BCS Championship Game 2011: Winners and Losers from the Auburn-Oregon Showdown
On Jan. 10, 2011, the country was treated to a fantastic battle between the high-octane offenses of the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers.
Everyone expected the game to become an offensive shootout, but it instead morphed into a defensive struggle.
In the end, Auburn won by a 22-19 margin, completely cementing Cam Newton's 2010 season into college football lore.
Read on for the winners and the losers in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game.
Winner: Screen Plays
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Throughout the game, the Oregon Ducks managed to move the ball at a significantly lower pace than they normally do.
The one play that seemed to work without fail was the screen pass.
Darron Thomas would drop back and let Nick Fairley and the rest of the Auburn defensive line rush at him before lobbing the ball over the heads of the oncoming defenders right into the hands of his waiting running back.
Whether that was LaMichael James or Kenjon Barner, the running back seemed to gain yards without fail.
The screen pass was definitely a winner, even though the Ducks got away from that plan late in the game.
Loser: Darron Thomas' Nerves
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At the beginning of the game, nerves were definitely getting the best of Darron Thomas.
The quarterback was having trouble running the option game and threw a few interceptions.
Worst of all was the decision that Thomas made in the first quarter, when he surely would have picked up the first down with his own legs but instead decided to pitch the ball to James over the outstretched arms of the defenders. But James couldn't pick up the first down that Thomas surely would have.
Thomas made some great plays with his arms and legs, but his mind was clearly a loser in this game.
Winner: Defensive Backs
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Through the first three quarters, there were three interceptions.
In an expected offensive shootout, the defensive backs instead wreaked havoc.
There was a fourth play that could have been intercepted, but instead the Oregon defensive back bobbled the ball as he was going out of bounds on the sideline against Darvin Adams.
Part of the reason for the low score in this game was the incredible play of defensive backs throughout the contest.
Winner: The Oregon Duck
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You have to feel somewhat sorry for the Oregon Duck this year.
The mascot has had to perform pushup after pushup, one for each point that the Ducks scored this season.
He's no doubt developed some massive biceps this year with the amount of points that the Ducks have put on the scoreboard.
However, in this game he got a break, as Oregon had trouble finding the end zone.
The Duck might have wanted to do more pushups, but he did get a break, so he's a half-hearted winner.
Loser: Gamblers Everywhere
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Keep in mind that gambling on sports online is illegal in the United States, so this refers to all those people who placed friendly wagers with friends.
Everyone expected this game to be an offensive shootout. The people who run the scoreboard were supposed to be paid extra for all the work they were supposed to be required to do updating the score after each and every touchdown.
However, the game turned into a defensive battle.
And because of that, all those who bet that a lot of points would be scored had their hopes and dreams crushed.
Winner: Oregon Uniforms
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So many things about the Oregon Ducks' uniforms were quite cool.
First, the wings are always great. The decals placed squarely on the shoulderpads always give the Ducks a unique yet exciting look.
Then there were the neon yellow shoes and socks. If you ever needed help spotting one of the Oregon players on the field, you just needed to look at the shoes.
Finally, the helmets were excellent. A simple gray accentuated with a classy pattern gave each and every Oregon player a better look.
Loser: Auburn's Class
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If someone was rooting against the Auburn Tigers, one of the primary reasons was Auburn's perceived lack of classiness.
Especially after the Georgia game, people have complained about this aspect of the Tigers' play.
These feelings were proved true after a couple of classless plays by the Tigers.
First, Eric Smith kicked a defenseless Duck while he was laying prone on the ground after an Oregon kickoff return. The Oregon player's face was actually bleeding after the play.
Later in the same quarter, Nick Fairley, who has been accused of playing dirty countless times this season, slammed a Duck's helmet into the ground after making a tackle. Fairley also appeared to throw a player down by the facemask (no penalty was called) in the fourth quarter.
All the preconceived notions about Auburn were proven true in this game.
Winner: Auburn's Stars
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Nick Fairley and Cam Newton are the two players on Auburn's roster that are projected to be drafted in the first round of the upcoming 2011 NFL draft.
Neither of them disappointed in this game.
Fairley helped shut down the diverse Oregon offense and wreaked havoc in the backfield on multiple plays.
Newton also played quite well, completing 20 of 34 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He ran for 66 yards as well.
Most importantly, the two players made the big plays whenever they needed to.
Loser: LaMichael James
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LaMichael James led the nation in rushing yards per game and going into the game was a surefire 2011 Hesiman candidate.
However, this game dropped James' candidacy in a lot of minds.
James was expected to dominate against what many considered a rather weak Auburn defense, but instead he didn't.
The running back only had 14 carries for 50 yards and four receptions for 39 yards and two touchdowns.
Even though he had the two scores, James was not the dominant running back that many expected for him to be.
Winner: The Country
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In the end, we're all winners because we got to watch such a great game.
At first, the defenses dominated, then there was a one-minute explosion. Auburn took control for a while, but Oregon rallied back before falling in the final seconds.
This will go down as one of the all-time classics in the history of national championship games.
Anyone who got to watch this epic clash is without a doubt a winner. It's not often that the final game in the college football season comes down to the final play.
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