After Eight Weeks, the Show Belongs to Auburn
Posted on October 26, 2010 by Jacob Bunn
After eight scintillating weeks of college football, the national picture is a little less fuzzy. The SEC has once again reclaimed its place at the top of college football’s food chain. This time, the representative is Auburn.
Let’s face it, the Tigers have met and vastly exceeded all expectations to this point. If I had told you in July that Auburn would be 8-0, undefeated and number one in the land coming out of the LSU game, you may have checked your calendar to make sure it wasn’t the first day of April.
One cannot mention the success Auburn has had without mentioning the name of its starting quarterback, Cam Newton. He has, in large part, made the race for the Heisman Trophy an unfair fight. As America glimpsed through the CBS camera lens Saturday, they saw Cam Newton take the snap and run for forty-nine dramatic yards to give Auburn the lead 17-10 in the third quarter. More impressive than that is the fact that he carried All-American cornerback Patrick Peterson into the end zone on that run. On a day when CBS’ ratings were through the roof, announcers Vern Lundquist and Gary Danielson struggled to find adjectives to describe Newton’s scamper but needed to say nothing.
Jordan-Hare Stadium at Pat Dye Field has been the epicenter of college football these last two weeks. The LSU game was the second consecutive week Auburn has been part of the CBS game of the week in the SEC.
So now that the Tigers are on top, the challenge remaining is simple: Get to the Alabama game without a major hiccup. And by major hiccup, I mean a loss. Just ask Oklahoma, Ohio State, or Alabama about being the number one team. It is not easy. Plus, for three straight weeks now, the top team has been beaten on the road. Auburn faces a road test this weekend against Ole Miss.
For head coach Gene Chizik, the amount of hours between now and the game with Alabama has to seem like an eternity. Everyone seems to be pointing toward that contest as the game of the year in the SEC. But, Chizik knows that if his players, for a mere second, begin to read the news clippings, listen to talk radio, watch ESPN, or read bunnsports.com, their focus could deteriorate and the title hopes for the Tigers would evaporate.
Chizik, though, is not ignorant when it comes to preserving an unbeaten season. He was the defensive coordinator at Auburn when they went undefeated in 2004, and he was in the same position at Texas when they won the title in 2005. So, coach Chizik has a wealth of experience with this type of situation.
Another positive is that Auburn fans can now rest easily knowing that the 2004 scenario, Auburn going undefeated and being denied the opportunity to play for a national title, will not reoccur. For one thing, Auburn is already number one. Second, the SEC is going to be granted the respect it deserves at the end of the year because of the four straight BCS titles it has won. The main reason Auburn will make it to Glendale, Arizona if it goes undefeated, though, is the quality of opponents on its schedule. Auburn has already beaten Mississippi State in Starkville, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky in Lexington, Arkansas, and LSU. Plus, the Tigers are yet to play a resurging Georgia team and, of course, seventh ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Can Auburn beat Alabama? Certainly they can. Whether they will or not, though, is another story. Auburn has only played two road games to this point. Both of their road contests were won only by a field goal. So, if you are an Auburn fan looking for something to be uptight about, there you go. But seriously, I would not dwell on the negatives at this point in time.
For the Tigers, it is all about maintaining the current level of intensity. In college football, especially the SEC, there are no days off, no easy teams, and very few second chances.
With the current situation in the BCS, the month of November is definitely going to be an interesting time. Who could have predicted so many undefeated teams would have been knocked off before October began. But, I guess that is what makes college football such a special sport.
With the potential of a Heisman winner, an undefeated season, and a national championship on the horizon, it is safe to say that the mania on the plains has just begun. Until now, this Auburn team, fan base, coaching staff, stadium, and football program has been overlooked. Now, everyone in college football is looking up at Auburn.
Contact Jacob Bunn at Jacob@bunnsports.com
