Auburn-Oregon Preview: The Quarterbacks

Welcome to the first of 17 — yep, 17 — BCS National Championship Game preview pieces here on OGS. Each day until Jan. 10, we'll take a comparative look at Auburn and Oregon. Today's first topic is the quarterback position.

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Auburn has the undisputed best player in the country. Cam Newton was a true dual-threat superstar throughout the season and there's no reason to think he won't dazzle once more in the BCS National Championship Game.

Some quarterbacks get the dual-threat tag for being great runners. Terrelle Pryor, for example, earned the moniker in 2008 and 2009, but he wasn't a real dual-threat because he wasn't a great passer. Other signalcallers are more traditional passers with good wheels, so we call them dual-threats, too.

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But Newton is a dual-threat in the truest sense of the term. He's the focal point of Auburn's every offensive play. He's a one-man wrecking crew, not because the Tigers lack quality personnel around him, but because Newton is simply that good. It seemed every Saturday this fall he did something glorious, orchestrating a did-you-see-that moment or two every time he stepped on the field. He's the newer-model Vince Young, who carried Texas to the 2005 national championship. He's college football's Danny Manning, the last great one-man show to carry a team to an NCAA championship in college basketball. Newton doesn't have off games.

Oregon's quarterback is far less heralded, but don't think that means Darron Thomas can't beat you. If you put his numbers next to Newton's, the Auburn Heisman winner has the edge. But if you write Thomas' numbers down on a piece of paper all by themselves, you'll want him to be your quarterback. The title game will be like golf for Thomas; he doesn't need to play Newton. Thomas just needs to play the football game. And if there's one coach who can guide Thomas through a big game, it's mastermind Chip Kelly, whose offense was the most explosive in the country throughout the season.

Here are a few numbers to compare:

Newton
+ Completion percentage: 165 for 246 (67.1)
+ Passing yards (yards per attempt): 2,589 (10.52)
+ TD-to-INT ratio: 28-6
+ QB rating: 188.16
+ Times sacked: 21
+ Rushing stats: 242 carries, 1,409 yards, 5.8 yards per carry, 20 TDs, 0 fumbles

Thomas
+ Completion percentage: 195 for 321 (60.7)
+ Passing yards (yards per attempt): 2,518 (7.84)
+ TD-to-INT ratio: 28-7
+ QB rating: 151.06
+ Times sacked: 8
+ Rushing stats: 86 carries, 488 yards, 5.7 yards per carry, 5 TDs, 0 fumbles

Newton has a slight edge as a passer and an obvious edge as a runner, but again, if in the preseason you were told your quarterback would run for about 500 yards while not being the focal point of the offense, as is the case with Thomas, you'd take that every time. It would be interesting to see how Thomas would perform if he was asked to carry the Oregon offense the way Newton was asked to carry Auburn's.

Newton is by far the better quarterback, but it's because of his greatness, not because of any deficiency on the part of Thomas. It's important to remember that. Many expect the Heisman winner to give an effort for the ages in his Auburn swan song. But the Oregon quarterback could have a big game as well.

Edge: Auburn

Comments

[James]

Newton is by far the better QB? He's better, but not "by far". Maybe if he had a Heisman candidate running back to hand the ball off to, he might not have to rack up so many rushing yards himself.

The biggest stat to me is the number of sacks. Newton has been sacked 21 times to Thomas' 8. Oregon can get to Newton.

[John P. Wise]

James, that's not a bad take, but Newton doesn't run the ball because he's got bad or limited options around him. He runs the ball because he's a great runner. Another stat to note is his passer rating. Through the roof for a normal pocket passer, more impressive for a dual-threat QB. Sacks figure can be slightly misleading b/c he called his number so often.