OREGON VS AUBURN: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

If you remember before the season got started, it was late July and early August, then you'll probably recall all the mayhem that was stirring across the country. As parties pushed and pulled at the College Football landscape and conference alignments within, two teams were flying under the proverbial radar.

Sure a couple analysts had one of the two squaring off, but no one had them both in it.

To his credit, Kirk Herbstreit was the only one talking about Auburn, and outside of some west coast beat writers, Oregon, in terms on the national stage, was not really being discussed either. Oregon finished up PAC-10 Champs, and Auburn came very close to beating the soon to be the National Champion Crimson Tide. It was a close game where BAMA came from behind on a late game winning drive to seal the victory, but honestly that game could have gone either way.

Cam Newton was on the radar, but not in the same breath as last year's heavyweights. Coach Saban, Greg McElroy, and Alabama's rushing attack were still high on the list - Not Auburn. And anyone that recalls Oregon from this past summer, will remember Jeremiah Massoli and his transition to Ole Miss. After things did not work out in Eugene, Massoli found himself working on getting cleared to play with the Rebels down in Oxford.

Last year's Rose Bowl is a game that no one should forget. Ohio State completely worked Oregon right back on the bus for the trip home. Buckeyes 26 - Oregon 17. Pryor, a tall calm and collected, physically dominating QB had his way with  the Oregon defense that day.

Last year for the Tigers ended with a close loss to Alabama and one of the most exciting bowls of the season. In the Outback Bowl, Auburn took down Northwestern in a 38-35 Overtime thriller. So the pieces were there, and adding in one key component like Cam Netwon made all the difference in the world. And to think people really, really did not like the Gene Chizik hire.

In his first year Chizik took over the reigns for Tuberville and guided Auburn to New Year's Day bowl victory, and this year his team travels to Arizona. This is just is 2nd Year on The Plains.

The same can be said for Coach Chip Kelly. In his two years in Eugene he has been nothing short of marvelous.

The modern era coaches have shown the capacity to move in quick and strike. Meyer, Saban, and now Chizik and Kelly are all in special company.

In order to understand this year's Oregon team, we have to look back at last year's squad. The 2009  season started off with a crazy loss on the wacky blue turf, and a scene reminiscent from the Rolling Stones at Altamont Speedway. LaGarrette Blount had enough of the lip (apparently he could not handle what he'd dished up) coming from the Boise State players.

And then there was the Stanford loss 51-42, where Oregon just could not get it done. Last year they were close. The majority of the pieces were there, just a couple refinements to the roster and boom, Arizona bound.

But this year's squads have overcome last year's hurdles. They have come back stronger, more resilient, and have dug deep when it has mattered most.

 This match up boils down to a couple key areas for me:

Keys to the Championship:

1. How well does Oregen handle Auburn's front Seven and hit the Edge - Considering what Nick Fairley has done this year in big moments, it's going to be one of THE match ups of the evening. Nick is bringing 298 lbs to the table, 83 tackles and a pick. The thing to remember here is - dude is a beast and when he turns it on, watch out. Just ask Greg McElroy as he got body slammed by Fairley during the Iron Bowl this year. It's hard to run a play when it gets blown up before it has a chance to start. Let's not forget the Nick Fairley is the Lombardi Award Winner (Nation's Best Lineman).

2. Can Oregon Stop Cam Newton - Cam has been on fire all year. He came into this season with very little fan fare, but he is looking to leave the year in a ticker tape parade and Toomer's Corner heavily rolled. He's been running free this entire season. I see Cam finishing this one out strong. Love him or hate him, he finds a way to move the sticks on 3rd Down and he's no stranger to the end zone. Let's not forget Cam is the Heisman Trophy Winner.

3. Will Oregon's Fast Break Offense Wear Down Auburn - Coach Chip Kelly is a smart man. He knows that if his team gets rolling, they are hard to stop. Catching teams in mismatches, then exploiting via the hurry up offense has become Oregon's trademark this year. Both teams have had plenty of time to get healthy from the end of the regular season. Now let's find out who stayed in shape because this is going to be a track meet. LaMichael James and Darron Thomas have the upbeat tempo offense down to a T.

4. Who Wins the Special Teams Battle Between Washington and Harris - Both are stunning and can pop it loose. It really depends on who shows up and wants it more when the lights are the brightest.


Team Breakdowns:

Offense - Tie (Oregon leads the Tigers in almost every Offensive Stat, but let's face it the SEC defenses are not really in comparison to the Pac-10 this year. Plus Auburn has Cam Netwon & The Heisman in tow, so its a wash.)

Defense - Auburn (Very debatable, stats point to Oregon, but logic tells me Auburn. They navigated the SEC this year and took down more highly ranked teams in the process. They knocked out Ryan Mallett. They knocked out Greg McElroy, and they came really close to knocking out Aaron Murray.

Special Teams - Auburn (The return battle between Cliff Harris versus Demond Washington is going to be special. Auburn's kicker, Wes Byrum, is solid and I like him down the stretch.)

Coaching - Tie (Both head coaches are in their 2nd Year. The Kelly & Aliotti vs. Chizik & Malzahn battle could not be any better as both staffs are on fire right now.)


Bottom Line:
The boys out west have this one Auburn -2 and others have it at -3. Oregon beats Auburn in almost every major category, but there are only a couple times in your life when you get to see a player like a Cam Netwon, who looks and plays like the next level. He'll run the show on Monday night. I like Auburn by a field goal. Cam and Nick have a field day.

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DEEP SOUTH'S OLDEST RIVALRY HAS EPIC RAMIFICATIONS FOR BOTH PROGRAMS

As another installment of The Deep South's Old Rivalry approaches, one really has to wonder with everything at stake how this one is going to shake out. Auburn has National Title Aspirations and Georgia has been teetering on the Head Coach Hot Seat for some time now. Even though both programs are on different courses this year, the stakes appear to have never been higher.
 
Georgia has won four in a row in the series:

• 2009: AU 24 at UGA 31
• 2008: UGA 17 at AU 13
• 2007: AU 20 at UGA 45
• 2006: UGA 37 at AU 15

But this year's Auburn team has something the previous team's did not - an amazing talent at QB. So the history lesson is short lived and almost useless. Credit Gene Chizik for making an amazing turn around for an Auburn program that was 8-5 a year ago and 5-7 in 2008. Indeed, things have changed on The Plains.

With an excruciating (but close) loss to Florida this year, and a slew of other close but forgettable losses, The Georgia Bulldog fan base has to wonder: If Georgia can pull out a win against the #1 team in the country (which has eluded Mark Richt since he tenure in Athens), would the head coach be off the proverbial hot seat.

It is a very tough call.

This Georgia team has struggled mightily with an inspired concise offensive showing. They have moments, but they have not looked amazing and dominant in some time, especially in the big games where the lights shine the brightest. No offense to the amazing kicking game that Georgia has, but this teams settles for more field goals than anyone in the country.

Much of the criticism has fallen on Coach Mike Bobo, who has produced eerily similar game plans for the majority of his match ups. Under Coach Bobo's reign the offense has been lacking in inspirational play calls and imaginative offensive game plans. I can not recall the last fake punt or fake field goal I have seen from this unit. Dawg Nation has demanded more ingenuity that brings Georgia's bevvy of talented young men, especially the ones who look to turn pro this coming spring, to the forefront of every game.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not stating that Georgia should rely on fake punts to win every game, but Georgia's offense has been lacking a bit on what I call the "A" game. Clock management aside, LSU has the "it" factor when it comes down to calling amazing plays that win games. Coach Bobo does not.

One would almost think it as simple as throw it to AJ Green. Keep it simple, don't over think it, but AJ has been in my eyes SEVERELY under utilized this season.

Of course Cam Newton will be the focus for Todd Grantham this week, and Grantham's squad will have to do something they have not done. Not give up a single big play due to busted coverage. Georgia's Defense, which is notably better than last year, will have to keep Auburn in front of them all day. Things look promising as Alec Ogletree (Newnan, GA) looks to be getting the start at Safety. He's a stud with a nose for the game, and its a shame Georgia could not have figured this out sooner.

In addition, Todd Grantham has 2 weeks to prepare and throw in a couple new looks on defense. News from Athens indicates that Mark Richt is opting not to spy Cam Newton this weekend. So my money is that Georgia will have a spy or some type of spy in place to counteract Cam's ability to run free. The news came out very early in the week, and it would not make any sense for UGA to tip their hand so early--unless they are bluffing.

Justin Houston is one of the fastest game-speed Dawgs in the arsenal, and I expect the Dawgs to use him to the fullest extent this coming Saturday in a number of creative looks and blitz packages.

Granted Auburn is a smoking hot team this season, and all signs point to them being in the national championship game, but they still have two games to go. They host Georgia (3:30 CBS), have an off week, and then they head to Tuscaloosa for their annual Iron Bowl match up to close out the regular season. But to say that Auburn is not without a flaw or two would be remiss. While I've been a huge fan of Auburn's defense, especially the front seven led by #90 Nick Fairley, the pass defense has been a bit lacking.

Ryan Mallett exposed some of the chinks in the armor October 16th, but he could not finish the game (reference Auburn's front seven). Heck, the backup came in and did a fine job for Arkansas that day. My point is, Georgia has a shot with Aaron Murray's arm and AJ Green. The question is will Coach Bobo use these weapons to the fullest extent? Will he accentuate this team's strengths?

In a season that quickly started out with high aspirations for Georgia then quickly nose dived, The Bulldogs could really use a signature win.  In a season where so many close games, could have gone the other way, the Dawgs could use a Big Time "W" in resounding fashion.

If Georgia can have a couple things go right, like recovering a fumble or two (reference the Florida game where they missed 2 fumbles that could have really turned the tide of the game), then this could be an extremely interesting match up.

One other thing is for certain as well, Georgia will have to focus on fundamental gang tackling, like never before. Going in for the highlight tackle in this game will not work against The Tigers. Auburn is just too good this season for that sort of tom foolery. Gang tackles must be stressed and arm tackling must be eliminated.

It is obvious but it needs to stated, Mark Richt would do his stock on staying in Athens a ton of help this Saturday by throwing a wrench in Auburn's season. He has never beaten a #1, but he did come into the season 20-4 against BCS teams.

Keep in mind, this is Aaron Murray's first visit to The Plains, and one has to wonder if he can keep the jitters at bay. He looked rattled and never felt at ease in his first trip to Jacksonville. But if he can get off to a good start, and take the crowd out of it, there is a chance.

This one currently sits at 9 (opened at 8.5), and I think they are on target. Maybe this Georgia team gets blown out, maybe they keep it close and respectable, and maybe they find a way to play out-of-their-mind-fundamentally-sound-up-to-expectations and find a win on the road.

Either way it has all the makings for a classic!

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