Filed under: Alabama, Auburn, Boise State, Oregon, TCU, SEC
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Even the Alabama public address announcer brought his best game for the Auburn Tigers. As Cam Newton came out for pregame warmups to the 75th edition of the Iron Bowl, two apropos songs blared out over the speakers at Bryant-Denny Stadium: "Son of a Preacher Man," and "Take the Money and Run." While Newton remained impervious to the songs, the Alabama student section wasn't, making it rain on Newton with fake $100 bills. It was an ominous beginning. The defending national champion had undefeated Auburn lined up in its sights, taking aim at the Tigers' national championship dreams in the most intense rivalry in the country.
Once the Iron Bowl began, Auburn reaped its own whirlwind as the Tide rushed out to a 24-0 lead that should have been even larger were it not for big defensive plays that seemed like fingers in the Crimson Tide dam at the time. Boise State and TCU broke out the champagne and popped the corks. At long last, it seemed the pathway to the BCS title was open for a small school. Ohio State president Gordon Gee broke his remote throwing it at the television. Chaos appeared on the verge of reigning as day turned to night in Alabama.
How dominant was Alabama when all seemed lost for the Tigers? At the end of the first quarter, the Tide had 187 yards of total offense to Auburn's -8. Newton, the Tigers erstwhile Superman, was held to 87 yards in the first half, -10 rushing. How bad was it for Auburn in the first 20 minutes? The best play for the Tigers came when Auburn forced a fumble at the tail-end of a 41-yard gain. Amazingly, the ball skittered down the sideline and all the way out the back of the end zone for an Auburn touchback. Three times Alabama drove inside the Tigers' 20 looking to deliver the knockout blow via touchdown. And three times Alabama failed to score a touchdown. There was the inexplicable Mark Ingram fumble that tight-roped the sideline and carried into the end zone, a dropped touchdown catch on first and goal that would have made it 28-0 and finally a Nick Fairly explosive rush up the middle that caused a Greg McElroy fumble and left the game at 24-7 in the second half.
Jim Henry: Inability to Finish Finishes Off Alabama
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