A lot can change in five months.
In early July, the Alabama Crimson Tide seemed poised for a championship repeat with virtually no looming challengers. Now, they are ranked 16th in the nation.
After an uneventful weekend without even the threat of an upset, the top two college football teams in America are as clear as ever. There is no issue with the BCS voting process. There is no controversy anymore. It is settled: The Oregon Ducks will face the Auburn Tigers in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 10.
While neither school is historically an offensive powerhouse, this season's statistics suggest this could be the most exciting offensive showdown in a BCS National Championship Game since the legendary 2006 brawl between Vince Young's Texas Longhorns and Reggie Bush's USC Trojans.
The game will feature two superstars who are finalists for this year's Heisman Trophy award — Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and Oregon running back LaMichael James. For the past two years, James has been one of the most underrated players in college football, mainly due to his small stature of 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. Only a sophomore, he has averaged 6.3 yards-per-carry in his career for a total of 3,228 yards.
Although he leads the nation this season with 1,682 rushing yards, James is somewhat of a secret weapon for the Ducks, forcing defenses to focus on both the running game and the passing game.
The junior Newton, on the other hand, is no secret. He is Auburn football. Outside of the University of Florida — from which Newton withdrew after the fall 2008 semester — and the junior college ranks, nobody really knew who Cam Newton was when Auburn began preseason practice back in August. Even the Tigers' coaches didn't know just how good he was.
But everybody knows now. At the quarterback position, Newton is not only an extremely accurate passer, but he can also run like James. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound beast has 2,589 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and only six interceptions this year, in addition to 1,409 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
Clearly, this game is a must-see. But the question remains: Who will win? Both teams have inventive offenses and coaches who make great in-game adjustments. Both teams have the uncanny ability to create big plays at any moment — and usually in a hurry. In past years, showdowns between Heisman-seeking running backs and quarterbacks have often favored the quarterback, and this year will likely be the same.
Auburn has proven that it has what it takes to win. The Tigers have eight come-from-behind wins, the most notable of which was their 28-27 victory over Alabama on Nov. 26 after trailing 24-0 at halftime.
This team embodies resiliency. Even if the Tigers fall behind against Oregon, expect them to bounce back in dramatic fashion and take the title.
