THE GOOD
Well I am pretty much writing the same thing in this space each week. However I am not complaining. The Auburn rushing attack led by quarterback Nick Marshall literally ran almost the entire Vol nation in attendence out of the stadium. Marshall rushed for over 200 yards on only 14 carries. It was an absolutely amazing performance by Marshall, the Auburn offensive line and everyone else blocking. It appeared Tennessee was really keying on Mason and Marshall made them pay. Tre Mason still added another 100 yards rushing and Auburn rushed for over 400 yards overall. I will say it again, anytime you rush for 400 yards on another team, you take their manhood.
Next up this week is the Auburn return teams. This might have been the greatest game in Auburn history for kick returns. I believe I heard it was the first time Auburn ever had a punt and kickoff touchdown return in the same game. Chris Davis took a first half punt 85 yards to the house. Corey Grant opened the second half with a 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown effectively ending the game. Those were awesome enough but add to those another 42 yard punt return by Davis, a 35 yard punt return by Quan Bray and a 34 yard kickoff return for Tre Mason. Add it all up and Auburn had over 300 return yards. Auburn already had a "Punt Bama Punt" game and now I think this game will be the "Kick Tennessee Kick" game.
THE BAD
This Auburn team has accomplished a lot. This Auburn defense has improved over the train wreck it has been over the last few years. However Auburn's defense is still the weak link on this team. The offense was so effective this week that it did not matter with Tennessee starting a true freshman. The more disturbing game was definitely last week where Arkansas exposed this defense in ways that Georgia and Bama can emulate. There is hope in the way the Auburn defense hung in against Texas A&M but Georgia and Bama's defenses are much better and Auburn will not be able to score as many points.
The Auburn defense must play their best games of the year in the next two games. They will face championship caliber senior quarterbacks on good teams. They will also face two of the most balanced teams offensively they have played this year. Hopefully the offense will continue to give them leads as defense is so much easier to play with a lead. That is definitely one of the big reasons for the defense's improvement this year. I have to say though that I still just do not have the confidence that this defense can get it done in these last two games. Maybe a packed and crazed Jordan Hare Stadium will help these guys.
THE UGLY
For the record, I have always pulled for Tennessee when they are not playing Auburn as they are Bama's second biggest rival. A good Tennessee impacts Bama on the field and in recruiting a lot more than it does Auburn. I watched Tennessee under Phillip Fulmer become a perennial powerhouse. They were always good and always recruited good. It is astonishing to see how far this program has fallen. Times have been tough for Auburn the last couple of years but they have been tougher for Tennessee. The recruiting fall off the last years of Fulmer combined with two bad coaching hires in Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley has absolutely decimated the Vols.
The Tommy Tuberville era ended the same year as the Phillip Fulmer era but Tuberville at least gave Gene Chizik his great 2006 class which formed the foundation of the team that won a national championship. Chizik was also lucky enough to get Cam Newton and recruit some good players and coaches before he imploded. Gus Malzahn would not be at the helm in Auburn if Chizik had not brought him on board in 2009. Tennessee has not been that lucky. Butch Jones has a better resume than Dooley or Kiffin and the fans still appear solidly behind him. However it sure looks like he has a long road ahead of him to rebuild the Vols.
THE LAST WORD
I have sensed a disturbing trend with a lot of Auburn fans. That trend is assuming Auburn is going to beat Georgia. I sure hope the Auburn team does not have the same attitude. Forget Bama. We have two weeks after Georgia to talk about them. We also have a lot better record against Bama than we do against Georgia in the last decade. Auburn will have to play one of their best games of the season to beat Georgia. Georgia will play their best game of the season against Auburn, period. You doubt it? Just look at the entire Richt era. While Georgia fans do their best Bama fan impression and pretend Auburn is not their biggest rival, Richt knows better.
- 2001 - It takes one of Cadillac Williams greatest performances and time management mistakes by Richt at the end of the game for Auburn to escape with a win, 24-17.
- 2002 - Auburn plays a great game but Georgia wins on a legendary 4th and 15 touchdown pass with next to nothing to go, 24-21.
- 2003 - Georgia crushes Auburn, 26-7.
- 2004 - One of Auburn's best ever teams play one of their best games beating a very good Georgia team 24-6.
- 2005 - Auburn wins a nail biter on Brandon Cox's last second pass, 31-30.
- 2006 - Auburn would go 11-2 but was destroyed at home by a Georgia team that had lost previously to KENTUCKY AND VANDERBILT, 37-15.
- 2007 - Knowshon Moreno and the boys dance the night away, Georgia manhandles Auburn 45-20.
- 2008 - Tommy Tuberville makes his last stand and Auburn almost does it but falls at home 17-13.
- 2009 - Auburn blows a 14 point lead to lose 31-24.
- 2010 - Auburn and Cam Newton win the SEC West in an epic game at Jordan Hare, 49-31.
- 2011 - Georgia obliterates Auburn 45-7.
- 2012 - Georgia puts an exclamation point on the worst season ever in Jordan Hare, 38-0.
What does that all add up to? Georgia and Richt are 8-4 against Auburn. The best and longest running series in the South is now 54-54-8. Auburn held the upper hand in this series for a long time but not since Mark Richt came to Athens. That is just another thing on the line in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest games in a series full of big games. Auburn is playing for a championship, Georgia is still playing for a championship. What a difference a year makes. Auburn needs to focus on Georgia and nothing else.
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