Having "enjoyed" Auburn football as an undergrad from 1975-1979, I am thrilled with Auburn's 2004 performance. Those 4 years, Shug's last and Barfield's first 3, have to be the worse 4 years in modern day Auburn football. If I had been born 5-10 years earlier or later, I would have enjoyed the glory years of either Shug or Pat Dye. Most of you guys don't know what it's like to be a student at Auburn and go to the Iron Bowl with Auburn not having beaten Alabama for 6, 7, 8 years in a row and knowing that there is no way in hell that Auburn can compete with Alabama. I remember one game where Bear Bryant called time out with just a few seconds to play so they could score another touchdown, already up 21-0. I recall the loss to Va.Tech. Va Tech!?!?!?! Memphis State(twice), Baylor, Wake Forest, and on and on. The year after I graduated I was on hand for that damn 42-0 drubbing at the hands of Tennessee at Jordan-Hare.
It's a new day now. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he was giving me hell about Auburn and Prop48 days. I mentioned to him that Auburn graduates >70% of its football players. He was shocked. I have often said that I would rather Auburn run a clean program, graduate a very high number of athletes, and win >8 games a year, NC be damned. Well guess what? Auburn is doing just that. Now I know things aren't perfect. Just look at the events over the past 12 months with SACS, Bobby Lowder, and Colonial Bank jets, BUT Auburn fans have nothing to be ashamed of when compared to Alabama. Alabama fans would love to have our team, not just this year or last, but for the years to come. Yes Bama gets more blue chip players on average and we will be at a disadvantage for a while when it comes to kids defaulting for Bama over Auburn, BUT Auburn is as good or better than Bama for the past several years and Bama fans know it, they don't like it, and they resent it. I say "tough toenails."
So, I'd love Auburn to play in the Orange Bowl this year. I'd be almost as happy to just win the SEC, after all it's not like we've done that lately! Nevertheless, this has been a magical season for the Auburn Nation and I couldn't be prouder of the way our team has not only played on the field but acted off the field as well. My gut says that we will not play for the NC and there will be a few Bama sidewalk alumni who will try to use that to belittle Auburn. Well when they do that, they just belittle themselves. Screw 'em. Auburn is back and in a frickin' big way. Who knows, if we keep winning 3 or 4 out of 5 against Bama for the foreseeable future, it will be Auburn who people around the South and even the nation will consider not only the state's flagship university, but flagship athletic program and football team. I only hope that if we do reach that level of excellence, we don't forget where we came from and what makes Auburn University, its teams, and its fans so very special.
War Eagle!!!
