Some would say that the field was horrendous. The first half saw at least 6 players slip due to sloppy sod and by the time the Ducks kicked a short field goal to for the game's first score, the surface was so riddled with divots that it looked like Sir Charles had been golfing.
Some would say the quarterbacks made too many mistakes. Each signal called gave it away twice. Tuning in to the ultimate NCAA football game, I would expect a crispness approaching NFL caliber. Instead the offenses seemed like a collection of high school all-stars running plays drawn up in the dirt. Nothing was more surreal than the Oregon sequence that progressed kickoff pitchback starts the drive at the 7, 81 yard pass on 1st down, misdirection screen to LaMichael James for a touchdown (if I have to see Darron Thomas throw 1 more ball behind the line, I will start 'peening kneecaps) and true option pitch to the kicker for 2 points. And that's why I supported AU tonight. I harbor no love for the SEC, but, in this game, they were the lesser of two evils compared to the LeBratish thugs from Eugene.
The fact of the matter is that both defenses had 42 freakin' days to prepare for the respective Os. 42 days of intensive film study. 42 days of reading keys. 42 days to start burning red for the ball. And, me oh my, it sure looked it. As opposed to offensive units so far from broken that any fix would be sacrilegious, the other side knew what was coming and was salivating to blow it up. I was duly impressed with Auburn's defense, especially Fairley et al on the line. Oregon's vaunted ground game (304 ypg) produced 81. Their O-line got pushed around all night long. The Ducks weren't slouches either as Cam Newton did not look comfortable for a second.
The result? 16-11 Auburn at the break. In a game that truly seemed to favor the team that simply made the fewest gaffs, the Tigers stole big mo' after Cam Newton bounced a sure TD pass on 4th-and-goal from the 1. The resulting safety led to Auburn's second TD (the first came on a catch by former starting QB Kodi Burns, I knew that name sounded familiar) against an Orgeon unit that was gassed after 28 minutes of suicides.
If anyone expected the OCs to remedy at half time, they were wrong. Despite less trickeration in the play calling, the third produced only an Auburn field goal and an unbelievable Auburn goal line stand. The Tigers held strong mentally by stopping a 4th down carry from inside the 1 following an Oregon fake punt (What touch by the punter! I'll give you that one, Chip) and a 43 yard completion to the 3. Nick Fairley. Wow.
Not to go quietly into the night Casey Matthews (yes, from those Matthews, he's easy to pick out) took flight and popped the ball away from the Heisman Trophy winner with 5 minutes to go. James walked in for his second score and Jeff Maehl came down with the conversion. Thomas stood tall to the task. 19 all. Overtime in the NC game? Better.
So we all know the names Michael Dyer and Wes Byrum. A walk-off. 22-19. Herbstreit argued that Newton should have sneaked it in. What an mongoloid. All risk and no reward to give Cam another minute in the sun? Pure idiocy.
Now that it's all said and done, I'll point to an early play as the difference maker. On 3rd-and-goal from the 2, early in the 2nd quarter, Thomas made a horrible decision to keep the ball on a zone read and was buried by, who else, Fairley. The Ducks got 3 instead of 8 and, by simple extrapolation, the halftime score would have been 15-10 Oregon. The Ducks kick the point after their second score and Auburn, needing points, kicks the field goal on 4th-and-goal. No safety. No second Auburn score. Assuming a similar second half, this makes the Oregon Ducks your National Champions.
War Eagle, yo.
Cheers.
