The drive versus State.
Who barely beat Kentucky and is a bottom tier SEC team....
The never-quit attitude and toughness in defeat in Baton Rouge.
We lost but we tried REAL hahd....
Being more physical than Ole Miss.
Vanderbilt was more physical than Ole Miss.
Absorbing and countering each shot taken by the reigning Heisman trophy winner.
Whose team's defense sucks
The maturity and physical domination displayed on the road in Fayetteville and Knoxville.
The Hawgs barely beat Samford. At home.
The Vols barely beat South Alabama. At Home.
The domination of Georgia only to see it slip away in the fourth quarter, yet respond with the play of the year in college football.
Georgia had almost as many yards as you did and was much better (50% to 33%) on third down. Play of the year? Yeah, just like Gus drew it up, right?
Why I like Auburn's chances?
Jack Daniels?
Atmosphere in Auburn. Alabama, as a program and the individual players representing this team, has played in many huge games on a national stage. No atmosphere it's encountered will equate even partially to the scene they'll witness in Auburn.
True enough, there were no tractors in Pasadena.
It'll be the single most difficult environment for a visiting team perhaps ever.
App State going into the Big House has NOTHING on this!!!
Why? Because of the stakes. Because we've never seen Alabama and Auburn meet in a playoff-type scenario.
Because Auburn has been perpetually bad for a century.
Because of the vitriolic tone the rivalry has taken, where emotions have become actions.
I'll see your Harvey Updyke and raise you Auburn boosters bribing Gene Jelks - want to have a morality argument?
Auburn's poker face. The fact we've won 10 games using one page of Malzahn playbook is a nightmare for Kirby Smart as he prepares for Auburn's tendencies.
As opposed to the last time Smart squared off against Play Caller Gus and shut him out.
Auburn has shown nothing,
I'm convinced of that.
instead choosing to win games with brute force in vanilla fashion.
And praying to God every time Marshall drops back to pass. We know about that at Alabama - we did have a QB named Freddie Kitchens.
It's been demoralizing for those attempting to stop it and it's allowed Malzahn and Lashlee the advantage of arriving to this enormous stage with wrinkles and variations Alabama can't rehearse. In truth, the Alabama offense has this same advantage; they're just as vanilla as Auburn. Still, the key that creates an Auburn advantage here is Malzahn's creativity and his ability to attack deficiencies. He'll earn his money finding those deficiencies in this opponent, but I'd place my money on Gus identifying them and those weaknesses being exposed.
Then why didn't he do it with the defending national champions in 2011?
Off week. Couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
Keep this one in mind - it's about to be very important....
Battle tested in the big games. Alabama has strolled through this season. Its schedule was set up perfectly for success -- off weeks before their only tests in A&M and LSU.
But you were just fine with that a moment ago. And if I hear one more "Bama schedule" story I'm gonna throw up. 2010 - remember that? That's the year Auburn would NOT move a game to the off-week before Alabama so that the Tide only would face FOUR as opposed to SIX teams with two weeks to prep.
Catching the worst of the SEC East.
We didn't play Florida.
No true road test since September 14.
Which was the SAME OPPONENT as YOUR last true road test, and you got the benefit of watching how we (didn't) stop them.
Quite frankly, the Tide hasn't truly been challenged.
We get 60 minutes like everyone else does.
How will it respond when that day arrives? Auburn conversely has been tested repeatedly
Because they're not as good as Alabama. And they've played pretty much the same conference schedule except for Georgia/Kentucky...
and has shown the resolve to endure. Minus an early hole in Baton Rouge, this team has persevered and excelled. That experience may pay enormous dividends in a tight game.
I'm trying to figure out the logic: beating the exact same teams as Alabama by LESS than Alabama somehow is a test that prepares you to beat Alabama, who hasn't been tested? HUH!!!!!????!!!!
Nick Marshall's athleticism. It's no secret Alabama's Achilles heel has been mobile quarterbacks having success keeping plays alive.
Uh, no. This is an ESPN fallacy. And are you seriously suggesting Marshall is the second coming of Johnny Autograph?
Special Teams success. There are not two better, more consistent kickers than Cody Parkey and Steven Clark. These guys need to have tremendous days and make Alabama drive the length of the field for points.
With all the attention and intrigue surrounding Auburn's dominant rushing attack versus Alabama's tremendous defense, I really feel like this game will boil down to the Auburn defense and the ability to limit the Alabama ground game.
I must admit - this is NOT stupid at all.
Their best performance against the run was against Georgia.
Sure it was - because Georgia is 15th in passing yards and 56th (halfway down the chart) in rushing yards.
Auburn needs to play for 30 points. That's the magical number. Auburn has now won its last 86 games when the 30 point threshold has been eclipsed.
Number of times Alabama has given up 30 points this year: 1
Number of times Alabama has given up 30 points in the Crystal Dynasty era: 2 (2010 SC, 2013 aTm)
Last time Auburn scored 30 points on Alabama: 1995
Number of times Auburn has scored 30 points on Alabama since 1971: 2
