5 Reasons Auburn Beats FSU

[AUChizad]

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/5-reasons-auburn-beats-florida-state/

5 reasons Auburn beats Florida State and wins the BCS National Championship

Published December 23, 2013 - 11:30am

The BCS National Championship is only 14 days away, so the big dance between Auburn and Florida State is quickly approaching.

Auburn owns the biggest turnaround in college football, and they are just four quarters from completing one of the best stories – ever. From 3-9 to 12-1 and SEC Champions, and the only thing lacking is a national championship.

FSU, on the other hand, has dominated opponents the entire season, and they have looked like college football’s best and most talented team in 2013.

Here are five reasons Auburn beats FSU on January 6th:

1. Destiny: Don’t mess with Destiny’s Darlings. Auburn won four come-from-behind games in the fourth quarter this season, and three of them came in the final minute. In fact, in all three wins, there was a combined 36 seconds remaining on the clock. Nick Marshall threw a TD to TE CJ Uzomah against Mississippi State; Marshall threw the 73-yard tipped TD pass to Ricardo Louis against Georgia, and Chris Davis took back the ‘Kick-Six’ against Bama. How can you beat that? Sometimes it doesn’t matter who the team of destiny plays, and there are times when teams have to catch breaks and take advantage of it in order to win a championship. Credit Auburn for creating its own destiny.

2. Dominant running game/tempo: Nick Marshall and Tre Mason headline college football’s nastiest running game, and Auburn is the only team in college football to have four 600-yard rushers; Oregon didn’t even accomplish that feat. Mason went for 1,621 yards and 22 TDs, while Marshall went for 1,023 yards and 11 TDs. However, Corey Grant and Cameron Artis-Payne offer different dimensions and styles. Grant is a homerun threat, averaging 10 yards per carry, and he racked up 650 yards and six TDs, while Artis-Payne is more of a bully, rushing for 609 yards and six TDs. Combine all four runners with the quickest up-tempo attack in the country, and it’s very different than practice speed. But we’re leaving out the most significant part of it all – the offensive line, which has been outstanding all season. Auburn has about five base plays they run with about three to four options per play. But they execute those five plays perfectly.

3. FSU bigger unknown: How good is Florida State? That’s what everyone is asking with two weeks left to the national championship. The Noles played one semi-close game against Boston College during the season; all other games have been complete and dominant blowouts. How will they react to playing a close game on college football’s biggest stage? How will a Heisman-winning freshman react to a close game in the fourth quarter? Well, we just don’t know. What we do know is Auburn is battle-tested and has lots of experience playing in close games. Six of Auburn’s wins have been by eight points or fewer, and that experience of not panicking in a close game will benefit the Tigers. Gus Malzahn has continued to say all season, “If the game is close in the fourth quarter, I like our chances.” I do, too.

4. Big-play Marshall: ‘But they’re one-dimensional.’ That’s why a large majority of the country is picking against Auburn. However, when Nick Marshall has to throw it, he delivers; he has all season. Marshall’s passing numbers (1,759 yards, 60.4%, 12 TDs, 5 INTs) don’t just come out and smack you in the face, and they sure won’t impress FSU’s talented defense. A great example of Marshall’s game came against Alabama, where he threw for less than 100 yards, but he also threw two TDs on two big-time plays and throws. He’s one player who has taken his game to the next level over the course of the season. Marshall looked like a liability against Washington State; he looked like a championship quarterback against Alabama and Missouri. The evolution of Nick Marshall has been fun to watch, and it’s what every coach dreams about.

5. SEC-BCS history: BCS history is on Auburn’s side, and the SEC is gunning for its eighth straight championship to close out the much-maligned system’s era. The only time an SEC team lost the national championship was when they played another SEC team for the championship – 2011’s Alabama-LSU rematch. The SEC has played in nine BCS Championship games, and all nine have come away winners. It’s only fitting that Tennessee beat FSU in the first-ever BCS Championship in the 1998 season and the SEC will be playing the Noles again to close out the BCS era. If history is any indicator, Auburn will beat FSU in Pasadena. Specifically, the state of Alabama will be going for a crazy five straight national championships between Auburn and Alabama. That is incredible.

[AUChizad]

More reasons via Cole Cubelic.

@colecubelic 19 Dec

Clemson handed the ball to a running back on 4 of their first 23 plays versus FSU...not the same offense.

@colecubelic

#BCS If FSU gives Auburn looks like these Marshall must make them pay. Big play potential for the Tigers if so pic.twitter.com/Vjo74IBFYn

@colecubelic 20 Dec

3 of last 10 BCS title games have matched a 1 loss team and an undefeated team. The 1 loss team has won all 3 times by 20 or more #AUvsFSU

@colecubelic 20 Dec

FSU strength of schedule is worst of any BCS title game participant last 10 years. 06 & 07 OSU, 09 TX next worst, all 3 lost to SEC opponent

@colecubelic 15h

70% of FSU opponent rushes have gone for 4 yards or less (via @ESPNU)

[WiregrassTiger]

I don't know if anyone has checked in to this but assume that we pay much better than FSU on average.

[dallaswareagle]

I don't know if anyone has checked in to this but assume that we pay much better than FSU on average.

Well should we win again then we are getting out moneys worth.

[GH2001]

FSU players are saying we do trickery. We'll be real close to what Clemson does. And that they have us figured out now. Our tendencies....they know em. They got this. Not sure why we should even show up.

[AUChizad]

FSU players are saying we do trickery. We'll be real close to what Clemson does. And that they have us figured out now. Our tendencies....they know em. They got this. Not sure why we should even show up.

I mean, Auburn is just Clemson without the lake!

[Tiger Wench]

I mean, Auburn is just Clemson without the lake!

Absolutely!  I mean, we've even got Howard's Rock!

[Kaos]

Whine, whine, whine...

http://nolesports.tallahassee.com/article/20131224/FSU03/312240006/Schoffel-column-Coaching-awards-should-honor-all-aspects-job

FSU wasn't picked to win the division... waaahhhhh....

David Duke (or whatever his name is) won the ACC Coach of the year award ...waaaahhhhh...  and

These national Coach of the Year awards, however, are a different story. First-year Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who is preparing the Tigers to face Fisher’s Seminoles in the BCS national championship game, is apparently going to win all of them....

 But when we consider everything that goes into being a college football coach, is Malzahn really more deserving that Florida State’s Fisher? Is overhauling the engine of someone else’s sports car that much more impressive than building your own hot rod from scratch?

[auburnredwing]

I'm no stat tiger but the combined yards per carry of teams fsu faced for the year was only 4.13 so holding their opponents to less than 4 yards per carry isn't that impressive in fact 6 teams they played couldn't didn't average 4 yards per carry for the year.  Auburn averages 335 yards per game against defenses that give up 175 yards per game (which is 160 yards more or 194%) and fsu rush defense averages 116 yards per game against teams that run for 166 yards per game (which is 50 yards less or 70%).

[Godfather]

I'm no stat tiger but the combined yards per carry of teams fsu faced for the year was only 4.13 so holding their opponents to less than 4 yards per carry isn't that impressive in fact 6 teams they played couldn't didn't average 4 yards per carry for the year.  Auburn averages 335 yards per game against defenses that give up 175 yards per game (which is 160 yards more or 194%) and fsu rush defense averages 116 yards per game against teams that run for 166 yards per game (which is 50 yards less or 70%).

[auburnredwing]

Prayers sent.

[DnATL]

translation, Auburn's going to run through them like wet diarrhea

[WiregrassTiger]

I'm no stat tiger but the combined yards per carry of teams fsu faced for the year was only 4.13 so holding their opponents to less than 4 yards per carry isn't that impressive in fact 6 teams they played couldn't didn't average 4 yards per carry for the year.  Auburn averages 335 yards per game against defenses that give up 175 yards per game (which is 160 yards more or 194%) and fsu rush defense averages 116 yards per game against teams that run for 166 yards per game (which is 50 yards less or 70%).

You are giving me a headache. Are you trying to say that we're more gooder than most of the teams they have played? If so, I will drink to that.

[AUChizad]

@colecubelic 4h

Against conference opponents Auburn ran for 2,853 yards this season. FSU allowed 1,068 rushing yards in conference play in 2013 #BCS

‏@colecubelic 4h

Mississippi State was only SEC team Auburn did not rush for 200+ yards. FSU held 4 ACC teams under 100 rush yards(Pitt, Maryland, UM, Duke)

@colecubelic 4h

How big will a quick start for Auburn be? FSU outscoring opponents 369-62 in the 1st half this season. #BCS

[DnATL]

Mississippi State was only SEC team Auburn did not rush for 200+ yards

That MSU game was also before the first bye week, which was when they worked on the zone read

[Saniflush]

Absolutely!  I mean, we've even got Howard's Rock!

I do like the rubbing

[wesfau2]

Caught the FSU bowl preview show on the Sunshine network yesterday.  Some quality analysis:

1) How do you stop the Auburn run game?  Assignment football.  FSU's defense is much more disciplined than any Auburn has faced.  Auburn's one-dimensional offense will be shut down.

2) How does Auburn scheme to stop the FSU offense?  You just can't.  It's impossible.

Go ahead and cancel your trip to Pasadena.  FSU has this in the bag.

[bottomfeeder]

I wanna see us beat the shit out of FSU, but I don't want to have a premature ejaculation all over my lucky tv. Here's to beating the shit out of FSU, because we can.

Caught the FSU bowl preview show on the Sunshine network yesterday.  Some quality analysis:

1) How do you stop the Auburn run game?  Assignment football.  FSU's defense is much more disciplined than any Auburn has faced.  Auburn's one-dimensional offense will be shut down.

2) How does Auburn scheme to stop the FSU offense?  You just can't.  It's impossible.

Go ahead and cancel your trip to Pasadena.  FSU has this in the bag.

Who's gonna break the news to Dinky?

[jmar]

Auburn has:

the current best HC in the college game.
a defensive line poised to cause major distress for Jabo.
a RB hellbent on proving he is the nation's best and the OL to make it so.
a defensive backfield that will have at least two picks.
an elusive QB ready to show everyone that he's not a one trick pony.
Jake Holland-end of story!   

[djsimp]

I only have one reason.

Auburn is better.