Yet here we are.  The day in which the only game that really matters is played.  Wait, that sounds strange.  Perhaps one day the Iron Bowl will be like the gopher bowl, or the bourbon barrel, or the scrambled eggs, or some other meaningless game on the national landscape.  Maybe, just maybe, Auburn will ascend beyond the “mom, that bully is in our yard again” perspective and just say, “here’s a game that we need to win because the championship is within grasp.”

There’s where the bammers come in.  Undefeated.  The nation’s eyes transfixed on their game with Florida.  Nothing gained with a win.  Everything to lose.  Yet Auburn doesn’t pose a challenge.  They have no defense.  The offense has been inconsistent, sputtered when up against real competition.  The special teams have been anything other that “special”.  New coaches versus established coaching.  Hmm..

We will spare you the endless babble of references to 1989.  Oh 1989?  Yes, another game in which the bammers came to Auburn undefeated ranked #2 with the national title game airfare already booked.  Another game where Auburn was going to be smoked out of its own house.  Auburn won.  History recorded it.  You can go back and check it out.

Speaking of which, here are a few links I feel are noteworthy this morning:

• The Master Slave Dye-alectic
• 1989 Game Parallels
• Auburn Weather
• Some Bammer Jokes
• I like the “Notable”

War Eagle everyone.  Enjoy your Friday.

Salud!

My turkey will also suck Thursday and my kids will end up supporting me when I’m old and can’t pull up my tube socks getting dressed for my greeter job at Wal-Mart.

Auburn.  War Damn Eagle!  Tied with Florida in offense of some kind of nutty statistic flying around web-ville.  I’m even talking about asking permission to sit in on some Tiger practices to understand just what the heck the coaching staff is doing to have these kids playing.  It’s a business interest and all. 

I know there’s not something in the water.  The Auburn BBQ was never that good.  Big Bob’s is a three hour drive north.  Guthrie’schicken fingers are incredible but it’s been a couple of decades since Tracy Rocker 86′ed chicken.  Some guy with the letter “k” ending his last name as the head coach?  C’mon.  Something’s cooking on the Plains.

I drank a craft beer before the season and dreamed up this incredible post about how I wasn’t going to reminisce about 1993.  Remember my “don’t believe the hype” post from a couple of years back?  Yea, that was going to be my message. 

Then I remembered that I was off my rocker in 1993 when on the college radio show “Cheap Seats” I predicted AU to go undefeated.  I turned out being right.  But it was purely luck and a strict regime of extracurricular activity that kept my mind sharp.

I thought… I thought to myself weeks ago “what if?” 

Well here we are, headed to Knoxville for a big game and we’re unbeaten with a head coach with the letter “k” ending his last name.  Tennessee’s defense is menacing.  Their head coach a moron.  Their fans, rude and… morons.  Their stadium, cool as Moses parting the Red Sea.  Their town, full of young southern women who somehow love guys that drive tractors (and drink Busch beer).  They wear tons of this God awful orange color that I don’t really believe is orange because fruit at the market doesn’t have antlers.  And… AND… I better hush up or else 100,000 SEO fanatics will somehow come across this post and spam me for the next four weeks.  Those UT fans are good at this web stuff (cable got ran into the back woods of the Tennessee hills – thanks Paul Allen).

But here we are.

And if Auburn can pull out a win this weekend and next, the possibility is high that they could have a magical season.  Ole Miss is clearly over-rated (Proof again that AP voters and the media are on crack).  LSU is vulnerable.  Kentucky comes to the Plains and may be a sleeper but highly unlikely.  Georgia will be a close game.  Alabama is talented.  So it’s indeed there for the taking.  But all rests with this week’s match up.  We hope you tune in Saturday.

I’ll be back in the Lou and can’t wait.  As I was explaining earlier to a person after work, I’ll be camped in front of my 60″ HDTV in the family room with the back patio open to the wind and a comforting bottle of refreshment on the bar.  The girls will have other social agendas but Tracey will be my side wearing something Orange and Blue I’m sure.  A Sunday morning with breakfast followed by a great Farm Aid concert will round out what we’re predicting to be a magical weekend.

War Eagle everyone and welcome to the real season!