Did This Really Surprise Anybody?

Ouch. That was worse than the Arkansas beat down, easily. Where to start?

Auburn-Georgia is always going to be a tough game because, as many have pointed out, UGa has loads of talent. Unfortunately, for the first time this year, they actually used it. I'm not really sure where to place the blame for this one. I'm tempted to say Cox, what with his atrocious performance, but the O-line didn't do much to help matters, and the defense looked like it was replaying the first half of the Florida game....twice. It just seems to me that Auburn's offense and defense are both lacking a killer instinct this year. The offense isn't explosive at all, and the defense couldn't stop a 3-yr-old girl on third and long. The offense I do not think is coaching as much as personnel. The receivers haven't stepped up, injuries have plagued the backfield, and people have just not been executing at the right times. Conversely, the defense continually looks like it is out of position and completely clueless. Even when the Tigers know what is coming, they haven't been able to stop it. That is coaching.

So, yes, turnovers kill. Four turnovers is a massacre. However, 37 points? Sorry, that's not a typical Auburn defense. Though Cox has an awful, awful, terrible (let us never speak of it again) kinda game, I place the blame on Muschamp...again. I have not been impressed at all. It's sad that we peaked during the early-season LSU game.

Now, I've gotta retrace our steps this year. What have we done that's been impressive? We had a good win over Washington State, where we couldn't find the endzone in the first half. We grinded out a win against MSU in which we refused to pass for some odd reason. Then there's the LSU game. Our defense played well, but our offense was horrible. Then we struggle against a patsy and get clocked against Arkansas. In both games, neither side of the ball played well. Another patsy comes along that torches the defense. Then there's the Florida game, where the D said "Ole!" throughout the first half and our offense hit a brick wall in the endzone. Then SC takes us to the wire, and it looks like our defense couldn't stop the run or the pass. Next comes another patsy, and the offense struggles. Then Ole Miss gives us a fight, with neither side of the ball playing particularly well (but especially the defense). And then there was Georgia--see above.

Basically, all the signs were there. I'm not going to say we were overrated, because we earned every bit of our ranking, which is more than some teams can say (cough, cough, Texas). But, from week to week, Auburn has consistently been the most inconsistent. Or maybe that is our consistency--we can be counted on to turn in an unpredictable performance. As a fan, it's absolutely infuriating.

Well, my hat's off to Georgia and Matt Stafford, who not only came to play, but actually did it. Regardless of what happens for the rest of this season, it has been a disappointment. That may seem like a strong statement, but consider this: If I told you before the season that we would beat both LSU and Florida, you would have assumed we'd be in Atlanta and maybe Glendale. And yet, we'll be at home on December 2nd, watching a team we beat (like last year) playing for the SEC title. We may not even get a January bowl now. That's seems crazy, but consider that, as of right now, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, and LSU are all hotter tickets than the Tigers. It seems like everytime we've had a chance to stand up on the national stage, we've choked. After finishing second in the West so many times in the last four or five years, I feel like Auburn is always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Even when we won the SEC, we couldn't win it all. What's wrong with us?

All I can hope at this point is for Auburn to beat the Tide next week, and even if they do (and that's suddenly a big "if"), it'll be a bittersweet victory. But at this point, I'll take it.

Let's try and pick up the pieces. War Eagle.