In the 2000 Alamo Bowl, Nebraska absolutely killed Northwestern, winning the game 66-17 and setting the record for most points scored by doing so.
To this day, 66 is still the magic number. You can bet that both teams will be shooting for 66.
And the scary thing is, both teams are capable of reaching that ridiculous point total. Oregon has gotten their twice while Auburn hit 65 against Arkansas.
Wouldn't it be something if we witnessed that kind of history tonight?
152.91: LaMichael James' Rushing Average
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LaMichael James finished third in this year's Heisman voting thanks to 1,682 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.
Incredibly, he put up those numbers in just 11 games after missing the first one thanks to a knee injury.
James is averaging 152.91 rushing yards per game, the highest such average in the entire country.
If he can surpass that mark, he'll give his Ducks a great shot at winning the game.
180,000: The Scandal
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The number 180,000 represents the amount of money that Cecil Newton is said to have solicited from colleges for the right to use his son in their backfield.
It is because of this scandal that so many people across the country are either rooting passionately for or against the Auburn Tigers.
In the time that I can remember, there has never been a player that has invoked so many emotions all by himself. Tim Tebow came close, but that was solely because of his play on the field.
Cam Newton is as divisive a figure as he is talented.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
