Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
It Does Seem
that everyone is picking FSU in this game. Either the game goes the way the "experts" think or the Seminoles are going to be greatly embarassed along with the prognosticators.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Options Galore: Breaking Down What Makes Auburn's Running Game so Dominant
BY Joel A. Erickson
23 December 2013
AUBURN, Alabama – The overpowering rushing attack that drove Auburn all the way to the BCS Championship Game remains something of a mystery to opponents and pundits alike.
Week after week, game after game, the public perception of Gus Malzahn's offense remained the same: At some point, experts kept saying, an elite SEC defense would find a way to slow down the Tigers' running game.
So much for that storyline. Auburn's rushing attack barely broke stride, piling up 323 yards against Georgia, 296 against Alabama and a turf-pounding 545 yards in the SEC Championship against a Missouri team that hadn't given up more than 184 rushing yards in a game all season.
Now, another top-notch defense awaits in Pasadena, a Florida State unit teeming with future NFL talent.
The last time a team ran the ball this much and won a national championship, Ahman Green and Scott Frost were running Tom Osborne's option offense out of the I-formation at Nebraska.
Auburn has run the ball on 72.4 percent of its plays this season, a mark that would be the highest for any national title team since that 1997 Cornhuskers squad, a group that ran it a whopping 80.5 percent of the time.
Fifteen teams have won the national championship since Nebraska shared that title with Michigan. Of that group, eight have run the ball more than 60 percent of the time, including a 2010 Auburn team that ran it on 68.8 percent of its plays.
Both Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have been asked so many questions about the heavy reliance on the run this season.
The answer is always the same.
Auburn's offense has the capability to expand the play-calling, use a few portions of the playbook fans haven't seen this season, but Malzahn and Lashlee aren't going to change a successful formula unless the defense starts making stops.
"It's a real credit to them. Don't be dumb about it," Chris Brown, the brains behind SmartFootball.com and one of the game's best X's and O's analysts, said. "Ride what's working. Ride what the players do best."
The true beauty of Malzahn's offense – overshadowed by the tempo – is its adaptability.
The core of Malzahn's hurry-up, no-huddle has never changed, a power running game based on the Delaware Wing-T, run out of spread formations designed to pressure a defense across the entire field.
"I was kind of a gap-oriented coach early on. We added the zone," Malzahn said. "Then I got with Herb Hand when we went to Tulsa. He was very versed on the zone read, all that. We kind of blended some things together, each year just kind of tried to tweak it and really tried to build our offense around our quarterback each year."
Tailoring the offense to fit the quarterback means that Auburn's best play – and consequently, the one the Tigers run more than any other – changes on a year-to-year basis. In 2009, with Chris Todd at quarterback and Ben Tate at running back, Malzahn relied heavily on the buck sweep, a play where the line blocks down, the guards pull and lead the running back around the edge as the quarterback fakes a reverse to receiver running behind.
Cam Newton arrived on campus the next season. With a 6-6, 250-pounder at quarterback, Malzahn stuck to the base play "power", where the line blocks down, the fullback kicks out the unblocked defensive end and the running back follows a pulling guard through the hole, a play Auburn used heavily in Tre Mason's 304-yard performance against Missouri. That team also relied on the inverted veer, a play that allowed Newton to read the unblocked play-side defensive end; if the end crashes inside, Newton handed the ball to a running back on the sweep. If the end stayed outside, Newton kept it himself and take it up the middle behind the guard, a formula Marshall followed for 68 yards against Tennessee.
At Arkansas State, Malzahn relied heavily on the inside zone, a foundational play for almost every offense, linemen firing off into a zone and blocking the first defender there, opening cutback lanes for the running back.
"It's all within the same framework," Brown said. "It's stuff that the kids know and they can teach, and it's not that many different concepts, but they kind of ride what's working."
Now Auburn is relying heavily on the zone read.
The basic zone read is fairly simple.
Up front, the line blocks an inside zone, setting up another handoff for the running back to find a cutback lane. At the snap, the quarterback reads the back-side defensive end, who is unblocked. If the end stays outside, the quarterback hands it off to the running back, and in Malzahn's offense, the target is directly up the middle. If the end crashes, the quarterback keeps and takes off to the perimeter.
Back when he was first named the starter in August, Nick Marshall said he felt most comfortable in Auburn's zone read package. Over the Tigers' first bye week, Malzahn and Lashlee decided to feature the play to take advantage of Ole Miss' defensive ends, who crash hard into the middle on almost every play.
Marshall responded by rushing for 140 yards.
"That's when the read-option got down to it," Marshall said. "I just started trusting my instincts and knew if I could, just beat the defensive end."
Off of that base play, Malzahn and Lashlee started adding wrinkles. Auburn has run the play out of almost any formation: a single-back, four receivers; a two-back set with the running back on one side of Marshall and the H-back on the other; the H-back and tailback on the same side; the inverted wishbone, with two H-backs on opposite sides of the formation and a lone tailback directly behind Marshall, among others.
"The really good thing about this offense is we can run one play so many different ways," fullback Jay Prosch said. "It may look like we're running the same play, but there's a lot of things that may be changing or being done differently. It's amazing how versatile it is. It changes weekly."
Prosch plays a central role in the wrinkles added to the zone read after the snap.
Depending on the opponent, Prosch has been used to come across the formation and act as a lead blocker for Marshall on the outside, drive off the ball to provide another block for Tre Mason on the play side, or team with the tight end to pull and kick out defensive backs on the perimeter to give Marshall a cutback lane outside.
"The thing that I think they've added. ... and they do it a ton this year, is what I think of as the Nevada/San Francisco 49ers kind of wrinkle to it, where you bring the guy from across the formation, and he kind of bluff-blocks the defensive end and goes up to hit the linebacker," Brown said.
According to Brown, the reason for that wrinkle is simple.
In response to the zone read, defenses have widely begun using what's called a scrape-exchange. In a scrape-exchange, the defensive end crashes, forcing the quarterback to keep, and a linebacker lined up inside runs to the perimeter to eliminate the quarterback threat.
Bringing Prosch across the formation eliminates that linebacker and springs Marshall for a big gain.
And then, on top of all of that, Marshall has the option to throw, snapping bubble screens out to the perimeter like he did against Arkansas and Georgia or flipping the ball to a wide-open Sammie Coates for the game-tying touchdown in the Iron Bowl.
All of those elements have led announcers, including CBS color man Gary Danielson, to dub Auburn's offense the triple-option, comparing it to Georgia Tech, the service academies and those Nebraska offenses that dominated the Big 12.
In terms of straight X's and O's and scheme, Auburn isn't running the true triple-option, the fullback taking off up the middle, the quarterback pulling with the option to pitch to a tailback. The Tigers haven't used that scheme this season.
What Malzahn has put together is an offense with plenty of choices.
"If it's the wishbone or the Georgia Tech flexbone or the Houston veer, it connotes a scheme where you're reading defenders to the same side the play is going, you're doing things like that," Brown said. "I don't think Gus would say he's running the triple-option. He's running an offense with lots of options."
Auburn's zone read packages are far from one-of-a-kind.
In the SEC alone, Texas A&M, Missouri and Ole Miss run similar concepts off of the zone read.
"There's a lot of teams that do a lot of this kind of stuff," Brown said. "They're just not doing it as well."
Auburn's offensive line deserves plenty of credit, as well as a group of wide receivers that takes pride in sealing off defensive backs.
"The strength of Auburn's team, in my opinion, is their offensive line," Alabama coach Nick Saban said in an appearance on ESPN's GameDay before the SEC Championship. "They have a very good offensive line who does a great job of blocking the particular plays they run, which are not all finesse plays. There are direct runs."
On any inside zone, the key is to drive the defensive line off the ball, walling off defenders to create lanes and getting to the second level to clear out linebackers who might be able to make the tackle.
Under the tutelage of offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, Auburn's offensive line has been dominant all season long. Beyond the initial push, left tackle Greg Robinson and Dismukes, in particular, routinely get three or four yards past the line of scrimmage into the defense's second level, taking out linebackers and eliminating chances to chase down Marshall on the outside.
"Whether it's us getting to the second level, or the guards getting to the second level, we work on that in practice," Dismukes said. "It's not really any different than blocking the down guy. Obviously that's the first responsibility, but you need to get to those second-level guys."
Having a Heisman Trophy finalist at running back hasn't hurt, either. A workhorse against top competition, Mason has rushed for 1,621 yards, second only to Bo Jackson in Auburn's annals, and a school-record 22 touchdowns.
Mason's best asset, his quickness, is ideally suited to finding cutback lanes on the inside zone, and the tough runner has picked up more than half of his yards after contact.
"He's a playmaker," Malzahn said. "You just give him the ball and things happen."
Then there's Marshall, who has piled up 1,023 rushing yards this season, including 877 in his final seven games after the Tigers turned to the zone read as the staple of the offense.
Already comfortable with the read, Marshall presents an entirely different problem with his ability to carry out fakes, and his electric speed and elusiveness on the edge make him a more dangerous threat out in space than former Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin, another player with a knack for making the right read.
"When you squeeze too much, the quarterback is going to take the ball and hurt you on the perimeter," Saban said. "You have to be very disciplined in stopping that."
And Auburn's attack is much more than Mason and Marshall. Corey Grant, the burner who handles the bulk of the sweeps, andCameron Artis-Payne both have more than 600 rushing yards. Wide receiver Ricardo Louis has emerged as a dangerous player on the reverse.
In Malzahn's capable hands, all of those pieces have been put together perfectly to produce the nation's top-ranked rushing attack at 335.7 yards per game.
Finding an answer for Auburn's ground game is the new problem, a conundrum that left Missouri coach Gary Pinkel grasping at straws two weeks ago after being asked how to stop the Tigers.
"You know what, I'm the wrong person to ask," Pinkel said. "I'd have stopped it if I could have."
The rest of the SEC's coaches know the feeling.
23 December 2013
AUBURN, Alabama – The overpowering rushing attack that drove Auburn all the way to the BCS Championship Game remains something of a mystery to opponents and pundits alike.
Week after week, game after game, the public perception of Gus Malzahn's offense remained the same: At some point, experts kept saying, an elite SEC defense would find a way to slow down the Tigers' running game.
So much for that storyline. Auburn's rushing attack barely broke stride, piling up 323 yards against Georgia, 296 against Alabama and a turf-pounding 545 yards in the SEC Championship against a Missouri team that hadn't given up more than 184 rushing yards in a game all season.
Now, another top-notch defense awaits in Pasadena, a Florida State unit teeming with future NFL talent.
"We're going to have to play our best football," Auburn centerReese Dismukes said. "I don't know that we can run on anybody. I don't think we can run on the Green Bay Packers."
GROUND AND POUND
Auburn has run the ball on 72.4 percent of its plays this season, a mark that would be the highest for any national title team since that 1997 Cornhuskers squad, a group that ran it a whopping 80.5 percent of the time.
Fifteen teams have won the national championship since Nebraska shared that title with Michigan. Of that group, eight have run the ball more than 60 percent of the time, including a 2010 Auburn team that ran it on 68.8 percent of its plays.
Both Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have been asked so many questions about the heavy reliance on the run this season.
The answer is always the same.
Auburn's offense has the capability to expand the play-calling, use a few portions of the playbook fans haven't seen this season, but Malzahn and Lashlee aren't going to change a successful formula unless the defense starts making stops.
"It's a real credit to them. Don't be dumb about it," Chris Brown, the brains behind SmartFootball.com and one of the game's best X's and O's analysts, said. "Ride what's working. Ride what the players do best."
X's AND O'S
The core of Malzahn's hurry-up, no-huddle has never changed, a power running game based on the Delaware Wing-T, run out of spread formations designed to pressure a defense across the entire field.
"I was kind of a gap-oriented coach early on. We added the zone," Malzahn said. "Then I got with Herb Hand when we went to Tulsa. He was very versed on the zone read, all that. We kind of blended some things together, each year just kind of tried to tweak it and really tried to build our offense around our quarterback each year."
Tailoring the offense to fit the quarterback means that Auburn's best play – and consequently, the one the Tigers run more than any other – changes on a year-to-year basis. In 2009, with Chris Todd at quarterback and Ben Tate at running back, Malzahn relied heavily on the buck sweep, a play where the line blocks down, the guards pull and lead the running back around the edge as the quarterback fakes a reverse to receiver running behind.
Cam Newton arrived on campus the next season. With a 6-6, 250-pounder at quarterback, Malzahn stuck to the base play "power", where the line blocks down, the fullback kicks out the unblocked defensive end and the running back follows a pulling guard through the hole, a play Auburn used heavily in Tre Mason's 304-yard performance against Missouri. That team also relied on the inverted veer, a play that allowed Newton to read the unblocked play-side defensive end; if the end crashes inside, Newton handed the ball to a running back on the sweep. If the end stayed outside, Newton kept it himself and take it up the middle behind the guard, a formula Marshall followed for 68 yards against Tennessee.
At Arkansas State, Malzahn relied heavily on the inside zone, a foundational play for almost every offense, linemen firing off into a zone and blocking the first defender there, opening cutback lanes for the running back.
"It's all within the same framework," Brown said. "It's stuff that the kids know and they can teach, and it's not that many different concepts, but they kind of ride what's working."
Now Auburn is relying heavily on the zone read.
ZONE READ
Up front, the line blocks an inside zone, setting up another handoff for the running back to find a cutback lane. At the snap, the quarterback reads the back-side defensive end, who is unblocked. If the end stays outside, the quarterback hands it off to the running back, and in Malzahn's offense, the target is directly up the middle. If the end crashes, the quarterback keeps and takes off to the perimeter.
Back when he was first named the starter in August, Nick Marshall said he felt most comfortable in Auburn's zone read package. Over the Tigers' first bye week, Malzahn and Lashlee decided to feature the play to take advantage of Ole Miss' defensive ends, who crash hard into the middle on almost every play.
Marshall responded by rushing for 140 yards.
"That's when the read-option got down to it," Marshall said. "I just started trusting my instincts and knew if I could, just beat the defensive end."
Off of that base play, Malzahn and Lashlee started adding wrinkles. Auburn has run the play out of almost any formation: a single-back, four receivers; a two-back set with the running back on one side of Marshall and the H-back on the other; the H-back and tailback on the same side; the inverted wishbone, with two H-backs on opposite sides of the formation and a lone tailback directly behind Marshall, among others.
"The really good thing about this offense is we can run one play so many different ways," fullback Jay Prosch said. "It may look like we're running the same play, but there's a lot of things that may be changing or being done differently. It's amazing how versatile it is. It changes weekly."
Prosch plays a central role in the wrinkles added to the zone read after the snap.
Depending on the opponent, Prosch has been used to come across the formation and act as a lead blocker for Marshall on the outside, drive off the ball to provide another block for Tre Mason on the play side, or team with the tight end to pull and kick out defensive backs on the perimeter to give Marshall a cutback lane outside.
"The thing that I think they've added. ... and they do it a ton this year, is what I think of as the Nevada/San Francisco 49ers kind of wrinkle to it, where you bring the guy from across the formation, and he kind of bluff-blocks the defensive end and goes up to hit the linebacker," Brown said.
According to Brown, the reason for that wrinkle is simple.
In response to the zone read, defenses have widely begun using what's called a scrape-exchange. In a scrape-exchange, the defensive end crashes, forcing the quarterback to keep, and a linebacker lined up inside runs to the perimeter to eliminate the quarterback threat.
Bringing Prosch across the formation eliminates that linebacker and springs Marshall for a big gain.
And then, on top of all of that, Marshall has the option to throw, snapping bubble screens out to the perimeter like he did against Arkansas and Georgia or flipping the ball to a wide-open Sammie Coates for the game-tying touchdown in the Iron Bowl.
All of those elements have led announcers, including CBS color man Gary Danielson, to dub Auburn's offense the triple-option, comparing it to Georgia Tech, the service academies and those Nebraska offenses that dominated the Big 12.
In terms of straight X's and O's and scheme, Auburn isn't running the true triple-option, the fullback taking off up the middle, the quarterback pulling with the option to pitch to a tailback. The Tigers haven't used that scheme this season.
What Malzahn has put together is an offense with plenty of choices.
"If it's the wishbone or the Georgia Tech flexbone or the Houston veer, it connotes a scheme where you're reading defenders to the same side the play is going, you're doing things like that," Brown said. "I don't think Gus would say he's running the triple-option. He's running an offense with lots of options."
BRAWN BEHIND THE BRAINS
In the SEC alone, Texas A&M, Missouri and Ole Miss run similar concepts off of the zone read.
"There's a lot of teams that do a lot of this kind of stuff," Brown said. "They're just not doing it as well."
Auburn's offensive line deserves plenty of credit, as well as a group of wide receivers that takes pride in sealing off defensive backs.
"The strength of Auburn's team, in my opinion, is their offensive line," Alabama coach Nick Saban said in an appearance on ESPN's GameDay before the SEC Championship. "They have a very good offensive line who does a great job of blocking the particular plays they run, which are not all finesse plays. There are direct runs."
On any inside zone, the key is to drive the defensive line off the ball, walling off defenders to create lanes and getting to the second level to clear out linebackers who might be able to make the tackle.
Under the tutelage of offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, Auburn's offensive line has been dominant all season long. Beyond the initial push, left tackle Greg Robinson and Dismukes, in particular, routinely get three or four yards past the line of scrimmage into the defense's second level, taking out linebackers and eliminating chances to chase down Marshall on the outside.
"Whether it's us getting to the second level, or the guards getting to the second level, we work on that in practice," Dismukes said. "It's not really any different than blocking the down guy. Obviously that's the first responsibility, but you need to get to those second-level guys."
Having a Heisman Trophy finalist at running back hasn't hurt, either. A workhorse against top competition, Mason has rushed for 1,621 yards, second only to Bo Jackson in Auburn's annals, and a school-record 22 touchdowns.
Mason's best asset, his quickness, is ideally suited to finding cutback lanes on the inside zone, and the tough runner has picked up more than half of his yards after contact.
"He's a playmaker," Malzahn said. "You just give him the ball and things happen."
Then there's Marshall, who has piled up 1,023 rushing yards this season, including 877 in his final seven games after the Tigers turned to the zone read as the staple of the offense.
Already comfortable with the read, Marshall presents an entirely different problem with his ability to carry out fakes, and his electric speed and elusiveness on the edge make him a more dangerous threat out in space than former Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin, another player with a knack for making the right read.
"When you squeeze too much, the quarterback is going to take the ball and hurt you on the perimeter," Saban said. "You have to be very disciplined in stopping that."
And Auburn's attack is much more than Mason and Marshall. Corey Grant, the burner who handles the bulk of the sweeps, andCameron Artis-Payne both have more than 600 rushing yards. Wide receiver Ricardo Louis has emerged as a dangerous player on the reverse.
In Malzahn's capable hands, all of those pieces have been put together perfectly to produce the nation's top-ranked rushing attack at 335.7 yards per game.
Finding an answer for Auburn's ground game is the new problem, a conundrum that left Missouri coach Gary Pinkel grasping at straws two weeks ago after being asked how to stop the Tigers.
"You know what, I'm the wrong person to ask," Pinkel said. "I'd have stopped it if I could have."
The rest of the SEC's coaches know the feeling.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
JCs
I see that we signed 3 jucos. We got the wide receiver Williams who is rated the number one JC player in the country. We signed a defensive lineman and a center in case Dismukes goes pro. The Tigers did well reinforcing positions that needed reinforcing.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Saturday, December 14, 2013
The Heisman Presentation
We are all home for the Heisman presentation. Tre Mason doesn't win; Jameis Winston wins as expected. We'll see what happens January 6th ha ha.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tre to New York
I am so happy to see that Tre Mason is one of the Heisman Trophy finalists. He truly deserves it.
Monday, December 9, 2013
You Betcha!
Better believe Auburn's fully capable of beating Florida State
By Kevin Scarbinsky
kscarbinsky@al.com AL.com
One day after putting up the most points in SEC Championship Game history, the Auburn Tigers got shut out.
Story of their season.
Underrated and overlooked. Still. All evidence to the contrary.
Not a single one of the 62 coaches who vote in the USA Today put the Tigers on the top of his final ballot. Florida State was a unanimous No. 1, and Auburn, while a strong runner-up, wasn't unanimous at the No. 2 spot.
Michigan State's Mark Dantonio and West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen both put Auburn at No. 3 behind Michigan State.
Gus Malzahn didn't have a vote.
Coaches aren't the only ones that like the Seminoles over the Tigers. Oddsmakers have installed Florida State as a touchdown or so favorite in the Jan. 6 BCS Championship Game.
You know what means. Auburn has the Seminoles right where it wants them.
No one has challenged Florida State for close to 60 minutes all season. FSU's offensive players haven't started a single possession this season knowing that if they didn't score, they wouldn't win. FSU's defensive players haven't started a single drive this year knowing that if they didn't get a stop, they'd lose.
The Seminoles haven't trailed for a single second in the second half all season. They haven't trailed at any point in a game since the second quarter against Boston College on Sept. 28. That was 571 minutes of football ago.
You know what that means. Florida State hasn't been tested.
Auburn played a much tougher schedule to get to 12-1 than FSU did to reach 13-0. The Tigers went 4-1 against teams in the top 25 of the final BCS rankings. The Seminoles went 2-0.
Auburn's biggest wins came over current No. 3 Alabama and No. 7 Missouri in its last two games in the span of eight days. Florida State' biggest victories were against No. 12 Clemson and No. 24 Duke.
Auburn was the only team to beat Missouri in regulation, and the Tigers did it with authority Saturday 59-42. Auburn was the only team to beat Alabama, period, and the Tigers did that by outscoring the Tide 27-7 over the last two quarters and two minutes.
Jimbo Fisher has done an outstanding job at Florida State taking over for Bobby Bowden and turning the Seminoles back into a national power. Fisher is 44-10 in four years as the head coach in Tallahassee, and he's 3-0 in bowl games, but he's about to face his most difficult test.
He has to convince his players that Auburn isn't Clemson without a lake.
Fisher understands Auburn football. He spent six years as an assistant there under Terry Bowden. ESPN's Rece Davis asked Fisher Sunday night what he stood out to him from his time at Auburn.
"The commitment to football," Fisher said. "The commitment to excellence."
One example: Auburn has won more SEC championships than anyone else the last 10 years. The Tigers have three (2004, 2010 and 2013) under three different head coaches.
Outsiders tend to focus on the negatives when they look at the Tigers, and a lot of analysts and experts will do the same between now and Jan. 6. Fisher knows better.
Auburn isn't just capable of challenging Florida State. Auburn is fully capable of beating FSU. The Tigers have defied the odds, the oddsmakers and other coaches all season in their memorable rise from worst to first.
Why stop now?
By Kevin Scarbinsky
kscarbinsky@al.com AL.com
One day after putting up the most points in SEC Championship Game history, the Auburn Tigers got shut out.
Story of their season.
Underrated and overlooked. Still. All evidence to the contrary.
Not a single one of the 62 coaches who vote in the USA Today put the Tigers on the top of his final ballot. Florida State was a unanimous No. 1, and Auburn, while a strong runner-up, wasn't unanimous at the No. 2 spot.
Michigan State's Mark Dantonio and West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen both put Auburn at No. 3 behind Michigan State.
Gus Malzahn didn't have a vote.
Coaches aren't the only ones that like the Seminoles over the Tigers. Oddsmakers have installed Florida State as a touchdown or so favorite in the Jan. 6 BCS Championship Game.
You know what means. Auburn has the Seminoles right where it wants them.
No one has challenged Florida State for close to 60 minutes all season. FSU's offensive players haven't started a single possession this season knowing that if they didn't score, they wouldn't win. FSU's defensive players haven't started a single drive this year knowing that if they didn't get a stop, they'd lose.
The Seminoles haven't trailed for a single second in the second half all season. They haven't trailed at any point in a game since the second quarter against Boston College on Sept. 28. That was 571 minutes of football ago.
You know what that means. Florida State hasn't been tested.
Auburn played a much tougher schedule to get to 12-1 than FSU did to reach 13-0. The Tigers went 4-1 against teams in the top 25 of the final BCS rankings. The Seminoles went 2-0.
Auburn's biggest wins came over current No. 3 Alabama and No. 7 Missouri in its last two games in the span of eight days. Florida State' biggest victories were against No. 12 Clemson and No. 24 Duke.
Auburn was the only team to beat Missouri in regulation, and the Tigers did it with authority Saturday 59-42. Auburn was the only team to beat Alabama, period, and the Tigers did that by outscoring the Tide 27-7 over the last two quarters and two minutes.
Jimbo Fisher has done an outstanding job at Florida State taking over for Bobby Bowden and turning the Seminoles back into a national power. Fisher is 44-10 in four years as the head coach in Tallahassee, and he's 3-0 in bowl games, but he's about to face his most difficult test.
He has to convince his players that Auburn isn't Clemson without a lake.
Fisher understands Auburn football. He spent six years as an assistant there under Terry Bowden. ESPN's Rece Davis asked Fisher Sunday night what he stood out to him from his time at Auburn.
"The commitment to football," Fisher said. "The commitment to excellence."
One example: Auburn has won more SEC championships than anyone else the last 10 years. The Tigers have three (2004, 2010 and 2013) under three different head coaches.
Outsiders tend to focus on the negatives when they look at the Tigers, and a lot of analysts and experts will do the same between now and Jan. 6. Fisher knows better.
Auburn isn't just capable of challenging Florida State. Auburn is fully capable of beating FSU. The Tigers have defied the odds, the oddsmakers and other coaches all season in their memorable rise from worst to first.
Why stop now?
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Pasadena Bound
Last night we watched in sheer delight as Michigan State beat Ohio State. We then knew that Auburn would move up to Number 2 in the BCA standings which will be made public tonight. This morning I see that the coaches poll, one/third of the BCA, has Auburn Number 2 as expected. We are on our way.
11:45 a.m. jerickson@al.com AL.com
on December 08, 2013 at 11:14 AM, updated December 08, 2013 at 11:21 AM
ATLANTA, Georgia -- Auburn's incredible turnaround season has the Tigers in a place they haven't been since the 2010 season.
Auburn was ranked No. 2 in the final USA Today/Coaches' Poll on Sunday morning, the first domino to fall in an expected move to be formally announced as one-half of the BCS Championship Game opposite No. 1 Florida State.
Votes for the 62 coaches will be made public following the release of the poll, which makes up one-third of the BCS formula.
Unranked in the preseason and coming off a 3-9 season, Auburn didn't enter the USA Today/Coaches' Poll until the week following its win over Texas A&M, but five straight SEC wins, including three over Georgia, Alabama and Missouri, vaulted the Tigers to the top of the standings and presumably back into the national title game.
Auburn settled in comfortably to the second-place spot, receiving 1,486 points, but no first-place votes. Undefeated Florida State received all 62 first-place votes for 1,550 points, and Alabama came in third.
The Tigers, who came all the way back from a last-place finish in the SEC to win the SEC title with a 59-42 win over Missouri on Saturday night, finished 4-1 against teams in the coaches' poll.
USA TODAY/COACHES' POLL
1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Michigan State
5. Baylor
6. Ohio State
7. Stanford
8. South Carolina
9. Missouri
10. Oklahoma
11. Clemson
12. Oregon
13. Oklahoma State
14. LSU
15. Central Florida
16. Louisville
17. Arizona State
18. UCLA
19. Wisconsin
20. Fresno State
t-21. Duke; Texas A&M
23. Northern Illinois
24. Georgia
25. Miami
I am beginning to believe in this Auburn football team. This team will beat FSU. I firmly believe that.
12:04 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
It's official: Auburn is going to Pasadena to play FSU for the national championship. What a year this has been, and it's not over yet. Let the buildup begin!
11:45 a.m. jerickson@al.com AL.com
on December 08, 2013 at 11:14 AM, updated December 08, 2013 at 11:21 AM
ATLANTA, Georgia -- Auburn's incredible turnaround season has the Tigers in a place they haven't been since the 2010 season.
Auburn was ranked No. 2 in the final USA Today/Coaches' Poll on Sunday morning, the first domino to fall in an expected move to be formally announced as one-half of the BCS Championship Game opposite No. 1 Florida State.
Votes for the 62 coaches will be made public following the release of the poll, which makes up one-third of the BCS formula.
Unranked in the preseason and coming off a 3-9 season, Auburn didn't enter the USA Today/Coaches' Poll until the week following its win over Texas A&M, but five straight SEC wins, including three over Georgia, Alabama and Missouri, vaulted the Tigers to the top of the standings and presumably back into the national title game.
Auburn settled in comfortably to the second-place spot, receiving 1,486 points, but no first-place votes. Undefeated Florida State received all 62 first-place votes for 1,550 points, and Alabama came in third.
The Tigers, who came all the way back from a last-place finish in the SEC to win the SEC title with a 59-42 win over Missouri on Saturday night, finished 4-1 against teams in the coaches' poll.
USA TODAY/COACHES' POLL
1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Michigan State
5. Baylor
6. Ohio State
7. Stanford
8. South Carolina
9. Missouri
10. Oklahoma
11. Clemson
12. Oregon
13. Oklahoma State
14. LSU
15. Central Florida
16. Louisville
17. Arizona State
18. UCLA
19. Wisconsin
20. Fresno State
t-21. Duke; Texas A&M
23. Northern Illinois
24. Georgia
25. Miami
I am beginning to believe in this Auburn football team. This team will beat FSU. I firmly believe that.
12:04 p.m.
8:15 p.m.
It's official: Auburn is going to Pasadena to play FSU for the national championship. What a year this has been, and it's not over yet. Let the buildup begin!
Saturday, December 7, 2013
The SEC Championship Game vs. Missouri
It's time for unfinished business. The Tigers play for the SEC Championship against Missouri from the Georgia Dome with a 3 p.m. kickoff. Here we go. I see the game as a tossup. Either team can win. Can this team put last week's classic victory behind them for another big one? Can Auburn run the ball as we have all year? Can we throw if we need to? Can we stop their big wide receivers? Can we contain their good QB James Franklin? Missouri is plus 15 on turnovers. They have 37 sacks. Can Auburn make the big plays to win this game? It's time to find out. This Auburn team has come so far this season. Can we take the next step?
FIRST QUARTER
Auburn wins the toss and defers. Missouri receives.
Missouri goes 3 and out. Defense looks good on their first possession.
After a short punt AU starts on their 40.
After one first down Marshall gets stripped of the ball back to pass and Missouri is in business at the Auburn 43. Missouri is strong in forcing turnovers and there is one early. Let's hope it's the last one in this game.
On first down there is a run to the 27. Then the Tigers hold for the FG attempt. The 42 yarder is good.
Auburn 0 Missouri 3
Okay. Once again our defense hold the opponent to a FG. It certainly could have been worse.
What a drive! The Tigers are running the ball at will before a holding penalty forces a third and 8 and then Marshall hits Coates in the end zone for the touchdown. That was a fake statue of liberty---a beautiful play and play-call. Touchdown Auburn!
Auburn 7 Missouri 3
Misssouri moves to a first down at the Auburn 28 and on the next play there is the TD pass to the end zone. They move the ball well throwing. Our lead doesn't last long. Their QB is very good, very mobile.
Auburn 7 Missouri 10
The ball came out on that touchdown catch by Missouri but the play is not reviewed.
On first down from the 25 there is long screen pass to Coates for 55 yards. Mason runs for another first down. First down around the 10. Marshall runs 10 yards for the TD untouched! That didn't last long! Ths is a track meet so far. Wow!
Auburn 14 Missouri 10
Officially that was a 9 yard run for the score. Unbelievable quick drive.
Auburn recovers an onside kick. The ball goes 10 yards, a Missouri player knocks it back, and Auburn recovers.
Our Tigers start on the AU 42. The jet sweep goes to the Missouri 42. Mason for 6 yards. On 3rd and short Marshall drops the ball and recovers. The ball comes out between Marshall and Grant and it was designed as a keeper by Nick. We go for it on 4th and 5. TO with 2:29 to go ball at the Missouri 37. After the TO we miss a 54 yd. FG attempt. We were moving the ball so I am surprised by that FG attempt. I would have punted or gone for it. We had the momentum after the onside recovery and now we've lost it.
Missouri makes a 4th and short. First down. Then there is a run to the AU 20. Chris Davis is on the canvas on the play. I don't like seeing #11 on the turf. That was a 24 yard run. Davis walks off under his own power.
After a delay penalty the first quarter ends with Missouri first and 15 at the Auburn 25. The Tigers lead after one but Mizzou is threatening.
SECOND QUARTER
The Tigers get in their own way in the first quarter. A lost fumble leads to 3 Missouri points. A recovered fumble by Marshall negates what would have been a first down. Then a missed long FG attempt.
First play of the quarter Whitehead intercepts at the 9! That's how you stop a drive.
There's a holding call on Auburn on first down. We are our own worst enemy so far.
On 3rd and 5 Marshall drops the ball again and their guy picks up the ball and runs it in. We are beating ourselves so far. This is untypical of this team. We are our own worst enemy. We should be winning but we are making mistake after mistake. Marshall is tackled but he keeps giving up the ball.
Auburn 14 Missouri 17
That's two Auburn turnovers resulting in 10 Missouri points. I don't understand what is going on out there. We need to get our together and stop fumbling. Hold on to the ball, Nick! Turnovers are always big in football, and Missouri they tell me have been big on turnovers all year. We have fumbled 3 times and given up the ball twice.
The Tigers respond with smash mouth football. Right down the field running the football. Mason up the gut from the7 for the score. This team responds every time. Hit 'em in the mouth football.
Auburn 21 Missouri 17
This Auburn football team can run the football. I've never seen anything like it.
Missouri drives for a 36 yard field goal. They appeared to be driving smartly for a touchdown but once again our defense stiffens in the red zone. Whew!
Auburn 21 Missouri 20
So far I get the feeling that if we don't turn ball over again we will win this football game.
From the 21 Mason runs 52 yards on first down! Two plays later Mason runs 17 yards to inside the 5. Mason touchdown from the 3! Auburn is running the football right down their throats. Unbelievable!
Mason accounts for every one of those 79 yards. The man is a machine. 4 plays 79 yards. Mason already has 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. Unbelievable.
Auburn 28 Missouri 20
Auburn runs the same plays over and over and continue to have success. If Missouri doesn't adjust, and they haven't, why not run the same plays over and over?
The KO is returned but only to the 14.
On 3rd and 13 their QB runs for the first down but the play is reviewed. It looks like the runner was down short of the first down. The first down call is overturned. It's 4th and 1. They punt and Auburn starts at their 24 with 4:26 to go.
On the first play Louis runs to the 48. There is a run to the Missouri 47. There is a first down run by Marshall with a 15 yard roughing penalty tacked on. First down Auburn at the Missouri 24.
On 3rd and 11 we get a holding penalty to push us out of FG range. 3rd an 21 at the 35. No good on that play. We are pushed back and we have to punt. Our screen pass is not working. We are possibly setting up something else later.
We are unable to take advantage in that possession. Too bad.
Missouri is on their 8 with 1:10 to go. Gotta be careful here.
With 26 seconds to go Missouri gets the long TD pass. That is not what we needed. It's a new game.
Auburn 28 Missouri 27
We were worried about their big receivers and there's a big play out of one of them. I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Better now than in the 4th quarter. So we lead by one at the half getting the ball coming out in the second half.
I still think at the half that if we don't turn the ball over again we will win. But it's practically even at the half. This is what we expected also. This game could go either way. This team has found a way all year. Will we do it again against a very good Missouri team. We will soon find out. We've been our own worst enemy with 3 fumbles, two lost resulting in 10 points, and holding penalities.
THIRD QUARTER
After an exchange of possessions to start the half, Auburn gets the ball on the Missouri 49 after a punt. The Tigers get 3 on a Cody Parkey 52 yard field goal. I saw Parkey come and out and I thought OH NO, but I was wrong. Three is better than none.
Auburn 31 Missouri 27
Missouri drives right down the field the score coming on a wide-open receiver in the end zone from the 10 with 5:35 to go in the third.
Auburn 31 Missouri 34
We give up a first down on a third and 8 and away the other Tigers go. Who is going to have the ball last in this game?
Can our offense answer again? Seems like a broken refrain.
Once again our offense reponds big time. There is a 75 yard drive. 6 plays. There was a 42 yard run by Marshall. Grant crashes into the end zone from the two. Touchdown Auburn!
Auburn 38 Missouri 34
Boy oh boy! This offense does respond. There have been 8 lead changes so far.
Missouri goes 3 and out. That's a big stop.
After a good punt and return by Davis Auburn is near midfield.
CAP comes in and runs to the 15 with fresh legs. On the next play CAP runs it in! Cameron Artis-Payne, coming in for a tired Mason with 38 carries so far, makes the Missouri defense look tired.
Auburn 45 Missouri 34
But there's a long run on first down and with a penalty Missouri is on our 5 just like that. One play and Missouri threatens. QB draw on first down and there's a touchdown. Oh, my. There's another QB draw for the easy 2 points. 2 plays. 75 yards with the two point conversion. Now it's a three point game.
Auburn 45 Missouri 42
What a game. If you like offense, this is your game.
Here comes our offense again needing to answer.
On the last play of the quarter Corey Grant speeds to the right and down the field to the Missouri 32. Oh, my. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
FOURTH QUARTER
Here we go. I don't know if I can stand this. After the Georgia and Alabama games here we go for another dramatic finish.
The final stanza starts with Auburn first and 10 at the Missouri 32.
From the 30 on third and 8 Marshall hits Reed to the 7. Great play call.
Marshall to the four. Five players in the backfield. Now 2nd down and goal to the 9. That is not good with too many 5 yard panalities tonight. Mason for only one to the 8 or 7. There is a pass to Louis to inside the one. 4th down from inside the one and Auburn is going for it. Mason goes in from the one. It wasn't easy but Mason gets just enough surge to cross the goal line. Whew!
Auburn 52 Missouri 42
Still a long way to go. I don't have the words to properly describe what I am seeing. Our offense continues to respond as it has to if we are to win this game. Still a long way to go.
Missouri is three and out as Dee Ford sacks James Franklin on third down!!!
The punt rolls dead at the Auburn 36. 9:35 to go and the Tigers have the ball back with a ten point lead.
After one first down Auburn has to punt from the Missouri 45.
Auburn is punting with 6:42 to go.
Auburn downs the ball at the four Great punt and coverage.
6:13 to go.
Missouri goes for it on 4th and short and Chris Davis bats the pass away! Auburn is on the 13 first down with 4:27 to go. MASON TAKES IT RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN ON THeE FIRST PLAY AND AUBURN ICES THIS GAME WITH 4:22 TO GO. That was a defensive TD with our defense holding on 4th down setting up the score.
What a game by Tre Mason! He should be a Heisman contender.
This team overcomes adversity the whole game thru. This is an amazing football team!
Auburn 59 Missouri 42
4:22 to go. Let's hold on guys!
There's a pass completion to the Auburn 31.
Misssouri goes to the Auburn 9.
Auburn holds on 4th and goal from the 7. With 1:46 to go Auburn is going to win the SEC championship.
Tre Mason rushes for 304 yards on 46 carries. I'll check the team stats later. Right now we wait. Will we play in New Orleans or Pasadena? We will certainly watch the games tonight. Time after time commentators wondered if Auburn could run the ball on the defenses we played. We ran down the throats of Georgia. We ran down Alabama's throat. Now we've run down Missouri's throat. What a football team. WHAT A FOOTBALL TEAM I SAY!
FINAL SCORE
Auburn 59 Missouri 42
FIRST QUARTER
Auburn wins the toss and defers. Missouri receives.
Missouri goes 3 and out. Defense looks good on their first possession.
After a short punt AU starts on their 40.
After one first down Marshall gets stripped of the ball back to pass and Missouri is in business at the Auburn 43. Missouri is strong in forcing turnovers and there is one early. Let's hope it's the last one in this game.
On first down there is a run to the 27. Then the Tigers hold for the FG attempt. The 42 yarder is good.
Auburn 0 Missouri 3
Okay. Once again our defense hold the opponent to a FG. It certainly could have been worse.
What a drive! The Tigers are running the ball at will before a holding penalty forces a third and 8 and then Marshall hits Coates in the end zone for the touchdown. That was a fake statue of liberty---a beautiful play and play-call. Touchdown Auburn!
Auburn 7 Missouri 3
Misssouri moves to a first down at the Auburn 28 and on the next play there is the TD pass to the end zone. They move the ball well throwing. Our lead doesn't last long. Their QB is very good, very mobile.
Auburn 7 Missouri 10
The ball came out on that touchdown catch by Missouri but the play is not reviewed.
On first down from the 25 there is long screen pass to Coates for 55 yards. Mason runs for another first down. First down around the 10. Marshall runs 10 yards for the TD untouched! That didn't last long! Ths is a track meet so far. Wow!
Auburn 14 Missouri 10
Officially that was a 9 yard run for the score. Unbelievable quick drive.
Auburn recovers an onside kick. The ball goes 10 yards, a Missouri player knocks it back, and Auburn recovers.
Our Tigers start on the AU 42. The jet sweep goes to the Missouri 42. Mason for 6 yards. On 3rd and short Marshall drops the ball and recovers. The ball comes out between Marshall and Grant and it was designed as a keeper by Nick. We go for it on 4th and 5. TO with 2:29 to go ball at the Missouri 37. After the TO we miss a 54 yd. FG attempt. We were moving the ball so I am surprised by that FG attempt. I would have punted or gone for it. We had the momentum after the onside recovery and now we've lost it.
Missouri makes a 4th and short. First down. Then there is a run to the AU 20. Chris Davis is on the canvas on the play. I don't like seeing #11 on the turf. That was a 24 yard run. Davis walks off under his own power.
After a delay penalty the first quarter ends with Missouri first and 15 at the Auburn 25. The Tigers lead after one but Mizzou is threatening.
SECOND QUARTER
The Tigers get in their own way in the first quarter. A lost fumble leads to 3 Missouri points. A recovered fumble by Marshall negates what would have been a first down. Then a missed long FG attempt.
First play of the quarter Whitehead intercepts at the 9! That's how you stop a drive.
There's a holding call on Auburn on first down. We are our own worst enemy so far.
On 3rd and 5 Marshall drops the ball again and their guy picks up the ball and runs it in. We are beating ourselves so far. This is untypical of this team. We are our own worst enemy. We should be winning but we are making mistake after mistake. Marshall is tackled but he keeps giving up the ball.
Auburn 14 Missouri 17
That's two Auburn turnovers resulting in 10 Missouri points. I don't understand what is going on out there. We need to get our together and stop fumbling. Hold on to the ball, Nick! Turnovers are always big in football, and Missouri they tell me have been big on turnovers all year. We have fumbled 3 times and given up the ball twice.
The Tigers respond with smash mouth football. Right down the field running the football. Mason up the gut from the7 for the score. This team responds every time. Hit 'em in the mouth football.
Auburn 21 Missouri 17
This Auburn football team can run the football. I've never seen anything like it.
Missouri drives for a 36 yard field goal. They appeared to be driving smartly for a touchdown but once again our defense stiffens in the red zone. Whew!
Auburn 21 Missouri 20
So far I get the feeling that if we don't turn ball over again we will win this football game.
From the 21 Mason runs 52 yards on first down! Two plays later Mason runs 17 yards to inside the 5. Mason touchdown from the 3! Auburn is running the football right down their throats. Unbelievable!
Mason accounts for every one of those 79 yards. The man is a machine. 4 plays 79 yards. Mason already has 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. Unbelievable.
Auburn 28 Missouri 20
Auburn runs the same plays over and over and continue to have success. If Missouri doesn't adjust, and they haven't, why not run the same plays over and over?
The KO is returned but only to the 14.
On 3rd and 13 their QB runs for the first down but the play is reviewed. It looks like the runner was down short of the first down. The first down call is overturned. It's 4th and 1. They punt and Auburn starts at their 24 with 4:26 to go.
On the first play Louis runs to the 48. There is a run to the Missouri 47. There is a first down run by Marshall with a 15 yard roughing penalty tacked on. First down Auburn at the Missouri 24.
On 3rd and 11 we get a holding penalty to push us out of FG range. 3rd an 21 at the 35. No good on that play. We are pushed back and we have to punt. Our screen pass is not working. We are possibly setting up something else later.
We are unable to take advantage in that possession. Too bad.
Missouri is on their 8 with 1:10 to go. Gotta be careful here.
With 26 seconds to go Missouri gets the long TD pass. That is not what we needed. It's a new game.
Auburn 28 Missouri 27
We were worried about their big receivers and there's a big play out of one of them. I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Better now than in the 4th quarter. So we lead by one at the half getting the ball coming out in the second half.
I still think at the half that if we don't turn the ball over again we will win. But it's practically even at the half. This is what we expected also. This game could go either way. This team has found a way all year. Will we do it again against a very good Missouri team. We will soon find out. We've been our own worst enemy with 3 fumbles, two lost resulting in 10 points, and holding penalities.
THIRD QUARTER
After an exchange of possessions to start the half, Auburn gets the ball on the Missouri 49 after a punt. The Tigers get 3 on a Cody Parkey 52 yard field goal. I saw Parkey come and out and I thought OH NO, but I was wrong. Three is better than none.
Auburn 31 Missouri 27
Missouri drives right down the field the score coming on a wide-open receiver in the end zone from the 10 with 5:35 to go in the third.
Auburn 31 Missouri 34
We give up a first down on a third and 8 and away the other Tigers go. Who is going to have the ball last in this game?
Can our offense answer again? Seems like a broken refrain.
Once again our offense reponds big time. There is a 75 yard drive. 6 plays. There was a 42 yard run by Marshall. Grant crashes into the end zone from the two. Touchdown Auburn!
Auburn 38 Missouri 34
Boy oh boy! This offense does respond. There have been 8 lead changes so far.
Missouri goes 3 and out. That's a big stop.
After a good punt and return by Davis Auburn is near midfield.
CAP comes in and runs to the 15 with fresh legs. On the next play CAP runs it in! Cameron Artis-Payne, coming in for a tired Mason with 38 carries so far, makes the Missouri defense look tired.
Auburn 45 Missouri 34
But there's a long run on first down and with a penalty Missouri is on our 5 just like that. One play and Missouri threatens. QB draw on first down and there's a touchdown. Oh, my. There's another QB draw for the easy 2 points. 2 plays. 75 yards with the two point conversion. Now it's a three point game.
Auburn 45 Missouri 42
What a game. If you like offense, this is your game.
Here comes our offense again needing to answer.
On the last play of the quarter Corey Grant speeds to the right and down the field to the Missouri 32. Oh, my. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
FOURTH QUARTER
Here we go. I don't know if I can stand this. After the Georgia and Alabama games here we go for another dramatic finish.
The final stanza starts with Auburn first and 10 at the Missouri 32.
From the 30 on third and 8 Marshall hits Reed to the 7. Great play call.
Marshall to the four. Five players in the backfield. Now 2nd down and goal to the 9. That is not good with too many 5 yard panalities tonight. Mason for only one to the 8 or 7. There is a pass to Louis to inside the one. 4th down from inside the one and Auburn is going for it. Mason goes in from the one. It wasn't easy but Mason gets just enough surge to cross the goal line. Whew!
Auburn 52 Missouri 42
Still a long way to go. I don't have the words to properly describe what I am seeing. Our offense continues to respond as it has to if we are to win this game. Still a long way to go.
Missouri is three and out as Dee Ford sacks James Franklin on third down!!!
The punt rolls dead at the Auburn 36. 9:35 to go and the Tigers have the ball back with a ten point lead.
After one first down Auburn has to punt from the Missouri 45.
Auburn is punting with 6:42 to go.
Auburn downs the ball at the four Great punt and coverage.
6:13 to go.
Missouri goes for it on 4th and short and Chris Davis bats the pass away! Auburn is on the 13 first down with 4:27 to go. MASON TAKES IT RIGHT UP THE MIDDLE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN ON THeE FIRST PLAY AND AUBURN ICES THIS GAME WITH 4:22 TO GO. That was a defensive TD with our defense holding on 4th down setting up the score.
What a game by Tre Mason! He should be a Heisman contender.
This team overcomes adversity the whole game thru. This is an amazing football team!
Auburn 59 Missouri 42
4:22 to go. Let's hold on guys!
There's a pass completion to the Auburn 31.
Misssouri goes to the Auburn 9.
Auburn holds on 4th and goal from the 7. With 1:46 to go Auburn is going to win the SEC championship.
Tre Mason rushes for 304 yards on 46 carries. I'll check the team stats later. Right now we wait. Will we play in New Orleans or Pasadena? We will certainly watch the games tonight. Time after time commentators wondered if Auburn could run the ball on the defenses we played. We ran down the throats of Georgia. We ran down Alabama's throat. Now we've run down Missouri's throat. What a football team. WHAT A FOOTBALL TEAM I SAY!
FINAL SCORE
Auburn 59 Missouri 42
Friday, December 6, 2013
The Day Before
It's the day before the most consequential day of college football 2013. The conference championship games are tomorrow. Auburn will have its hands full against Missouri. Auburn seems to be favored by 2 or so. This game could truly go either way. There will be big plays. One team or the other will make the final big plays to win the game. No one is expecting Duke to beat FSU. The last time I saw a line it was the Seminoles by 29. We learned yesterday that Jamis Winston will play. Ohio State is favored by 5.5 over Michigan State. Alot of people think that MSU will win. Somehow I think Ohio State will find a way to win. Auburn needs to beat Missouri and hope MSU beats OSU. Not likely, but how great it would be to play for the National Championship in the Rose Bowl.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
SEC Championship Game Preface
I am at peace about this game. We have come so far this season. I will be sad if we lose, but not as sad as I would have been if we had lost to UAT. Auburn may be a slight favorite, but I see it as a true tossup. Either team could win. There will be big plays. I hope we make more than they do. Is Auburn truly a team of destiny? We'll find out Saturday.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Alabama Postmortem
What a pleasure it has been to see all of the national publicity Auburn is getting over "the play." It seems like every TV show is replaying it and people are saying this is the greatest play, certainly the greatest game ending play, in football history. I agree! Let's enjoy.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Malzahn Schools Saban
Kevin Scarbinsky: Nick Saban gets high schooled by Gus Malzahn
on December 02, 2013 at 8:57 AM, updated December 02, 2013 at 9:28 AM
Gus Malzahn just stared Nick Saban in the eye and didn't blink. He just outcoached the man almost universally hailed as the best coach in college football.
So, after Auburn 34, Alabama 28, it's probably time to stop calling Malzahn a high school coach as an insult.
But that's one of the best things about Malzahn. He doesn't take it as an insult. He calls himself a high school coach, and he does it proudly. It just so happens that he's taken his talent to another level.
He took his team and his career to another atmosphere Saturday in his first Iron Bowl as a head coach, and he deflated Saban's air of invincibility. And it wasn't a fluke.
Without trickery or deceit, Malzahn's Tigers imposed their will on Saban's Crimson Tide. They ran the ball against undefeated Alabama just like they had against winless-in-the-SEC Arkansas. On the bookend touchdown drives at the end of the second quarter and the start of the third period that tied the game, Auburn ran the ball 13 times in 16 snaps, and there was little Alabama could do to stop it.
Some critics might foolishly dismiss the historic ending, but there was no luck involved this time, no fortuitous tip or bounce. Malzahn's plan at winning time simply trumped Saban's.
Where other teams might panic in a two-minute drill with every championship possible on the line, Malzahn's team took its sweet time to tie the game. He and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee baited Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart by running the ball on the drive's first six snaps, then had Nick Marshall toss a pass to a wide-open Sammie Coates for a touchdown.
Tie game.
The last play itself wasn't luck, either. It was the perfect intersection of preparation and opportunity.
First, Saban's decision to try a low-percentage 57-yard field goal tells you he didn't like his chances in overtime. But what were the odds that Adam Griffith, with precious little experience, could come in cold and hit a pressure-packed kick of that distance? It was a curious roll of the dice.
Next, Malzahn called time and changed return men, subbing Chris Davis for Ryan Smith. Smart move. From there, a great wall of blockers created a lane, and Davis followed it into history.
It was the last and the most crushing of Saban's decisions that went wrong in what has to be the most crushing defeat of his career. Like challenging the ruling that time had expired, which led to a review that put one final, fateful second back on the clock.
Saban also opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Auburn 13 late in the fourth quarter rather than try a short field goal that would've given Alabama a 10-point lead. T.J. Yeldon got stuffed for no gain on the play.
Sure, starting kicker Cade Foster had struggled with two misses, but he'd spent the entire season earning the coach's trust. And the Auburn defensive front showed Alabama it's not made of paper.
The defeat dropped Saban's record to 4-3 in the Iron Bowl - never say never again - and continued two shockingly negative streaks for him and the Crimson Tide. At Alabama and LSU, Saban is 0-6 against Auburn teams that would finish with nine or more wins. Alabama, with and before Saban, has lost its last nine Iron Bowls against Auburn teams that would win nine or more games.
It suggests Alabama tends to beat Auburn only when the Tigers are down. Even with Saban on the sideline.
Auburn is sky-high right now. The Tigers won two championships Saturday, the state and the division, and two more are possible. On a more personal level, in his first meeting with Saban as a head coach, Malzahn did more than measure up.
He got the better of the best coach in the game. Not bad for a high school coach at heart.
on December 02, 2013 at 8:57 AM, updated December 02, 2013 at 9:28 AM
Gus Malzahn just stared Nick Saban in the eye and didn't blink. He just outcoached the man almost universally hailed as the best coach in college football.
So, after Auburn 34, Alabama 28, it's probably time to stop calling Malzahn a high school coach as an insult.
But that's one of the best things about Malzahn. He doesn't take it as an insult. He calls himself a high school coach, and he does it proudly. It just so happens that he's taken his talent to another level.
He took his team and his career to another atmosphere Saturday in his first Iron Bowl as a head coach, and he deflated Saban's air of invincibility. And it wasn't a fluke.
Without trickery or deceit, Malzahn's Tigers imposed their will on Saban's Crimson Tide. They ran the ball against undefeated Alabama just like they had against winless-in-the-SEC Arkansas. On the bookend touchdown drives at the end of the second quarter and the start of the third period that tied the game, Auburn ran the ball 13 times in 16 snaps, and there was little Alabama could do to stop it.
Some critics might foolishly dismiss the historic ending, but there was no luck involved this time, no fortuitous tip or bounce. Malzahn's plan at winning time simply trumped Saban's.
Where other teams might panic in a two-minute drill with every championship possible on the line, Malzahn's team took its sweet time to tie the game. He and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee baited Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart by running the ball on the drive's first six snaps, then had Nick Marshall toss a pass to a wide-open Sammie Coates for a touchdown.
Tie game.
The last play itself wasn't luck, either. It was the perfect intersection of preparation and opportunity.
First, Saban's decision to try a low-percentage 57-yard field goal tells you he didn't like his chances in overtime. But what were the odds that Adam Griffith, with precious little experience, could come in cold and hit a pressure-packed kick of that distance? It was a curious roll of the dice.
Next, Malzahn called time and changed return men, subbing Chris Davis for Ryan Smith. Smart move. From there, a great wall of blockers created a lane, and Davis followed it into history.
It was the last and the most crushing of Saban's decisions that went wrong in what has to be the most crushing defeat of his career. Like challenging the ruling that time had expired, which led to a review that put one final, fateful second back on the clock.
Saban also opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Auburn 13 late in the fourth quarter rather than try a short field goal that would've given Alabama a 10-point lead. T.J. Yeldon got stuffed for no gain on the play.
Sure, starting kicker Cade Foster had struggled with two misses, but he'd spent the entire season earning the coach's trust. And the Auburn defensive front showed Alabama it's not made of paper.
The defeat dropped Saban's record to 4-3 in the Iron Bowl - never say never again - and continued two shockingly negative streaks for him and the Crimson Tide. At Alabama and LSU, Saban is 0-6 against Auburn teams that would finish with nine or more wins. Alabama, with and before Saban, has lost its last nine Iron Bowls against Auburn teams that would win nine or more games.
It suggests Alabama tends to beat Auburn only when the Tigers are down. Even with Saban on the sideline.
Auburn is sky-high right now. The Tigers won two championships Saturday, the state and the division, and two more are possible. On a more personal level, in his first meeting with Saban as a head coach, Malzahn did more than measure up.
He got the better of the best coach in the game. Not bad for a high school coach at heart.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
A Summary
AuburnChris Davis Hero For Auburn
Chris Davis Hero For Auburn
Chris Davis talks to Tom Rinaldi after returning a missed field goal more than 100 yards and sending Auburn to the win over No. 1 Alabama.
AUBURN, Ala. -- That crazy tipped pass for a long game-winning touchdown is now the second-most stunning and improbable play of Auburn's wild season.
Yes, the Tigers found a way to top "The Immaculate Deflection."
Chris Davis returned a missed field-goal attempt more than 100 yards for a touchdown on the final play to lift No. 4 Auburn to a 34-28 victory over No. 1 Alabama on Saturday, upending the two-time defending national champions' BCS hopes and preserving the Tigers' own.
Alabama's hopes of winning a third straight national title were left at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alex Scarborough writes.
"We're a team of destiny," Davis said. "We won't take no for an answer."
He delivered a play that deserves its own nickname. Say the Happiest Return? Or the saddest, depending on which side of the Iron Bowl you sit. Think of some of the most memorable plays in college football history -- maybe Stanford-Cal, "The Band is on the Field" or Hail Flutie. This one by Auburn now has a place on that list.
Davis caught the ball about 9 yards deep in the end zone after freshman Adam Griffith's 57-yard attempt fell short. He then sprinted down the left sideline and cut back with nothing but teammates around him in a second straight hard-to-fathom finish for the Tigers (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference).
"I knew when I caught the ball I would have room to run," Davis said. "I knew they would have big guys on the field to protect on the field goal. When I looked back, I said, 'I can't believe this.' "
Auburn clinched a spot in the SEC championship game with the stunning victory over the powerhouse from across the state. The Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1) several times seemed poised to continue its run toward the first three-peat in modern college football, but couldn't put the Tigers away.
Asked if it was the biggest win of his career, Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said: "It ranks right up there." But he said he'd "probably" still celebrate just like he has since his high school coaching days: With a Waffle House meal.
"That's what you coach for, that's what these kids play for, to get a chance to win the SEC championship," Malzahn said.
The Tigers put it away just when overtime seemed on tap. The public address announcer in the stadium had already declared the game 28-28 at the end of regulation.
But Alabama got 1 second restored and one more play after a review of T.J. Yeldon's run to the Auburn 39.
Ohio State had reason enough to celebrate after its win over Michigan, but the Buckeyes got more good news from the Iron Bowl on the bus ride home, Austin Ward writes. Story
That gave the Tide coach Nick Saban a chance to try the long field goal -- and now he probably wished he never did, given the stunning result.
"It was a great game," Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron said. "Sometimes luck just isn't on your side.
"It's one of those crazy plays. It's almost like a video game. That's something you do on Madden or NCAA. It's just a wild play."
The entire field looked like a sea of orange shakers as the celebration continued long after the climactic finale of one of the biggest Iron Bowls in the bitter rivalry's 78-year history.
It lived up to the billing -- and then some. According to NCAA records, it was only the fourth time that a missed field goal was returned for 100 yards.
This finale even one-upped Auburn's last-gasp win over Georgia two weeks earlier. A deflected 73-yard touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Ricardo Louis dubbed "The Immaculate Deflection" with 25 seconds left set up only the second top-five Iron Bowl matchup and first since 1971.
A team that went 3-9 last season and had been destroyed by Alabama 91-14 combined the past two seasons will play for an SEC title and perhaps a trip to the BCS championship game.
Undefeated Ohio State, which was third in the BCS standings this week and figures to move up to second behind Florida State, will have something to say about which teams play for the national title, too. No doubt the Buckeyes, who won their own thriller against Michigan earlier in the day, were celebrating Auburn's win almost as much as the Tigers.
But the Tigers were already making a case to jump the Buckeyes.
Did you agree with adding a second to the clock? Do you fault Nick Saban for trying a FG? Vote! »
Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs told reporters it would be "a disservice to college football" if a one-loss SEC champion was left out of the national title game for Ohio State.
On the final play, Alabama turned to Griffith to replace Cade Foster, who had missed three field goals, with a potential clinching 44-yarder going low and getting blocked in the final minutes. Griffith was only 1 of 2 all season with a long of 20 yards.
"We told our team that this is like March Madness," Saban said. "Coming into this game that if you want to keep playing in the tournament you have to keep winning. I was really proud of the way our guys competed out there today, but the fact of the matter is that we did not make plays when we needed to."
Marshall had tied the game with a 39-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Sammie Coates with 32 seconds left after Auburn blocked a low field goal attempt. The Tigers moved 65 yards in 2 minutes all on the ground with Mason until that play.
Marshall raced toward the line with two defensive backs coming after him. Then he pulled up just in time with the ball tucked in his left hand, deftly switching it to his right and lofting the pass to Coates standing all by himself.
McCarron, a Heisman Trophy candidate, had staked Alabama to a 28-21 lead with a 99-yard pass to Amari Cooper for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Tide had a few chances to put the game away, but couldn't convert a fourth-and-short deep in Auburn territory, had four missed field goals -- one after a false start penalty negated a make -- and a dropped potential TD in the end zone by Cooper.
McCarron might have had a Heisman moment with his pass to Cooper from the end zone, when Cooper shook off a defensive back on his way to the end zone.
The quarterback, who is 36-3 as a starter, completed 17 of 29 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns.
Marshall was 11-of-16 passing for 97 yards but also rushed 17 times for 99 yards.
Maisel's Commentary
by Ivan Maisel
Auburn Shocks Alabama On Final PlayAuburn Shocks Alabama On Final PlayGus Malzahn and Auburn players recap their 34-28 win over Alabama.Tags: Alabama, Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. -- Someday, someday, there will be a greater Iron Bowl finish than this one. Babe Ruth died, and the Yankees continue to play. Sinatra has come and gone, and people still sing. Forty-one years after "Punt Bama Punt," Chris Davis caught a field goal attempt nine yards deep in the end zone, and started running.
So it's possible that the way that No. 4 Auburn dethroned No. 1 Alabama 34-28, will be eclipsed. But at this moment Saturday night, with the cheers at Jordan-Hare Stadium still reverberating from here to Columbus, Ohio, it doesn't seem possible at all. With the clock showing all zeroes, Davis returned Adam Griffith's Hail Mary of a 57-yard field goal attempt 109 yards for a touchdown.
[+] Enlarge
John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
Chris Davis gets past Alabama punter Cody Mandell, the last threat to tackle him on his game-winning touchdown return.
"We saw they had a guy back there," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "Everybody knew they had to cover him. We just didn't, we didn't cover it right."
In the 15 seconds or so that it took Davis to sprint from end line to end line, Alabama lost its chance at a third consecutive BCS championship; Auburn won the SEC West and planted itself in the BCS title debate, No. 3 Ohio State saw its BCS hopes come to life, and the spectrum of emotions that college football can elicit stretched a little beyond its limit.
"I knew when I caught the ball I would have room to run," Davis said, "and I knew we had bigger guys on the field to protect and that was all after that."
The game unfolded as Alabama's toughest games have unfolded all season long. The Tide started slow, fell behind, warmed up and took the lead in the fourth quarter thanks to a 99½-yard touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper. In any other Iron Bowl, that would've been the stuff of legend. But then Alabama's karma got run over by Auburn's karma, in which the Tigers keep believing until they pull off a miracle finish. That's what happened against Georgia, when Ricardo Louis caught a deflected pass for a 73-yard touchdown in the final minute.
And that's what happened Saturday, when Auburn scored two touchdowns in the last 32 seconds, and every choice Saban made came back to bite him.
With a 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter, and 4th-and-1 at the Auburn 13, Saban chose not to send kicker Cade Foster onto the field. The senior, who had made 11 of 12 field goals this season coming into the game, reverted to his form of two years ago, when he missed three field goals in a 9-6 loss to LSU.
Foster missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, he appeared to make a 28-yarder, but a false start penalty pushed the ball back five yards, and he missed that. So this time, instead of sending Foster onto the field, Saban sent T.J. Yeldon into the line. Auburn stuffed him, just as it had done on third down.
"Cade was just having a rough day," Saban said. "... We missed several field goals. It's not for sure you would have made it. I mean you say you should have a kicked a field goal. Well, that's assuming you make it."
More from ESPN.com
Chris Davis' return is the new benchmark for legendary Iron Bowls, one that was another painful loss for Nick Saban, Ivan Maisel writes. Story
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So many things had to line up for Auburn to beat Alabama and vaulted its magical season to another level, Edward Aschoff writes. Story
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama's hopes of winning a third straight national title were left at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alex Scarborough writes. Story
• SEC blog
Fast forward to Alabama's last possession. Auburn had just tied the game 28-28 when Nick Marshall took advantage of a spectacular breakdown in the Alabama secondary and completed a 39-yard pass to Sammie Coates. Alabama had the ball at its own 29 with :25 left. Two plays gained only nine yards. With :07 left, and Auburn expecting a Hail Mary pass, McCarron handed off to Yeldon again. He sprinted 24 yards and out of bounds at the Auburn 38. The clock said all zeroes. Both teams and every fan in Jordan-Hare expected overtime to begin shortly. But referee Matt Austin announced that the replay official had determined that Yeldon stepped out of bounds before the clock expired.
Instead of throwing a Hail Mary, Saban decided to have Griffith kick one. "Griffith can kick them further than Cade," Saban said.
The freshman's kick came down wide right a yard short of the crossbar, where Davis awaited.
"The first thing I'm looking at is does it have enough distance," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "I saw it didn't have enough distance, and my eyes kind of got on Chris. They had their field goal team out there and it had some big guys on it. I thought he made a couple of guys who could tackle miss ..."
The video replay appeared to show the Alabama players watching the kick. The textbook says that the kicking team shouldn't watch the ball. The players should take their lanes and cover. Alabama practices the play during Friday walk-throughs. No one from the scout team poses as the returner. The kicking team just races downfield.
"We just imagine. Nobody actually returns it," Alabama tight end Brian Vogler said. "... You practice it so many times, and when it happens, you're not expecting that kind of speed."
Davis raced up the left hash mark. Vogler came at him at the middle of the field but seemed hesitant.
"I was actually caught off-guard that no one blocked me," Vogler said. "I was running down the field expecting a blind side [hit] out of nowhere, and when I finally got the opportunity, I was kind of in shock I hadn't gotten laid out by then."
Davis accelerated up the sideline. At midfield, it became apparent no one would touch him.
Three years ago, Alabama led No. 1 Auburn 24-0 in Tuscaloosa and lost, 28-27. It seemed as if that would be the loss that, 20 years from now, when Saban has retired and been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, would still awaken him at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat. But, no, not anymore.
"Slow motion," Alabama quarterback McCarron said, describing what he saw from the sideline. "I mean, this is one of those crazy plays. It's almost like a video game. That's something you do on 'Madden' or 'NCAA.' It's just a wild play."
"When I looked back, I said I couldn't believe this," Davis said. "When I was running, I said 'God is good.'"
If God only gives us what we can handle, then he saves an extra shovel full for Saban. Every coach has his Achilles' heel. Bear Bryant couldn't beat Notre Dame. Darrell Royal couldn't beat Barry Switzer, who had it all over Tom Osborne.
Saban? He can't just lose an Iron Bowl. He has to lose it in the most painful way possible.
Three years ago, Alabama led No. 1 Auburn 24-0 in Tuscaloosa and lost 28-27. It seemed as if that would be the loss that, 20 years from now, when Saban has retired and been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, would still awaken him at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat.
But, no, not anymore.
"First time I ever lost a game that way," Saban said. "First time I have ever seen a game lost that way. We had the wind behind us, but [we] still should have covered it. The game should not have ended that way."
Common sense says that. History says that. But no one in Auburn is saying that. Move over, "Punt Bama Punt." There's a new legend to tell.
Auburn Shocks Alabama On Final PlayAuburn Shocks Alabama On Final PlayGus Malzahn and Auburn players recap their 34-28 win over Alabama.Tags: Alabama, Auburn
AUBURN, Ala. -- Someday, someday, there will be a greater Iron Bowl finish than this one. Babe Ruth died, and the Yankees continue to play. Sinatra has come and gone, and people still sing. Forty-one years after "Punt Bama Punt," Chris Davis caught a field goal attempt nine yards deep in the end zone, and started running.
So it's possible that the way that No. 4 Auburn dethroned No. 1 Alabama 34-28, will be eclipsed. But at this moment Saturday night, with the cheers at Jordan-Hare Stadium still reverberating from here to Columbus, Ohio, it doesn't seem possible at all. With the clock showing all zeroes, Davis returned Adam Griffith's Hail Mary of a 57-yard field goal attempt 109 yards for a touchdown.
[+] Enlarge
John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
Chris Davis gets past Alabama punter Cody Mandell, the last threat to tackle him on his game-winning touchdown return.
"We saw they had a guy back there," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "Everybody knew they had to cover him. We just didn't, we didn't cover it right."
In the 15 seconds or so that it took Davis to sprint from end line to end line, Alabama lost its chance at a third consecutive BCS championship; Auburn won the SEC West and planted itself in the BCS title debate, No. 3 Ohio State saw its BCS hopes come to life, and the spectrum of emotions that college football can elicit stretched a little beyond its limit.
"I knew when I caught the ball I would have room to run," Davis said, "and I knew we had bigger guys on the field to protect and that was all after that."
The game unfolded as Alabama's toughest games have unfolded all season long. The Tide started slow, fell behind, warmed up and took the lead in the fourth quarter thanks to a 99½-yard touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper. In any other Iron Bowl, that would've been the stuff of legend. But then Alabama's karma got run over by Auburn's karma, in which the Tigers keep believing until they pull off a miracle finish. That's what happened against Georgia, when Ricardo Louis caught a deflected pass for a 73-yard touchdown in the final minute.
And that's what happened Saturday, when Auburn scored two touchdowns in the last 32 seconds, and every choice Saban made came back to bite him.
With a 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter, and 4th-and-1 at the Auburn 13, Saban chose not to send kicker Cade Foster onto the field. The senior, who had made 11 of 12 field goals this season coming into the game, reverted to his form of two years ago, when he missed three field goals in a 9-6 loss to LSU.
Foster missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, he appeared to make a 28-yarder, but a false start penalty pushed the ball back five yards, and he missed that. So this time, instead of sending Foster onto the field, Saban sent T.J. Yeldon into the line. Auburn stuffed him, just as it had done on third down.
"Cade was just having a rough day," Saban said. "... We missed several field goals. It's not for sure you would have made it. I mean you say you should have a kicked a field goal. Well, that's assuming you make it."
More from ESPN.com
Chris Davis' return is the new benchmark for legendary Iron Bowls, one that was another painful loss for Nick Saban, Ivan Maisel writes. Story
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So many things had to line up for Auburn to beat Alabama and vaulted its magical season to another level, Edward Aschoff writes. Story
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama's hopes of winning a third straight national title were left at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alex Scarborough writes. Story
• SEC blog
Fast forward to Alabama's last possession. Auburn had just tied the game 28-28 when Nick Marshall took advantage of a spectacular breakdown in the Alabama secondary and completed a 39-yard pass to Sammie Coates. Alabama had the ball at its own 29 with :25 left. Two plays gained only nine yards. With :07 left, and Auburn expecting a Hail Mary pass, McCarron handed off to Yeldon again. He sprinted 24 yards and out of bounds at the Auburn 38. The clock said all zeroes. Both teams and every fan in Jordan-Hare expected overtime to begin shortly. But referee Matt Austin announced that the replay official had determined that Yeldon stepped out of bounds before the clock expired.
Instead of throwing a Hail Mary, Saban decided to have Griffith kick one. "Griffith can kick them further than Cade," Saban said.
The freshman's kick came down wide right a yard short of the crossbar, where Davis awaited.
"The first thing I'm looking at is does it have enough distance," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "I saw it didn't have enough distance, and my eyes kind of got on Chris. They had their field goal team out there and it had some big guys on it. I thought he made a couple of guys who could tackle miss ..."
The video replay appeared to show the Alabama players watching the kick. The textbook says that the kicking team shouldn't watch the ball. The players should take their lanes and cover. Alabama practices the play during Friday walk-throughs. No one from the scout team poses as the returner. The kicking team just races downfield.
"We just imagine. Nobody actually returns it," Alabama tight end Brian Vogler said. "... You practice it so many times, and when it happens, you're not expecting that kind of speed."
Davis raced up the left hash mark. Vogler came at him at the middle of the field but seemed hesitant.
"I was actually caught off-guard that no one blocked me," Vogler said. "I was running down the field expecting a blind side [hit] out of nowhere, and when I finally got the opportunity, I was kind of in shock I hadn't gotten laid out by then."
Davis accelerated up the sideline. At midfield, it became apparent no one would touch him.
Three years ago, Alabama led No. 1 Auburn 24-0 in Tuscaloosa and lost, 28-27. It seemed as if that would be the loss that, 20 years from now, when Saban has retired and been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, would still awaken him at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat. But, no, not anymore.
"Slow motion," Alabama quarterback McCarron said, describing what he saw from the sideline. "I mean, this is one of those crazy plays. It's almost like a video game. That's something you do on 'Madden' or 'NCAA.' It's just a wild play."
"When I looked back, I said I couldn't believe this," Davis said. "When I was running, I said 'God is good.'"
If God only gives us what we can handle, then he saves an extra shovel full for Saban. Every coach has his Achilles' heel. Bear Bryant couldn't beat Notre Dame. Darrell Royal couldn't beat Barry Switzer, who had it all over Tom Osborne.
Saban? He can't just lose an Iron Bowl. He has to lose it in the most painful way possible.
Three years ago, Alabama led No. 1 Auburn 24-0 in Tuscaloosa and lost 28-27. It seemed as if that would be the loss that, 20 years from now, when Saban has retired and been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, would still awaken him at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat.
But, no, not anymore.
"First time I ever lost a game that way," Saban said. "First time I have ever seen a game lost that way. We had the wind behind us, but [we] still should have covered it. The game should not have ended that way."
Common sense says that. History says that. But no one in Auburn is saying that. Move over, "Punt Bama Punt." There's a new legend to tell.
The Greatest One Ever
As far as the game itself is concerned, this is the greatest Auburn-Alabama game ever. Not necessarily in terms of importance, but for the sheer brilliance of the game itself, the outcome, and the way it ended, I don't see how this one can ever be topped. Kick Alabama Kick!
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