Two photos. Two decades a part. Same outcome. Look familiar?
You’ve read the national media and maybe some of you are drinking Auburn blog cool-aid. It’s really easy ’cause it tastes so good this year. Cam Newton is Bo Jackson’s worst nightmare. Auburn folk may not remember him after Newton gets his Heisman. Auburn is winning and you can’t turn on TV without that media Moe slanting the Tigers’ way.
I got it! Let’s let the PS3 just automatically play all the remaining games until the Iron Bowl. Then we’ll play that game ourselves so we can score another 60+ points. Sounds ridiculous but after a few days after beating Arkansas (the chicken cursed program in the SEC West), most Auburn faithful are on the Internets predicting big things this week.
But take a look at those two pictures, taken two decades a part. Both LSU TDs, scored on passing plays in the final seconds to defeat good Auburn teams.
The “earthquake game” is what put this rivalry on the map. That’s the photo on the right. Eddie Fuller caught a desperation 4th down pass from Tommy Hodson as time was running out. The crowd erupted causing a seismograph to record the celebration. It was AU’s only loss of the regular season in 1988 and kept the Tigers out of the National Title game, not to mention sharing the SEC crown with LSU.
Fast forward to 2007. Les Miles is at his clock management best (yea, this isn’t a new trend). Seconds are ticking down, a 41-yard field goal wins the game for LSU at Auburn. Instead of taking a time out and attempting the field goal, Miles calls a deep pass to the end zone. Yep, Demetrius Byrd caught it. LSU won at Auburn for the first time in a decade and went on to win the BCS Championship. The 2008 game was the same story all over: LSU throws last minute pass to win.
I’ve always been an Auburn realist, although there have been some crazy hairball predictions made out of fun. This is a game where it’s time to be real. C’mon! Auburn has a defense not even close to the state of Alabama when someone throws a football. It doesn’t matter if LSU is any good at it. It’s LSU! They will pass the ball successfully. History tells us so. All LSU needs is to be close at the end.
So why all the fuss? It’s LSU and Auburn, one of the hottest and least known college football rivalries. When these teams meet undefeated, the winner plays for championships. LSU has has won their fair share. Auburn has won none.
Post that in the locker room.
More to come…
