(EDITED BY AUTHOR: 11/22/2004 - 11:13 a.m.)Auburn is 11-0 and some aren't lovin' it...
I can't believe some of the sentiments I've seen expressed on message boards and heard in the first hour of talk radio
this morning. Among those items of conversation have been statements directed at the coaching staff for poor
preperation and game planning, coming out flat and playing poorly, disappointment that Auburn has suffered a blow
to MNC hopes in the polls. I realize these are all opinions and everybody has them, including me.
I expected nothing less than an Alabama team to come out and played inspired football Saturday afternoon just as they did.
The game went about like I expected it to. It's a well known fact that Alabama has a very good defense and who would not
expect them to bring their A game to the Iron Bowl. Not having watched much of Alabama football this year, I felt like
they had played well in several ballgames and just couldn't do the things they needed to get the win against equal or better teams.
I could feel a sense of frustration in the Alabama camp at the lost opportunities and could have, should have, would have games.
This was a perfect set-up for an ambush that I felt like was coming. Auburn prevailed in this setting.
I told my son, who expressed his disappointment throughout the first half, that this is the Iron Bowl and just what did he expect.
This is Alabama's season right here. They are fighting for their life, the score is 6-0 and they are losing that fight.
The Auburn defense is playing lights out and the offense is figuring this out. Yes, I would have loved to see them get away
from stringing those run plays outside and trying to throw those screen passes that worked so well agains Georgia. That was last week.
This Alabama defense comes in highly rated for a reason. It's because they are very good, extremely fast and well coached. I began to
realize that he just didn't understand this rivalry yet, not fully. He's only 14 and doesn't have the experience.
Alabama has been in most of their games, if not all, through the 3rd quarter. This is the best team they have faced. They held their ground for the first
20 minutes. The missed field goal handed Alabama even more momentum going in the locker room. They benefited from a couple of turnovers early,
played very well on special teams and couldn't take advantage of any of it because of a better defense than what they brought to the game.
They got a total of 6 points off of a big play on Carlos (on a slick field) and good field position from turnovers and a big punt return.
They played super on special teams and defense. That's it. I still can't beleive they rushed for only 50 yards. That's the only thing
I expected to be different.
I'm sorry for the rambling, but I'm not about to let the BCS system or any poll take anything away from my enjoying this win and reveling in
a fantastic season going 11-0. Do you hear that, in your mind, 11-0, 11-0,....... e-l-e-v-e-n and Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!
I can hear Jim saying it just like it was yesterday folks. It was Saturday, two days ago, in Bryant-Denney Stadium. War Dam Eagle.
For those of you who are old enough to remember all the Auburn teams who came into the Iron Bowl and played inspired football for longer
than Alabama did Saturday, and watched as Alabama took the game in the 4th quarter and sealed the victory, you know what I mean.
Leaving Legion Field amid those hackling fans after watching Auburn claw and fight for 60 minutes was hard. I walked away from
Bryant-Denney smiling, wet and happy Saturday night. I heard no hackling. I heard the air rush out of that balloon early in
the 3rd quarter Saturday. It wasn't Auburn's balloon, it's was the Crimson Tide balloon. I took great pleasure knowing that when
Auburns first extra point split the uprights and took the lead 7-6, that the game was over. I knew it and every Alabama fan knew it.
You could feel it. The better team, with superior leadership and poise, took the field and took the game over.
I knew my son couldn't understand this, just as soo many others can't today. Oh the misery of days gone by. Hat's off to Alabama's players who fought so hard and couldn't overcome a better, more physical, more talented, better coached team from Auburn. I know the pain that you feel, I know it well. There are a lot young Auburn people who don't relate as well to that as I do. It's a dam shame this Auburn team won't get the credit it deserves because of that thought pattern and this screwed up college football system we play by. Years ago, this would cap an outright SEC Championship and a spectacular championship season where we would or would not enjoy a big bowl win followed by a MNC or a screwing to talk about till next year. I hate that it doesn't happen that way today. It would be great to play it out on the field.
I still find it hard to believe what some expected would unfold there Saturday, not that it couldn't have happened. It could have happened
because Auburn is that good. The fact that it didn't doesn't change anything in my mind about the enjoyment of this season. This a season for the ages, to be enjoyed by all Tiger fans. Don't let this talk ruin it for you. The objective has been reached. Anything more is gravy, just like Wayne and others have been saying. If it comes, be thankful for it. Tennessee is no team to scoff at and if Auburn doesn't come out and blow them out like an Oklahoma probably will their sucky opponent, don't you dare hang your head. We could be had there just as we could have been had in Tuscaloosa because this is college football. A 12-0 season is almost unheard of and it's well within our reach now. Be thankful and proud, dam proud I say, that we have the warriors that can make that happen. I say IT'S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER. You hear me, IT'S GREAT.
You move along now, this older Auburn fan is through and dam proud of this win, this season, this team and this staff. Nothing will take it away from me, not anything. Not any sports analyst or sports writer and certainly no moral victory grabbing, Aubie demoralizing bama fan on a call in radio show or message board. Much less any living for the moment, slimey, sleezey host of said show.
Let me finish by saying that I hope none of our Alabama friends here take offense to my statements. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say to my Auburn friends and realize that I have friends on both sides. This is business, strictly business. I'm not pointing fingers at ANYONE here, although, there may be some Auburn fans here that need to think about this. Again, hat's off to Alabama's team, you should be proud of the way they played. I expected nothing less from you than what took the field Saturday. You have helped make this a season to remember for this Auburn fan. A big thank you to Coach Tuberville and War Dam Eagle.
