Tigers Ducks ready to go on the offensive

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Neither of them were expected to be here.

Oregon was a tepid choice to win the Pac-10, ranked 11th in the preseason Associated Press and coaches’ polls, while Auburn wasn’t even picked to win the West Division of the Southeastern Conference, ranked 22d in the AP poll and 23d in the coaches’ poll.

But when the regular season was complete, Auburn, Oregon, and Texas Christian were the only teams without a loss. And the top-ranked Tigers, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton, and the No. 2 Ducks, with an offense that looks fast even when seen in slow-motion replays, will meet tonight at University of Phoenix Stadium for the BCS national title.

Auburn, on the strength of Newton’s 49 touchdowns (throwing, running, and receiving), averaged 42.7 points and 497.7 total yards per game. Oregon, meanwhile, led the nation in scoring (49.3 ppg) and averaged 537.5 total yards.

When asked about whether he expected a high-scoring game, Auburn coach Gene Chizik laughed.

“I know y’all want me to say, ‘Yeah, I do,’ ’’ he said. “I don’t know what to expect. I really don’t. I will take a 10-9, 8-7, 15-14, 65-64. Don’t care, as long as Auburn wins by 1. There’s obviously a lot of ado made about the offenses, and rightly so. But at the end of the day, in my opinion, it’s going to come down to defensively who ends up executing the best. That’s the bottom line.’’

The bottom line is that both teams have found ways to win — generally with overwhelming firepower. Auburn (13-0) has made a habit of coming from behind, trailing in eight games. In a pivotal victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Tigers trailed, 24-0, before winning, 28-27.

Oregon (12-0) has been more dominant. The Ducks never have trailed going into the fourth quarter, often displaying a quick-strike offense. Oregon has needed five or fewer plays in 35 of its 71 scoring drives, and 24 have taken less than a minute.

Ducks coach Chip Kelly has become a trend-setter, running practices near game speed. He also has used a variety of techniques to motivate his players. One was bringing in former boxer Micky Ward to talk to the team.

“He is from Lowell [Mass.]; I grew up 20 miles away,’’ said Kelly, a native of Manchester, N.H. “If you grew up in New England, you knew who Micky Ward was. Whenever we talked to our team, I talk to them about being Secretariat, or I talk to them about being Steve Prefontaine, or I talk to them about being Micky Ward.

“I had some friends who knew Micky. We got together, and I have been friendly with him ever since. He will be with us for the game.’’

What Ward — subject of the acclaimed movie “The Fighter’’ — and the rest of the country will see tonight is a team that has overwhelmed nearly every team with speed and offensive aggressiveness.

Running back LaMichael James, who has rushed for 1,682 yards and 21 TDs this season, is the cornerstone of the Ducks’ attack.

“It’s going to be an incredible game,’’ said James. “They are very competitive, we are very competitive. They play strong in the second half, and so do we. It will come down to mental mistakes, fundamentals.’’

Newton, who is looking for his second consecutive national championship (he was the catalyst for Blinn Junior College’s title run last season), expects tonight’s game to be entertaining, if nothing else.

“I’m a big fan of Oregon,’’ he said. “Every single game I have watched they have not let the viewer down. They are putting up excellent statistics and they are putting points on the board, and you can see they execute the plays to perfection. You have to respect a team that does that.’’

And tonight, Auburn or Oregon will have earned the respect that comes with a national championship.