Like most of you, I was shocked to hear the news that Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze had resigned Thursday. His abrupt departure has dominated college football news over the weekend and so we won’t belabor the story. However, in case anyone was out of town the last three days without TV or internet service, and would like to have a complete review of the situation, check out Acid Reign’s comments here.
The breaking news came during the Auburn Takeover of the SEC Network. Many were watching the 2013 Auburn – Georgia game known as, “The Prayer in Jordan-Hare.” All 14 SEC schools select their own 24-hour schedule which often include classic games from the past. Auburn chose six football games for rebroadcast three of which came from the 2013 season.
SEC Champions, the 2013 team lost the national championship game to Florida State. It was a tough and disheartening ending to what had seemed like a dream season. Yet never before had the Auburn family been more proud of an Auburn Football Team.
The Tigers finish the season ranked No. 2 in the country in both the AP and Coaches poll. However, that was not much consolation for a bunch of young men who traveled so far in that comeback season. Winless in conference play in 2012, Auburn started out being picked to finish near the bottom of the South Eastern Conference. Instead the Tigers won the SEC and came within 13 seconds of being crowned national champions.
What they and their coaches accomplished in such a short time was nothing less than miraculous. They captured the nation’s imagination, gave their fans hope, and restored Auburn to national prominence.
I never thought that a team could steal my heart from my favorite team – the1963 Tigers led by Jimmy Sidle and Tucker Frederickson. Not the ’72 Amazins, not the great Pat Dye teams of the 80’s, not the undefeated teams of ’93 and 2004, not even the 2010 National Champions could do that. But this team did it. And not only for me but I suspect for thousands of other Auburn fans as well.
The team came from the very bottom to scale to the pinnacle of College football’s greatest heights. After a disappointing 2012 year, the Tigers were determined to prove all their naysayer’s wrong …. which brings us to the 2017 team.
Coach Malzahn said during SEC Media Days that he sense’s for the first time the same kind of determination amongst this year’s bunch. After falling short last year and ending the season with a blow out loss in the Sugar Bowl, Malzahn said the current team feels like it too has something to prove.
Combine that with the fact Auburn may have it’s best quarterback depth since 2014 and the Tigers may well be set to have another special year. The journey starts Sunday when the Tigers begin fall camp.
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Video of “Prayer in Jordan-Hare.”
The post Like 2013 Team, 2017 Tigers Have Something to Prove appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
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