When a classic sports game happens, I tend to always remember where I was, the time in my life and everything in-between. I probably would have never been able to forgive myself if I were not watching that game on Saturday. Calling Georgia-Auburn an instant classic almost seems redundant. It is also one of those games where you are happy watching the game as an outsider versus actually being a fan of these teams. Auburn's dream season continued for another week while Georgia's nightmare train made another stop at Jordan-Hare on a Saturday in November.
There is rarely a play where I have no horse in the race that makes me get out from my seat, and this was one of them. I really had trouble formulating the right words to describe what I just saw on the football field. When watching it in real-time, you think there is a chance Ricardo Louis can make the play and holy shit he actually made the play looking the ball in with great concentration. To think about everything on the line when Keith Marshall launched the ball into the air, it is incredible. Auburn will not have a chance at playing for the SEC Championship if this falls incomplete. Georgia would still find light at the SEC East title if the ball fell to the ground, but it did not meaning Auburn lived to fight another day continuing their dream season.
After Auburn's National Championship, they had an eight win season before a dip to three losses in 2012. It started to feel like Auburn was a Chumbawamba team where they would be a one-hit wonder to never be heard from again. People would wonder when they could have a player like Cam Newton, and ask this question for the next decade. Auburn made a swift move and fired Gene Chizik. Some did call it an overreaction, but in enter the man whom led the offense in the National Championship year, Gus Malzahn.
Talk about a coach who truly did star from the bottom like that Drake song talks about as he started in high school having an innovative offense, getting a job with Arkansas in large part to having Mitch Mustain as his high school quarterback. He moved to Auburn showing off this unique take on the spread offense propelling them to an undefeated season giving the Tigers its first National Championship. Malzahn moved to Arkansas State to be their head coach and with him gone, Auburn's offense fell off a cliff. The Tigers tried to emulate the magic of 2010 again by re-hiring him as their head coach and it worked.
Malzahn found a running attack again with his innovative style of offense. Like Newton, Nick Marshall is a JUCO quarterback who started at an SEC school although Marshall played defensive back at Georgia. He wanted to be a quarterback and fit into Malzahn's system. Granted, he is completely different than Newton in terms of a quarterback, but it is odd, both have similar storylines. Marshall is one cog in the Auburn rushing attack that is tops in their conference and one of the best in NCAA. Currently, Auburn has four players who have rushed for over 500 yards, and not one of them averages less than 5.5 yards per carry. Tigers offense is scary good.
For Georgia, this is just another kick in the groin to a disaster season. Bulldogs came in with such high potential as they brought back Aaron Murray and their two-headed rushing attack. Sure, they had a young defense, but people hoped they would figure it out by the middle of the season. Georgia started the year with a loss at Clemson where players started dropping like flies to season-ending injuries. They lost games to Missouri at home and Vanderbilt on the road. This game just added more fuel to a season all Bulldogs would like to forget about and move on to the following year even without Murray.
After two years of straight domination by Alabama, Auburn looks ready to make this one of the more anticipated Iron Bowl in the last decade. No one will ever forget about the 2010 game when Newton charged back after being down 24 points early on, but the stage is set for a great game. Auburn has the rushing attack and quick score ability to compete with Alabama. The question is can they actually spoil a three-peat for the Crimson Tide? I, for one, cannot wait.
Charlie.
0 comments:
Post a Comment