Oregon, Auburn in BCS title tilt

Associated Press

For Oregon, it’s not so much the funky uniforms as the players who wear them. For Auburn, it’s not so much about the bumpy road this season as where it will end.

The Ducks and Tigers locked up spots in the national title game Saturday, while the nation’s other undefeated team, TCU, closed the day looking at a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Rose Bowl that still feels like a consolation prize.

Ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25, Oregon (12-0) defeated Oregon State 37-20 and No. 2 Auburn (13-0) routed No. 18 South Carolina 56-17 in the SEC title game to secure spots in the BCS title game, Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz. No. 3 TCU watched it all from home but got no help and got left out — the way some team does almost every year in a sport that refuses to adopt a playoff.

Oregon opened as a 3-point favorite Saturday night at the Las Vegas Hilton sports book but within 30 minutes, the line went down to 1 point. The title pairing will become official Sunday night when the BCS awards spots in the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls along with the national championship game. Going into Saturday, the top two teams were flipped in the BCS standings, with Auburn at No. 1 and Oregon ranked No. 2.

“It hasn’t really set in yet,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik, who has a month-plus to prepare for stopping the nation’s top-scoring offense in the title game. “I know that’s where we’re going.”

Oregon, the team with a multitude of uniform combinations that includes four helmets, five jerseys and four different color of socks, is seeking the first national title in program history. Behind running back LaMichael James, the Ducks average more than 50 points per game.

“The one thing I think, and now I hope, is that we’re not known for our uniforms, we’re known for the players inside the uniforms and that’s what makes this thing special,” Ducks coach Chip Kelly said.

Auburn has been on a crazy ride this season, which has brought sometimes daily revelations about a pay-for-play scheme involving quarterback Cam Newton’s failed recruitment to Mississippi State.