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Going into spring training, Auburn finds itself with great optimism for the future. Only a year ago, the Tigers were on the ropes, having just endured a rough breakup with former head coach Tommy Tuberville and replaced him with a 5-19 loser. Or, at least, that is what every lead sports media outlet, not to mention the hoards of crimson colored corn flakes who flocked back on the scene after an inauspicious stretch of mediocrity, would have had you believe. Gene Chizik, last seen in Auburn as defensive coordinator during that glorious spectacle that was The Perfect Season in 2004, was back to far more critical fanfare as head coach.
And yet, he had a plan. That plan is what got him the job in the first place. The fire, hidden deep within his stoic expression, attracted a bevy of hot assistant coaches, including the hottest offensive mind in the country, to become a part of that plan, and the seeds were planted. Gus Malzahn’s offense tore through the SEC to the tune of 16th nationally in total yards…and this after finishing in the bottom 20% of the country in offense the year before. Ben Tate moved into the record books as one of the best in a long line of greats, Darvin Adams established himself as a playmaker, a whole lot of young players got some valuable experience when the depth ran thin…and with the depth still on life support, that defense went nearly 120 plays in a New Year’s Day Bowl victory over Northwestern.
Then National Signing Day brought arguably the best recruiting class in Auburn history to the Plains. Standing six and a half feet tall and weighing in at nearly two fifty, Cameron Newton brings an entirely new element to the offense. Michael Dyer offers a blue chip alternative to the already stout backfield. Trovon Reed looks to flash his electrifying speed and big play acumen early and often. Joel Bonomolo, workout warrior, terror of tackles, is ready to step in and make a difference from day one. A talented group of linebackers are poised to seize upon their opportunities at early playing time.
This group completely changes the makeup of the Auburn Tigers football team, adding an entire new layer to the depth chart with a player for every position on the field.
So where is this going? What does history tell us? Well, Auburn and Alabama have been playing off of each other since the beginning. Auburn wins a national championship in ‘57. Alabama hires Bear Bryant in ‘58. Alabama wins a national championship in ‘92. Auburn goes undefeated in ‘93. Alabama goes undefeated in ‘08. Auburn hires Gene Chizik in ‘09.
The rivalry is littered with stories of one-upmanship. Bill Curry was 26-10 in three seasons at Alabama, but failed to beat Auburn and was fired. Mike Shula led the Tide to a 10 win season in the midst of one of the worst probationary periods in NCAA history, but never beat Auburn and was fired. Both times, Alabama won a national championship with the coach that followed.
However, amidst all the parallels that can be drawn, there is one that stands out above the rest: Pat Dye.
Nick Saban has been compared to Bear Bryant ad nauseam since his hire, and for good reason. He is the undisputed king of the castle, and he commands the attention of all corners of Bama Nation. At the end of Bear’s tenure, Dye came to Auburn bringing an innovative offense that was sweeping the nation to go along with the grizzled defensive strategy befitting of the conference. He then went into Bama’s back yard and sold this big, fast running back named Vincent on the chance to play early and often in that innovative scheme. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 1983, Dye’s second year, Auburn rode the wave of that offense and that running back to the strength of an 11-1 season, finishing the regular season with wins over three top 10 teams and a top 20 team, then capping it off with a Sugar Bowl victory over Bo Schembechler’s Michigan team (ranked number 8). Still, that team finished third after getting leapfrogged in the final polls.
Does any of this mean that Auburn will rise up after Alabama’s national championship to go undefeated or that the second year coach will ride the freshman phenom to national glory? No, of course not.
But you better believe that these players are tired of hearing about how good the defending champs will be and are ready to show their own stuff. And you better believe that they are far better prepared to run that innovative offense, new and improved with a year of experience and a better fit of skill sets.
Sound familiar?
Get ready, boys and girls. This is gonna be a fun ride. |
