A Pearl of Great Price

Auburn has had a lot of amazing comebacks in football.  The Auburn family saw two of the greatest this last season.  We have a confidence that we will always be back soon whenever the football program is down.  The same can not be said for the next biggest sport at Auburn, men's basketball.  Auburn has a few good memories in basketball but after watching two up-and-coming coaches with good pedigrees come in and fail, things looked worse than ever (and that is saying something).  I analyzed the Auburn basketball program and it's modern history in April of 2010 right after we hired Tony Barbee.  Things were very bad but I thought building the new arena and hiring Barbee might be the changes that turned around the fortunes of this fading program...
 
Unfortunately I was very wrong as Tony Barbee became maybe the worst basketball coach in Auburn history and the program sank even lower which even I did not think was possible.  In 2012 I noted that the program was in "Critical Condition" after the 2010-11 team was midway through the season projected "to wind up as the worst-ever BCS-league team according to Jerry Palm, operator of CollegeRPI.com" and then the 2011-12 team ended the season with a point-shaving scandal.  Shortly after that and Auburn had lost a bunch more players it sure looked like "Auburn basketball is at a dead end".  Even then the worst was to come with the 2012-13 team as they lost their last 10 games in a row and 16 out of 17 games to end the season.  It even appeared Coach Barbee gave up during that span.  He showed no fire, never got off the bench and just doled out platitudes after games.

Barbee finally had a couple of decent players this year in senior Chris Denson (one of only two players to last four years with Barbee) and junior transfer K.T. Harrell but started 0-6 in the SEC to kill any momentum and ended 6-12 in the SEC.  Auburn fired Barbee after he went one-and-out in the SEC tournament for the fourth time in a row.  He finished 18-50 in the SEC, the worst coach in modern Auburn basketball history.  Auburn remains second behind South Carolina (by four losses) as the worst program in the SEC since 1992.  Barbee not only was a bad coach but his defensive foul-first philosophy made even his wins hard to watch.

It appeared it was about to call time of death on Auburn basketball.  As a friend of mine said a month or so ago there were maybe five coaches in the whole world who could have a chance to turn around this program and there is no way we get any of them.  Bruce Pearl is one of those coaches and we got him.  I do not give much credit to AD Jay Jacobs as many are doing because Pearl was the obvious choice, the question was whether he would even consider Auburn.  Auburn basketball finally got it's first lucky break in many years when Pearl did consider and then choose Auburn to return to coaching.

The Auburn basketball program was in all reality this close to death in my opinion.  They had the paddles out and at the last moment the program was revived.  Bruce Pearl may be the biggest coaching hire in Auburn sports history.  It certainly is the biggest in it's basketball history.  The guy has made mistakes but without those mistakes Auburn would not have a chance at him.  Pearl and Auburn basketball have some scars and hopefully then can heal together.  Even after the way things ended at Tennessee I have always liked Bruce Pearl.  I remember a radio interview he did after first coming to Tennessee, it was just so different from every other coaching interview you hear.  The guy was so genuine and engaging.  I cannot believe he is now at Auburn.

Auburn needed Pearl and all his personality so much, hopefully as much as Pearl needed a school to embrace him after his fall from grace.  I loved watching the scene at the airport as Pearl jumped into a mob of students.  I loved the presser as Pearl yelled "War Eagle!" and joked about his contract and teaching an ethics class, nobody else but Pearl would go there.  I also love that Pearl will bring up-tempo fun basketball back to Auburn.  Auburn people loved the 1999 team not just because it won but the way it played. 

Pearl's resume is sometimes lost in his larger than life personality.  He won a Division II national championship at Southern Indiana.  He took Milwaukee to the Sweet Sixteen beating Bama in the process.  He then took a Tennessee team who had gone 14-17 the year before he got there to SIX STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES INCLUDED TWO SWEET SIXTEENS AND AN ELITE EIGHT.  Bruce Pearl is the best basketball coach Auburn has ever brought in and I hope that finally Auburn basketball will be able to say the same thing Pearl did to end his introductory press conference at Auburn and that is...  "I'M BAAAAAACK!".

WAR EAGLE AND WAR BRUCE PEARL!!!

2014 State of the Program

First, my standard intro to this post...  "It has become standard here at STR to do a "State of the Program" post following national signing day.  The national "state of the union" is always around this time as well and it just seems like the perfect time to do it for a college football team. It is the end of a complete cycle of college football starting with spring practice through the regular season and then the all important recruiting season. You really have a good pretty good feel as to where the program is since most big fans have been into it almost daily for six months. You have seen your team play an entire season and know the latest batch of recruits coming in."

I tell you as I have also previously stated, being an Auburn fan is a roller coaster ride of epic proportions.  Over a 25 year period it is obvious Auburn cannot stand failure... or success for very long.  It is maddening.  The peak of the Pat Dye era was in 1989 as Bama came to Auburn and Auburn won that game and a third straight SEC title.  Auburn then descended into misery topped off by Coach Dye's resignation and Bama's 1992 national championship.  In comes Terry Bowden and out of nowhere Auburn goes 20-0 from 1993 into 1994.  Auburn then falls off slightly and then gets to Atlanta in 1997.  The bottom falls out completely in 1998 and Bowden is gone.

In comes Tommy Tuberville and the ride just gets more crazy... Tubs rallies Auburn to win the West in 2000 and then ends 2001 badly and ends 2002 great.  The much ballyhooed 2003 team pretty much goes completely down the tubes ending in Jetgate and then possibly Auburn's greatest team ever rises in 2004.  Auburn then has four good seasons in a row from 2005 through 2008 and wins six in a row over Bama but critical losses prevent any championships.  The bottom then falls out again in 2008 and Tuberville is gone. 

Gene Chizik comes in under a hailstorm of criticism and turns in a mediocre 2009 before leading Auburn to an undefeated season and the BCS national championship.  The bottom then falls out AGAIN in unprecedented style and just two years later Auburn turns in the worst season ever in it's long and storied history going 0-8 in the SEC.  Out goes Chizik and in comes Malzahn and Auburn goes 12-2 winning the Iron Bowl, winning the SEC Championship and comes within a hair of winning another BCS national championship...  It is simply unbelievable.

In that time Auburn turns in three undefeated seasons in 1993, 2004 and 2010 but also turns in three of it's worst seasons in 1998, 2008 and 2012 .  This last season though as has been well chronicled might be the most amazing season of all.  So with all that said it is HARD to really know the state of the program as huge program-altering changes appear to happen at Auburn every other year.  (more after the jump).

The Ride Ends

Florida State 34 Auburn 31 in the last BCS National Championship Game.  Auburn with every chance in the world to win somehow lost this game.  This goes right to the top of most excruciating losses in Auburn history.  You have to give a lot of credit to Florida State but you also have to acknowledge that Auburn just blew it.  Now it seems most Auburn fans could care less that we lost this game because we had a great season.  I am sorry, I am not one of them.  Yes I think we had a great season.  Yes I am just as proud of this team.  Yes I think we have an excellent coaching staff and are very thankful for them.  However I am going to call it like I see it and there are areas the coaching staff just did not do a good job in this game.  Nobody has dogged the "national championship" system more than I have but as bad as it is you want to win the game especially one you start out dominating!  This loss was an absolute punch in the guts and will stick in my craw for a long long time.  If just one thing out of about 12 different things goes different Auburn wins.  Let's look at some of those things:
 

• SPECIAL TEAMS.  Auburn's special teams were a complete disaster outside of punter Steven Clark.  Senior kicker Cody Parkey could not kick the ball out of the end zone like he normally does and missed a chip shot field goal.  Auburn got a roughing the kicker penalty.  Auburn players fumbled three different kicks and were extremely fortunate to get them all back.  Auburn allowed Florida State to run a successful fake punt for a first down that literally turned the entire game around.  This might have been the worst blunder of the day as everyone I know saw it coming.  I was texting the series before "watch for the fake!".  It was obvious they were going to try it and I do not know why we did not just play straight defense with one guy back on 4th and 5 or less.  Finally the special teams gave up the big kickoff return for a touchdown late in the second half.  The Auburn special teams have been so good and helped win so many games this year.  I was shocked at how bad they were in this game.  They just did not seem prepared.

• FIRST DOWN.  There were several key first down plays where Auburn ran the ball with Florida State completely selling out to stop the run.  Coach Malzahn has said all year long Auburn has a "run/play action" offense.  Auburn should have done a lot more play action plays on first down.  It was obvious Auburn was not going to be able to drive all the way down the field consistently without making the Noles pay for all out run blitzes on first down.  Yes Auburn had some big runs on first down but had TEN first downs where they ran the ball for 2 yards or less.  Auburn should have called play action passes on more than half of those and would have 3 or 4 more huge plays.  The coaches got too conservative here.

• HOLDING!  This new trend of the refs trying to keep games more entertaining by not calling holding is beyond ridiculous.  First on Sunday the refs single-handedly kept the Packers in the game against the 49ers by not calling one of the worst holding plays I have ever seen.  The Packers lineman literally grabbed a 49ers defensive lineman and pulled him off of Aaron Rogers allowing Rogers to make a huge play and keep them in the game (I was cheering for the Packers too).  Then in this game NOT ONE HOLDING PENALTY WAS CALLED ON FLORIDA STATE.  Yes on a team that threw the ball 35 TIMES not one holding penalty was called.  I hate to complain about the refs but this has to be said.  DEE FORD WAS LITERALLY DRAGGED TO THE GROUND AT LEAST THREE TIMES IN THE GAME.  The refs make just one or two CORRECT holding calls that might have killed a couple of Florida State's drives and Auburn wins.  Yes they missed a facemask and a horse collar on Auburn but they also missed a few non-holding calls against Florida State that balanced that out.  That has nothing to do with not calling blatantly obvious holds.  It undermines the integrity of the game.

• TACKLING.  After all that is said, at least make Florida State go the length of the field to win.  Instead Auburn lets a short slant go for 50 yards and that pretty much did it.  An Auburn defender again knocked another Auburn defender off the ball just like the 99 yard pass Bama completed.  You just cannot give that to them.  You have to make them earn it.

Auburn played good other than these breakdowns and again should have won the game.  Tre Mason had almost 200 yards rushing.  Quarterback Nick Marshall had an up and down day.  He threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another one but he also threw a critical interception that led to a Florida State touchdown and seemed to make some bad reads running and passing in the second half of the game.  Overall though Marshall played a good game.  The Florida State defense is definitely one of the best Auburn has played all season but the offensive line held their own.  Again if Auburn just would have attempted a few more play action passes I think it would helped these guys out a lot and won the game. 

The Auburn defense played their guts out.  They did so well in the first half before losing some steam in the second half.  I thought the coaches got too conservative in the second half.  Auburn blitzed successfully in the first half and should have done more of it in my opinion.  Again though it sure makes it hard when our best defensive player is getting held on every passing play.  My only real complaint with the defense is the one big play on the final drive.

I will look back on this season with great affection but this one will stick in my craw.  Younger Auburn fans just do not understand how hard and how many things have to go right to get in this position at the end of the year.  Auburn has been hosed so many times.  Auburn will have many more great teams in the coming years but we might not be back in this position for a long time.  You have to capitalize on your opportunities when you get here especially when you get a 21-3 lead and just have so many other opportunities to win the game.

With that said, my hat is off to the 2013 Auburn Tigers.  They are this generation's "Amazins".  They brought Auburn back from the worst season ever and won the SEC championship and played for a national championship.  That may be the most amazing accomplishment in Auburn football history.  They did the impossible.  I will never forget taking my younger son to the Georgia game and seeing "The Miracle at Jordan Hare".  I will never forget taking my older son to the Iron Bowl and seeing the "Kick Six" and the overwhelming celebration after the game.  It is still great to be an Auburn Tiger.  WAR EAGLE.

Auburn vs. Florida State: The History

The two greatest multi-sport athletes in history share the field one time

 

Auburn vs. Florida State.  Pat Dye vs. Bobby Bowden.  One of the great but relatively unknown rivalries between teams and coaches.  While Auburn football started in 1892 the Florida State program did not start till 1947.  Basically till Bobby Bowden built Florida State into a national powerhouse the Seminoles were basically a lower tier school like Louisiana Tech or one of those schools are now.  Case-in-point, Florida State was 0-9-1 against Auburn before Bowden arrived.  Florida State did not break into the national top 20 rankings till 1968.  That only lasted two weeks.  They returned to the rankings for another two weeks in 1971 and were ranked the first five weeks of the season in 1972.  After that the bottom fell out, the Seminoles only won four games in three seasons before Bowden took over in 1976.

 

Bowden lost his first game against Auburn but finally led FSU to their first win in the series the next year in 1977.  That was up to that point the best team in FSU history.  They went 10-2 and finished 14th in the nation.  Bowden would follow that up with 11-1 and 10-2 finishes in 1979 and 1980 with Orange Bowl berths and two top ten finishes.  Bowden literally turned a program with no history into a top ten power in just a few years.  Lost in his declining years and for Auburn fans dealing with his son people forget how good a coach this guy was.  Researching this blog post really gave me a new appreciation for the job Bobby Bowden did at Florida State. 

Meanwhile as Florida State rose in the late 1970s the Auburn program plummeted.  In 1980 Pat Dye was hired to bring Auburn back.  Pat Dye did just that and in 1983 Auburn and Florida State really started this rivalry.  The first game was of course a classic at Jordan Hare Stadium.  On the Auburn "Decade of The Eighties" video it is called "maybe the most dramatic victory of the year" and that "both teams played inspired football".  Florida State took a late lead 24-20.  Auburn then had to go the length of the field converting multiple fourth downs along the way before scoring on a pass from Randy Campbell to Lionel James to make it 27-24.  Florida State got one more chance till All-American Gregg Carr ended the game with an interception. 

It did not seem possible but the two teams would top that game the next year in 1984 in one of the wildest games in Auburn history.  In fact Coach Dye would call this game his "wildest and craziest game as head football coach at Auburn."  Jay Coulter at Track'em Tigers said:

"The 1984 Florida State game in Tallahassee is without question the best game that was never seen by most Auburn fans. It’s my all time favorite. Despite pairing two top twenty teams, no networks picked up the game – what a shame.  No, it didn’t have the importance of an Alabama or Georgia match-up, but for sheer excitement, it’s the best I’ve ever witnessed."

You can read the full story of the game in Coach Dye's words here at Scout.com and see the Auburn highlights of the game here (including some great Jim Fyffe).  It is a great piece by Coach Dye and definitely does a better job describing the game than anything I can do here.  The play of the game was Brent Fullwood returning a kickoff and fumbling and then as Pat Dye said: "It bounced off the ground, up into the air and one of our running backs, Eddie Graham, caught it on a dead run and went 60 yards for a touchdown."  Auburn was down again in this one late in the fourth quarter 41-36 and like the year before made another great clutch drive down the field with Brent Fullwood scoring the go-ahead touchdown to give Auburn the win 42-41.

   

The teams were back in Auburn the next year in 1985 and another crazy game was in store.  It would be a close back-and-forth game till Auburn blew it open taking advantage of same late Seminole mistakes and win 59-27.  Here are the highlights of the game (watch for Bo running through Deion Sanders as pictured above) and a short summary of the game.  This was one of Bo's biggest games on the way to the Heisman this season.  He would shred the Seminoles for 176 yards on 30 carries.  The runs were vintage Bo as he would break through the line of scrimmage and turn on the afterburners.    This game would end one of the wildest three games series Auburn has ever played.  The series would take a year off in 1986 and resume again in 1987.

The next three sections of this post could be named "The Revenge of Bobby Bowden and Florida State".  Bowden and the Seminoles were 1-13-1 against Auburn coming into Saturday November 7, 1987.  Auburn was riding high.  The Tigers had not lost a game and had routed the Florida Gators the week before.  The fact that Auburn had won the last three games against Florida State was still fresh in most everyone's minds as well.  It obviously was for Bobby Bowden because he had the Seminoles ready to play.  Florida State crushed Auburn 34-6.  It was a monumental game in the series and also was the unofficial start of one of the greatest runs in college football history.  Florida State and Bobby Bowden would finish in the top five in the country for the next fourteen years straight (1987-2000).

Auburn and Florida State were not scheduled to play a game during the 1988 season but ended up being paired in the Sugar Bowl.  I give the Seminoles and Bobby Bowden their due credit for their wins in 1987 and 1989 but not so much in this game.  I think Auburn was the best team in the country in 1988.  I think the 1988 team is the most underrated team in Auburn history and is one of the top three Auburn teams ever.  The 1988 team boasted the best defense in Auburn history and one of the best in college football history.  If the Tigers could have stopped LSU on a 4th and 13 this Auburn team would have played Notre Dame for the national championship (and would have won).  I think this Auburn team lost their edge when they were locked out of the national championship and were playing in the Sugar Bowl for the second year in a row with nothing to play for.  They certainly played like it as Auburn fumbled twice and quarterback Reggie Slack threw three interceptions.  Florida State took a 13-0 lead in the first half.  Auburn rallied but Deion Sanders intercepted Reggie Slack in the end zone to end it and the Seminoles won 13-7.

Auburn returned to Tallahassee in 1989 with a young team trying to find an identity.  The Seminoles would prevail 22-14 but the game was not that close.  The Bobby Bowden vs. Pat Dye era of this rivalry was now tied at three games a piece.  As I have written before, I have accused a lot of teams and programs of being overrated but I can never say that about Bobby Bowden and Florida State.  They beat three SEC Champion Auburn teams in a row.  That is a pretty amazing feat.  This rivalry had been one of the best and most entertaining in the 1980s.  It had featured two of the best programs in college football in the 1980s and two hall of fame coaches.  It was only fitting that there had to be a tiebreaker and these two great coaches and great programs would get to square off one more time...

That brings us to 1990.  Florida State returned to Jordan Hare Stadium on October 20th of that year.  It was a cool night, perfect weather for a showdown between two top ten teams.  It would be another close hard fought game.  Auburn scored first and took the lead 7-0.  Florida State roared back and put up 17 straight points.  Auburn then rallied behind freshman quarterback Stan White and senior running back Stacy Danley to tie the game 17-17 with under four minutes to play.  The Seminoles then drove to the Auburn 37 yard line and went for it on 4th and 5.  In one of the bigger defensive plays in Auburn history linebacker Ricky Sutton sacked Seminole quarterback Casey Weldon for a 22 yard loss.  Weldon dropped back, tried to elude Sutton and then stumbled backwards almost 10 yards after being hit by Sutton.  It was deafening inside Jordan Hare Stadium.  Stan White then hit Herbert Casey on a great pass and catch to set Auburn up for the winning field goal.  Auburn kicker Jim Von Wyl then nailed the game winner as time expired to give Auburn the 20-17 win.  My favorite memory of this game was the entire stadium doing the "Tomahawk Chop" chant after the game.

That would end the Auburn vs. Florida State rivalry under Pat Dye and Bobby Bowden.  Coach Dye and Auburn won the series 4-3 but Dye's reign would soon end and the Seminoles and Bowden would have a lot more great years.  The series would end but the Bowden connection would continue as Dye hired Tommy Bowden to be his offensive coordinator in 1991 and then Terry Bowden would succeed Dye as head coach at Auburn in 1993 (with current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher as his quarterbacks coach).  Auburn and Florida State were scheduled to play again in 1999 to be the first division 1A father vs. son game.  The game was cancelled by Auburn after coach Terry Bowden quit midway through the 1998 season when he found out he would be fired at the end of the season. 

Auburn was criticized heavily but it was the right call.  Auburn was not a contender and needed confidence building wins and to separate the program from the Bowdens.  The first division 1A father vs. son game still happened between Bowdens in 1999 when Clemson hired Tommy Bowden.  Since Terry left Auburn there has been hard feelings on all sides and there did not seem to much chance Auburn and Florida State would ever play again... till they ended up #1 and #2 in the last Bowl Championship Series national championship this season.

Auburn vs. Florida State for the BCS National Championship.  It should be another great entry in a series full of crazy and unpredictable turns.  The game winning drive by Auburn in 1983, the unbelievable 42-41 shootout in 1984, Bo vs. Deion in 1985, Florida State making a stand and starting one of the greatest streaks in college football history in 1987, the Sugar Bowl in 1988, the Seminoles holding off a sleeping giant in 1989 and finally a last second game winning field goal for Auburn in 1990.  What will happen this time?

SEC Championship Game Review - Running the Gauntlet

Auburn 59  Missouri 42.  The 2013 Auburn Tigers are SEC champions and there is no doubt they earned it.  The Tigers ran the gauntlet down the stretch with road games at Arkansas and Tennessee before facing a top 20 Georgia team, #1 Bama and #5 Missouri.  You could tell the Tigers were starting to wear down in Atlanta but like the champions they are they got it done.  The game kept most Auburn fans on edge till Tre Mason "put it on ice" with his last touchdown of the night.  I know I was sweating it till that point in the game.  It was a similar feeling to the national championship game against Oregon where you could tell Auburn was whipping them up front on both sides of the ball but could not put the game away. 

 

The Auburn defense looked a step slow all night and you kept wondering how much Auburn's great offense had in the tank as well but we should have known they would not let Auburn lose this close to the promise land.  In fact when it was all over the Auburn offense had put up a legendary performance in this championship game.  The Auburn defense did contribute though.  They gave up 42 points and were torched for another 500 plus yards of offense on a bunch of big plays but they did get some critical stops in the second half of the game.  They forced three punts and Mizzou gave up the ball on downs their last two possessions.  The defensive coaches have done a great job getting the most out of this group.

 

The story of the night though was Tre Mason, Nick Marshall, the Auburn offensive line and juggernaut Jay Prosch.  These men put up maybe the greatest game running the football in Auburn's long and storied history.  That is really saying something at "Tailback U".  Auburn ran the ball for almost 550 yards.  It is an  incredible feat to rush for 400 yards.  It was an astonishing performance by this amazing group.  This Auburn offensive line of Greg Robinson, Alex Kozan, Reese Dismukes, Chad Slade and Avery Young are now one of the greatest lines in Auburn history without having one senior.  The biggest question coming into the season would be if these highly rated recruits would finally start paying dividends.  They have and the returns have been better than anyone ever expected. 

 

The difference between really good and great though could be Jay Prosch.  This guy is an old school fullback.  There were questions before the season on what his role would be in this offense.  I could not even dream things would work out this well but I knew Malzahn would put Prosch to good use.  Eric Smith though a behavior problem played the same role and was a huge contributor on the 2010 team.  I knew Prosch was a better player and would fill the same role even better.  Prosch will be playing on Sundays next year.  One of the most memorable plays from Saturday for me was watching #35 absolutely take out two Missouri players on one block.

 

Next we come to SEC Championship game MVP Tre Mason...  Mason was not a huge recruit and has been an afterthought for most of the two seasons before this one.  Most people including me thought he was decent but were looking elsewhere for Auburn's next great running back.  Mason though without much fanfare has been a bigger and bigger contributor since starting at Auburn.  He opened his career with a kickoff return for a touchdown against Utah State in 2011 and went on to put up over 600 yards in returns his freshman season.  Last year with everything falling apart around him he ground out an 1000 yard season.  However the spring star on offense was Cameron Artis-Payne and he was the guy most people were looking at coming into this season... 

 

Mason teamed with Artis-Payne and Corey Grant Auburn's first few games but then started separating from the pack.  He stood tall in Auburn's lone loss to LSU with 132 yards.  He then topped that with the best game of his career till Saturday with 178 yards at Texas A&M.  That was when it really started and the coaches made him the go-to guy.  Starting that night at Texas A&M he has had six straight 100 yard games in conference including 164 yards against Bama.  He carried the Auburn Tigers on Saturday and put up maybe the greatest rushing performance in Auburn history with 304 yards on 46 carries.  One guy rushing for 300 yards in an SEC Championship Game.  I think that speaks for itself.

 

From 0-8 in the conference to conference champions.  I believe it is the greatest turnaround in Auburn history and maybe the greatest turnaround in college football history.  I know I keep using that same word but nothing else fits... amazing.  One of the biggest catalysts for this turnaround was finding the right guy to lead this offense.  Auburn had tried four different guys since Cam Newton left with no success regardless of the offense.  Nick Marshall like Tre Mason has now moved out of Newton's shadow and carved his own niche in Auburn history leading this offense.  Marshall started shaky but settled down and led the offense using his head, arm and feet.  With Mason grabbing the headlines Marshall still went 9 of 11 for 132 yards and also rushed for 100 yards himself.

 

I have mentioned nothing but the SEC Championship so far because it is enough.  As I have written several times including when we won the national championship in 2010: "The conference championship games are real post season games because their participants get in through an objective system and they are played immediately following the season.  The BCS is a complete failure because its participants get into it by a completely flawed subjective system of computer and popularity polls and then they wait over a month to play it.  It is great to be in the mythical national championship game.  If you have to play in the system, as flawed as it is, you might as well play in the best game.  However no matter what happens this team is one of the all time greats in Auburn history."

I also believe this 2013 team is one of Auburn's all time greats regardless of whether they made it to the national championship game.  But again it is great getting into the national championship because as I said above if you have to play in this system, ridiculous as it is, you might as well play in the biggest game.  I also love getting into the national championship to see all the mediots eat their words and see our adversaries gnash their teeth.  We will also get to hear Auburn hyped all the next month and we also get a great matchup in Auburn and Florida State.  There is a lot of history to this rivalry and this will be an awesome addition to it. 

Thank goodness the week ended good.  All of my disdain for college football's postseason I just wrote about came boiling up listening to the mediots prop up the Buckeyes this week.  As I said in my last post "Auburn's and Missouri's eleven wins are better than Ohio State's twelve wins or Florida State's for that matter.  It is a fact not an opinion."  Just check the facts.  However it was made clear during the week that the mediots did not believe that and that somehow an inferior undefeated record trumped all (thus the reason BYU has a national championship after beating a 6-5 Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl in 1984).  Therefore I kind of put the national championship out of my mind this last week.  I knew Duke was not beating Florida State and did not think Michigan State would take care of Ohio State.  Anytime Auburn has needed help over the years it has never worked out. 

I refused to watch the Big Ten title game and kept up with the game through texts from friends.  However with five minutes left in the game I finally turned it on.  Michigan State was clinging to a 27-24 lead.  I could not believe it when their running back broke through the line to deliver the clinching touchdown or when Ohio State sputtered out on downs after that.  I was simply amazed that after 1983, 1988 and 2004 that a huge break had finally gone our way.  There really is something special going on with this team.  The Auburn Tigers are SEC Champions and are going to the Rose Bowl to play the Florida State Seminoles in the national championship.  Let the hype begin.

Game 12 Review: Kick Bama Kick

Auburn 34  Bama 28.  I sat there head in hands as Bama stopped Auburn on 4th and 1 on the Auburn 35 yard line with ten minutes left in the game and Bama up 28-21.  Auburn had come so far, fought so hard and now it looked like this group of Amazins would go out quietly.  I was angry, frustrated and down.  Good grief, just thirty seconds before it was a tie game with Bama hemmed in at their one foot line.  Auburn had come back and now was in a great position to win the game.  One pass and horrible defensive play later Auburn is down by a touchdown and the crowd quieted for the first time all night.  The momentum had shifted and it was all there for the taking for the #1 team in the nation. 

 

I mean it was not like Auburn's smallish underdog defense was going to stop the big bad Bama juggernaut now.  I mean yeah this defense had a few more highlights than last year but were still just not that good.  They had bent all season even blowing a 20 point lead in less than ten minutes the game before and would give up almost 500 yards on this night.  Good night they had just given up a 99 yard pass play!  This team was led by the offense, the defense only shone after the offense put them in position.  I mean other than Nick Fairley Auburn has not had any defense since Mike Shula still walked the sidelines in Tuscaloosa.  As I sat there staring at the concrete, Bama ground out nineteen yards against the Auburn defense on three straight runs by T.J. Yeldon.

 

 

The same T.J. Yeldon that had been committed to Auburn for almost a year and spurned the Tigers hours before the early signing deadline and he was of course running behind monstrous Cyrus Kouandjio who also defected from the Tigers at the last minute.  Auburn had played a good game but now it was time for Bama to close it out like they always do.  It was 3rd and 1 at the Auburn 13 with under seven minutes left in the game.  One yard and Bama would most likely win this game.  One yard and Bama was that much closer to a conference championship, a national championship and a Heisman Trophy.  One yard and two downs to get it for one of the best power running games in football.  One yard against the smaller Auburn defense.  One yard. 

 

Yeldon was stopped for no gain.  I still did not get up.  There is no way the Auburn defense is going to stop big strong Bama from getting one yard two downs in a row in the fourth quarter.  No way.  The Bama coaches know Auburn cannot stop them so they don't even try a field goal or a pass.  This is mostly the same bunch of Tigers who gave up 49 easy points to Bama last season.  The handoff goes to Yeldon again...  and he is stopped cold by Carl Lawson as Auburn swarmed the line of scrimmage.  I hear the first note of one of those stirring comeback scores and stand in awe of a gutty bunch of Auburn Tiger defenders who just will not quit.  The glory would go to others this night but some of the biggest steps of this most amazing of comebacks were taken by the much maligned Auburn defense.

 

Nothing would come easy this night though.  Auburn's offense would sputter again and Bama would run the punt back to the Auburn twenty five.  They were in back in business again with less than five minutes to go in the game.  OK nice stand by Auburn but no way it happens twice.  In fact I would say that miracles do not come in twos... and actually I was right.  Auburn did not win by miracle this night but simply played and coached a better game.  Bama's quarterback would talk of luck in the aftermath but the "luck" if you want to call it that was shared equally by both teams.  Bama was "lucky" Auburn fumbled in the first half giving them an easy touchdown.  Bama was "lucky" Auburn allowed a 99 yard bomb.  Bama was "lucky" that Nick Marshall and Ricardo Louis somehow messed up two plays where Louis was wide open.  I could go on but back to the game...
  

Bama first down and ten at the Auburn 25 with less than five minutes to go.  Yeldon, for the third straight time, is stopped for no gain on first down.  Bama would then connect on an eight yard pass setting up 3rd and 2.  Bama finally got their big run but only because of a blatant jersey tugging hold that was finally called.  Gabe Wright then mowed over the Bama quarterback on third and long.  However a field goal would get the job done.  Surely Bama would make this field goal and put this one away, confidence was still high... till Auburn blocks the field goal.  That comeback music started getting louder...  Auburn had one more chance to tie this thing up.

Auburn calmly ground out two first downs on six straight runs by Tre Mason.  First and ten Auburn at the Bama 39 with 44 seconds left in the game.  Nick Marshall starts a read-option play and keeps running to his left.  Bama quickly closes on him and Marshall already the consummate playmaker makes maybe his biggest play of the season flipping the ball to Sammie Coates an instant before he crosses the line of scrimmage.  Coates would then sprint to the end zone to tie the game with only thirty seconds left.  Bedlam.  The comeback music was deafening.  I think everyone was thinking the same thing here.  The first overtime game in Iron Bowl history in maybe the biggest Iron Bowl ever. 

 

However like the Georgia game, there was thirty seconds left and like the Georgia game I would sweat every one of them.  Auburn squibbed the kickoff to take some time off the clock and Bama would start just short of their thirty yard line.  The Bama quarterback would run for his life on first down and throw it away.  Bama then went with two draw plays and was able to get it inside the Auburn 40 yard line with one second to go.  They in fact as everyone saw had to challenge the ruling on the field that the game was over to get that one second back.

One second.  I do not think most on the Auburn side even wanted it but oh how big that one second turned out to be.  The supposed best college football coach in the country and who some were calling one of the best of all-time made one of the worst calls in Iron Bowl history.  When you look at the stakes riding on the game it might be the worst.  Coach Nick $aban decided to have his backup redshirt freshman kicker who had only attempted two field goals all year attempt a 57 yard left-to-right field goal in a tie game in the biggest Iron Bowl ever.  The comeback music was reaching its crescendo about now...
 
In my mind I had two lines of thought.  One, I was at the 1985 Iron Bowl, the game previously dubbed the best ever where Bama kicker Van Tiffin beat Auburn with a 52 yard field goal at the buzzer.  It is one of my worst football memories and toughest losses.  So my first thought was fear of having to go through a Bama win like that again.  However my other train of thought as a football guy is how dumb the call seemed.  If it was Auburn in that situation there is no way I want Auburn attempting a field goal, especially if the last one had been blocked.  I was not thinking about a return but a block.  Of course as a coach I think I would have started thinking about a return when Auburn took a timeout and put Chris Davis back there.  $aban did not and the rest is college football history.

The kick went up and from my seats I cannot tell accuracy but I can tell length and after a long couple of seconds holding my breath I could tell it was short.  I let out a long sigh of relief as I saw Chris Davis catch the ball and head out but did not think much of it.  Like everyone else I had overtime on the brain till I saw him cross midfield... and the red sea parted and we were headed to the promise land.  I only know one way to describe the feeling of Davis running into that end zone and the feeling I had the rest of the night and frankly still have and it is pure joy.
 
Pure joy.  Auburn just won the biggest Iron Bowl ever.  Auburn just beat #1 undefeated untied 11-0 Bama.  Auburn just beat maybe the best quarterback in Bama history in his last regular season game.  Auburn just ruined all of Bama's title hopes and dreams that included another SEC title, a third national championship in a row and maybe another Heisman Trophy.  Auburn gave Nick $aban another gut wrenching loss that will he will never forget.  Auburn made Bama's 2011 and 2012 seasons much easier to deal with. In fact if Auburn is fortunate enough to win in Atlanta next week then Auburn will have as many SEC titles, two, as $aban has in this entire great Bama run.  One win has turned everything around. 

Pure joy.  Auburn has risen from rock bottom and the worst season ever to put up maybe their most remarkable season ever.  From 3-9 to 11-1, from 0-8 to 7-1, from 63-21 to 45-41, from 38-0 to 43-38, from 49-0 to 34-28.  As the students and everyone else mobbed the field I just looked on in amazement thinking of all this.  The greatest turnaround in Auburn history and one of the greatest turnarounds in college football history.  I mean just think of last year after the 49-0 loss to Bama.  It was pure agony and uncertainty.  It was excruciating.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would go from that far down to knocking off #1 undefeated and untied Bama and winning the SEC West this season.  

My hat is off to the Auburn coaches and players on the most amazing season I have ever seen.  It is truly a team effort as you listen to the coaches and players.  As I said in my post after the Georgia game this team is the true successor to the 1972 Amazins.  I wrote: "This team like that one has one really good unit and one that comes up with just enough to get the win.  They are the inverse of each other as the good unit in 1972 was the defense and the just adequate one was the offense but the similarity is still there.  The 1972 team also won a lot of close games.  The 1972 team also lost an ugly one at night in Baton Rouge.  The 1972 team also produced one of the biggest plays in Auburn history...  Of course the 1972 team produced their big play in the game after Georgia with "Punt Bama Punt".  They also faced an undefeated Bama team that had dominated the rest of the conference." 

That was two weeks ago when I thought "The Immaculate Deflection" was the biggest play of the season.  Now we have the most amazing Iron Bowl win since 1972 that was won on special teams as well.  "Kick Bama Kick" will now resound in Auburn history like "Punt Bama Punt".  In another interesting similarity the players who scored the winning touchdown in both games, David Langner and Chris Davis, hailed from Woodlawn High in Birmingham.  Both also teams finished the season with only one loss at LSU.  Hopefully this years Amazins will also be conference champions.  The 1972 Amazins do not get credit for winning the SEC but they did.  It is amazing to me that Auburn goes out of its way to not claim legitimate titles while Bama goes out of their way to claim anything.  In 1972 Auburn went 6-1 in the conference and beat Bama however Bama played one extra conference game and was given credit for it for some reason?  They went 7-1 but Auburn won head-to-head and there has to be a standard number of games (I checked, everyone else in the conference played seven games).  The 1972 Amazins were the SEC champions.  Hopefully the 2013 Amazins will be too.

This weekend might have been my best game experience in over 35 years of watching the Tigers.  I got to experience the whole thing with my older son who is old enough now to really enjoy it.  I also got to do things I have never done before.  We finally did the locker room tour on Friday before the game and that was awesome.  We got to stand on the very outer edge of the field during the tour and little did I know I would get to walk the field after the game just a day later.  That was the most awesome part of the post game for me.  It was one of the coolest things ever to walk the field after the biggest Iron Bowl win ever with thousands of other rejoicing Auburn fans. 

It would not be the best game experience ever though without heading to Toomer's Corner and that did not disappoint.  Harvey Updyke, you did not accomplish anything at all but make a fool out of yourself.  I hope you enjoyed this years game.  I stood where the old Toomer's Oaks used to be but saw that all the attacks and terrible things that have happened the last few years just made these moments even sweeter.  There were still plenty of trees and other things to roll and new trees will be there to replace the old ones soon enough however I think the new trees were symbolically planted this weekend.  Again, two words to describe my hour or so at Toomer's Corner... pure joy.

There is so much I left out talking about this game.  Auburn showing they were Bama's equal from the start...  Nick Marshall's first quarter dash to end Auburn's run of offensive futility in this game...  Tre Mason almost single handedly taking Auburn to their second touchdown...  Tre Mason's 164 yards rushing against the best run defense in the nation...  Auburn's offensive line showing they were more than equal to the task as they have been all season...  Juggernaut Jay Prosch...  Auburn starting the second half with a touchdown on a beautiful pass from Marshall to C.J. Uzomah that would tie the game...  Auburn still made their share of mistakes on offense and the defense bent as it has done all year but they did not break and both units came through in the end as they have done all year with help from one of the best special team units in the country.

I do not think I have ever had a game stay with me this long.  I am still on cloud nine... however I hope the team is not acting like the fans are as the Tigers, actually two sets of Tigers, have another game to play.  It is the Auburn Tigers vs. the Missouri Tigers for the SEC Championship.  It is shaping up to be a great match up.  The conference championship games are again the only real postseason games.  The teams make it through an objective system and it is played immediately following the end of the season.  I point that out because as always the atmosphere is being polluted by college football's joke of a postseason and the completely biased and subjective way the teams are selected. 

The entire debate is manufactured.  The facts speak for themselves.  Auburn's and Missouri's eleven wins are better than Ohio State's twelve wins or Florida State's for that matter.  It is a fact not an opinion.  The only debate should be whether Ohio State or Florida State should play either Auburn or Missouri.  The whole thing is ridiculous and tired and adding two more teams next year still will not fix it.  I won't even start on how ridiculous it is for a sport to make it's post season participants wait almost 40 days before playing a game...  Ah I cannot believe I am even wasting time talking about this.  Let us enjoy a well earned SEC West title and what should be a great game in Atlanta.  The 2010 Auburn Tigers played their best game in Atlanta and I think playing on turf will help this team as well.  I expect us to play good.  I can't wait to watch it.

November 30, 2013.  Jordan Hare Stadium.  Pat Dye Field.  Auburn 34  Bama 28.  I will close with what David Housel wrote after the 1972 Iron Bowl in the book this blog is named after.  I think it is also true of this Iron Bowl won by this group of Amazins... "The Auburn fans were still in the stands, hours after the game.  It was not a cheer that rose from the darkening stadium shadows.  It was a roar, a roar of joy and amazement that would be heard for hours yet to come all over... Wherever two or more Auburn people were gathered together... there was Heaven, with an orange and blue tint, heaven of happiness...  Perhaps, just perhaps, this was the greatest of them all."

Game 11 Review: Miracle at Jordan-Hare

Auburn 43 Georgia 38.  I was there.  I was there head down on 4th and 18.  It was over.  No, it was OVER.  All hope was lost.  A truly great season was down the tubes, it was still a good season but how great would it be losing to Georgia?  There was no way we would have a chance at the next one losing this way to Georgia.  It was not only 4th and 18 but there was only 25 seconds and 73 yards to go.  Was this the biggest collapse in Auburn history?  I had told everyone all week that we would get Georgia's best game.  I started to think we had it up 37-17 but as soon as it turned 37-31 I knew they would take the lead.  I thought maybe we could get a shot at a field goal till 4th and 18.  Not only had I given up on this game, I gave up during the play.  I saw Nick Marshall get the pass off and as it headed toward Ricardo Louis I could tell it would not get to him...  it was over... then the ball tipped up... Louis saw it... it was in his hands... he juggled it... he catches it... he steps into the end zone and into Auburn history.  TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!!!

Sheer pandemonium.  I yelled as loud as I ever have.  My first thought was that I had seen a real miracle right before my eyes.  I turned and grabbed my youngest son who was at the game with me.  I told him he just saw one of the biggest plays in Auburn football history.  I told him he could say he was there.  He deserved it.  He had gone to last year's game with his grandparents and watched last season end at Jordan Hare to Georgia 38-0.  He heard someone say after the game they knew Auburn would lose that game.  He asked simply "then why did we come?".  I did not know the answer to that question looking into the abyss of last season but I do now.  Last night was why you sit through the bad ones.  Last night is why you stick with your team through thick and thin.  It is times like last night that make it all worth it.

Of course the game was not over... I have never had a quarter of football put me through the wringer like that.  We had just seen the football miracle of miracles but there was 25 seconds left.  Georgia led by Aaron Murray (I will never be so glad to see an opposing player graduate) came roaring back down the field going 50 yards in three plays setting up a final play at the Auburn 20 yard line with three seconds left.  One play for all the marbles.  Would the miracle be lost in Georgia's greatest comeback?  The answer was thankfully no thanks to senior Dee Ford who absolutely leveled Murray to send his last pass off course and end the game. Senior Dee Ford who has seen it all at Auburn and has helped end Auburn's two biggest wins so far this season sacking Johnny Manziel and hitting Murray.

The rest of the game has been completely overshadowed by the ending but it was pretty incredible as well.  Auburn came roaring out of the gates absolutely dominating the first quarter.  However the Tigers could only manage 13 points.  That was a big worry for me as I knew all too well Auburn had blown a 14 point lead and lost to Georgia in 2009.  Auburn's first touchdown was an impressive 20 yard run by Corey Grant.  Georgia then got untracked and blazed down the field led by running back Todd Gurley who would score the Bulldog's first touchdown and early in the second quarter it was 13-7 Auburn.  The great start was already a memory and the intensity was rising.  Auburn hero Ricardo Louis would fumble on the next drive but Auburn retained possession on a controversial call.  Georgia coach Mark Richt completely lost it and to the delight of the home crowd was penalized 15 yards.  Auburn would then rip off four good runs with quarterback Nick Marshall capping it off with a six yard touchdown run, 20-7 Auburn.

Auburn would stop Georgia, get a field goal blocked, intercept Murray and then score on Tre Mason's 24 yard run up the middle to make it 27-7.  Georgia though with only a minute in the half, showing an indicator of what was to come, drove down and got a critical field goal before intermission to make it 27-10 Auburn at halftime.  I felt good but knew we would probably hit a dry patch after such a good start and I knew Georgia would make a run...  They started the third quarter well driving right down for a touchdown.  Auburn would immediately respond on two big passes, one to Sammie Coates and one to Louis.  Nick Marshall would cap the drive with another touchdown run, Auburn 34-17.  That is the way the third quarter would end.  Auburn would open the fourth quarter with a field goal to make it 37-17.  You knew Georgia would not go down easy but you had to feel good about a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter.

It would be the most unbelievable quarter of football in one of the best rivalries in college football.  There is no rivalry as old and close as Auburn vs. Georgia.  This was the 117th time these teams have played and before this game the series was knotted at 54-54-8.  My first Auburn game in person was the 1978 Auburn vs. Georgia game that ended in a 22-22 tie.  Everyone gives a lot of lip service to many rivalries but the actual content of the rivalry just does not match the hype but not Auburn vs. Georgia.  The history is so rich and there are so many good games and great moments.  The series has featured many games with championships on the line, multiple Heisman winning moments, the first overtime in SEC history and a lot of awesome endings.  Now another one has been added...  

Georgia gets the ball with a little over 12 minutes in the game.  Aaron Murray aided by a big Auburn penalty passes and runs Georgia for their first touchdown of the quarter, Auburn 37-24.  Auburn runs the ball four times trying to get a first down and run the clock but is stopped.  Steven Clark would then kick a short punt and Georgia would score in four plays, Auburn 37-31 with six minutes to go.  This is when reality started hitting Auburn fans and especially me.  Auburn was not only in danger but the momentum had completely changed hands and it now seemed likely Auburn would lose this one.  I thought Auburn should have kept running.  They are the best running team in the conference.  The Auburn coaches disagreed and took three straight shots at a first down throwing the ball.  It did not work and Auburn only takes 50 seconds off the clock and that is only because Marshall got sacked on third down.

Steven Clark would then shank the punt and Georgia would take over at the Auburn 45 yard line.  The Auburn defense would fight valiantly this time but Murray would barely make it in on 4th and goal at the Auburn five yard line.  Georgia nailed the extra point and after being up by 20 points just ten minutes earlier Auburn was now behind 38-31.  The replays showed that Auburn may have actually stopped Murray at the one foot line but they were not conclusive enough.  Auburn was left with plenty of time with 1:45 to get in field goal range but after one first down, a screen pass that did not work, an incompletion and a sack the Tigers were left with 4th and 18 at their 27 yard line.  And one more time...  "I saw Nick Marshall get the pass off and as it headed toward Ricardo Louis I could tell it would not get to him...  it was over... then the ball tipped up... Louis saw it... it was in his hands... he juggled it... he catches it... he steps into the end zone and into Auburn history.  TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!!!"  

The Prayer at Jordan-Hare.  The Marshall Miracle.  The Immaculate Deflection.  Pick your favorite headline.  It was a massive party after the game but most people including myself and even the Georgia fans had that "what did I just witness?" look on their faces.  I am still taking it in and digesting it.  So much history was made.  This was the first time ever due to the SEC trying to schedule for 14 teams that Auburn has played Georgia two years in a row at Jordan-Hare.  This game should not even have been be at Jordan-Hare!  Both years the Georgia Bulldogs scored 38 points.  Last year, the worst season in Auburn history ended at home with Auburn scoring nothing against these Bulldogs.  Just a year later Auburn scores 43 points and will play their next game for the SEC West championship and everything that lays beyond that.  What a difference a year makes.

People always look for comparisons between teams.  Every team is a unique but you always look for some of those classic similarities between good teams.  Some good teams are high-flying offensive teams, some teams are rugged defensive teams, some teams dominate, some teams are the gutty underdog...  That is the category of this current group.  I will give this team high praise by comparing them to one of the most special teams in Auburn history, the 1972 "Amazin's".  This team like that one has one really good unit and one that comes up with just enough to get the win.  They are the inverse of each other as the good unit in 1972 was the defense and the just adequate one was the offense but the similarity is still there.  The 1972 team also won a lot of close games.  The 1972 team also lost an ugly one at night in Baton Rouge.  The 1972 team also produced one of the biggest plays in Auburn history...

Of course the 1972 team produced their big play in the game after Georgia with "Punt Bama Punt".  They also faced an undefeated Bama team that had dominated the rest of the conference.  That is where we are at now.  Can this group of Amazin's upset a great Bama team like the 1972 group did?  Like it was in 1972 I cannot give you one logical reason Auburn could beat Bama in two weeks.  On paper they are better at just about every position.  They have more good players than anybody and feature another senior quarterback who has led them to multiple championships.  They are a juggernaut and this group of gutty Auburn Tigers seem to be the only thing standing between them and another title.  There really does not seem to be much of a chance for an upset here but one thing this season and especially last night has taught everyone and that is not to count these guys out.  I certainly will not.  The countdown is on.