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WAAAAR EAGLE!

Thank you Arizona! For the first time this year, I can say this (my condolences over the recent shootings), because no matter how controversial of a statement it is, I am so relieved to finally have a good bowl game, yet a great bowl game. Well now it's all over, as we finally have a National Champion. After over a month of layover, the Auburn Tigers and Oregon Ducks met in a matchup for the ages. I realize I said I would highlight Cam Newton and his remarkable comeback this year, from community college to Heisman Award Winner, but tonight is not just his night, this is a night for the Auburn community (as Newton wasn't even named MVP). As I watch the postgame show, I will describe the game, highlighting key players, and explain the usual outcome the college football community saw tonight, as two high powered offenses combined for barely 40 points.

As is the case with many match ups that occur after a break of over a month, the game tonight was very defensively dominant in the first quarter. Highly touted quarterbacks Darron Thomas and Cam Newton combined for 3 interceptions in the quarter, which lead to a scoreless game at the first break. However, because Oregon was "knocking on the door", so to speak, the Ducks were able to break the 0-0 tie less than a minute into the second quarter to go up 3-0. The Tigers would follow with a touchdown at the 12 minute mark, and after an Oregon touchdown, they would commit a safety. On the following Tigers possession, they would score again to bring the score to 16-11 at the half (notice the rapitidy of my summary, so we can get to the end).

The third quarter featured only one Auburn field goal, as both defenses were dominant again. The score was 19-11 going into a very exciting 4th quarter.

 The fourth quarter was unexciting, or very exciting, if you are a fan of defense, until three minutes were left in the game. The possible defensive player of the game, (if Oregon had won) Casey Matthews, punched the ball out of Newton's grasp to give Oregon the ball with a chance to tie. After driving down the field, a rare occurrence for the Ducks tonight, Thomas delivered a short shovel pass to LaMichael James, who walked in for the two yard touchdown. Oregon would miraculously convert the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 19. So 2:33 seconds left, overtime, right? WRONG! In large part due to running back Michael Dyer, who seemed to be wrapped up twice, and stupendously escaped to bring the ball down to the half-yard line. With only 10 seconds left in the game, the outcome was imminent as the Auburn kicker (I don't know his name, but no one should know kickers' names) made a chip shot from 17 yards to clinch an Auburn championship 22-19.

Despite, an astonishingly low score from both teams, both quarterbacks delivered huge performances throwing for over 600 yards combined. Defensively, though, the stars truly shined tonight, as Casey Matthews (mentioned above) had a dominant defensive effort, and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, the most questionably unsportsmanlike player in college football completely ravaged the Oregon running game, holding them to 81 total yards (including FBS leading rusher LaMichael James, who averages over 150 yards this season, per game).

So, to be incredibly cheezy, the stars aligned for Auburn tonight, as all of their stars showed up and produced. As for Oregon, maybe next year will be the year they win it all, but for the next 8 months, the Auburn Tigers are the BCS National Champions. WAR EAGLE! (no video tonight).

We'll save your story for another night, Cam.

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