2013 Free BCS Championship Pick
#2 Auburn Tigers vs. #1 Florida State Seminoles  

Date and Time: Monday, January 6th, 2014, 8:30 pm on ESPN
Game Line: Florida State -8.5 (at Bet OWI – 100% Initial Deposit Bonus up to $500: Click Here)
Over/Under: 67.5 (at Bet OWI – 100% Initial Deposit Bonus up to $500: Click Here)
Monday NCAA Football analysis: The SEC champion Auburn Tigers take on the ACC champion Florida State Seminoles in the BCS National Championship game from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

The Auburn Tigers come into this matchup at 12-1 and are coming off a 59-42 victory over Missouri in the SEC championship. The Auburn rushing attack was flat out amazing, as they totaled 545 yards on the ground. The Tigers have been on one heck of a run. They defeated Georgia 43-38 on a miracle play with 25 seconds left.  The Tigers scored on a 73 yard touchdown pass on 4th down and 17 that was tipped by two Georgia defenders and into the hands of wide receiver Ricardo Louis. The next weekend was an even more improbable win. The Iron Bowl produced an ending that will forever go down as one of the greatest plays in the history of college football. Auburn defeated Alabama 34-28, which saw the Tigers return a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown to propel them to the SEC championship. The Tigers have one of the most potent rushing attacks in the country as they average 335.7 yards rushing per game. They were even effective against a stout Alabama defense, rushing for 296 yards against the Crimson Tide. They have been known to throw the ball, but they’re really not as effective when doing so. Dual threat quarterback leads the offense with 1759 yards passing and 1023 yards rushing. They have an outstanding running back in Tre Mason, who has 1621 yards this year with 22 touchdowns averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Leading the receivers is Sammie Coates with 841 yards and 7 touchdowns. On defense, there’s no need to sugarcoat it, they have issues. They allow 423.5 yards per game which ranks 87th in the FBS. The Tigers allow 163 yards rushing, and 260.2 yards passing per play. Auburn’s usual gameplan is to keep it close till the 4th quarter, and play good situational football to win. That’s been a winning formula for most of the season.
Florida State (13-0) comes into this matchup off a 45-7 victory over Duke in the ACC Championship. The Seminoles have been the most dominant team not only this year but in quite some time. They’re not just beating teams; they’re winning by more than a convincing margin. The Seminoles made their statement winning at Clemson 51-14, and haven’t looked back since. There’s been no letdown, no trap game, none of that winning all 13 of their games by an average of 41.3 points. The Seminole offense is explosive, averaging 322 passing yards, 207.3 rushing yards, and 53 points per game. They are led by freshman quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston, who has completed 67.9% of his passes for 3820 yards with 38 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Their rushing attack features a 3 headed monster consisting of Devonta Freeman (943 yds), Karlos Williams (705 yds), and James Wilder Jr. (542 yds). The Seminoles average 5.7 yards per rushing attempt, and 10.96 yards per passing attempt. They also have a talented group of receivers, in Rashad Greene (981 yds 9TD), Kelvin Benjamin (957 14 TD), and Kenny Shaw (929 6 TD).  Benjamin is the big threat in the red zone at 6’5”. On defense they are just as impressive, as they have the top ranked scoring defense, allowing only 11 points per game. They are 3rd in the FBS in total defense (268.5 yds allowed) and the in the nation in rushing defense (116.5 yds allowed). A key stat to point out is their 3rd down efficiency defense, as they are only allowing opponents to convert on 30.1% of the time. Their defense creates havoc for opposing quarterbacks, with 30 sacks and 25 interceptions, 5 of which have been returned for touchdowns.

When breaking down this matchup, I think the one thing you have to look at is the long layoff and who it will affect more. Florida State has been so impressive this year, and Auburn has been on a run that would make you think they’re a team of destiny. Auburn has been the underdog the last two games and they’ve proved the doubters wrong. Auburn’s opponent this time around is a totally different animal. The Seminoles are outstanding in all three phases, and with the time to prepare, they have the speed on defense to shut down the read option attack of Auburn. Auburn’s defense has their work cut out for them, as this is the most complete offense they’ve face this year. I just feel that with the layoff, Auburn is at a disadvantage because of the momentum they had for the last month of the season. Florida State has done it all season long and they haven’t been tested. The Seminoles are the most talented squad I have seen in college football in quite some time. You can talk about the run that Auburn is on and that their rushing attack is unstoppable, but they won’t be able to run the ball if the Seminoles are passing the ball effectively and jump out to a big lead, which is what I think will happen. Auburn has had a great run, but I feel that their defense won’t be able to stop the Seminoles. The Tiger defense has been the weakness of the team this season, and that weakness will be exposed January 6th.

Auburn Tigers vs. Florida State Seminoles Free NCAA FB Pick: Florida State -8.5 Under 67.5
Auburn Tigers vs. Florida State Seminoles Game Prediction: Florida State 41 Auburn 24