Welcome to the 11th 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 11th topic examines the Auburn pass offense vs. the Oregon pass defense.
By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season
It's truly a case of pick your poison if you're Oregon and you're trying to figure out which you'd rather try to stop: Auburn's running game or its passing game.
Too often when we celebrate dual-threat quarterbacks, we talk about how dangerous they are with their feet and often overlook that perhaps a kid might be an excellent passer.
And that's exactly what Cam Newton is. He didn't just pile up obscene rushing numbers from the quarterback position, but he also led the country with a passer rating of 188.16. He completed 67 percent of his 246 throws, passed for 28 touchdowns and suffered only six interceptions in leading Auburn's aerial attack that averaged a steady 211 yards per game.
Oregon's pass defense can give up some yardage. It ranked 51st in the country, allowing 214 yards per game. But don't worry, Ducks fans, all is hardly lost. UO is ranked sixth nationally in pass efficiency defense, allowing a passer rating of 101.68, and the Ducks also allow an average completion percentage of 53.52. The Ducks allowed 13 touchdowns through the air, impressive considering the caliber of quarterbacks they faced in the Pac-10. Too, only five teams in the country had more interceptions than Oregon's 20.
The Ducks also can pressure the quarterback, ranking tied for 18th in the country with 31 sacks. And Newton can be slightly susceptible to pressure, having been sacked 21 times this season. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Oregon surpass its sack average of 2.58 per game on Monday.
If Oregon's height-disadvantaged defensive backs can stay with Auburn's big-play wideouts — the top three Tiger receivers average 17.2 yards per catch — and keep big gains to a minimum, then the Ducks will have a good chance to win.
Edge: Even
More Auburn-Oregon Previews:
+ The Quarterbacks
+ The Running Backs
+ The Receivers
+ The Offensive Lines
+ The Defensive Lines
+ The Linebackers
+ The Defensive Backs
+ Special Teams
+ The Coaches
+ Auburn Rush Offense vs. Oregon Rush Defense