Tonight, the Southeast Conference champion Auburn Tigers square off against Pac-10 champion Oregon Ducks in the U.S. College Football championship (TSN, 8 p.m.)
The #1 ranked Tigers went 13-0 this year in the tough SEC, while the Ducks finished #2 in the rankings with a 12-0 record. Both teams sport high-powered offenses. The Tigers are lead by QB Cam Newton (pictured), who was a near unanimous selection for the Heisman Trophy, while the Ducks counter with all-star tailback LaMichael James.
Both teams are a bit of a Cinderella story as heading into the 2010 season neither was ranked in the top ten (Oregon was #11, while the Tigers were #22). The Ducks, though, did play in last year’s Rose Bowl, and when they take the field in Glendale, Arizona tonight they’ll be searching for their school’s first NCAA football title. Auburn, meanwhile, last won the national championship back in 1957.
On paper, this is a dream match-up. Both teams have been idle for five weeks, though. So rust could be a factor.