Auburn-Oregon Preview: The Linebackers

Welcome to the sixth 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 sixth topic examines each team's linebackers.

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Twenty years ago, then-Cincinnati and now-Harvard coach Tim Murphy explained very thoroughly to me that the great game of football was a few years into a brand new age. America's favorite sport was transforming from a power game to a speed game. And we'll see perfect evidence of that on Jan. 10 when Auburn and Oregon battle for the national championship.

Speed is speed, regardless of what size the package comes in. If you can be both agile and big, more power to you. But again, wheels are wheels and if you've got them in good supply, you're going to do well in space. In its infancy, speed was merely an equalizer. Now, it can win national championships.

Auburn and Oregon each boast considerable athleticism among their linebackers, but the Ducks in particular are proving that it's not just their uniforms that are futuristic. In an age of hybrid players, napkin-sized shoulder pads and 225-pound defensive ends, the ability to move is more important than ever. Since nobody believes in form tackling anymore, getting in position to deliver the highlight-reel blow has become critical.

Not that 6-foot-3, 230 pounds is the description of a severely undersized linebacker; it's about the average size of each of the three starting Ducks. But when you see the way seniors Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysinger and junior Josh Kaddu fly around the field, you're forgiven if you miss that they're pretty large human beings. Their collective versatility is off the charts, particularly that of Paysinger, a former wideout.

Another converted athlete is Eddie Pleasant, who, like his aforementioned teammates, is a California native. The linebacker-turned-safety also has some nice versatility, and considering how dangerous Auburn's dual-threat star Cam Newton is, Pleasant could line up in different spots to try to neutralize the Heisman winner. I won't go as far as saying Pleasant could be an X factor and if he has a big game, Oregon should win. But I will say that if he doesn't have a big game, Oregon will likely lose.

Auburn's got a pair of nice linebackers in Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes. Though the Tigers landed only DT Nick Fairley on the All-SEC first and second teams, Stevens and Bynes are a couple of reliable defenders with great quickness and even more experience. The senior duo has played in plenty of big games.

Auburn's trio is also a tad undersized, but like Oregon's, boasts plenty of athleticism. Unlike the Ducks' unit, however, Auburn can be careless when trying to tackle in space. And sloppy technique in the open field will get you killed against an offense loaded with track stars like Oregon's.

Edge: Oregon

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More Auburn-Oregon Previews:

+ The Quarterbacks
+ The Running Backs
+ The Receivers
+ The Offensive Lines
+ The Defensive Lines