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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