Auburn-Oregon Preview: The Receivers

Welcome to the third 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 third topic examines each team's receivers.

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Each team is blessed with a reliable receiving corps, though neither side boasts a terribly prolific passing game.

Auburn and Oregon have good air attacks, but considering both teams value the rush far more than the pass, it's hard to see that one team has a distinct advantage over the other in this area. But if your measurable sways in favor of the team with the best individual receiver, let's talk about Jeff Maehl.

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Auburn-Oregon Preview: The Running Backs

Welcome to the second 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 second topic is the running back position.

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was the best player in college football this fall, but a not-too-shabby third-place Heisman finish went to Oregon running back LaMichael James.

James is the best running back in the country. He's small in size but, thanks to some elite-level speed, has a knack for making the big play. He is the perfect type of ballcarrier for the Oregon attack, as well as the poster boy for the evolution of the modern offense.

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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.

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No Sophomore Jinx For Kelly, Chizik

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Remember when I wrote this?

Me too, and regardless of which team wins the BCS Championship in Glendale, Ariz., next month, a second-year head coach will hoist the crystal Coaches' Trophy for the fourth time in 11 seasons. That's actually pretty impressive.

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Auburn Comeback Impressive, But Oregon Win More Telling

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Fans at Auburn and Oregon have one thing to be thankful for this holiday weekend:

The second half.

Both teams were impressive after halftime on Friday, claiming critical victories to keep alive their dreams of playing for the national championship. Auburn did it more dramatically in the second half, while Oregon did it more thoroughly, which, in my opinion, made the Ducks' win slightly more convincing than the Tigers'.

Auburn spotted defending national champion and hated rival Alabama a 24-point lead just 22 minutes in. Bryant-Denney Stadium was louder than SEC analyst Gary Danielson had ever heard it, he said on the CBS telecast.

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Boring Slate Of Games? Hardly

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

What looked like it would be a boring weekend in college football turned out to be — quoting Frank the Tank here — a pretty nice little Saturday.

Georgia hung tough with No. 2 Auburn for three-and-a-half quarters, No. 3 TCU found itself in a 14-0 hole early and No. 8 Ohio State trailed 14-3 at home before waking up after halftime to throttle Penn State.

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And though the the SEC East Championship game was a blowout, much of America cared — and enjoyed — because Florida was on the very short end of a 36-14 rout at the hands of old friend Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina Gamecocks.

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Is Oregon America's Team?

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

As far as college football fans go, there are SEC supporters, and there is the rest of America. The following was written with the majority in mind.

Oregon is the only team that can derail the SEC's dominance in the national championship. Teams from the South have won the last four titles, and while some objective experts have opined this year the SEC is down a tad — by its standards, at least — Auburn and Alabama still seem like strong candidates to stretch the league's streak to five in a row.

I agree with many other experts who say that despite its imperfect record, Alabama is sitting quite pretty. I really think the Tide will slow down Cam Newton enough to beat Auburn when the Tigers visit Tuscaloosa for a post-Thanksgiving Day slugfest on Nov. 26.

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The winner of that matchup should advance to the SEC championship game, handle an

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OGS Spotlight Game Of The Week: Oregon At USC

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Remove Oregon from the list of unbeaten teams in jeopardy of suffering an upset loss in Week 9.

That's the storyline in college football, that six of the sport's seven perfect squads are on the road this weekend.

For two weeks I've looked toward Oct. 30 as a possible night of redemption for USC, out to avenge last year's blowout loss at Oregon. But the more I read up on this game, the less I think the Trojans, even on their home field, will pull it off.

Nothing against coach Lane Kiffin and his star sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley. And it's

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Sophomore Jinx? Not At Oregon

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

I think we all agree that nobody can stop high-flying Oregon, right?

I wouldn't put it past the ornery Lane Kiffin to cook up some trouble for UO on when the Ducks take their act to USC on Saturday. The Trojans certainly will be a difficult out, but the visitors should get it done in a shootout and head into November still unbeaten and ranked No. 1.

And for those who pay attention to historical trends, let's take a look at some recent accomplishments by second-year people in the great sport of college football.

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Oregon Is Better Than Ohio State Right Now

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Oregon will be my No. 2-ranked team in the country when this week's OGS poll comes out Monday, and I want to tell you exactly why right here.

A handful of times in the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State — currently ranked No. 2 — the Buckeyes have gone into a game against a team with a high-flying offense that experts have incorrectly predicted would run all over the supposedly slower scarlet and gray.

Two notable examples are the 2002 championship game against Miami, and last year's

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OGS Spotlight Game Of The Week: Stanford At Oregon

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

For those who might not follow PAC-10 football all too closely, it's important to note that Stanford can follow a very simple formula to win at Oregon Saturday night.

The Cardinal can neutralize the Ducks' defensive speed by, not running around them or away from them, but running right at them. Maintaining possession and keeping the ball away from Oregon's big-play, quick-strike offense will be critical, especially at hostile Autzen Stadium in Eugene.

Stanford's offense hasn't only avoided a drop-off since the departure of 2009 Heisman Trophy finalist Toby Gerhart. It's gotten better. Much better.

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Rob Moseley: A Q&A With Oregon Football Writer

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Today's Q&A is with Rob Moseley, who covers the No. 4 Oregon Ducks for the Eugene Register-Guard. You can follow him on Twitter at @DuckFootball.

One Great Season: The season's first month is in the books. Surprises? Disappointments?
Rob Moseley: You've got to be impressed with what Boise State's doing. They've beaten a

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Oregon Ducks On Their Way To No. 2 Ranking

High-Octane Offense Leads
Way For PAC-10 Favorites

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Mark this down. Oregon will be ranked No. 2 in the country by midseason, possibly as soon as Oct. 3.

The Ducks are fast, athletic and pretty much unstoppable on offense. It doesn't matter that their defense could get exposed some when the Ducks face more capable offenses, and in that pinball league of theirs, it definitely will once October rolls around.

But UO's point-a-minute attack has put up 72 and 48 in its two games and it doesn't look like it will get shut down — or even slowed down — anytime soon.

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PAC 10 Preview: Oregon Wins Wild Race

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Of all the tight races expected in college football this year, and there will be many, the PAC 10 looks to be the most wide open.

Depending on injuries, luck and a bounce or two here or there, any one of seven teams could conceivably win the conference in 2010. Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Arizona, California, Stanford and even a depleted USC team will contend for the league's BCS bowl bid.

Four of these teams will be led by star quarterbacks. Washington's Jake Locker has been touted as a potential No. 1 NFL draft pick for two years now. Stanford's Andrew Luck, only a sophomore, is a legitimate Heisman candidate and many think he'll continue to flourish under popular coach Jim Harbaugh despite the loss of Toby Gerhart.

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No. 11: Oregon Ducks

The One Great Season College Football Countdown continues Friday. We'll be counting down the preseason Top 25 teams in 2010. Today's No. 11 is Oregon.

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

It's funny how, in the year of the quarterback in the PAC 10, one team without a star at the position seems the consensus pick to win the league.

Oregon lost Jeremiah Masoli after a pair of off-field incidents led to his dismissal. The dual-threat quarterback is now at Mississipi (get it?), but the cupboard in Eugene is hardly bare.

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