Jon Solomon's Fun Gameday Article

[Townhallsavoy]

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has experienced winning streaks.
This Auburn 17-game winning streak? It reminds Swinney when he was a player and graduate assistant for Alabama as it won 28 straight from 1991 to '93.

"I don't know that they've been a dominant team," Swinney said of Auburn. "But they are a team that's found a way to win every week. Somehow, someway somebody has made a play. As that ball gets rolling, and that swagger and belief comes from those experiences and you recruit good players, you've got a chance to put a streak together."

Auburn's streak, on the line today at Clemson, represents one of the most mind-boggling runs in recent college football history. The Tigers give up points like parting gifts and constantly need late-game dramatics.

But they win. Seventeen straight times and counting for Gene Chizik.

That's the nation's 10th longest winning streak in the past decade. It's one shy of Utah's 18 straight from 2003 to '05 mostly under Urban Meyer, and two shy of Alabama (2009-10) and Ohio State (2002-03) under Nick Saban and Jim Tressel, respectively.

Who puts together such a streak with 59 percent of its wins coming by eight points or less?

In the past decade, no one.

Alabama's 19 straight in 2009-10: 16 percent were one-possession games.

Florida's 22 straight in 2008-09: Only 5 percent got decided within one score.

Ohio State is the closest example to Auburn. The Buckeyes won 53 percent of their 19 straight wins in 2002 and '03 by one possession. Every other top-10 winning streak over the past 10 years had no more than 27 percent of its wins decided by one score.

The Ohio State/Auburn comparison is appropriate. The Buckeyes won with defense and flaws on offense; the Tigers win with offense and flaws on defense.

Yes, Auburn's defense rose to the occasion late last season against Alabama, South Carolina and Oregon. But Auburn's motto in the Chizik era might as well be "In Gus We Trust."

Auburn has scored 41.1 points per game and allowed 26.1 during the streak, by far the most points surrendered by any of the top-10 winning streaks since 2001. Boise State is the next closest when it allowed 21.2 points during its 22-game streak in 2003-04.

The Tigers have given up 397.5 yards per game since their streak started with the crazy Outback Bowl win over Northwestern to end the 2009 season. That average yardage would have ranked Auburn 79th nationally in total defense a year ago, in the company with Virginia, Ball State, UAB and Ole Miss, all of which went 4-8 in 2010.

The streak will end at some point this season. If Auburn gets through September 4-0, the month of October brings these first four games: at South Carolina, at Arkansas, vs. Florida, at LSU.

"I never really think about the streak," Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs said. "Last year's over. I'm just enjoying those two wins the last two weeks. It's still going to be challenging for us in the stretch that we have, particularly on the road."

Jacobs is enjoying the ride, even if it can be bumpy at times. He gushes about how prepared Auburn's coaches and players are for every circumstance, whether it's the adjustment to Mississippi State's option run for the winning goal-line tackle, or the two-minute drill and onside kick against Utah State.

"It's really enjoyable watching the guys never give up, no matter what's going on," Jacobs said. "It doesn't mean these young kids won't make a mistake. But they're prepared, they're learning, they're playing hard."

Auburn's streak is tied for the second-longest in school history, joining the 1956-58 teams. The longest is 20 from 1993 to '94, when Terry Bowden's teams won 35 percent of those games by one possession.

As for Swinney's 28-game streak with Alabama in the 1990s, 32 percent of those victories were by one score.
"People say a lot about this Auburn team," Swinney said, "but I would say they find a way to win."

Write Jon at jsolomon@bhamnews.com. Follow him at twitter.com/jonsol.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/09/auburns_crazy_winning_streak_r.html

[Kaos]

Dear Bama Jon:

[jmar]

Dear Bama Jon:

Yes he is.

I look for Dabo to try the ol' onside kick on us today if we happen to bend at some point. It's Bammerlike!

This Perkins guy is scary fast and I hope one of the kids gets in his earhole early. He lines up in multiple positions and is the return specialist.


Wofford only attempted three passes v. Clemson. That's a plus!






Containment: Will Boyd remain a slightly above average QB, or will he become a Heisman candidate?
Terrence Edwin Roof -repeat the entire name three times and tell me the sound of it doesn't raise the hairs on the back of your neck. I know and Boyd is about to fall prey to one of Uncle Ted's ploys. I'm writhing my hands in anticipation. AH HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA               HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahkhvbs sdfghjkl.;/'wertyuiop[]3456u7i90[-]=\

[Townhallsavoy]

Um...Jmar....you ok?

[AUChizad]

Wow. That's the Aub propaganda machine, the Birmingham News, at work.

Bama boycott!!!

Seriously, I would be shocked if the paper in Clemson, SC wrote this article (sans the Bama nostalgia). But this is how our own state paper covers our pregames.

And bammers bitch and whine about how it's not biased enough against Auburn and towards Alabama. Or "fair" as they see it.

[jmar]

Um...Jmar....you ok?

Not really, I had tentative plans, a pot of gumbo and was on standby poised to see the game but just got word I have to leave town for work. It was a collision course I was hoping to avoid  till later and I don't know if I will be able to pick up the second half in Georgia.