In a BCS National Title game billed as an offensive shootout is turned out to be a defensive battle that with the final play Auburn won 22-19 over Oregon last night in Arizona.
But it’s one offensive play by Auburn’s freshman runner Michael Dyer that fans will talk about this morning. With less than 2 minutes to play and Tied at 19-19, a 7-yard run that turned into a 37-yarder. Dyer was pulled down by the Oregon’s Eddie Pleasant but he rolled over Pleasant and the ball nor his knee ever hit the ground and no whistle blew. Everyone stopped for a second as if the play was over, but then Dyer heard his teammates yell keep running and he did to the Oregon 23. Three plays later Dyer ran 16 yards to the one and with 2 second left, Wes Byrum’s 19-yard chip shot won Auburn’s second ever National title, the fifth straight for the SEC following wins by Florida, LSU, Florida and Alabama.
The dramatics were set up by an Auburn touchdown pass to LaMichael James that was set up on a fumble by Cam Newton. A good two-point conversion tied the game at 19-19 with 2:33 left, plenty of time for Newton to move his team down the field. But Dyer was named the Offensive Player of the Game.
The AP final poll is already out and Auburn in No. 1 followed by undefeated Rose Bowl Champ TCU, then Oregon, Stanford and Ohio State.
The Big 12 had five teams in the final rankings: No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 13 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Missouri, No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 20 Nebraska.