The Auburn Football team arrives in New Orleans today to begin their final week of preparations to play in the 83rd Sugar Bowl. It will be the Tigers’ first appearance in the Big Easy since 2005 when Auburn beat Virginia Tech 16-13.
After opening the season with a 1-2 record, no one gave the Tigers a chance to finish with a New Years Bowl. But Auburn is the only team to have lost to the No.1 and No. 2 teams in the land and still finish as the second best team in the SEC. Despite two disappointing losses at the end of the year, they turned the season around and earned the right. Center Austin Golson may have said it best this week, “It is the biggest bowl we can go to besides the Playoff.”
So make no mistake, the Tigers deserve the opportunity, question is do they have much of a chance against a team with a quarterback – wide receiver tandem both of whom were Heisman finalist? Vegas seems to think so as the Big 12 Champions are only a 5 ½ pt. favorite.
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The Tigers 2017 recruiting class got a boost on Christmas day when 4-star defensive lineman Alec Jackson committed to the Tigers. Jackson’s verbal pushed Auburn’s 2017 recruiting class to No.10 in the rankings. The Tigers now have 19 commits and can add six to seven more before national Signing day. The announcement was big but it shouldn’t have been a surprise, the 6 ft. 5, 270lb. defensive tackle from Montgomery grew up an Auburn fan.
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The Auburn Women Basketball Team (9-4) had an opportunity to ink their 10th win of the season in the Tulane Classic but fell to the Greenwave 61-59. Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy understandably sounded frustrated in her post game remarks but this bunch knows how to fight. They overcame a 14 point deficit before falling to the Greenwave in the closing seconds. With character like that, you can mark it down these Tigers will play in the post season.
The Women will be back home tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 28) for a 6 p.m. CT matchup against Jacksonville before opening SEC play next week against Florida.
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The Auburn Men (10-2) made a statement over the weekend with their back to back wins over Oklahoma and U Conn in the Hall of Fame Tournament. The Tigers served notice to the basketball world by defeating a Sooner team that made it to the Final Four last year and then getting an overtime win over a Husky program that has won four national championships.
What’s truly amazing is Pearl did it while starting four freshmen with 17-year-old Austin Wiley, Jared Harper, Mustapha Heron and Danjel Purifoy. Harper was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday for his performance in the tournament.
The wins have definitely peaked interest with the fans as the Tigers SEC opener against Georgia Thursday night is a sell out with only standing room tickets available. The game will be aired 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
War Eagle!
The post Tuesday Ramblings From The Plains appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
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