Auburn vs. S. Carolina for SEC Championship

The BCS Championship will be on the line for the Auburn Tigers Saturday. Cam Newton and the Tigers have navigated an incredibly tough SEC schedule unscathed, and are just 1 win away from punching a ticket to the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona.

An impressive come from behind win against the Alabama Crimson Tide last week shows that this team can win anywhere, anytime. However, like they say, “that’s why they play the game”. The South Carolina Gamecocks have earned their trip to the SEC Championship game with huge victories over Georgia, Florida and Clemson to end the season. The game that put this Gamecocks squad on the radar was their 14 point win over then number 1 Alabama.

S. Carolina isn’t particularly “great” in any one phase of the game, but they are good at just about everything. They rank 43rd in passing, 58th in rushing, 27th in scoring and 25th in points allowed. Those stats may not blow you away, but considering that they play in the tough SEC and that there are 120 teams in division 1 football, those numbers aren’t bad.

Their offense is led by junior quarterback Stephen Garcia. Garcia has improved dramatically each season, and his having by far the best year of his college career in 2010. His completion percentage has increased by more than 10% (55.3 in 2009 to 65.9 in 2010), and his passer rating is up from 119 to almost 158. He has several big targets to choose from in his receiving group, but Alshon Jeffrey is clearly his number 1 target. Jeffrey is considered by many college football experts to be an NFL talent that will go high in the draft.

The Gamecocks rushing attack is led by freshman standout Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore is a big back (6’, 220lbs) that can put a beating on opposing defenses. He is averaging almost 5 yards per carry, and is a workhorse for this USC offense. His 17 touchdowns are a sign of how difficult he is to take in close quarters. He will be a key factor in the Gamecocks game plan, and may be the hero of this game is S. Carolina is to pull off the upset.

We know what Auburn brings to the table…………Cam Newton! In the midst of all of the accusations about taking money to play, Newton has endured and kept this team on his shoulders. A good example of Newton’s determination came last week against Alabama. He didn’t have much success running the ball, but still found a way to get into the end zone. Newton accounted for all 4 of the Tigers touchdowns (3-passing, 1-rushing) against one of the most feared defenses in all of college football. His statistics are phenomenal this year. Throwing for 2254 yards may not be incredibly impressive, but his 24 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and 185 passer rating are.

The one element that separate’s Newton from all other division 1 quarterbacks is his ability to run. Having 1336 yards on the ground would be tremendous for any running back, but to put up those types of numbers as a 6’6” 250 pound quarterback is truly remarkable. Newton has be exonerated from any wrong doing in regards to his involvement about taking money to play. You would think that this would relieve him of any pressure or anxiety that he may be dealing with, but the fact that he is and has been under a microscope may eventually catch up to him.

We will know Saturday whether or not Newton is up to the task. College football handicappers and Vegas oddsmakers have the Auburn Tigers as a 5 point favorite for this match-up. Auburn has the ability to shred any defense, but I’m hoping for a close competitive game. Tune in Saturday as the top 2 teams in the SEC fight for their conference Championship!

Related posts:

1. SEC Showdown: Auburn vs. S. Carolina
2. SEC Top-25 Showdown: Auburn vs. LSU
3. 2011 BCS National Champioship Game: Auburn vs. Oregon
4. Auburn tries to stay Unbeaten against Arkansas
5. Alabama vs. Auburn in Battle of Top 25

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