Scout.com: Auburn vs. Georgia Still Has Meaning

Auburn vs. Georgia Still Has Meaning

UGA QB Matt Stafford vs. Auburn in 2007

By Barrett Sallee

CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Nov 12, 2008

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Despite the fact that conference title aspirations have fallen by the wayside for both teams, the 112th edition of the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” still has importance for both Auburn and Georgia.

Questions or comments? E-mail me Barrett Sallee

When the Auburn Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs take the field Saturday morning at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, neither team will be fighting for what they wanted to be fighting for. However, despite mutually disappointing seasons for differing reasons, both teams enter the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” with plenty to play for.

For Georgia:
The Bulldogs, who entered fall practice as pre-season #1 and with National Championship aspirations, find themselves 8-2, eliminated from the SEC East race, and on the tail end of a grueling 4-game road trip. The defense is coming off of a narrow escape from Kentucky, where the Bulldogs gave up 38 points to the Wildcats, who hadn’t scored more than 27 against an FBS team this season.

The Bulldogs now find themselves fighting for bowl positioning with LSU and South Carolina. Not exactly the place where they planned on being, after all of the hype before the season. However, with wins in rivalry games against Auburn and Georgia Tech, the Bulldogs would post their 5th 10-win season over the last 6 years, and likely wind up spending New Years in Florida. Of course, it wouldn’t be in Miami at the BCS Championship Game, but Orlando and Tampa aren’t bad substitutes.

In addition to on-the-field purposes, pride will also be on the line. Georgia has won the last two meetings in this rivalry. A win this weekend would give the Bulldogs their first 3-game winning streak over the Tigers since 1980-82 and would bring them to within two games of the Tigers in the series record, which the Tigers currently lead 53-50-8.

For Auburn:
The Auburn Tigers enter the game coming off of a 37-20 win over UT-Martin, a win that broke the Tigers 4-game losing streak. However, in that game, the Tigers and Skyhawks were tied mid-way through the 3rd quarter, and it took two long touchdown runs from QB Kodi Burns to finally put the game away.

The Tigers need to pull an upset over either Georgia or Alabama just to attain bowl eligibility – something that Auburn desperately needs, even if it’s only for the bowl practices. In a season that’s been nothing short of a gross disappointment for the pre-season SEC West favorites, a victory over either of their two biggest rivals would cool down the presumably hot seat in Tommy Tuberville’s office. Perception doesn’t equate reality, and Tuberville’s job status isn’t as perilous as some like to think, but a win vs. Georgia would go a long way in reassuring both the players and the fans.

Pride is also on the line for the Tigers, who have been blown out in the last two meetings with the Bulldogs. Last season, the Tigers held a 20-17 lead midway through the 3rd quarter, only to falter late in the game, walking out of Sanford Stadium with a 45-20 loss. The Auburn players and fans haven’t forgotten the second half of that game, and subsequent celebration by Georgia players on the sideline to a rather unflattering song piped through the PA system. In a season that can be salvaged by extending the Iron Bowl streak to 7, beating Georgia runs a close second for this year’s edition of the Auburn Tigers.

Familiarity
Auburn and Georgia are about as intertwined as two teams from the same conference can be. 25 players on the current Tiger roster hail from the Peach State. Auburn OL Coach Hugh Nall won a National Championship as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia OL Coach Stacy Searels was an All-American at Auburn, Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley went to Auburn, Auburn coaching legend Pat Dye played for Georgia, and both Mark Richt and Tommy Tuberville were part of group of five coaches who travelled to various military bases in the Middle East this past offseason. To make a long story short, these two programs are VERY familiar with each other, and familiarity breeds contempt.

This truly is one of the best and most underrated rivalries in college football. While it’s not “the biggest” game for either school, it is one that both sides use as a barometer to measure the success of their respective seasons. When toe meets leather on the Plains shortly after 11:30am local time, the varying disappointments on both squads will be forgotten, and the two squads will be battling for the most important title in college football. Bragging rights.