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The Southeastern Conference's dominance in college football is being challenged by the upstart Oregon Ducks, who say they're up to representing the Pac-10 in the national championship game against Auburn.
An SEC team has won the national title for the past four years, seemingly giving the conference an automatic bid to the championship game.
The top-ranked Tigers are the fourth different conference representative to play in the big game in the past five seasons. When Auburn takes on No. 2 Oregon on Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz., it will be the first time a team from the SEC will play a team from the Pac-10 in the BCS title bowl.
''We definitely take a lot of pride. The SEC is always one of the tougher conferences in the nation. We definitely feel like we're taking the SEC on our back going into the national championship,'' said Auburn guard Byron Isom.
The SEC is 7-1 in BCS bowls since 2006, while the Pac-10 is 3-1.
Overall, 10 SEC teams are in bowl games this season, matching the conference record set last season. Auburn has no doubt benefited by playing that level of competition.
The Pac-10 has just four teams playing in the postseason, with USC sidelined from bowl play for two seasons because of NCAA sanctions.
The Ducks appear unruffled by the challenge.
''I don't know if you can say that,'' Oregon receiver Jeff Maehl said when asked if the SEC is better. ''The SEC has played in the last four national titles, but we feel like we can play with anybody in the country.''
Running back LaMichael James said: ''That stuff doesn't matter. Who can say a conference is better than another conference, or anything like that? We're just going to go out and play whoever we have to play.''
The Pac-10 brags that in head-to-head matchups since the start of the 2000 season, its teams have a 12-9 edge over the SEC. Oregon, USC and UCLA are a combined 11-0 against the SEC in that span.
Oregon is 4-4 all-time against the SEC, but has won the past three meetings, including a 48-13 victory over Tennessee earlier this season.
Auburn is 5-3 against the Pac-10. The most recent meeting was a 40-14 victory over Washington State in 2006.
Ultimately, the which-is-better conference debate seems to rage most among the fans, with the Pac-10 maligned as gimmicky and the SEC held up as an example of East Coast bias. In general, the SEC has a reputation for speed and defense, while the Pac-10's image is built on prolific passers such as John Elway and Carson Palmer.
Auburn and Oregon appear to go against the stereotypes. The Tigers are a scoring force led by Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, a dynamic playmaker who has thrown for 2,518 yards and 28 touchdowns, and run for 1,682 yards and 21 scores.
The Tigers average 43 points and 498 yards per game.
Oregon second-year coach Chip Kelly has implemented a speedy spread-option that has found much of its success not in the air but on the ground, paced by James. The Heisman finalist leads the nation with an average of nearly 153 yards a game. Oregon is averaging 537.5 yards in total offense, second in the country, with 304 yards on the ground.
The Ducks top the nation with an average of 49.33 points a game.
''It's still football. The game is still played between the white lines,'' said Auburn safety Zac Etheridge. ''We've just got to be ready what they throw at us. They know how to be physical and they've got speed in that conference too, so we've just got to be ready to play.''
Auburn and Oregon have never played. The Tigers have one national title, back in 1957, while the Ducks have never claimed the prize.
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AP Sports Writer John Zenor in Alabama contributed to this report.
