Tonight is finally the night. This is the matchup college football has been waiting for all year long. Cam Newton & friends are taking on the most famous spread offense in college football.
Everybody and their brother is predicting a wild and entertaining shootout tonight. I am going to go out on a limb. With both teams having had so much time off since their regular season finales, I am going to predict that this game is relatively low-scoring. With that in mind, I say relatively because a game with both teams scoring in the 20's or low 30's would be considered low-scoring given the offenses that these teams run. Here are some of the keys I see that will determine tonight's winner:
Is Auburn's defense in good enough physical condition to keep up with Oregon's frenetically paced offense?
Does the Oregon defense have an answer for Cam Newton?
This game figures to be an offensive showcase, so which defense will rise to the challenge and get a few stops? Oregon's defense is statistically superior as Auburn's pass defense is among the worst in the nation.
Can Auburn establish a ground game? With Oregon likely keying on Newton, running back Michael Dyer could play a key role in this game. The longer Auburn controls the ball, the less time the ball is in the hands of the Oregon offense.
I will predict that whichever team has the fewest turnovers will win this game. I think it will be as simple as that tonight. If it turns into a shootout, the offenses can't afford to be wasting possessions by turning the ball over.
Now, for the prediction you have all been waiting for. I think this is Auburn's year. Cam Newton rivals Tim Tebow as the greatest college football player in recent memory. A lot of people make a big deal about the deficiencies of Auburn's defense. However, they have played some pretty tough SEC offenses this year and have yet to lose a game despite their defensive shortcomings. I think Auburn's defensive line will disrupt the Oregon ground game. Expect both teams to be a little out-of-sync at first given the long layoff coupled with emotions that will be running off-the-charts. I think Auburn will fall behind in the first half, will make important defensive halftime adjustments, Cam Newton will come alive in the second half, Auburn will win the crystal ball, and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will not know it at the time, but he will have coached his final game as a Tiger as he is one of the hottest commodities in the coaching world.
Auburn 30, Oregon 21
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