SEC Championship: Tigers Win

Duh...Of course the Tigers will win, but which ones?

The Matchup

This is going to be a great matchup of teams with similar style offenses. 

I am going to say it: Alabama came in with a slightly arrogant, conservative game plan vs. Auburn. Yes, they did gain 495 yards on offense, and yes, McCarron did throw for 277 yards. But, whenever they had leads, with the exception of a few bombs from McCarron, they just kept running the ball and settling, or trying to settle, for field goals.

If anyone with a pulse watched Georgia vs. Auburn, they would know that the middle of Auburn's defense (Holland) is noticeably weak against the 5-7 yard quick passes. Yet, Alabama seemed to stick to their traditional game plan, despite this weakness. When you win 2 consecutive national titles, it is hard to argue against Alabama sticking to their traditional plan, which is to pound the ball, leading to big play-action passes. 

But, ultimately, Alabama did not beat Auburn. I believe it will take a team aggressively passing the entire game, exploiting the middle of Auburn's defense with quick passes. Insert: Missouri Tigers.

James Franklin is a dangerous dual-threat QB, much like Nick Marshall

The Missouri Tigers possess a dangerous weapon at QB, James Franklin, who has made a living off the 5-7 yard passes to 6'4," 6'5," and 6'6" targets. Couple that with a defense which held Texas A&M to 379 yards and you've got a very dangerous team for Auburn to beat. 

The Prediction

This is an unbelievably tough game to call. I have underestimated both teams throughout the season. I think Auburn overall has the better team, the better coaching staff, and the ability to beat more teams than Missouri.

However, I think Missouri's schemes and game plan will present lots of problems for Auburn, and I think Missouri's defense is good enough to contain Auburn's offense. 

Some will call me crazy for continuing to pick against the most miraculous team I've ever witnessed (I picked Georgia and Alabama to beat Auburn), but I am going with Missouri. I want Auburn to win because should FSU or Ohio State falter, I believe Auburn would represent the SEC best in a title game. But, my gut tells me Missouri will continue to fly under the radar and win.