OLE MISS(ed)

And Arky saw an opportunity and took full advantage of it. Hugh witnessed his Rebels freeze in the cold and rain of The Natural State. It appears they are toothless without a running attack and no Laquon Treadwell to throw to. Bad Bo did toss two interceptions and his backup one. Mix in three fumbles and a highly motivated Razorback team and you have a recipe for a complete disaster in Fayetteville.+

Ole Miss now finds itself mathematically eliminated from the SEC West race. Arkansas was also officially out of the race several weeks back but they are getting it together in a big way. They have won their last two games, SEC tilts, by a combined score of 47-ZERO. And they didn’t play both of those games with Vanderbilt as the competition either. We’re talking LSU and Mississippi.+

IMPRESSIVE!!!+

THEY SHOWED ME+

The Missouri Tigers scaled ole Rocky Top and came back down with a victory. It didn’t hurt that the Vols had their leading tackler suspended either. Now the Tigers continue their pursuit of a second straight SEC East crown. I’m certainly not going to bet against them. And do you know who their final regular season opponent will be? That’s right! The Arkansas Razorbacks. The thick plottens!Maty MaukWhat do you think?

So look out in Columbia, MO this weekend folks! We should have ourselves another humdinger. And all the Georgia Bulldoggies (say that in your best Keith Jackson voice) can do is yell Soooooooiiiieeee PIG!!! It matters not one iota what Mark Richt’s charges do versus their instate rivals, Georgia Tech, Saturday. It all comes down to what transpires in Mizzou.+

DRAMA!!!+

RAMBLE ON WRECKS+

Guess who will play the Florida State Seminoles for the ACC Championship??? (Hint above in the previous paragraph) That would be the Yellow Jackets from the Georgia Insitute of Technology, better know as Georgia Tech. And it matters not one iota what Paul Johnson’s charges do versus Mark Richt’s gang. Tech is headed to Charlotte for a showdown with the Noles Nation.+

The same goes for Tech as it does for Missouri. I would not wager against the Jackets either. Heck, why not just go all the way with this thing! You heard it first here sports fans…+

Georgia Tech 35, Florida State 3410ACCCGlogoWhat do you think?

WHOA!!!+

RUSHING MAN:PART DEUX+

So, Melvin Gordon, just when you thought you might have the new, single game, rushing record in your back pocket for a few years… BOOM!!!… Out jumps Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine! The Sooner running back ran over, around and through the Kansas Jayhawks defense for 427 yards. That is 19 yards more than Gordon’s 408 yards from LAST WEEK when Wisconsin dismantled Nebraska.+

What in the pigskin totin’name of tarnation is next??? I don’t think anything would surprise me at this point.+

Hey! Do you think Cameron Artis-Payne might run for 450 yards in Tuscaloosa Saturday Night? Don’t I wish! Just a little Iron Bowl teaser boys and girls. Cue up the Everly Brothers… “Dreeeeeeeeeam, dream dream dream…”+

SHAZAM!!!+

GOIN’ OUT WEST+

“Where they appreciate me.” If you got that Tom Waits song reference you just won two tickets to the the Civil War in Corvallis, OR this Saturday night!!! Naaaaaaahhhhh… but the Ducks and Beavers will tee it up out there on this coming rivalry weekend. But beware! This college football season has been one long strange trip.oregonWhat do you think?

It would not be a total surprise if Oregon State silenced the Quack Attack but I’m not going to pick another gargantuan upset here in this one little column… Or will I??? (Insert second Iron Bowl teaser).+

I’m going to stick with Oregon in this one, and I’ll take UCLA to handle Stanford in Pasadena, to set up a PAC-12 Championship Game between the Ducks and the Bruins. No prediction… yet.+

AWRIGHT!!!+

GONNA SEND YOU BACK TO GEORGIA+

Ok, I’m really getting into the song references now… AND two more “awrights” and you have my best Wooderson. I should charge admission and take this show on the road!+

Like I said… back to Georgia. Trivia time! What Mark Richt coached tailback has gained 100 yards in SIX consecutive games??? Did I hear Todd Gurley? No. Did I hear Knowshon Moreno? NOOOOO. Can I get a Herschel Walker? NO NO NO! That was under Vince Dooley. The answer is… Nick Chubb! The UGA freshman ran for 113 yards Saturday, versus mighty Charleston Southern, to accomplish that feat.+

Now, as mentioned above, the Bulldogs will have to await the outcome of the Missouri and Arkansas game to see if they will spend the night of December 6th in Atlanta or Athens.+

Alas, again no prediction.+

PEACHY!!!+

SWEET HOME ALABAMA+

Ok, I’m getting happy with the song AND movie references. No more Iron Bowl teasers. It’s time to tackle the big one. Revenge for Bama or another stunner for the Tigers?+

Gotcha! We’ll get to that tomorrow in a piece on Rivalry Week. Same bat time! Same bat channel!+

“Where the skies are so blue…”+

THE PAST
+

This week in Auburn Football History:+

The first football game ever played on November 19th was versus Georgia in 1932, Auburn 14, Georgia 7. The game was played in Columbus, GA. The Tigers went 9-0-1 that year and were Southern Conference Champions.The next year Auburn would join the newly formed Southeastern Conference.+

In 1960 Auburn trounced the Florida State Seminoles by a score of 57-21. Ed Dyas kicked his 13th field goal of the season which broke his own national season and career records. But, unfortunately, he was tackled into a bench on the sidelines later in the game and sustained facial fractures. Auburn finished 8-2, ranked 13th in the AP poll and 14th in the UPI.+

On 11/19/2005 the Auburn Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide. The final score was 28-18 but did not reflect the dominance the Tigers displayed on that sunny afternoon in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Tide quarterback Brodie Croyle was sacked 11 times prompting bumper stickers urging motorists to “Honk If You Sacked Brodie.”+

The last time Auburn played a game on 11/19 was three years ago in 2011. They overcame a spirited Samford team, 35-16. The Bulldogs were coached by Auburn’s first Heisman trophy winner, Pat Sullivan. That bring’s us back to…+

THE PRESENT +

Auburn (7-3) vs. Samford (7-3). Pat Sullivan remains the head coach at the Baptist school located in Homewood, AL. He heads the list of total wins in a career for a Samford coach with 47. More on Coach Sullivan shortly. First a few, quick notable takes on Samford past.+

In 1841 the institution was founded in Marion, AL as Howard College. It is a private school affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention. It was named in honor of John Howard who was noted for his work in prison reform in England.+

In 1895 women were first admitted to Howard College.+

Bobby Bowden played quarterback at Howard from 1949-1952. Bowden was named offensive coordinator there in 1954 and he went on to become the head coach of the Bulldogs from 1959-1962. Bowden compiled a sterling record of 31-6 during his tenure.+

Bowden’s son, Terry, was the head coach at Samford from 1987-1992. He was also quite successful there. He won 45 games while losing 23. One game ended in a tie. Most of us know what occurred with this Coach Bowden in 1993; he took over as the head coach at Auburn where he put together a 47-17-1 record. His .731 winning percentage remains first in Auburn Football history.+

Current Florida State head coach, Jimbo Fisher, played quarterback for Terry Bowden at Samford in 1987. He was named Division III national player of the year.+

Now back to Pat Sullivan. I have been following Auburn Football very, very closely for the past 54 years. My favorite players, through the years, include Bobby Hunt, Jimmy Sidle, Tucker Frederickson, Terry Beasley, Terry Henley, Phil Gargis, Joe Cribbs, James Brooks, Dameyune Craig, Rudi Johnson and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams. Also near the top of that list would be former Heisman Trophy winners Bo Jackson and Cam Newton. +

I have followed and loved, lived and died with these and a host of other Tiger greats throughout these five plus decades. But the player at the very top of that list of favorites is Patrick Joseph Sullivan.+

Pat Sullivan is the epitome of an Auburn man.+

In his career, 1968-1972, as varsity quarterback on The Plains he led Auburn to regular season records of 8-2, 8-2 and 9-1. These years included 49-26 and 33-28 wins over cross-state rival Alabama. The 49-26 win over the Tide in 1969 is the most points EVER scored on a Bear Bryant coached team.+

In 1968 Sullivan brought the Tiger freshman back from a 27-0 deficit to defeat the Crimson Tide frosh, 36-27.+

In the 33-28 victory over Bama in 1970, Super Sully, as he was fondly known, brought Auburn back after trailing 17-0 in the first half. The game, played at Birmingham’s Legion Field, was the first win that I ever witnessed over the Tide. Coach Bryant said that the only thing Sullivan didn’t do that day was sell hot dogs and take up tickets. He was masterful on that beautiful Saturday afternoon.+

I can still hear Gary Sanders, the voice of the Auburn Tigers during the Sullivan years, on the small, white Philco radio we were glued to on autumn Saturdays… “At quarterback number 7, Pat Sullivan, a 6 foot 190 pound sophomore form John Carroll High School in Birmingham.”+

The biggest victory, to this point, in Pat Sullivan’s life did not occur on the football field.+

In September of 2003 Sullivan was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his jaw and tongue. This resulted from years of smokeless tobacco use. It was grave. He was given less than a 50% chance of survival. It was the toughest battle he ever fought. He was found clear of cancer cells in April of 2004 but the disease took a tremendous toll on Sullivan’s body.+

God bless Pat Sullivan.+

Sullivan will bring his Bulldogs to play Auburn’s Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday in a 6 PM CST kickoff. I shudder at the sound of that Samford mascot nickname after last week’s drubbing ‘between the hedges’ in Athens, GA. Auburn will not be drubbed Saturday. They will win decisively. I will be pulling for Auburn to win. I will also be pulling for Coach Sullivan. It will be an emotional night for him and for those of us who love him dearly.+

THE FUTURE+

What does the future hold for Auburn?+

When this weekend’s clash is said and done their record will stand at 8-3. They will move up from their current position of 14th in the College Football Playoff poll if someone above them loses. The way things are going here in 2014, that should happen.+

Then, on November 29th, they will face the team ranked number one in that poll. The Tigers will face off with the Alabama Crimson Tide, in Bryant-Denny Stadium, that evening at 6:45 PM CST. If Auburn were to upset Bama they would vault in the polls and in the minds of college football fans everywhere.+

A win in these next two games would make the Tigers 9-3. That would then conclude a very good regular season and a spot in a prestigious bowl game. That would be a great building block toward 2015 and beyond.+

We shall see. +

I’m drowning in a Wisky River.” Bo Pelini and thousands of Nebraska fans could have been crooning that altered version of Willie’s classic show starter yesterday. Wow! After taking an early 17-3 lead, the Huskers were boat raced by Melvin Gordon and the Badgers. Gordon set a new major-college record for yards rushing in a single game. His 408 yards eclipsed the old mark of 406 which was set by LaDanian Tomlinson of TCU in 1999. What made the feat even more astounding was that it was done in only 25 carries. That is 16.32 yards per carry! And… AND… Gordon did not have one single carry in the fourth quarter. BOOM!!!StaveWhat do you think?

Now Wisconsin finds itself firmly in control of the Big Ten West race. Their win, coupled with Minnesota’s 31-24 loss to Ohio State, landed the Badgers in the top spot. It now appears that those two teams could meet in the conference’s championship game. Wisky has games at Iowa and in Camp Randall against Minnesota. The Buckeyes last two games, Indiana and Michigan, will be played within the friendly confines of The Horseshoe.+

SOUTHBOUND+

We’ll continue the song theme here with the Dickey Betts penned tune. “Well I’m southbound mama…” And to what teams does that Allman Brothers favorite apply to? The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and, gulp, my Auburn Tigers. In case you missed it here’s what happened.+

The (not so good at) Fighting Irish dropped their third game of the 2014 season to Northwestern, that’s right NORTHWESTERN. In overtime to the Mildcats. OUCH!!! It doesn’t get any easier for the Golden Domers next week, either, as they take on Louisville in South Bend.+

*SIGH* And Auburn, “Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain…where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey…” *SIGH* I so would that it were true Mr. Oliver Goldsmith. We have been de-clawed and de-fanged. The first egg of the Gus Malzahn era has been laid. We didn’t block. We didn’t tackle. A hope crushing 34-7 loss, to the Georgia Bulldogs, would be the result of that lack of football basics.+

Speaking of basics. Auburn has not had a good defense since Tommy Tuberville’s regime. And who was the defensive coordinator back then?+

BOOM!!!hi-res-183573807-head-coach-will-muschamp-of-the-florida-gators-watches_crop_exactWhat do you think?

Coach Boom that is. AKA Will Muschamp. Muschamp was given his walking papers Sunday by Florida AD Jeremy Foley. Everybody likes Will and I know Foley hated to do it, but we all saw it coming. The South Carolina Gamecocks, and former Gator Head Ball Coach Steve Spurrier, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in The Swamp Saturday and summarily ended Coach Boom’s tenure in Gainesville.+

A Birmingham News scribe, Kevin Scarbinsky, wrote that Auburn should call Muschamp immediately and hand him a blank check. There are many fans of the Auburn Tigers that would LOVE to see that happen. I’m sure there are many teams that would love to have the intense coach handling their defense. It will be very interesting to see where this turn of events takes us.+

More later huh?+

DABO(NED)+

Clemson did it again. They pulled a “Clemson”. The ACC’s Tigers were wrecked by Georgia Tech, 28-6. This loss also gave Florida State the Atlantic Division title. Coach Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets soundly trounced the Tigers at venerable Grant Field in Atlanta. First downs had Tech with 16 Clemson with 10. The Jackets 352 total yards to Clemmy’s 190 and Tech totaled 155 return yards to the visitor’s 6. And, sadly, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson left the game in the first quarter due to a knee injury. He did not return to action.+

CHARMED?+

We’ll keep in the ACC for a bit. We were just speaking of Florida State. Are these guys charmed? Holy cow! How long are the Noles gonna keep dancing in the rain without getting hit by a single drop of precipitation? Has Jimbo made a deal with the devil?+

They did it, YET AGAIN, Saturday with another comeback win. They trailed 16-0 in the first quarter. They trailed 23-10 at the half. Dalvin Cook ran for a 26-yard touchdown with 3:05 remaining to lift the Seminoles to a 30-26 victory at Miami.+

The win will, most assuredly, land the lads from Tallahassee in the number one spot when Tuesday’s College Football Playoff Poll is released.+

And that brings us to the…+

FEARSOME FOURSOME
playoffWhat do you think?

What will the playoff’s quartet of one through four look like this round? I’ll take a stab at it.+

1. Florida State+

2. Alabama+

3. Oregon+

4. Mississippi State+

I suppose TCU could remain in the first four but I’ve got to think it will be the Bulldogs. They out-first downed, out-rushed and out-passed Bama. But they didn’t out-score the Tide. The opportunistic Elephants had ZERO turnovers and State had THREE. They all came on interceptions.+

Meanwhile, the Horned Frogs were on the verge of being upset by the lowly Kansas Jayhawks. TCU had to overcome a ten point deficit, in the third quarter, to best the Jayhawks, 34-30. Not impressive. But the committee will consider the body of work of both squads. It will be interesting to see how this week’s top twenty-five shakes down.+

So… thus ends week twelve in the ever-changing landscape of college football. It has been a doozy of a season to this point. I expect nothing to change. The madness is sure to continue.+

Georgia On My Mind.

It’s hard to choose a favorite version of that song, but I have boiled it down to two artists… Brother Ray Charles and Willie. Great song, great artists.+

I now live in Georgia. I’ve been here since July of 1996. I’ve enjoyed living here very much and I’m proud to, now, be called a Georgian.+

Dennis Quaid’s Doc Holliday was conversing with Wyatt Earp, in Kevin Costner’s movie adaptation of Earp’s life, and spoke of hailing from Georgia. In that conversation he told Earp, “Georgia is a very green state Wyatt Earp.” It is. It is a beautiful state. Quaid’s performance of Doc in Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp is often, wrongly, overlooked. It’s been obscured by Val Kilmer’s brilliant, and oft quoted, take on Holliday in Tombstone.+

Doc was from Griffin, GA. He was a dentist and, unfortunately, he was felled with tuberculosis at the early age of thirty-five. He spent the last portion of his life in Colorado and is buried in Glenwood Springs. I worked in Glenwood Springs for a few days back in 2005. I went to the Doc Holliday Saloon. I was told you had to walk about a mile to get to Doc’s grave and I chose not to make that trek. Stupid, when I recall that time, as I walk three or four miles a day anyway. Oh well.+

But I digress…+

The point is I sometimes think of Doc Holliday when I think of the state of Georgia. And I never fail to smile when I think of Doc. I’m sure our romanticized notions of him are greatly skewed by Hollywood. That’s ok. They bring us joy and we love to quote him. “I’m your huckleberry.” “Why Ike, whatever do you mean? I don’t know if I could stand it if you weren’t my friend.” And another of my favorites quotes from Doc in Tombstone, “I have not yet begun to defile myself.”+

Even now I find myself laughing out loud at the quotes from Tombstone. Yes, I could have used a social media term for that phrase but I’m growing weary of those trite acronyms.+

So yes, Georgia, and many things Georgian, are on my mind. They always are this time of year.+

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, first played in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park in 1892, is upon us. There is a plaque, in that beautiful oasis in Atlanta’s Midtown, which commemorates the hallowed ground on which that skirmish took place. There should be. It IS a sacred space. We take our football VERY seriously down here.+

College football has been referred to as a religion in these parts. I have no problem with that. It is very much a religion. We have our rites. We sing our songs. We have our saints. We revere our respective schools. And we often find ourselves praying like hell on the sabbath. Yes, Saturday is the TRUE sabbath day.+

I was born into this “religion”. My daddy graduated from Auburn. He met my mama there. They were married on a Sunday because mama wanted to attend Auburn First Baptist Church on her wedding day.+

I attended Auburn in late 1970, early 1971 and early 1973. I found myself asked to move on from the Loveliest Village and seek higher education elsewhere… TWICE. Auburn did not like my study habits.+

My son also attended Auburn. His name is Auburn Luke LeCroy. If I had had a son at earlier junctures of my life, he could have been named Patrick Terry ( Sullivan to Beasley) or Phil Gargis. Gargis still holds the record for career rushing yards by a quarterback at Auburn. Nick Marshall will have something to say about that before the 2014 campaign is completed.+

We have had various pets given names like Bo, Daisy Dye and Frank Thomas. We’ve never had a “Round Mound of Rebound” residing in our home, but it’s never too late if I keep eating like I do on football weekends.+

I have been called a lot of names in my life, more on “Bird” some other time, but one moniker that I am extremely proud of, and humbled by, is that of an Auburn Man.+

A quick story about being an Auburn Man. One afternoon, many years ago, I checked into the Omni Hotel at CNN Center. My bellman hovered nearby as I checked-in. When I opened my wallet to scrounge for a tip, I found that I had no cash. I told the bellman that I would be back later with his tip. I found an ATM, got some cash and then found the bellman not far from where I left him. I gave him his gratuity. Another hotel guest, standing nearby, had witnessed the whole thing. He approached me and said, “I knew you would be back and give that man his tip. You have on an Auburn shirt.”+

I tell that story not to brag or pat myself on the back. Also I’m not saying that those from other institutions of higher learning don’t possess the good qualities that we Auburn people see and expect from each other. But I am saying Auburn, and the Auburn Family, is very, very special. To quote the last line of the Auburn Creed, “I believe in Auburn and love it.”+

I have always thought of Auburn and Georgia as sister schools. Their people possess many of the same qualities. There is a shared history between the two schools. Just to give you one small example of this, Pat Dye played at Georgia and coached at Auburn. Vince Dooley played at Auburn and coached at Georgia.+

I won’t go into ALL of the similarities these two great institutions share but they are plenteous. “Google” them up if you are not familiar with these shared peoples and traits.+

This Saturday evening, on ESPN, Auburn and Georgia will renew the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry for the 118th time. The game will be played “between the hedges” in Athens. Auburn leads the series 55-54. There have been 8 games that ended in a tie.+

Who will win this round of the storied series? I have NO idea. I am thinking of getting out of the prediction game altogether. This has been one of the absolute WILDEST college football seasons EVER.+

This will also be the first game I have not attended this crazy season. I will be glued to the HDTV and screaming WAR EAGLE, at the top of my lungs, early and often. I will be clad in burnt orange and navy blue. There will also be thousands of other Auburn fans doing exactly same here in the great state of Georgia.+

There will also be countless thousands of others in the Peach State sporting the red and black with great pride and enthusiasm. They will be screaming GO DAWGS and barking like crazy.+

May the best team win!!! (I just hope it’s Auburn).

Houston, TX, Friday October 18th, 2013, 5 PM. My wife, Melodye, and I are sitting in our little white Toyota Yaris on the parking lot that is I-10. We are hoping to get to our hotel, on the west side of the sprawling megalopolis, at some point that evening. Why does it seem like we ALWAYS hit the largest cities at rush hour? Oh well…

Tomorrow our 5-1, 24th ranked Auburn Tigers will go to war with the 7th ranked Texas A&M Aggies. If I said we overly excited and charged with eager anticipation it would be an understatement.+

The year before I had spent two weeks working in Houston as an inspector for AAA. That second week I had camped out at a Fairfield Inn By Marriott that we were attempting to reach on this pleasant Friday afternoon. I knew the lay of the land well and just wanted to get there.+

Sigh… COME ON TRAFFIC!!! MOVE!!!+

We FINALLY reach our destination well after six o’clock and were chomping at the bit to unpack and walk to a popular Mexican eatery I had come to enjoy back in 2012. But the bottom fell out and we had to drive the very short distance. The place was packed. The food was quite good. The drinks were cold and they helped to temper our mood which was now building to a fever pitch.+

When we got in our car the prior day, late Thursday after Mel arrived home from teaching school, I turned to her and said, “We are going to Texas for ONE reason and that is TO WIN THIS FOOTBALL GAME!!!” We then, in unison, went into a big WAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR EAGLE!!! HEY!!! And off we headed to Mobile, AL to spend that night.+

It is now Saturday morning. We woof down some bacon, eggs and biscuits and we bound off to the Yaris for the hour plus trip to College Station. We arrive several hours before the 2:30 PM kickoff. The game is to be televised by CBS with Verne Lundquist doing the play by play and Gary Danielson taking care of the color duties.+

We park in the back yard of some student’s house just off George Bush Drive. Now it’s time to explore the Aggieland campus. It is a lovely place and HUGE. The enrollment is somewhere north of 50,000. You can smell the oil money.+

The massive end zone facade of Kyle Field rises before us, jutting regal into the pale blue lone star sky. We begin our walk and we glide with our feet, seemingly, off the ground. I get a lump in my throat, as I always do when I arrive as a first time visitor on the opposition’s ground. +

Wipe your eyes and take a deep breath Bird. It’s on!!!+

Now let me say this… we have been to EVERY campus in the SEC, except Missouri, and most of them multiple times. But we have NEVER been treated so warmly as we were in College Station. Great folks! We will make every effort to return there in 2015.+

So, after a few beverages and some great conversations we make our way to the stadium for the Tiger Walk. It turns out that the Tigers actually won’t be allowed to walk. The buses will drive through the throngs of people and pull into a fenced-in area beside Kyle Field and they will disembark there.+

Ok, the Auburn cheerleaders lead us in a few ‘War Eagles’ ‘Bodda Gettas’ and ‘Two Bits’. The band plays. And then we hear some sirens and spot the buses headed our way. There are a great many of the Auburn faithful here and they scream, shout and wave their shakers vigorously.+

We are very near the front of the crowd lining the street. Now the first bus moves toward us and we can see inside. There on the front seat, beside the driver and sitting by himself, is head coach Gus Malzahn. BOOM!!!+

The caravan rolls in and disappears from sight. The electricity is palpable now. Two hours until kickoff. Let’s grab a couple of bracers and find our way to the heights of the upper deck in the north end zone.+

We make our way through gate 11 and up to section 505, row 30, seats 1 and 2. End seats, just like our permanent spot in Jordan-Hare, thank you baby Jesus!+

Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale. Now compose yourself and focus Bird.+

Wait, I can hear the starting lineups being broadcast over the PA system. The announcer is doing the A&M offensive first eleven. “At quarterback number 2, Johnny Manziel.” GULP!!! Chill bumps. GULP again.+

Well sports fans, you know what happens from here. High drama deep in the heart of Texas! The game goes back and forth and back and forth. How on earth did Johnny Football make that throw to Mike Evans? Did Sammie Coates just toss that defender like it was nothing? Can we at least slow them down? What a catch by Marcus Davis!!! Tre Mason! They reviewed it! He scored!!! Oh crap! There’s still well over a minute left. That’s an eternity for the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner to march the Aggies down the field. He did.+

BUT… Kris Frost runs Manziel down over on the left sideline. Oh mercy It’s 4th down! Manziel is back to pass… wait wait wait… he’s being chased by Dee Ford like a heat seeking missile… HE’S SACKED!!! +

Auburn wins!!! Auburn wins!!! Auburn wins!!!+

Auburn 45, Texas A&M 41+

The Tigers rush the field! They are leaping and hugging and crying tears of joy!!+

I sprint up and down the steep steps and bear hug my bride and our tears of joy flow as well!!!+

The band plays War Eagle over and over!!!+

I think this Gus Bus thing IS FOR REAL!!!+

We’re back!!!

Last week we took a look at the Gus Bus at the halfway point of the season. The emphasis was what lay ahead for Coach Malzahn and his Tigers. This week will feature a potpourri of stats, past years at this stage of the season and a prediction for the upcoming South Carolina game.

A comparison of a few stats from this year vs. the 2013 season:

2014 Offense
Yards rushing 1572
Yards passing 1355
Total offense 2927
Average per game 487.8
Points per game 38.8

2014 Defense
Rushing yards allowed 724
Passing yards allowed 1278
Total yards allowed 2002
Average per game 333.7
Points allowed per game 18.3

2013 Offense
Yards rushing 1724
Yards passing 1123
Total offense 2847
Average per game 474.5
Points per game 34.3

2013 Defense
Rushing yards allowed 878
Passing yards allowed 1517
Total yards allowed 2395
Average per game 399.2
Points per game 18.8

So… This year the Auburn offense has more passing yards, total offensive yards, yards per game and points per game than in 2013.

The defense has allowed less rushing yards, passing yards, total yards, yards per game and points per game. Rushing yards is the only area where the 2013 team exceeded the 2014 team output, and that is only by 152 yards.

From looking at these statistics and watching this year’s team perform, I think Auburn is improved over last year. The Tigers also have more experience, talent and depth. The coaches and players are also more comfortable with each other and the system.

Those numbers being what they are, and with the 2014 team passing the eye test, we must ask ourselves some pointed questions.

How is team chemistry compared to 2013? Is the hunger and desire at the same intensity? What about all the intangibles that really cannot be measured like numbers can be measured? And last but not least… What about good old fashioned luck?

As far as the record goes, this year’s team and last year’s team both found themselves at five wins and one loss after six games. Now let’s take a look back at what past Auburn squads were 5-1 and what transpired afterward. We will begin with Shug Jordan’s first season on The Plains, 1951. You will find below the final record for each season, followed by the SEC record including bowl games:

1951 (5-5, 3-4) 1959 (7-3, 4-3) 1960 (8-2, 5-2) 1962 (6-3-1, 4-3) 1970 (9-2, 5-2) 1972 (10-1, 6-1) 1979 (8-3, 4-2) 1982 (9-3, 4-2) 1983 (11-1, 6-0) 1985 (8-4, 3-3) 1988 (10-2, 6-1) 1996 (8-4, 4-4) 2000 (9-4, 6-2) 2001 (7-5, 5-3) 2005 (9-3, 7-1) 2006 (11-2, 6-2) 2009 (8-5, 3-5)

It is somewhat intriguing that Auburn found itself with the exact same record, and a darn good record after six games, nineteen times since Ralph “Shug” Jordan prowled the sidelines.

If I could compare AU’s 2013 contingent with any team on that list it would be the 1972 group, The Amazins. And it is no small wonder that these are my two favorite Auburn teams EVER.

How about the 2014 Auburn Tigers? What team, from years past, do they most resemble? Well, regular season, record wise, we will know by the evening of November 29th when the Iron Bowl has been completed. But what do we see when we gaze into the crystal ball?

When one considers ALL factors it appears, from this angle, that the 2014 Auburn Tigers might align themselves somewhere just north of the 2005 and 2006 teams and just south of the 1983 and 1988 squads. Let’s hope they are very close to those great ’80s teams at season’s end. BOTH of those units were SEC Champions. Both played in the Sugar Bowl. In 1983 Auburn was proclaimed national champions by the New York Times. In 1988 they missed playing for the national title due to a crushing 7-6 loss to LSU down in the Red Stick. The ‘Earthquake Game’… SIGH.

If I have any pulse on this year’s Tigers it is this… I believe they have taken the off week to iron out the kinks from the first half of the 2014 campaign. I believe they have recommitted themselves to finding that elusive 13 seconds. I believe they have refocused on their master plan. I believe they have found their best 11 players on each side of the ball. I believe they have focused, not on the BRUTAL schedule that lies ahead, but on improving and beating the South Carolina Gamecocks.

That brings us to the task at hand. Auburn vs. South Carolina. The old ball coach finds himself matched up with someone who admires him greatly, thus Malzahn’s visor, and can stay with him calling plays. Yes, Steve Spurrier, as good as he is, finds himself in the unenviable position of having to face a very, very good football team coming off a painful loss and looking to redeem themselves. They will do just that.

Auburn 45, South Carolina 13

It’s on!!! The College Football Playoff committee released it’s first poll last night and the Auburn Tigers find themselves locked into the number three spot. Yes, it’s on! If Auburn wins the remaining games on their schedule they WILL participate in the playoff. The schedule is brutal, we have discussed that here before, but it can be done.

The strength of schedule is an important component in deciding which teams finish where. The stronger one’s schedule, the greater the opportunity to advance and entrench oneself in a favorable position. Auburn is in a VERY favorable position.

Now the REAL fun begins.

November should be about as interesting a month of college football as we have EVER seen. This thing is beginning to shape up like March Madness.

Saturday’s game vs. Ole Miss pits your number three Auburn Tigers and you number four Ole Miss Rebels. This is an elimination game. Mathematically that is not the case but realistically it is the case.

If that don’t get your fire started then your wood’s wet!!!

My wife, Melodye, and I will begin our trek to Oxford bright and early on Friday morning. We will set up camp in downtown Memphis and make the commute, Saturday, to northern Mississippi. It will be All Saint’s Day Eve there on the banks of the Big Muddy.

That should provide a terrific jump start to a memorable weekend!

I have been beyond fortunate to have experienced countless such weekends centered around college football and my beloved Auburn Tigers. Considering the opponent this weekend is the Ole Miss Rebels, I would like to take a look back at a few of the games pitting these two SEC West division foes.

A fitting place to start would be the 1965 Liberty Bowl game. It was the first time the game was played in Memphis after six years in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. Despite the heroics of the game’s MVP, quarterback Tom Bryan, the Tigers fell by a score of 13-7.

One of the most memorable and exciting games between these two squads came in the Gator Bowl following my freshman year at Auburn, 1970. Auburn was led by junior quarterback Pat Sullivan, and Ole Miss legend, Archie Manning, was under center for the Rebels. The Tigers jumped out to a quick 21-0 lead but the Rebels fought back to pull within seven at the intermission. The high scoring game ended with the Tigers pulling out a 35-28 win.

The first game I ever attended in the series was on October 6, 1973. It was an historic day on the plains of east Alabama. Auburn’s Cliff Hare Stadium was renamed Jordan-Hare Stadium in honor of longtime head coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan. With less than two minutes remaining in the game, halfback Rick Neel scored on a 33 yard run to give the home team the victory.

In 1985, soon-to-be Heisman trophy winner, Bo Jackson, ran for 240 yards and three touchdowns propelling the Tigers to a 41-0 demolition of the visiting Ole Miss team. Auburn wound up with 606 total yards that day while the visitors could manage only NINE.

The 1995 game wasn’t close as Auburn won 46-13. BUT Ole Miss had a new head coach. He was the former defensive coordinator of the Texas A&M Aggies, Tommy Tuberville. You know the rest of the story.

On October 30, 2004 the undefeated Auburn Tigers traveled to Oxford, Mississippi. They had played nine straight games without a break, and now Auburn head coach, Tommy Tuberville said, “We were running on fumes.” In spite of that, Auburn, led by senior quarterback Jason Campbell, pulled out a tough 35-14 win by scoring 28 second half points. And on that night, the Tigers clinched the SEC West division title. They went on to become SEC and Sugar Bowl Champions and were, arguably, the best team in the country.

Enough of the past. The future is now. The College Football Playoff committee has released its historic first top 25 poll. They have spoken and it is my opinion that they got it right…

1. Mississippi State
2. Florida State
3. Auburn
4. Ole Miss

It was the bold and proper move to place the Rebels at number four. They have a played a typically brutal SEC West schedule and they defeated the number six ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Hotty Toddy!

That brings us to the de facto elimination game pitting number three against number four.

It appears that it will be unseasonably cold Saturday night in the land of Faulkner and Grisham. The winds will be howling and the Tigers will be growling. After spending all day in The Grove, the fans fervor will be at a fever pitch. The home team’s faithful is being exhorted to wear red. Miss LeCroy and I will counter with navy blue attire.

Good friends, Gus Malzahn and Hugh Freeze will concoct a Strange Brew (RIP Jack Bruce of Cream) on this All Saint’s Day evening. This one promises to be a true donnybrook.

Auburn 31, Ole Miss 23

Survive and advance.

This week the Gus Bus is in the shop for a tune up and some repairs. She wasn’t hitting on all eight last week. The ride to Starkville proved to be a rough and tumble one. There were some sputters. There were some misses. And there were even some zebras cluttering the highway that caused the bus to swerve completely off the road.

But be not dismayed AU faithful. The Gus Bus will return to the freeway as fast as ever, a week from Saturday, and fully equipped to make a run toward either Pasadena or the Big Easy.

Here are the stops that newly tweaked vehicle will make along the way.

Back to the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium first. The opponent will be the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks and, barring some kind of total collapse, the Tigers should prevail.

Next stop Oxford, Mississippi. Better check the tires and fluids, change the oil and wash the windshield for this excursion. The Black Bears will be a highly formidable foe. This could be the most challenging game left on the schedule.

November 8 will find a return trip back home. Texas A&M will come calling. They will fill the crisp, cool air with footballs. I know I will be ‘Trilled’ to see this battle. The home team does have a much better defense and they should be able to outscore the visiting Aggies at worst.

Athens, Georgia will be the destination as the Tigers hit the road for their tenth game of the 2014 campaign. This is a hard team to read. One thing you can expect is that the pups will come out growling and snarling. They WILL be ready to take on the Tigers. The Cats and Dawgs create some flying fur between the hedges.

Auburn’s first Heisman Trophy winner, Pat Sullivan, brings yet another group of canines to the place where he thrilled Tiger fans, a few decades ago, for the eleventh game of the year. Wow! Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in a Math 100 class with Super Sully’s favorite target, Terry Beasley. We wish Coach Sullivan well, but the Gus Bus should flatten the visiting Bulldogs.

The Iron Bowl. The last stop of the regular season. The biggest game of the season. THE game of games each and every year in the state of Alabama. One of the most watched and talked about games across the nation. The orange and blue machine will roll into Tuscaloosa on November 29th. All eyes on T-Town. But what will be at stake? Will either team still have a shot at the College Football Playoff? Will the SEC West Championship remain within the grasp of either squad? None of these questions can be answered with certainty. The one thing we do know is the championship of the state of Alabama will be decided that day, and THAT is enough. But… something tells me that more will be within reach of at least one of the participants of the Iron Bowl.

So there we have it. We are halfway home. It has been a good ride on the Gus Bus thus far. Now buckle up for the remainder of the trip. And what a long, strange one it promises to be.

Auburn faithful, kick back and enjoy some great college football this weekend from the comfort of your living room, man cave, sports bar or wherever you might find yourself Saturday. Take time to enjoy all that is on tap. Refresh, refuel, refocus and GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the old Stealer’s Wheel song entitled ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’. That is the way I feel at this point in the college football season. I’ve got, now sing along with me, ‘Corn dogs to the left of me, cowbells to the right, here I am…’

When we’ve heard the clang of the last cowbell in Starkville, MS early Saturday evening, the Auburn Tigers will have completed playing their sixth game of the 2014 season. The same will be true for the host Bulldogs.

One of these teams will stand tall with a 6-0 record. The other will be 5-1. It will be extremely difficult for the loser of this game to capture the SEC West title. The winner of this contest will have to lose TWO conference games in order for the loser to have even a slight chance at winning the division. BIG game folks. REALLY big game!

But ah, before we break this huge clash down, let’s take a quick look at last Saturday and Auburn’s win over the LSU Tigers.

Auburn 41, LSU 7. That matches the largest margin of victory in this series for the Alabama Tigers. The 1999 game also ended in that very same score.

Auburn truly needed this game to exorcise some Bayou Bengal demons. Les Miles was 7-2 against Auburn and a couple of those wins were just flat out luck, or as I stated in last week’s column… Voodoo. The big victory created a massive, collective smile across the face of the Auburn Family.

Auburn played, by far, it’s most complete game of the season in Jordan-Hare Stadium last Saturday night. The offense was hitting on all eight cylinders and the defense was lights out. It was a great TEAM effort. HUGE win.

That is all well and good but it is time to focus on the business at hand.

Auburn vs. Mississippi State

The Bulldogs are averaging 541.8 yards per game while the Tigers offense is totaling 497.2.

State’s yardage has come by 272.6 yards rushing and 269.2 yards passing. Auburn is running for 268.0 and passing for 229.2 yards per outing.

State is scoring 42.6 points per game and Auburn scores at a 42.0 per game clip.

On defense the Bulldogs are struggling a bit giving up 426.4 yards each game with 328.2 coming through the air, but they only allow 98.2 rushing yards each outing. They sit at thirteenth in the SEC in total defense.

The Tigers are allowing a total of 306.0 yards per game. They are permitting an average 206.4 yards passing and 100.2 yards rushing each outing. They are number fourteen nationally in total D. In scoring D they come in at number nine giving up only 14.4 points per game while State allows 19.4 points per game.

Here are some take aways from observing those statistics. Both teams are very well balanced on offense. Both teams are very tough against the run on defense. They are practically dead even in scoring offense.

But here is where we get some separation. Auburn is much stronger in total defense giving up almost 120 yards per game less than State is allowing each time they take the field. Big edge to Auburn.

Also, MSU’s 328.2 average yards allowed passing indicates a leaky secondary. Nick Marshall’s passing was noticeably better last week. He hit 14 out of 22 passes for 207 yards. He also rushed for 119 yards. It appears the Marshall is hitting his stride.

Now let’s not take anything away from Dak Prescott. The young man is on fire! He is averaging 336 yards total offense per game and he is cool under pressure. AND he is a bona fide Heisman candidate.

Running backs. The Bulldog’s Josh Robinson has 592 yards rushing. The Tiger’s Cameron Artis-Payne has 594.

Both teams are 5-0. Auburn is ranked second in the AP poll while Miss State is tied with arch-rival Ole Miss at third in the country according to the AP.

Both teams are coming off emotional wins on their home fields.

This contest is being billed as the biggest home game in Miss State history. Tickets are going for as much as $1200 a pair. Their fan base is frothing at the mouth and at a fever pitch. They have never experienced anything like this in their school’s history. ESPN Game Day will be on hand.

Auburn has been there… many times. The last time was on September 18th in Manhattan, KS.

I have found myself in much the same position as the State fans find themselves now. I have seen the Tigers fail to seize the moment. I have seen Auburn rise to the cusp, only to watch it slip away.

13 seconds. That is how close the Auburn Tigers came to capturing their second national title in four years. Those 13 seconds have been a mantra around their football facilities since that fateful night in Pasadena earlier this year in the venerable Rose Bowl venue.

I sense something very, very special brewing on The Plains. TNT… Tough and Together.

From this vantage point it appears that the Auburn Tigers are much better on defense and special teams than their opponents, with Quan Bray taking two punt returns to the house. It seems that the two offenses are about equal.

Mississippi State has the cowbells and the home field advantage.

I think the game will be very close for the most part with Auburn’s overall talent, depth, coaching and big game experience prevailing in the end.

Auburn 41, Miss State 27.