Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility? (catch-all , barn thread)

uafan4life

Hall of Fame
Mar 30, 2001
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

This Auburn team is pretty horrendous. I say that with no relish (ok a little bit). However, both teams in the past have stepped up their game for the Iron Bowl in seasons where each was playing well below expectations and blasted the other, killing any title hopes for them. What's the liklihood of this happening? Does anyone know of a season where one team was down so much but somehow mustered enough pride and grit for the day to bring the other one down? Any occurrence that compares to 2-7 Auburn vs a 9-1 Bama team?

If it happened, how would this affect the next year for you? I am a Bama fan through and through and nothing will ever change that but I have to admit it would be very soul crushing. I would avoid Barners for some time afterwards.

People like to say this, a lot, but it really almost never happens.



In the Iron Bowl, the better team almost always wins. Even in 1984 - which is probably the biggest "upset" the Iron Bowl has seen - it wasn't that big of an upset and the barn had no real Championship aspirations. They were 8-3 going into the game, having already lost to Miami, Texas, and Florida. And, yes, Bama was 4-6 heading into the game but the record alone is a bit misleading. We lost 4 of our first 5 games that year. The 6th game of the season is where we kind of turned it around, beating #11 Penn State. The two games we lost between then and the Iron Bowl, to Tennessee and LSU, were by a combined 3 points - 27-28 and 14-16, respectively. We were a much better football team at the end of the season than we were at the beginning.

And in 1972, when the Barn beat Bama to virtually end Bama's shot at a National Championship, they were also 9-1 and a Top 10 team. Of course, even had Bama beaten the Barn, the chances of Bama being awarded a National Championship were slim as an undefeated USC team, which had been ranked #1 since the first week of the season, would most likely have been unanimously crowned as National Champions regardless of whether or not #2 Bama would have won the Iron Bowl.
 

GP for Bama

All-American
Feb 3, 2011
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

Bama will probably win....but any SEC team can beat any other SEC team on a given Saturday. I remember the 1993 LSU game. They stopped our 30 game undefeated streak...they had a losing record.
Bama just needs to jump on Auburn early and often.
 

AUTigers001

1st Team
Feb 3, 2010
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

There is no way that we upset you guys. No way.
 

mittman

All-American
Jun 19, 2009
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

I just don't see it. That team is completely demoralized and mailed it in a long time ago. Will they come out hyped? Sure probably so, but one or two things go wrong for them and it is probably over.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

Auburn could beat Alabama but it would take a horrendous performance on Alabama's part to oblige them. By horrendous, I mean one of the most absolutely sloppy, listless, and unmotivated performances in Alabama history...probably akin to the La-Monroe game in 2007. Fumbles in minus territory, multiple defensive lapses, misses in offensive line assignments. I try to respect every opponent - even Auburn - but this Auburn team could only win against a quality opponent if the other team served it up on silver platter for them. Alabama has motivation for the game though. It can't be a look-ahead game because it is needed to clinch the SECCG berth.

I wouldn't be surprised if Auburn played with some fire and made it sloppy for awhile but Auburn is struggling in too many areas for Alabama not to find enough things to add up to more points than Auburn.
This is all you need to know right here. We know this game is important because it's for the SECW. No way we are flat.

It would take more Bama breakdowns that a 1970's Ford Pinto for the Barn to upset us!
 

davefrat

Hall of Fame
Jun 4, 2002
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

auburn will throw everything at us...including the kitchen sink. they've probably been practicing for us for the last 4 weeks...having mailed in the rest of the season long ago. and don't count out a few leg whips, late hits, and all around thuggery from them...they have nothing to lose.
 

BamaMan09

All-SEC
Feb 26, 2009
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

Seriously, watching them against Georgia the other night, Richt did everything he could to not score more than 38. He ran basic running plays the entire second half to eat clock. If Bama runs the ball well in this game, covers Blake, McCalebb and Mason we will win going away. It's that simple. Not turning the ball over would be great too.
 

rammerjammer69

Scout Team
Apr 28, 2009
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

The only one the even comes close in my memory would be 1984 when Bama came into the game assured of a losing season with a 4-6 record. Auburn was ranked and would clinch a trip to the Sugar Bowl with a win, but Bama prevailed 17-15. An Auburn win this year would be a much bigger upset.
I was at the '84 Iron Bowl-what a game. I'll always love Paul Ott Carruth for his effort that day. Going in there wasn't much hope, but I didn't think we would be blown out. We were not a good team by any means that year, but we had some decent players. Defensively Jon Hand, Biscuit, Randy Rockwell and others were no scrubs-Curt Jarvis played out of his mind that day. So we had a core group of defensive players who could bring it if they were motivated-and we got motivated. The difference with AU's defense this year is that since the LSU game their D has fallen apart in every game against D1 talent for two reasons. First, they are technically unsound and out of position on virtually every play. Second, they've just quit the 2nd half of the season and once you quit it's hard to pick yourself back up and start playing again. Even if the barn wanted to rally and win one last game for Cheezdip (which I'm sure they don't), I don't think their players have the ability in their system to do it. I'd be shocked if this game was close. If we did somehow lose, it would be much worse than 2010, perhaps the worst Iron Bowl loss ever given where AU is right now.
 

BamaMan09

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Feb 26, 2009
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

auburn will throw everything at us...including the kitchen sink. they've probably been practicing for us for the last 4 weeks...having mailed in the rest of the season long ago. and don't count out a few leg whips, late hits, and all around thuggery from them...they have nothing to lose.
Practicing for us for 4 weeks ? They should have spent a little more time preparing for Georgia IYAM.
 

cbi1972

Hall of Fame
Nov 8, 2005
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

You know the card in the airplane that says if a crash is imminent, to put your feet on the floor and put your head down? That is what Auburn is doing to prepare for this year's Iron Bowl.
 

davefrat

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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

Practicing for us for 4 weeks ? They should have spent a little more time preparing for Georgia IYAM.
i honestly don't think they cared about that. the only thing that can in any manner make this season worth living would be beating us.
 

BamaMan09

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Feb 26, 2009
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

i honestly don't think they cared about that. the only thing that can in any manner make this season worth living would be beating us.
So you're saying they purposely tanked the game against Georgia just so they could upset Alabama ? Chizik isn't going to save his job any way you cut it.
 

10Bama54

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Sep 16, 2006
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

i honestly don't think they cared about that. the only thing that can in any manner make this season worth living would be beating us.
I agree. I think they will come out playing the best game they have played all year. And we better be ready for them. This is their bowl game.
 

bamafaninOhiO

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May 11, 2010
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

Practicing for us for 4 weeks ? They should have spent a little more time preparing for Georgia IYAM.

they better not look ahead....they can lose to Alabama A&M this week.

and no, they will not beat us this season...not a snowball chance.
 

bamaslammer

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Jan 8, 2003
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

Two comments.

The 84 game was indeed a massive upset, but there are some things to consider. Alabama had face planted the first half of the season but Ray Perkins was no slouch as a coach and they had been improving steadily since mid season. They had already upset Penn State at Bryant Denny stadium, came within one point of beating Tennessee in their stadium. They beat Ole Miss and lost by only two points to LSU. The run game was solid with Ricky Moore and Paul Ott Carruth at running back. Alabama had Cornelius Bennet, Wayne Davis, and Emmanual King at linebacker, Rocky Colburn at DB. Mike Shula was the quarterback and he was clutch if nothing else. It was more of an upset to those who had written Alabama off earlier in the season.

This Auburn team is significantly worse than the 84 team. The biggest problem they have in mounting any upset is they are one dimensional on offense, actually they are no dimensional, they do nothing well. Mettenburger had a big arm and LSU had a powerful running game. Johnny Football is.... well, you all saw him last week, it needs no explanation.

I have no doubt they will show up with some variation of offense and defense they have not shown to date. It might cause us some confusion but I doubt the confusion last long and I don't think it will work because at the end of the day they haven't coached up these players worth a crap and formations won't change that.
 

davefrat

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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

So you're saying they purposely tanked the game against Georgia just so they could upset Alabama ?
where do you get that from? i'm saying they've probably been spending practice time for the last several weeks specifically focusing on us because they realized their season is a catastrophe and that the only thing that could make it less awful would be beating us. to the typical auburn fan, they'd rather go 3-9 and beat us than go 5-7 and beat georgia and somebody other than bama.
 

BamaMan09

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Feb 26, 2009
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Re: Auburn stepping up and beating Bama ... possibility?

where do you get that from? i'm saying they've probably been spending practice time for the last several weeks specifically focusing on us because they realized their season is a catastrophe and that the only thing that could make it less awful would be beating us. to the typical auburn fan, they'd rather go 3-9 and beat us than go 5-7 and beat georgia and somebody other than bama.
Well if it makes you feel any better I would place a serious wager that Alabama has spent some time on Auburn some this season and will likely spend most of this week focusing on them, too. Bama's backups will play most of the game against Western Carolina as it's nothing more than a scrimmage. Next week will obviously be focused on Auburn full time.
 

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