Game on.
For the second time in five football seasons, the Alabama-Auburn showdown will be a winner-take-all in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference.
This Saturday’s stellar scenario inside Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium seemed unlikely after Gus Malzahn’s Tigers blew a 20-0 lead in the second quarter at LSU on Oct. 14 and lost 27-23. That was just the first league setback for Auburn, but the Tigers had an early November schedule consisting of a trip to Texas A&M and a home date against undefeated Georgia.
Auburn defeated the Aggies 42-27 before pulling off a surprise 40-17 rout of the Bulldogs, who were No. 1 in the playoff rankings at the time of their encounter. Now the Tigers have a chance to top another No. 1 program when their chief nemesis invades this weekend.
Auburn sophomore running back Kam Martin, with ball, had 12 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe in relief of junior starter Kerryon Johnson, who rushed 22 times for 137 yards and a score. (Anthony Hall/Auburn Photo)“I’m proud of our team,” Malzahn said in a news conference after this past Saturday’s 42-14 thumping of Louisiana-Monroe. “Four weeks ago, if somebody would have said we’re in this position, I don’t think there would be a whole lot of people around the country who would have believed it. We’re playing the No. 1 team in the country again on our home field again.