The National Championship

After over three weeks of watching bowl games we have finally arrived at the Climax. Tonight's match-up pits the Oregon Ducks vs the Auburn Tigers (in case you had not heard yet). For the past three weeks we have all heard about if Cam Newton does this or that and if LaMichael James does this or that then there team should win the game. I'm here to tell you that while Cam and LaMichael will have an important say in what goes on during the game, the difference will all hinder on to about four players per team. Two players from each side of the ball.
      For Oregon the offense starts and ends with QB Darren Thomas. He is what makes the Ducks high speed offense run as smoothly as possible. Like most quarterbacks Darren Thomas needs to have a go to receiver and the one he hooked up with most this year is senior Jeff Maehl. He leads the Ducks receiving corps with sixty-eight receptions for nine hundred and forty-three yards along with twelve touchdowns. Now on to the defense, Linebacker Casey Matthews is a beast at the spot although he might not be a prototypical SEC linebacker, Casey could still hold his own against the SEC's best. The last players to watch for Oregon would be there defensive ends Terrell Turner and Kenny Rowe. If they can keep contain and not let Cam Newton run out of the pocket and scramble then it should keep the DB's at ease.
     For Auburn on defense everyone knows that the catalyst is Nick Fairley but he still needs help on the outside and corners Demond Washington and Neiko Thorpe need not to get out run on the outside by LaMichael James but need to keep the corner closed so James has to stay inside to run. Also on defense Craig Stevens needs to play bigger than ever in his career. Stevens might be playing with a cast but he should still be effective. On offense the Tigers has two other play-makers in wide out Darvin Adams and running-back Michael Dyer. If Darvin Adams is able to be a big threat deep that could leave the mid-range passing attack open and thus give fellow receiver Emory Blake a big game. Michael Dyer is the X-factor on the Tiger offense. If he is able to run the football with purpose and able to gain major yards then Auburn's offense will be unstoppable.
     Predicting a game like this is about as tough as they come because both team's offense is so good and both defenses have trouble stopping offenses. It now becomes who might be able to either stop the opposing offense or posses the ball last. You can look at this game multiple ways on how who you are going to determine a winner. You can go by who played in the toughest conference, and many believe the SEC is the toughest thus Auburn would win. You can look back and see that Heisman winners are 2-6 in National Championship games the same year they won the award thus Oregon would win. Another way is looking at each teams mascots. The tiger is known as one of the most intimidating beast in the wild although a duck has a heck of a kick to them and can fly it can not out duel a tiger thus Auburn would be victorious. So here is my best shot at it 35-31 Auburn, because you just cant stop the SEC.