There are still non-BCS games still being played but most will be looking ahead to the championship game on Monday.
The Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers will meet on Monday January 10th in the final game of the season for NCAA football. The game will be held at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and the Tigers of Auburn are the pick to win according to the sportsbooks (ie. Stan James).
Both teams enter the championship game following undefeated seasons but one of them will suffer a loss. Oregon, out of the PAC 10, are 12-0 on the year while Auburn, out of the tough SEC, went a perfect 13-0 on the year.
The Auburn Tigers are considered the favorite due to their tougher schedule for the regular season. While both teams are undefeated Auburn’s SEC opponents were generally much tougher than Oregon’s PAC 10 opponents.
The Tigers’ impressive win at Alabama in the Iron Bowl speaks volumes about Auburn and it was a much more significant victory than anything that Oregon did in their regular season. While the Ducks had a big win over Stanford, Oregon were fortunate to play host for that game while Auburn had to come up with their big wins on the road, not just at Alabama but at South Carolina as well.
The Tigers, besides the tough schedule, are also a team that persevered through mental distractions.
Cameron Newton, the star quarterback of Auburn, was central to allegations surrounding NCAA violations during the meaty part of Auburn’s schedule. However the Tigers stayed focused, won their games despite the off-field distractions, and in doing so have proven that they possess headstrength.
Auburn are not huge favorites but they do appear to be better than the Ducks heading into the national championship and the NCAA title might be staying in the SEC for another season as a result.
