Auburn Football needs a wakeup call so the Tiger inside comes alive

It’s time to wake up, Auburn, and pull your heads outta your rear ends. You coached like crap and played like crap in Gainesville in front of a national television audience. Quite frankly, it was embarrassing. But it’s not too late to redeem yourselves. Especially when you play the type of schedule that ESPN senior college football writer Chris Low calls “the most difficult Power Five schedule in the country,” you can afford a slip up on the road to a Top 10 team.

Just don’t let it happen again.

That is if you want to accomplish your goal of going to Atlanta.

To possibly avenge that bitter defeat to the Gators.

After all, you’re a whole lot better than what you showed against the swamp lizards. If there ever was a team loss, it was the one Auburn caught on Florida Field. However, the best thing that the Tigers can do is to acknowledge the gawd awful taste of defeat it left in their mouths and try their damndest to never let it happen again this season.

Because No. 11 Auburn Football (5-1, 2-1) is capable of doing something special this year.

Of course, whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen and is undoubtedly left up to this team and its senior leadership, which I consider a strength. After all, it’s made up of the Tigers’ entire starting offensive line, and a few of the guys from the best defensive line in college football, and not to mention, three outstanding DBs on the backend.

Seniors like big Derrick Brown, the Auburn defensive tackle who was named midseason AP All American this week, and clearly the favorite for the Outland Trophy, given annually to college football’s top interior lineman.

Nick Fairley was the last Tiger to win the award after a national championship season in 2010. So far, Brown has had a Fairley type of season and in order for Auburn to reach its goals, he’ll have to continue being peak Derrick Brown, the leader of the Steele Curtain defense.

Or guys like senior defensive end Marlon Davidson, who like Brown is having a monster season, and has already claimed multiple SEC defensive lineman of the week awards in the first six games.

Or those defensive backs who have played relatively well but rank toward the bottom of all of football with one single interception through the halfway point of the 2019 season. One. I hope I see some damn ball hawks in these next six games.

Or the guys on that aforementioned offensive line. They were supposed to be a strength this year. Every single one of ‘em are fifth-freaking-year seniors. They should be consistently dominating the line of scrimmage considering this is their second straight season to start together. We’ve yet to see domination for four solid quarters.

Let’s be real about this, while some individuals have played solid ball on the offensive line, I’m not sure they’ve graded out exceptionally well as a collective unit in a single game. Remember, you’re only as strong as your weakest link and if there’s one guy on that offensive line who needs to step up, I can assure you that the remaining four will hold him accountable and push him to be better.

Hit someone in the mouth, offensive line! I’m tired of seeing guys pull only to whiff and not only not block a single defender, but not even attempt to! I’m gonna refrain from showing the film because it’s downright embarrassing!

Again, HIT SOMEBODY IN THE DAMN MOUTH!

This is your last chance to represent the A-U. Your last season. Go out with a bang! Make it memorable! Lay your guts on the line like you’ve never laid ‘em on the line before. All for Auburn. All for the orange and blue. The tried and true. And do not yield. Just like I witnessed in that bowl game against Purdue last season. The Tiger inside came alive. You’ve only got six more games left in the regular season. It’s time to let that Tiger come out of its cage like never before. Don’t wait to do it till its some bowl no one cares about (nothing personal, Music City).

Auburn has the talent to do the improbable, but as Coach G said early in fall camp, “You’ve gotta be willing to sacrifice something if you wanna be a champion. It’s as simple as that. It ain’t easy. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it, everybody. Because everybody likes the rewards and everybody likes the hardware, but not many people like paying the price to get there.”

“You’ve gotta be willing to sacrifice something if you wanna be a champion, simple as that. It ain’t easy. If it was easy, everybody would do it, everybody. Bc everybody likes the rewards & everybody likes the hardware, but not many people like paying the price to get there.” pic.twitter.com/bvuXxs2uaE

— Power of Dixieland (@PwrofDixieland) August 2, 2019

You’ve put in too much hard work and sacrifice not to end this season as a champion, but it’s gonna take you not only holding the man next to you accountable, but holding yourself to an even higher standard than you did previously. That’s what champions do. They never settle. They’re constantly finding ways to get better.

It’s time for every single man in that locker room to truly “Ride For The Brand” that is Auburn. Because I promise you, if you play together as a team, you’d be a buzzsaw and there ain’t nobody that’s gonna get in your way. But it’s one thing to talk about it and a completely different one to go out and do it. It’s time to make the next six games of your life, the best six games of your life.

Notice I haven’t mentioned the name of a single opponent. Because it’s not about them! This is about Auburn! This is about not taking life nor this season or any game in it for granted. I truly believe that if this team fights its heart out for the orange and blue in each of the next six games and the guys play for their brother next to them, they’ll make lifelong memories they’ll forever cherish because it won’t be of heartache and the bitter taste of defeat. No, Auburn, if you play your brand of ball and wake the hell up, you might just have a chance at something special. Your destiny awaits! Let the Tiger inside come alive! War Damn Eagle!