2011 BCS Championship: What the Title Game Proved for Both Teams

The National Championship has come and gone, and the Auburn faithful are now rejoicing in their homes in Alabama. Meanwhile, all of Duck nation sits in front of their televisions or radios, staring into what could have been. Despite the shootout that everybody predicted, this game was won on defense and turnovers.

In a thriller of a college football ending, yet alone a national championship game, the Auburn Tigers won on a last-second field goal to take home the title with a 22-19 victory.

So, after all of the plays between kickoff and the final field goal, what did this game prove?

For one, it proved that Cam Newton is a human being. The Oregon defense forced Newton to commit two key turnovers, which led to Oregon Duck points. The key turnover occurred with the Oregon Ducks on their heels, looking for a miracle.

As Newton turned the corner for one of his standard QB runs, Casey Matthews, part of the Matthews football dynasty, punched the ball out of Cam Newton's arm, and the Ducks recovered the ball quickly. Towards the end of the game as well, the Ducks seemed to get at Newton, as he was visibly in pain or agony as time was winding down. This left the ball in the hands of Michael Dyer.

Michael Dyer, perhaps the most underrated player coming into the national championship, asserted why he was a coveted running back coming out of high school. The true freshman gashed the Oregon defense, and none of his runs were bigger than when he appeared to be tackled by an Oregon defensive player, but kept running because his knees never hit the ground on Auburn's game-winning drive.

It is all history from there. Is this going to be considered the best run in the history of college football bowl games? Maybe not, but perhaps it will be the one that defines a player the most. Michael Dyer will carry the load for the Tigers next season if Newton does not return for his final season, and made a big statement as to why the Auburn faithful should be happy for that fact tonight. 

This game also proved that while Nick Fairley is a great defensive player, he is also a dirty player who deserves to be penalized for his actions. Even after much debate during the week on how dirty Fairley plays, on the biggest of stages, he clearly shoved LaMichael James in the face after James was down for a few seconds on the ground, right in front of a referee.

Though Fairley was not flagged on the consecutive play afterwards, you could clearly see on the TV screen that Fairley had a huge CHEAP hit away from the play after it had gone by him. Nick Fairley is an amazing player, no doubt, but he is also a thug and a bad human being. Good luck to the NFL team that drafts him.

The Ducks offense has had its bright moments, but it also has its layoffs. Darron Thomas showed tonight why he may be a Heisman candidate this next year. After two early interceptions (one which should have been the receivers fault), Thomas shined in the passing game. He threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns while also converting a crucial two-point conversion.

There is no doubt in my mind that he, along with LaMichael James, will lead the nation's top offense (once again) in college football. Though there was this bright spot for the Oregon Ducks, this also proved that, given enough time, it may be possible for the "unstoppable" Oregon Duck offense.

Though there were some that expected a close game with not so much offense, not many predicted the Duck running game to go flat. LaMichael James had under 100 yards rushing and no touchdowns on the ground this game. The Auburn defensive line dominated the center and shut down the running game, forcing the Ducks to compensate through the air, which took the Ducks away from their gameplan and ultimately led to the Ducks' demise.

Being an Oregon Duck fan as well as a student, this loss is hard to take. As with many other fans across the nation who were rooting for the Ducks, I am not sure what to do with the rest of the night. Shall it be spent with more beer or shall it be an early night where I pass out on my bed and get ready for classes tomorrow? Right now, I'm undecided.

But, even through a loss as tough as this one, with so much hope towards the end, I still love my Ducks. The Auburn Tigers are a very good football team and this was a national championship nail-biter.

So, to all mourning Duck fans, remember that Darron Thomas, LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, Cliff Harris and Josh Huff are all returning next year, and that we will be in one for one hell of a ride next year as well during the Pac-12 inaugural season.

I will see you at Autzen Stadium and hopefully, Cowboy Stadium, as the Ducks kick off the season against the LSU Tigers in a huge potential top-10 matchup on September 3, 2011.

And to Auburn Fans and players, congratulations. Through all of the scrutiny that you have faced this year and all the off-field issues, you still managed to come through with a national championship. I just hope it did not cost you too much in the long run; Cam Newton pun intended.