It's only Auburn's biggest game ever

[Saniflush]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/12/scarbinsky_its_only_auburns_bi.html

Nick Fairley could take down Darron Thomas with a move straight out of the old World Wrestling Federation and punctuate it with a sack dance.

Zebras might flag him.

Cam Newton could take off from the red zone in Glendale and land in an end zone in Scottsdale.

They might blow the whistle on him.

After all, the Big Ten officials working the BCS Championship Game aren't used to seeing that kind of size, speed and skill in a single package, let alone two.

If Fairley or Newton go too far on the second Monday in January, someone somewhere is sure to offer some advice through his living room TV.

Hey, act like you've been there before.

That'll be a problem. No one who's ever worn an Auburn uniform has been there before.

The Tigers have never played in the BCS Championship Game. They've never played a winner-take-all bowl game for the national title. Their only official national championship team in 1957 didn't even play in a bowl game.

At least beyond the Iron Bowl.

For all those reasons, Auburn isn't just 12 days away from a big game. Not to put any added pressure on Gene Chizik and company, but Auburn is 12 days away from the biggest game in school history.

You could say the same about worthy opponent Oregon, but the Ducks are a Nike-come-lately program compared to the Tigers.

Auburn ran the table in 1993 and 2004, which means it's one game away from completing its third perfect season in the last 18 years. Only one other Football Bowl Subdivision program in America has managed that hat trick in that time frame. Nebraska did it in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Auburn has played big games before, but none of them had the national magnitude of the upcoming championship game.

The 2005 Sugar Bowl was big. Beating Virginia Tech completed the first 13-0 season in Auburn history. But it was overshadowed by No. 1 USC crushing No. 2 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in the BCS Championship Game.

The 1984 Sugar Bowl was big, too. Beating Michigan put No. 3 Auburn in position to win the national title when No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Texas both lost their bowl games. But No. 5 Miami, which beat Nebraska by a point, leapfrogged the Tigers and jumped all the way to the top of both major polls.

Other than those two Sugar Bowls, the biggest games in Auburn history have usually involved Alabama.

There was the 1957 Iron Bowl. No. 1 Auburn won 40-0 to finish 10-0 and nail down the AP national title despite not going to a bowl game.

There was the 1972 Iron Bowl, a k a Punt, Bama, Punt. One-loss Auburn upset No. 2 Alabama 17-16.

There was the 1982 Iron Bowl, a k a Bo Over the Top. Both teams were unranked, but Auburn's 23-22 victory snapped a nine-game Alabama win streak in the series that must've felt like 99 years behind the Iron Curtain.

There was the 1989 Iron Bowl. Auburn became a true equal by getting Alabama into its stadium for the first time. Auburn's 30-20 victory, which gave No. 2 Alabama its first loss and kept the Tide from a shot at the national title, was icing.

There was the 1993 Iron Bowl. Auburn's 22-14 win completed the school's first perfect season in 36 years, but like 1957, probation ended that season right there.

That's why this BCS Championship Game means so much to Auburn.

Since Bear Bryant died, Auburn has more state titles (16-12), more SEC titles (6-4) and more Heismans (2-1) than Alabama. Auburn has been the better program in the post-Bryant era in just about every area but one.

National championships.

Alabama's two titles in 1992 and 2009 contribute to the notion that, no matter what Auburn's done head-to-head and in the conference, only one of the rivals is a national program.

In 12 days, the national stage belongs to the Tigers like never before. Beat Oregon, and no one will jump the gun and call them a dynasty. A victory will mean just one thing. They came up big in their school's biggest game.

How many players and coaches get an opportunity to make that kind of history?

[JR4AU]

Auburn ran the table in 1993 and 2004, which means it's one game away from completing its third perfect season in the last 18 years. Only one other Football Bowl Subdivision program in America has managed that hat trick in that time frame. Nebraska did it in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Which, by bammer standards, makes us: "irrelevant"

[AUChizad]

Auburn ran the table in 1993 and 2004, which means it's one game away from completing its third perfect season in the last 18 years. Only one other Football Bowl Subdivision program in America has managed that hat trick in that time frame. Nebraska did it in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Which, by bammer standards, makes us: "irrelevant"

How many have done it twice in the last 6 years? Or last decade for that matter? I'm guessing we're alone there.

[JR4AU]

How many have done it twice in the last 6 years? Or last decade for that matter? I'm guessing we're alone there.

Fact is, an undefeated season is more rare than a NC.  I'd personally trade a loss in Sept or Oct for a crystal football in the end, but just sayin'.