Michigan State throttled the Oregon offense with a quick, strong defensive front, and Auburn may be better, rated by many as the best defensive line in the country.

The Tigers have three first round NFL draft picks on their d-line, tackle Derrick Brown 6-5, 318, Buck end Nick Coe, 6-5, 291 and defensive end Marlon Davidson, 6-3, 278.

Davidson is a third-year starter with 126 career tackles. He had 3.5 sacks last season, 4.5 tackles for loss, and also led the SEC with three blocked kicks.

Coe led the Tigers with 7 sacks last season as a sophomore. Of his 27 tackles on the season, 13.5 put the opponent behind the line of scrimmage, a staggering level of disruption that testifies to his speed off the ball.

Second team All-SEC last year, Brown earned Preseason All-America honors this month from the Associated Press. He racked up 48 tackles in 2018, 4.5 sacks, 10.5 TFL.

Beware of linemen with single digit numbers. Prodigiously strong and monstrously quick, Brown may be the most difficult one-on-one blocking assignment in the country. He's a 5-star prospect who has blossomed into a Top Ten draft pick, one that Rivals rated as the #17 recruit in the country in 2016, number three at defensive tackle.

The website Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 91.2 against the run last season, 89.9 overall.

He can launch himself at quarterbacks, chase down plays from the back side, or overpower opponents with his strength. He's amassed 115 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles and a blocked kick in 34 career starts.

His decision to return for his senior year was as big a gift to the Tigers' fortunes as Troy Dye's was for the Ducks.

Like new Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, Auburn DC Kevin Steele likes to use a variety of pressures and fronts. Blitzes come from all directions. When the Tigers go to a 4-man look, they add defensive end/outside linebacker Big Kat Bryant, 6-5, 247, who added 3.5 sacks last year. Bryant scored a defensive touchdown in the Music City Bowl, returning an interception 18 yards for a score in a blowout win.

A year ago in Atlanta, Auburn throttled PAC-12 defending champion Washington 21-16. Steele's stifling defense manhandled the Huskies, toting up 5 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. Jake Browning threw for 296 yards and Myles Gaskin ran for 75, but most of the gains came between the 20s. Browning looked rattled and disrupted in crucial moments. He threw a pick and had a fumble.

UW struggled in the Red Zone, getting a touchdown just once in six tries, three times settling for a field goal, another time missing one

The Dawgs had a first and goal early in the game and came away with no points. On third and goal from the three Browning rolled right on an option play, got smacked hard by Nick Coe and fumbled, recovered by Auburn at the 10.

They reached the Red Zone three times in the third quarter and came away with just one field goal. An apparent touchdown came off the board when receiver Andre Baccellia was called for a pick. Kicker Peyton Henry missed from 40 yards two plays later. Wide right, natch.

It proved to be a big blow for the perception of the conference, the two-time PAC-12 Champion physically dominated by a middling SEC team that finished 3-5 in league play. The Dawgs didn't have an answer for SEC power and quickness. Oregon brings the nation's most experienced offensive line to Dallas, which has to handle this challenge better than they did the one at the Red Box Bowl.

Many experts expect War Damn Eagle to cover in this one, grounding the Oregon offense with their ability to disrupt and create mayhem in the trenches, flustering Justin Herbert with pressure, stuffing the Oregon running game and putting their senior quarterback in tough down-and-distance situations, then pinning their ears back. A typical projected score is Auburn 24, Oregon 20.

Despite being ranked 11th in the AP Poll to the Tigers 16th, the Ducks are an underdog in this one. To pull off the upset they have to craft a solution to all that physicality and match it with some of their own.

It's a huge challenge for the UO o-line, certainly, but a big portion of this rests on Herbert as well. He has to be poised and resourceful, elevating the players around him. He has to look like a senior in his footwork, recognition and command of the game. It's one of the biggest of his career, a chance to launch a special senior season. Against a quality opponent in a hostile environment, it's a chance to show how well this group can handle the pressure of a big game, how far the culture change in Oregon football has really progressed.

The other critical question is, can Marcus Arroyo give them a game plan that accounts for Auburn's ability to create havoc, their speed, and their stinginess in the Red Zone? Can they find some big plays against a defense that doesn't give up many? The Ducks will probably need to score more than 24 points to win. A repeat of 2011 would be deflating.