By Hunter Ford
At least for this Alabama fan, a state championship this season would mean more than any other title the Tide could earn.
Alabama has leaped in the polls after mauling Clemson to begin the year and, last Saturday, blacking the eyes of the dark-shirted Georgia Bulldogs.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as giddy as any red-blooded Bama fan. I’ve got images of SEC titles and national crowns dancing in front of my crimson-colored glasses.
But if I were presented with one guarantee, and one only, for this season, I would rather see a victory over Auburn than anything else.
Imagine if Alabama were to run the table going into the Auburn game. Imagine if an SEC championship visit was locked prior to the Iron Bowl. If Auburn won, and Alabama went on to win the SEC title, the Tide could conceivably still find itself in Miami playing for a BCS Title.
How hollow would that be if we Tide fans still had to contend with pesky Aubies flying around our heads waving seven fingers in our faces?
There is still a lot of football to be played this season.
Many Auburn fans feel terrible this week, after watching their sick offense struggle against a wretched Tennessee team. They got a compound fracture when they watched Alabama mangle Georgia.
The Aubie wounds would mend in miraculous fashion if their Tigers managed to blemish Alabama’s so far magical season.
For all the frustration that Auburn fans are suffering through right now, the reality is this- Auburn has lost one close game to last year’s national champ and this season’s SEC West co-leader.
LSU won the national crown last season after getting bumped on the head twice. The Bayou Tigers lost last season to an inferior Arkansas team, and to Alabama’s next opponent (Kentucky) before trouncing Ohio State.
Auburn is not likely to move far enough in the polls this season to make the BCS Championship. Auburn is not likely to overcome its disabilities and play in the SEC Championship either. But Auburn could play the role that Arkansas and Kentucky played last season.
Vanderbilt is leading the SEC East. Ole Miss blocked an extra point to preserve a win over Florida in the Swamp last Saturday. Most anything imaginable can and probably will happen before the regular season is over.
Auburn plays the SEC East leader Vanderbilt next week. Can I type SEC East leader Vanderbilt again just for effect?
Following the Tiger’s tilt with the Commodores, Auburn will face an impotent Arkansas team, then take a week off before playing a non-conference game against a watered- down West Virginia.
In spite of the toothless offensive attack, Auburn will be competitive in every game, and should be feared for its razor sharp defensive play.
The Tigers’ monstrous defense has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat twice this young season and is capable of more.
As for Alabama, it is really hard for me to find fault with a team that has played with such inspiration thus far.
The Tulane game was not close enough to make me lose sleep. The fact that Georgia scored 17 unanswered points in the second half doesn’t frighten me. The Tide wiped away that apparition when it drove for a clinching field goal and banged the nail in the coffin with a fourth quarter touchdown.
As an Alabama fan, the dream of another SEC and national championship is inviting. And the boogeyman of six Auburn victories still haunts me. Winning an SEC and/or national championship while still losing to Auburn is not unimaginable to me. But it is more than I want to bear.
30 thoughts on “State title most coveted for this Tide fan”
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Well Hunter, I gotta give you this…You’re the only Bama fan I’ve come across that is honest enough to admit that the most important thing for Bama right now is to beat Auburn. All the others deny it, but know it’s true.
hunter, at least you can admit the importance of beating AU.
i agree with you. Tennessee is wretched. if fulmer survives this, he is truly a magician. that is a BAD football team, really in all 3 phases.
It doesn’t matter either way. We still have a long way to go before the annual Auburn game.
THIS team will go undefeated.it is to good and this is not last year.papa nick will keep these young men hungry.JPW is hungry and every one else is to.these men are tire of losing and being kicked while down.there’s one thing this team has now that it has not had in years and that is HEART……you can see it on field .coffee and upchurch did not run last year like now.to many to name who are taking it to another level.the auburn game is the least of my worries maybe lsu but i honestly thINK we will run out.GOD BLESS ROLL;;;TIDE
If this team goes undefeated, I’ll pay you one billion dollars.
We have a long way to go.
So do you guys.
See you in November.
Julio, one thing is for sure, it is the most important thing for Auburn and CTT, because Tubs would have already been fired if not for beating his one armed big brother six times. Do you honestly think we would want Saban for ten years if all he could produce is one SEC? I know that is hard for the tards to understand but we expect more than just beating Aub, see ya in Nov. sshhhhh, I hear a jet firing up. . . . . .
Can i be in on the Billion dollars too? I think it can happen, they just have to keep playing consistent like they are right now. Nobody has touched them yet.
And Auburn fans shouldn’t be so confident right now. Y’all do realize that y’all almost just lost to a Tennessee team with by far the worst QB in the SEC if not all BCS conferences, don’t y’all? Be concerned about your own team. Have enough to worry about without coming over here.
JW……Good grief son. You aint got an ounce of shame do you ? I think I would hold up a little before bumoing my gums. But hey Most of us Barnes have something called common sense. Keep in mind Tennessee blew out Georgia last year . Gergoa blows one game a year , this year it was against Bama. Im not belittling your victory. Yall still beat down a great team.
Bama. You know good and well no matter if you go 11-1 this year. If that 1 is against Auburn, this season will still not be complete. Bama will NOT be officially back until yall beat us. PERIOD.
Jeffh…….Please think that Tennessee sux. Yall still have to play them. They could very well beat any team in the SEC. Including THE MIGHTY TAHD…… And as long as there is a title concerning Auburn…..Ill continue to post. So quit acting like Im trespassing.
I’d take 11-1 with the loss to Auburn and a chance at the conference crown. The reality is that most teams in the SEC are going to have losses every year.
Beating Auburn is nice just to shut up all the loudmouths who call in to Finebaum, but I’d rather win a ring.
BTW, I said I would take it. Not sure how most fans would feel. I do think there is more pressure from fans to end the streak. Once that is done, there will always be pressure to beat your rivals (Auburn, LSU and Tennessee), but it will be less intense than now.
These Auburn people like to feel important, so it makes them feel good to hear an Alabama fan say that the Auburn game matters. I just hope this is the year that we don’t have a train wreck in all of November. It hasn’t been that Auburn has had such a great team at the end of the year, but Bama is running on fumes at the end of the year every year for the past 6-7 years now. But Auburn won on the field and that is what counts. It wouldn’t have matter who Bama played in this span, we got beat by everyone. I think Saban will change this slide every year, hopefully starting this year. They know it is coming, so expect a lot of trash talk because most Auburn fans know this is probably the last time to get their shots in for a while.
Ballplay: I have a question. How many Auburn sites talk crap about Alabama? And a follow up: Why don’t you go there?
JeffH A-K-A NEWBOOTY, WE come here becuase 95% of Shanes Blogs are titled AUburn and 100% are about AUburn You really ought not come some place new
and talk noise hell this BLOG by HFORD who by the way gets my MAN of the week for at least admitting the TRUTH here sums up WHY WE COME HERE and its to see what TRASH is fallin out of bammas mouths about AUburn and WE DEFEND!!
ANd yes if we do lose 4 or 5 more as long as its a WIN to Bamma I ll be better and IF you were a truthful MAN you would follow Hunter abd ADMIT if you lose to POLYTECH your a sad soul..
WAR POLYTECH BABY!!!
Ballplay, are you on the pipe? Tenn beat Ga last year with Eric Ainge not Crompton and Bama dismantled Tenn with a team not as good as we are this year, and yes Tenn is horrible. The Aub and Tenn game was an embarassment to the SEC, wait til you see what Ga does to the tards in their own house this year, instead of booing Todd you will get to boo Kodi also.
Bammers……Yall act as if we are the ones who have lost six in a row. Uhhhh….that would be you guys. If anything, Im glad yall dont suck as bad. Maybe the Iron bowl will actually start determining the west rep in the SEC champ game. To be honost, the last 6 years are becoming quite boring. The only thing we have been getting out of it is a quieter, less brash state. Come to think of it,,,,maybe it has mattered more than I think. Keeping loudmouth bammers mouths shut is worth a lot, I suppose. Nontheless, I still stick to my guns when I say that I hope yall are undefeated and ranked #1 when we meet. I hope we win on a bad call in triple overtime, with the refs not pulling laundy on a Ziemba chppoer on Mount Cody….Now that would be sweeet……
Ballplay, that probably would be sweet for Aub to pull another chop block out of the playbook on a guy that will dominate your o-line, that is what yall resort to when your getting that ass kicked, and I know you hope we are number 1 when we meet, then it won’t make you look worse than you already do when we send you home black and blue, blue, blue, ssshhhhhh, I hear a jet firing up. . . . . .
Ballplay it is time to shut up the loud mouth Aubbies. I hate it because we play you guys last, so everyone else has a shot to humiliate you before Bama gets there. Your team is already falling apart, so maybe you will get to experience what you seen Bama go through. Right now, speaking of what is happening on the field, your team really sucks. Lucky to have a winning record. Did you realize that 2 Bama freshmen has already scored more TDs than the whole Auburn offense? You should be worried. It will get worse before it gets better.
Im not worried fellas…..Auburn is bamas DADDY………….Yall will start your mid year form soon. End of story.
Its okay Ballplay, you and Omni can comfort each other, and Julio can be the pivot man. If you are not worried now, you will be soon. Only 61 days away before your team goes down. Enjoy the Golden Age of Auburn. It was over before it really got going good. But at least you will have the memories.
Did you realyy count the days ? AUbsessed much ? And I am impressed, I didnt know a bammer could count that high.
Don’t misconstrue my meaning here. IT IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT TO BEAT AUBURN than itis to win championships. Not in the big picture. Over a period of time, a few losses against Auburn doesn’t bother me if Alabama is competing for, and winning SEC championships, and competing for a plcae in the national championship. In this single season, after a six-year streak by Auburn, I would gladly take a win over Auburn if I had a magic wish between The Iron Bowl or an SEC or even a BCS appearance.
Anybody remember the 1989 season with great fondness? We were SEC champ, co-champ, could have won it outright if not for those meddling Aubies
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I heard Tuberville is bringing in a new off coordinator and a “secret weapon” player
http://www.clown-ministry.com/images/gus-don-knotts-collection.jpg
Here”s a link to the press release
Ballplay: No, I just looked at a calendar. You know, one of those things that show the months and days? But you being here does qualify you for a Bama obsession. You will never see me on a AU board. Or do they even have websites about Auburn?
Hey Brandy why do you have to bring me in this becuase im AN AUBBIE?
Ok your a dumbass bammaer whom I will have no mercy on when WE KICK THAT ASS!
it doesnt matter what the records are in that game and anyone who knows the IRON BOWL knows that ROOKIE.. WHose gonna console your weaping ass when Kentucky gives you guys more than YOU think becuase your more worried about beating your lil red headed step brother than anyone else on your schedule .And you pathetic BLOGGER YOU! Look at the Titles to these BLOGS and Overlook the CApstone name becuase my friend YOUR SORTA on an AUburn Board every blog on here at least calls AUburn out and most have AUburn IN ITS TITLE, So next time ya wanna bring my name up THINK ABOUT IT TWICE @ LEAST ROOKIE!!!
WAR POLYTECH BITCH!!!
12 0 UNDEFEATED SEASON 2008 ROOL;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;TIDEEEEE”””
Hunter……..I remember Gary Hollingsworth…..Was that 89….Im old.
oh I am scared of the crazy Auburn Man on the internet Omni. You being here is the funny part. It bothers you so much you need to come here and think you are going to set people straight. Ha! I really could care less what you Auburn guys here think, you rarely bring up anything truthful or of importance, it is just smack talk. And I can dish it back with you all you want, but you are still the Auburn troll, and exceptionally stupid one at that. Glad I could piss you off, that is what I am here for. Next insult please.
oh yeah Omni… Hahaha your team still sucks hahaha. I hope Vandy whips that ass this weekend. You are the one that needs to be worried about the rest of your schedule. Typical, it don’t matter what the records are, we are gonna win speech. Do you play for Auburn? And you know what, bring all you got son, it is still words on the internet, and you are not very good at it. Pile it on man, you aint got nothing that worries me. I just hope I piss you off. You know it is coming.