SEC WEST CHAMPIONS!!

Last night I got the opportunity to attend the South's Oldest Rivalry at JHS featuring Auburn and Georgia.  All this week there has been more stories and rumors and info being leaked out about Cam and his dad and MSU and Auburn, so to say that Auburn fans were feeling frustrated would be an understatement.  Just hearing about Gameday (I didnt see it, thank God) and the crap that the Ohio St. fans put on signs was enough to make me want to shove a buckeye right up their.....well, you know.  It seems everyone in the country now has the opinion that Auburn cheated and thats why we are winning.  I will say this again and will continue to repeat it until it is proven not true: Auburn has not been and is not currently under investigation by the SEC or the NCAA.  Do i need to repeat it?  That doesnt seem to matter to the fans outside of the Auburn family.  Ive heard things like death penalty and 5 years probation and enjoy it while you can cause youll have to vacate the wins later.  The first two, not so much.  The last one?  to be honest, i dont know.  I will tell you this:  Cam, his mom and dad (Cecil) did meet with the NCAA thursday night for about 3 hours and Cecil supposedly came clean about having "discussions" with MSU about a pay-for-play.  This doesnt mean that he instigated it or necessarily entertained it.  just means that there was a discussion.  MSU could be the one that started it, but that doesnt make for a good story does it?  i really dont know what is true and whats not, but i do know that after the meeing with the NCAA mind you, Auburn nor the NCAA nor the SEC found any reason to sit Cam Newton for the GA game.  now, i know that the NCAA does not deem eligibility b/c its up to the school, but i know the ncaa would have suggested he sit if there was an issue of eligibility.  This story is not near over, but it makes me sick and angry when other people rush to judgment and drag your school's name through the mud when, so far, Auburn has done nothing wrong.  Haters will hate i guess..... now, about the game.

It was such a relief to finally play some football.  I got a huge hookup for a ticket from a friend of mine.  I sat on the fifty yard line about 3/4 of the way up the lower section.  Might be the perfect seat.  I could see everything so well.  The question, other than if Cam was gonna play, was how would the distractions of the week affect the players.  It seemed at first to play a major factor.  Auburn took the opening kickoff and scored a TD.  Georgia then came out throwing to AJ Green and he delivered.  GA jumped out to a 21-7 lead and Green had 98 yards and 2 touchdowns..... in the first quarter.  Auburn, like they have all season, came back and tied it up right before half.  I do want to make an observation here: Nick Fairley was engaged with an OL blocking him and another OL came over and clipped his legs.  A penalty was called, as it should have been, but this was a foreshadowing of things to come.  Fairley was double-teamed basically the whole game and was punched and kicked and grabbed the whole time.

The opening kickoff of the second half was a successful onside kick by Auburn.  Auburn traded TDs with Ga and it was 28-28.  Auburn did score again making it 35-28.  Auburn held Ga to a field goal on their next possession.  Auburn then drove down and scored another TD to make it 42-31.  Ga got it back and on 3rd and 5 from about Ga's 35ish, the stadium was so freaking loud.  It made my ears ring!  Murray was sacked and that brought up 4th down and 15.  If you thought the last down was loud, this down was the loudest I've ever witnessed the stadium.  Ive heard that AU vs UAt in 89 was the loudest but I couldnt hear the guy next to me yelling at me.  It was like I was on the front row of a concert next to the speakers (Ive been there so I know what that sounds like).  Auburn was able to stop them and get the ball back on a short field and punch it in the endzone to put the game away.  Ga did get the ball back one more time and this is when it turned ugly.

Remeber when I talked about the foreshadowing?  well, fairley was blocked into the QB's knees and he had to leave the game (he was fine later).  Ga thought fairley did it on purpose b/c he was flagged earlier for a late hit on Murray (bad play by fairley, I admit) but this is football right?  anyway, Ga got mad and on the next play, they double-teamed fairley and when they got him on the ground, two OL jumped on him and started punching (refs obviously didnt see that) him.  well, that caused fairley's teammates to retaliate and we all know that the retaliator is who gets caught.  goggins threw a punch (so stupid) and got ejected.  The next play, Mike Blanc got caught up in the fray and supposedly threw a punch also.  I didnt see that one, but it looked like he was throwing his arms up to defend himself, not punching.  regardless, he was ejected too.  that means that both guys (pending an SEC review) will have to sit out the first half of the bama game in two weeks.  although they are backups, they still play a good bit and that will hurt.  we need every one of our players for that game to have a chance to win. people of course are going to call fairly dirty and whatever but its all more in the same.  auburn gets no respect even when they are successful.  it always has to be something.  i truly believe that is why Auburn fans are so pessimistic about things.  We are conditioned that way by the media, other teams fans and even our own team not meeting expectations.  Not this year, dadgummit! Im tired of all the crap and im ready to go all the way.

despite the UGAly finish, Auburn has clinched the SEC West division title (the toughest division in the NCAA by the way) and are headed to Atlanta to face south carolina again for the SEC title.  but first is a big game against the school up the road.  they will be wanting to ruin our season so we will get their best game.  they also havent lost in BDS since Auburn beat them there in 2006 ( i think, ill have to check on that).  this game was a chance for Auburn fans ( and apparently the players too) to relieve a weeks worth of frustration and just enjoy fooball.  being in Auburn saturday, if you didnt know what was going on, you wouldnt have figured it out.  the fans were excited, the stadium was rockin and it was a perfect day (thank you God).  I love football and Auburn and i know this story wont go away, but whatever the future holds, I know that I will still love Auburn.  Yes, they disappoint me but so do my kids and i will never stop loving them.  I trust that the people in charge at Auburn, who know alot more about this situation than i do, are doing what is best for Auburn, not necessarily the football team.  I have to believe that.  If i dont, what kind of fan am I?  No football for 13 days so we are going to go see Addi's puppy (Christmas present) this saturday.  Ill let you know how that goes :)