Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News

Georgia wins 4th in a row ... fear the thumb?

Auburn lost for the fourth time this season, and for the fourth time in a row to rival Georgia on Saturday night.

Auburn started fast, but hit a wall.

Now, the Tigers have Alabama coming up in two weeks, after a much needed bye week.

How will the rest treat Auburn?

And which team will show up in the Iron Bowl the day after Thanksgiving?

So many questions. I bet you have some of your own.

For now, here’s the beginning of my column that will run in tomorrow’s Opelika-Auburn News.

ATHENS, Ga. – Fear the thumb.
Georgia’s got four in a row over Auburn, and from the looks of this rivalry, the Bulldogs don’t seem to be letting off the gas any time soon.
Even if it’s a new Tiger team, coaching staff and attitude, it’s still the same old Auburn-Georgia game.
Well, for the Bulldogs that is.
The last time Auburn beat Georgia was when Brandon Cox found Devin Aromashodu on a fourth-and-10 play from his own 35.
The last time Auburn beat Georgia was when Courtney Taylor fell on a ball that Aromashodu fumbled into the end zone, 65 yards later.
The last time Auburn beat Georgia is when that play was ruled down at the 3-yard line and John Vaughn kicked the game-winning field goal as time ran out.
The last time Auburn beat Georgia was 2005.
Since, it’s been all Georgia, all the time.
Even if it is a new Auburn team.
Even if Saturday’s game at Sanford Stadium looked like a new page for the Tigers in the Deep South’s oldest rivalry.
Even then.

(Photo credit: Todd J. Van Emst)

Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News

Seat 125, between the hedges

Ahhh. That’s right, we’re back in the Lazy Blog’s favorite SEC stadium—Georgia’s Sanford Stadium. Between the hedges on a Saturday night.

It’s a good time.

So, what do you think about tonight’s game? Me? Glad you asked. I’m going with Auburn, 24-21. That’s right. Wes Byrum kicks a field goal to give the Tigers the win, sometime tonight. It’ll be like 2005, John Vaughn, all over again.

Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News

Seat 80 ... homecoming

It’s a beautiful Auburn Chamber of Commerce day here at Seat 80 in the David E. Housel Press Box.

Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect.

It’s Auburn’s homecoming today against FCS school Furman.

Who’s going to win? Umm, I’m taking Auburn, 55-10. That’s right.

I’m assuming you’ve got Auburn, too. But the real question is, who’s going to score their first career touchdown today? My bet is DeAngelo Benton. He and Jay Wisner both find the end zone. That’s right. Believe it.

Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News

Auburn needed this one ...

... I know you agree.

Antonio Coleman does.

Auburn 33. Ole Miss 20.
What a game. What a third quarter. That was fun. If you didn’t see it, I highly recommend watching the replay. Good times.

Anyway, here’s SOME of my column that will run fully in tomorrow’s Opelika-Auburn News.

Enjoy.

Oh, and have a safe and happy Halloween.

Gene Chizik needed this win more than anybody.
Well, maybe not.
Chris Todd needed it.
So did Gus Malzahn. And the offense.
Oh, and Ted Roof. And the defense.
The entire team, really. Pretty badly, actually.
As did the entire fan base.
OK, so everyone wearing orange, blue and Halloween costume Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium had to have this win.
Another loss might have been a back-breaker.
Another loss might have caused the real boos to come down harder than the rain that fell before and during the game.
(Would it be Auburn Football 2009 without the wet stuff? Seriously? Somewhere, Noah’s boat is coming along nicely.)
Another loss might have been it for this team.
For all the talk about it not being last year, four losses in a row could have very well caused a ripple in time and sent the Tigers back to 2008.
Another loss would have been bad. Really bad, actually.
But that wasn’t going to happen. At least not Saturday.
Auburn 33. Ole Miss 20.
Auburn six wins.
Auburn bowl eligible.
Auburn back on track. Offense. Defense. Special t … well, let’s not go that far.
“I can’t give our football team enough credit, starting with our seniors and just the way they responded in a tough stretch,” Chizik said. “As we all know, that was the question that everybody wanted to know was ‘How is your football team going to respond in a tough time?’
“I think today was a great example of the way they were going to respond.”
It’s true. Everyone wanted to know it.
And now we have our answer.

(Photo credit: Cliff Williams | Opelika-Auburn News)

Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News

Seat 80 ... (A lot of) Raindrops keep falling on my head

Auburn Football 2009. Rain. Catch The Fever. And the Sniffles.

Another Auburn home football game, another rain storm. Fun stuff.

But we’re safe and warm and dry (or at least drying off) here at Seat 80 in the David E. Housel Press Box.

So much for the Navy Nightmare campaign Auburn’s throwing for this Halloween game.

I expect to see a lot of orange ponchos today. But, hey, at least orange is an Auburn color. Right?

So who’s going to win between the Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels.

I think I might be the only one with a press credential to this game to pick the home team, but, what the heck. I need the wins in my pick ‘ems. So I’m going for the upset.

AUBURN WINS!

12-9. Wes Byrum kicks four field goals for the Tigers.

How ‘bout that?