The Underdog Performs to Expectations Again....Seen enough?

It was August 30th 2003 and Auburn had just been humiliated at home by the USC Trojans after coming into the game as the pre-season #1 team in the country. It was one of the worst defeats I had witnessed as an Auburn fan because we came into the season with such high expectations and were looking forward to decimating another PAC -10 pretender, but instead were humiliated on the national stage and set up USC for their great season.

On the way home my wife tried to assuage my anger by telling me it was only one loss and we could come back.....and besides Auburn always plays better as an underdog. That struck me like a sledgehammer.. Auburn always plays better as an underdog....because its true. Even in 2004 when we ran the table, we were the underdog the entire season trying to catch USC and Oklahoma. Alas it was not to be because we didn't show dominance, and an ability to destroy an opponent when we had the chance. Always playing conservatively when the game was in hand so that we wouldn't chance letting an inferior opponent get back in the game, letting the defense hold on to secure the victory.

It led to ugly wins against Bama, UT in the SEC game and VT in the sugar bowl. We played the underdog the whole way and watched USC trounce an undeserving OK in the National Title game we should have been in. You know why? Despite Tuberville's politicking to be in the title game, it was too little too late. We showed we didn't want it during the season by playing it safe and we were rewarded for a perfect season with an Also-Ran game and the bragging rights of being named Golf Illustrated's National Champion.

What does that have to do with another devastating loss to LSU? Its 2008 and Auburn again has a championship caliber defense, a stable of exceptional running backs and an impressive offensive line but where do we sit after 4 games? We're still worrying about offensive production, out of the national title hunt, and virtually out of the SEC championship hunt.

We have the talent to win every game and should have beaten LSU Saturday night behind a great home field advantage (BTW, thank you Auburn faithful for showing why SEC games and in particular those at Jordan Hare are like nowhere else....and without COWBELLS!!). 

We had LSU beaten last night but just like every underdog who has ever drawn a breath, we didn't have the killer instinct to deliver the knockout blow when given the opportunity. Auburn led 14-3 and was driving on LSU to open the third quarter, with a 1st and ten at the LSU 19 when the underdog in Auburn took over.  A telegraphed sweep to Tate, lost 6 yards. A bad Chris Todd pass fell incomplete, And on 3rd and 16? Todd was left alone in the backfield on the ensuing pass play (thank you spread offense) and was sacked for a nine yard loss at the 34 yard line. Instead of try a 51 yard field goal, Tommy Tuberville opted to punt, which resulted in 10 yard shank. LSU took over at their 24 and by the end of the quarter it was LSU who had the lead and the momentum. 

Fast forward to 5:48 left in the game, Auburn has a tenuous 1 point lead and the ball at their 25 yard line. If they drive the ball on LSU they win the game, end of story. LSU knows that they have to force Auburn into a three and out to have a chance to win the game. Auburn runs Tate into the teeth of the LSU line, no gain. Todd passes on 2nd down, incomplete. Lester runs for a short gain on third down. Auburn punts with over 4:40 left in the game and the hope of the Tiger nation resting on a tired Auburn defense (thank you spread offense).

We needed to score but more importantly we needed to control the clock and make sure that if LSU did get the ball back it wouldn't have time to do anything. Well we all know what happened next. LSU did what we couldn't and delivered the knock out blow with a clubbing right cross from Jared Lee to Brandon Lafell.

Look, I'm not a fair weather fan, I've lived and died Auburn football since I was three when Pat Sullivan roamed the plains. Back then Auburn truly was an underdog, the Crimson Tide and Bear Bryant ruled college football by stockpiling all the talent in the South. We found a way to compete then by getting the most out of players with average SEC grade talent.

Nowadays though everybody gets their fair share of talent due to scholarship restrictions. It's how you recruit, develop and implement that talent that makes you an SEC title contender. If you win the SEC you always will be in the hunt for the National Title. We are miles away from being a contender for anything because we aren't utilizing our talent properly. 

For as bad as our offense was the last couple of years, Al Borges knew what to do with talent. With our embarrassment of riches in 2004, we routinely ran up big leads early behind the running of Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams and the downfield passing of Campbell to Aromashadu, Taylor, Mix and Obamanu. The only thing that held them back was Tuberville's conservative play calling in the second half.

When the Brandon Cox era began it became apparent that Borges knew how to direct talent, not develop it. Cox only got worse as his career wound down and Auburn's offense was restricted to Kenny Irons- left, Kenny Irons- Right, Cox -incomplete pass, Punt. We won game after game with dominating defense.  Tuberville felt Borges didn't have what it took to produce a productive offense, so he fired Borges and hired Tony Franklin and his spread offense.

This is a curious choice since at the end of the 2001 UGA/AU game which was won by Caddillac Williams' 41 carry, 178yard perfomance, CTT told a pass happy 1st year Coach Mark Richt that  you better learn to run the ball effectively if you want to win in the SEC.  Auburn can run the ball against anybody with Tate,Lester and Davis (what happened to Mario Fanin?), but in the spread offense they can't run it when it matters because there aren't enough blockers available against a defense keying on the run.

Football is a simple game, normally won by the team that prepares for its opponent the best and has the heart and desire to defeat their opponent when given the opportunity. If you have a good defense and a good running game you normally only need a QB and WR set that can take advantage of one on one matchups to hit the long ball after being set up by the run.

Tuberville is dismissing these fundamentals by chasing the fantasy of the spread offense. Can anyone name me a national title contender running a successful version of the spread offense? Florida? Really? Have you seen them play this year, or last year against Auburn or any other good defensive team? Not very impressive. Not crisp. Not an offense that can be counted on to move the ball when needed. And thats with the Six Million Dollar Man at QB. Urban Meyer knows this and that is why he is running up the score where he can, when he can, to do what he can to boost Florida's standing in the polls.

Tuberville has Auburn  running the spread without Tim Teebow and without Florida's receivers, and forgetting the advice he gave Mark Richt. Run the ball effectively and everything else will come. He is doing the exact opposite, and therefore here we sit behind LSU and Alabama in the quest for the SEC West title, not playing smart and not playing to defeat the opponent.

But I have faith in Tuberville. He is a good football man and he has produced great teams on the plains, but he must go back to the roots of successful Auburn football, utilizing the run to set up the pass and then not be afraid to throw that knockout punch. We have the team, we have the players, we have the fan base to dominate. The only thing left to do is implement a standard but aggressive offensive scheme that utilizes the talent we have....and then go for the throat. We have no margin of error left in the season and will need help to get past LSU.

Tuberville and the players want to win, they want to dominate. the fans want to root them on. Do what we need to do and have no mercy...for while we may not always win we should never be an underdog because underdogs are expected to lose. Underdogs are losers and I don't ever want to have Auburn be considered an underdog again.