Auburn has long been known as the luckiest team in the country. After two close calls against mediocre (at best) opposition, the Tigers sit at 2-0 when almost any other program would be 0-2.
Here are some startling statistics for you:
On Defense, AU has played 181 snaps on defense so far. That’s last in the country (#120).
After 2 weeks, the Tigers are next to last in rushing defense with 560 yards given up (#119), near the bottom in total defense with 979 yards given up (#115), and sitting at #112 in the nation with 490 yards yielded per game.
The fighting Weegles have also given up 72 points in two games, again against pathetic competition, landing them at #107 in the land. And, they are last in the land (#120) in opponents’ first downs, giving up 58 so far in two contests.
But it’s that awesome Gus Malzahn offense that sustains them, right? Well…
On Offense they are #74 in the land, remember against Utah State and Mississippi State, with 372 yards per game. A far cry from Cammy days. And, Gus’ dipsy-doo, trickeroo offense, designed to give them more snaps than the other team, is next to last in time of possession (#119).
For any other team this is a recipe for 0-2, and potentially 9 losses by year’s end.
You have to believe it is going to catch up with them eventually, but I have to admit I become more intrigued every week how this program strung together by bailing wire, duct tape and towel-waving hype finds a way to end the game on top.
It’s luck like a quarterback nailing an unsuspecting player in the helmet with the ball, sending it kareening miles into the air only to fall directly into the hands of a sprinting Auburn safety who gently walks into the endzone a few seconds later.
It’s luck like an onside kick landing perfectly into the arms of a sprinting Auburn teammate.
It’s luck like an officiating crew changing the rules of the game on a fourth and inches to award Auburn a first down deep in their territory when there’s clearly room between the nose of the ball and the last chain link.
(And if there’s any question about this one, watch the tape of this play again, where both teams react knowing Auburn was stopped…yet the crew gives Auburn the first. And look at the official leaning the ball forward!)
There are droves of other examples, but my dad taught me about “Auburn luck” growing up, and friends, it’s as real as the sunrise.
The next victim is Clemson. And I can’t wait to see how they’ll outplay Auburn this Saturday yet still come up empty, like virtually everyone does.
To beat Auburn, especially in Auburn, you have to beat the manure out of them. You can’t leave them in the game. You can’t let them or their ignorant fanbase feel like they’re within striking distance of a win against you.
In other words, you have to do to them what Alabama did to Penn State in Happy Valley last Saturday. After the opening drive, Penn State was never in the game.
So how many teams are on Auburn’s schedule who are able to dismantle them like Alabama can? I count five. Who will actually do it besides the Tide? That’s the million dollar question.
The problem is, nobody takes the Tigers seriously. Auburn is a traditional “also ran” that falls into the same category as the Clemsons and Louisvilles of the college football world. They believe their “B” game is enough to beat the Tigers. But it takes an “A” game to put them…and their luck…away.
After last November, you can believe Nick Saban is intently aware of this. But is anyone else?
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19 thoughts on “Auburn the luckiest team in America? You decide.”
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Totally agree with you on this!!
Bear Bryant would say that you make your own luck. To a simple mind, it may seem to be just luck. It’s understandable that mental midgets would think that way. I’ll defer to the Bear.
Almost any national championship team needs luck to go all the way. Bama certainly did in 2009.
The onsides kick was a combo of a lot of preparation with some luck. If you haven’t noticed, Auburn has a lot of young kids. Chizik has obviously enhanced his special teams to help keep Auburn in the games. Punting, Kickoffs, Field Goals, Kick Returns, Punt Returns ….Auburn has done them all well.
The stop at the goal line was a good defensive play against MSU. Auburn did get some good calls from the refs in that game. Conversely, Auburn almost lost the Kentucky game last year because of bad ref calls. Auburn has had as much good luck as bad with the refs, so I don’t see any “luck” there.
Is this still ITK’s blog? Ala has the distinction of being the luckiest team in the country. We’ll take all the luck we can get. I hope it continues when yall come to Aub.
It’ll have to for Auburn to beat Alabama. There is no other way.
Anyone that knows football, knows that Auburn has a young team. Young teams certainly make mistakes, but Chizik keeps them calm and focused enough to win ugly and play with heart.
Looks like good coaching for a young team to me.
Auburn will lose 4-6 games this season. I predicted 7-5.
Why should Auburn playing bad surprise you.
I’mglad you showed that photo. I nearly fell off my phucking bar stool when those bastards gave them a first down with even a deaf dumb and blind kid seeing the space between the ball and down stick. I always said the luckiest team was Ohio St after they stole the NC from Miami. Not only did the refs phuck Miami with the pass interference call, but that year Ohio St won 7 or 8 games by single digits after coming from behind in every one of them. But no more. I swear to God after last year and so far this year, the Awbies are the luckiest motherphuckers in the history of the universe. Before we enter Jerdon Hair Stadium the team needs to light 400 candles, say 1000 Hail Mary’s and paint a pentagram over the phucking eagle at the 50 yard line. RTR!
I wouldn’t care if everybody called me whatever as long as I was winning!!!!! They are having a ball playing football coming from behind in the first two games with less than 4 star recruits and sticking it to us BAMA fans. We are letting it drive us crazy as a june bug and they are laughing all the way to the casino and bank. We need 6 star recruits to compete LOL!!!!!!! Football is crazy!!!!!
Sorry, but I don’t buy your spiel. It’s not driving us crazy.
They are living paycheck-to-paycheck while we’re living off the interest of past earnings, not touching weekly earnings.
That’s the difference between the two programs at this point.
What`s really bad is when your ahead 24-0 and then a trickery dipsy-do high school offensive cordinator out coaches your $5million head coach. I`d be asking Mal Moore for a refund!!
Pretty simple folks — Gus Maltz liquor’s offense is based ALL on defensive mistakes! It’s as simple as that. Fear the “real” teams in the future. ’nuff said… 7-5 < —- now that's "lucky".
7-5 if they are lucky. every road game is a loss. team is too young to maintain any sort of composure when there is any noise. plus it will be harder to cheat on the road.
Have to say I had aubie losing against miss st and yes I do believe luck played a major role in the win, but the team really hung in there. I think they are going to get some rude awakenings shortly but so far they have played hard and not given up. Roll Tide by the way! Poor Joe Pa lol!
DeWayne,
At least you admit Gus Malzahn is really the Head Coach and not the lying, hypocritical, gutless, sock puppet Chizik. So, you have moved past the denial stage
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to hand it to you guys, you can easily claim the award for most petty, ignorant, and insecure fan base on the planet. Are you really that insecure that you have to devote two blogs (1. MSU isn’t really good, 2. Auburn is lucky) to discredit AU’s success? LOL!!!!!!!! Give me a break fellas! Auburn is an exceptionally young team with very little experience. They have demonstrated two very important qualities: (1) They know how to win and won’t give up till the clock reads zero, and (2) they are coachable and able to improve. If they continue along their current trend they could be scary for a lot of teams. It’s funny though, how 23rd ranked PSU was a better team than 16th ranked MSU, according to you guys. It kind of reminds me of how you guys talked all year about how UA was the best 3 loss team in the country, and really the best in the SEC, until AU beat them. Of course, then your tune changed and all of a sudden AU fans shouldn’t brag because UA was a 3 loss team.
Do what you have to do, I guess, to make yourselves feel better and sleep well at night. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“they could be scary for a lot of teams.”
Now that is funny!
Keep the dream alive FYI! You are two plays away from being 0-2, but yet you are SCARY! Wow! I don’t think beating Miss. St. makes you very scary. Sorry if that offends you. We will know about Auburn after this 6 game stretch. You WILL be lucky if you make it through 3-3. I suspect you go 2-4 the next six games.
Fyi we can’t claim that award you barners have had that one locked up for decades!!! Btw Arkansas state put up 44 points on memphis as well in case you didn’t know! So congrats on the latest BIG win! But I wouldn’t get used to it just yet!
You know what?? I don’t care where Auburn, PSU or MSU were ranked. I will say this, PSU could have beat either team this past week. RTR
PSU is much more disciplined than either MSU or Auburn, for sure.