No one thought Auburn could do it. All the odds were against them, but they got the last laugh in the end. Not only did they find a way to navigate through the toughest division/conference in college football unscathed, but THE scandal never seemed to affect morale. The road to the highest level of success was an incredibly bumpy one, suspenseful comebacks became a common occurrence. Auburn developed its own swagger as the season progressed. It was more apparent in the second half, when both sides of the ball played like losing was never an option. They would go on to defeat five ranked teams, six if you count the SEC Championship.
Gus Malzahn's offense is a clearly dynamic one, but the personnel couldn't have been more adept at turning his brilliant schemes into reality. A foundation of talent and experience was already there last season, so the addition of Cam Newton was clearly the catalyst of the turn around. His impressive feats of athleticism started against Arkansas State, but several more weeks passed before everyone else noticed. He didn't exactly come out of nowhere anyway. Tim Tebow's former backup was always destined for great things, but nothing seemed to go according to plan.
Once his Heisman campaign became a reality, the media started to question why Auburn was lucky enough to sign this immensely talented individual in the first place. After winning a championship at Blinn Junior College, Newton promptly started proving himself to be one of the most dominant quarterbacks in the SEC. The only problem was that Mississippi State was practically guaranteed his signature over a year earlier. Dan Mullen reportedly made a pact with him when they were both leaving Gainesville. As we all know, Cam's father must have seen an opportunity to capitalize on the situation. Thorough investigations turned up little evidence that would result in any lasting ramifications. His full reinstatement came one short day after being ruled ineligible. Case closed.
When the preseason rankings were released last summer, Auburn was relegated to #23 in the nation. Their rise to national prominence seemed to have started in the second half of the Clemson game. One would think that it must've been the stressful game in Starkville on Thursday night , but they never trailed. Auburn came out flat against a non-conference opponent, trailing by two touchdowns at half-time. A furious comeback took place, but overtime was necessary to decide the final outcome. Lady luck graciously appeared when a Clemson receiver failed to hold to the ball in the endzone. A bizarre illegal snap penalty led to a missed field goal. Auburn could collectively breath a sigh of relief, but this was only the beginning. A sign of what was to come.
South Carolina visited the Plains the following week. In another nail-biter, Auburn had to overcome a double-digit deficit against a higher-ranked opponent. The team capable of minimizing its own mistakes would ultimately be declared victorious in the end. It took an interception in the endzone at end of regulation to seal the deal. The favorable home schedule started to play a major role in protecting the team's aspirations as the season progressed. The Gamecocks would go on to dominate the #1 Crimson Tide two weeks later in Columbia, proving once again how important crowd support can be.
Louisiana Monroe offered a brief reprieve from SEC play before they made the trip to Lexington. The Wildcats were a formidable opponent, Randall Cobb just could not be stopped. Keeping him off the field was the best strategy. Newton and the offense held onto the ball for the final seven minutes of the game, relying on Wes Byrum to kick a short field goal with just seconds remaining. If not for Newton's scrambling ability, this may not have been possible. Vengeance was had for last season's incomprehensible upset, but then came Arkansas...
The fellow offensive juggernaut from Fayetteville would not be denied points in this game of absolutely no defense. Nick Fairley may have forced Ryan Mallett out with a minor concussion, but Tyler Wilson continued to dissect the secondary with relative ease. Punters were barely utilized, they just weren't needed. Arkansas had all the momentum going into the fourth quarter. That is, until Zach Etheridge returned a fumble for six points. While this could've been one of many questionable calls by the referees, the Razorback offense continued to self-destruct. Josh Bynes intercepted two consecutive passes to give the Tigers all the momentum back. The highest scoring game in SEC history would end with the final score of 65-43.
LSU's highly ranked defense was more than ready to give Auburn's offense a reality check in late October. The Bayou Bengals prided themselves on shutting down any offense they faced, but their own offense was mediocre at best. Auburn's rushing attack racked up 440 yards on the day. Newton's signature 49-yard run into the endzone was absolutely unforgettable. Auburn proved it was for real to the remaining skeptics. They survived two consecutive tests, one of which was supposed to bring them to their knees. They flat-out refused to lose, especially at home where the atmosphere was electric. Everyone wanted to believe this was a team of destiny, but there were a few challenges remaining.
The first of which was dealing with the added pressure of the first #1 ranking in school history. Some thought the ranking was cursed after three consecutive weeks of upsets. They put it all on the line in Oxford, where the Ole Miss faithful were half-expecting the trend to continue. The Rebel offense had a considerable amount of success in the second half... en route to a 20 point defeat. Auburn's offense put on a dazzling display of finesse and power. Newton showed his triple threat capability when Kodi Burns lofted a pass into the back of the endzone. The cornerback never stood a chance.
The homecoming game against Chattanooga was just a scrimmage for the two biggest rivalry games of the season. Georgia had won the last four in the series, but this season had been humbling one for the Bulldogs. They came in with every intention of winning, building an early lead in the first quarter. Auburn would not be denied their first outright division title in six years. The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry turned ugly late in the second half when Auburn's defense refused to let up. Georgia showed frustration over Fairley's aggressive play, which turned into a full-fledged confrontation. This resulted in first-half suspensions for Blanc & Goggans in the Iron Bowl. Quarterback Aaron Murray may have taken a beating, but that's just football. Final score- 49-31. Next stop, Tuscaloosa.
The recruitment controversy perpetrated by the blogging media refused to go away. Official investigations into the matter were being conducted at a relatively rapid pace, and Auburn's star quarterback continued to play. Bammers relished the moment, unable to restrain themselves from making fun of the situation. Then gleefully watched their team go up by twenty-four points in the first-half, only to witness the most incredible comeback in Iron Bowl history. The deficit could have easily been much more, but little things started going Auburn's way. The Tigers gradually dug themselves out of a deep hole by forcing turnovers, starting with Antoine Carter's hustle play that turned a touchdown into a touchback. The defense refused to allow another touchdown, and the offense took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter. This one point victory was legendary, ending the defending champion's chances of returning to a BCS bowl.
A title game berth was almost a lock at this point, but a rematch with South Carolina in neutral territory presented one final obstacle. The Gamecocks were eager for a shot at redemption, and to play the part of spoiler. The Ole Ball Coach thought it was going to be a close game, but it wasn't. The Tigers dominated the SEC East Champions in every facet of the game. Spurrier, Garcia, Lattimore, and Jefferies were left dumbfounded by the failure of their offensive game plan. Nothing could go wrong for Newton though, who accounted for over 400 yards of offense and six touchdowns. He even connected with Darvin Adams on an improbable hail mary in the endzone at the end of the first half. USC never seemed to recover that. Final score 56-17. I guess the Georgia Dome isn't so neutral after all.
Thirty-seven days later, the #1 Auburn Tigers were set to face the #2 Oregon Ducks in Glendale, AZ. Awards ceremonies and banquets honored several individuals, but the team hadn't accomplished what they set out to do yet. Based on the season averages, analysts were predicting a combined score of almost a hundred. The long layoff allowed both defenses to contain the rusty offenses. Despite their comparably easy schedule, Oregon played up to Auburn's level. Using their neon yellow socks as motivation, the Ducks would not go down without a fight. If not for Michael Dyer's big run in the fourth quarter, the game may have gone into overtime. Upon further review, the freshman running back was never actually down. The coaching staff rallied him to continue after springing back up. He scampered for thirty-seven yards, setting up another game-winning field goal for Byrum. The senior place kicker never seemed to fail to deliver in these situations, this was no exception.
Chizik's staff will stay intact for the third straight season. Malzahn spurned Vanderbilt and Maryland's offers, and the offensive line coach Jeff Grimes turned down a job at Texas. This kind of loyalty never seemed to exist during Tommy Tuberville's regime. Chizik can attest to that, but the superb level of recruiting continues to impress the Auburn Family. The departure of all that talent and experience will certainly create a void next season, but it's only a matter of time before these new recruits step up. Enjoy this, next season will require some patience.
