Open Thread: 2007 Iron Bowl Edition

.....I had thought about getting up early this morning, seeing if the weather had brought online ticket prices down, and heading down. But, my head feels like gigantic grapefruits are swelling up in my sinuses! Probably, sitting in a cold rain is not a good idea. Don't you just love family gatherings like Thanksgiving, when someone shows up, harking up a lung, and spreads the plague to everyone?

.....We can't have turnovers, and we have to win BIG, up front on defense, to have a chance in this game. Javier Arenas or not, Bama blocks kick returns well. We can't relax on coverage, just because Arenas might not play.

Acid Reign.  Ticket prices are stupid.  Couldn't get any of my friends to bite at $200 for a decent seat.  Best seat is on my couch anyway, in front of the 42" HD.  Besides, isn't Holly Rowe broadcasting from the sidelines tonight?  :-)

.....Got snacks, room to jump up and down, drinks, and the keyboard and mouse. UT and KY are putting on a pretty good slugfest. UT, though, has receivers like ours. Drop, drop, drop. KY leads in OT, but can they stop the Vols? No. They drop ball that hit 'em in the chest, but then Gerald Jones hauls in a ridiculously overthrown ball for a tying TD! Or is it a catch?

.....Ball WAS on the out on the ground. No, sez our predictably blind SEC replay official. TD, second OT!

.....There has been some superb football on this holiday weekend! Why do I have such a feeling of dread, though? It sure looks dismal and gray in Birmingham. I'm worried about Cox throwing a wet ball, and even more so on us holding onto it! If I recall correctly, the last time Cox played in the rain, he had the dreaded 4, 4 and 4. (Sacks, completions, interceptions; UGA.)

.....Strike again. They tip it up, and KY picks it off! UT gets NO points in the second OT. KY's possession, and any points win it, and send the Bulldogs to ATL.

.....is BLOCKED! UT lateralling, advancing, and is finally facemasked down! Flag, what's the call? Disregarded, 3rd OT.

.....The defenses are out of gas. It's who makes the mistakes, now. UK REALLY blew a great shot for the win!

.....Joker Phillips won't call a no-check slant on the two pointer, like Les Miles did yesterday, and throw into perfect coverage! KY needs this 2-pointer!

.....KY leads by 6, and it's UT's ball.

.....UT scores, it's tied, and UT can win it with the two. TIMEOUT. UK's D is TOTALLY winded.

.....A handoff, on the 2-pointer for the win? Snuffed for no gain. Then, UT gets tagged for a personal foul, to be enforced in the 4th OT.

.....40 yards, WIDE open, TD. Boy, I have to wonder about a 3-man rush on a 5th-year senior QB. The coverage was just standing back there.

.....Ainge dumps a slant over the middle for two, too.

.....KY's got it's back against the wall!

.....3 straight KY runs, 1st and goal at the 3. UT has a player down, no doubt to catch their wind!

.....Running right up the gut. Tennessee is gassed. What does UK do? Call timeout, to come up with a play.  UK MUST get two!

.....And calls their own timeout. Phil's sneaky smart! More rest for his D-line, and he makes UK question the play they just called!

.....Woodson stepped up in the pocket, had wide open green grass in front of him to the end zone, but he tripped over his own feet, fumbled, and the game's over. UT is the SEC East Champ!

.....Whew! What a game!

.....Try to Google "the fan" a radio station in Atlanta. It MIGHT work. Auburn has stuffed Bama twice, and run over them on offense for a Tate TD. 7-0 Auburn, and the freshmen linemen are whooping some butt!

.....two near Cox interceptions, and Byrum nails a FG! 10-0! War Eagle!

.....Bama's at the Auburn 20. 3rd and 9.

.....has come back, smacked us in the mouth, and JP Wilson out-wrestles our entire defense for a 4th down TD.

.....but Brock, Sims and Thompson couldn't hold on. Credit JP Wilson for toughness, and second effort.

....Second and seven at the Bama 27.

   Bama HEATS Brandon Cox up. Back to back plays, Bama defenders got to Cox unblocked, taking us out of field goal range. The first was a lineman allowed right up the middle, the second was Castille on the corner blitz. Cox had time to dump it on the first, but he was lucky to survive the second.

   A blown drive, and a crappy 21-yard punt, to boot.

.....but then Fannin runs over the punter. Bama's on the move again.

try... It's NO GOOD! War Eagle!

.....safety blitz by Brock bamboozled Wilson, and he lost about 15 yards, setting up the no-good try. Auburn's got about 4 minutes left in the half to try and do something.

.....Brandon throws it up for graps into triple coverage. Picked, and Cox also got his knee rolled. Bama's ball on the Auburn 20.

.....Is on a stretcher, on the sideline. It does NOT look good...

.....3rd and 3 at the AU 11, timeout. Less than a minute to go in the half.

.....One on one, DJ Hall vs. Jeraud Powers. AND POWERS TAKES IT AWAY IN THE ENDZONE! YEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

.....We lead 10-7 at the half. The best news? Cox was back in, and took the knee to end the half. Guy must be indestructible! His leg was bent sideways at a 45-degree angle just a couple of minutes before!

.....And Auburn startedon the 41. Some nice early plays in the drive, then Bama brought nine up in the box, and we got stopped. Cox missed a wide open Carl Stewart in the vacated safety area that might have gone for a TD. Byrum sliced a long FG attempt, missing right.

.....We get a three and out!

.....Both defenses digging in, and now Auburn's backed up on the seven, with the ball.

as Bama runs into Shoemaker on the punt. Then, Ben Tate breaks off a big run, and AU's on the move!

.....Bama fumbles the punt out at the two. Bama's backed up!

.....And Cox runs for 8 on first down!

.....Our outside guys can't get open, and Bama is still sending the house. 11:40 left in the game, and it's still 10-7.

.....Groves plants Wilson on a third and long, then Dunn gashes out a 33-yard return on a 34-yard punt. North and South, baby! War Eagle, deep in Bama-land!

and we're second and four at the 25.

....as Cox throws it away. But, the cheap-shot artists can't resist! Foul, 1st down!

.....And a TD is overturned. It's 3rd and goal, inches away! 4:24 left, leading 10-7!

.....COX SCORES! Under 4 minutes left in the game, and Auburn's up 17-7! Is ten points enough against the Applewhite, late-game spread/no-huddle? I hope our line got a good blow during that long drive!

.....down to 4th and 1 at the AU 35, timeout. Bama's first. Less than 3 minutes remain. If Auburn stops 'em here, the game is over!

Coffee.

.....And Leigh Tiffin comes in and nails a long one. 2:16 left, and Bama has two timeouts. I'd almost certainly believe that an onsides kick must follow.

.....He recovers the onside kick!

.....4th and 1, with 1:06. Bama is OUT of timeouts.

.....Lester gets the deep handoff, and DRAGS Bama ahead for over a dozen yards. Cox takes a knee, and this one's OVER!

SIX PACK! War Eagle!