What went wrong in the Outback Bowl, and looking to 2020

Despite Bowl games which are not part of the college football playoff being, in some ways, not overly meaningful to a season, the manner in which Gus Malzahn’s Auburn team appeared unprepared and less motivated in the 31-24 loss to Minnesota unavoidably dims the luster off the impressive 48-45 Iron Bowl win over archrival Alabama.

Join cohosts Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for the discussion, and a look ahead to what will surely be a critical year for Malzahn now eight years into his tenure at Auburn.

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Auburn Tiger fans in the Christmas (and New Year’s Day Bowl!) spirit!

Join cohosts Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for a spirited Christmas edition of the Auburn Football All-Access Podcast show!

The stocking stuffers for banter include favorite Christmas movies, the very promising Gus Malzahn hiring of offensive coordinator Chad Morris, the outstanding group of early signing day recruits, the overall vibe of Auburn football, and more!

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Riding high off an epic 48-45 Iron Bowl win, the Tigers look to a New Year’s Day matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers

For residents of the great state of Alabama, hailing in the Christmas holidays with Iron Bowl bragging rights makes spirits brighter and smiles bigger, to be sure.

Having put the wraps on a solid, albeit not magical, 9-3 season, the Auburn Tigers now prepare for an interesting New Year’s Day Outback Bowl matchup with charismatic head coach P. J. Fleck’s Minnesota Golden Gophers.  This will be the second straight Auburn Bowl match with a Big Ten team, having boat-raced the Purdue Boilermakers last year.

Join Coach Ray and Doug Dean for the banter, including a final return “victory lap” look at the EPIC 2019 Iron Bowl!

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Music used: For You King by Ender Güney https://www.youtube.com/c/NCMEpicMusic

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In one of the more electric Iron Bowls of all time, the Tigers get it done!

Epic, historic praise for the Iron Bowl rivalry is hardly anything new.  But are you kidding me?  An outrageous TEN lead changes, a mind-numbing THIRTY EIGHT points scored in merely the last 5:47 of the 2nd quarter between the teams, TWO pick sixes by the Auburn defense – one an Iron Bowl record 100 yard pick six in the 3rd quarter, a kickoff return by Bama’s Jaylen Waddle for a TD, a near decapitation of Bama’s best tackler, McKinney, by diminutive RB Shaun Shivers for Auburn’s go-ahead TD.  And a perfect FIVE field goals outside 40 yards by Auburn kicker Anders Carlson, the game MVP.

WOW, this Iron Bowl had it ALL.  And not to mention a DOINK 30-yard field goal by Bama’s Joe Bulovas with 2:00 left which would have tied the game, followed by a brilliant Gus Malzahn 4th down scheme which duped “greatest of all-time head coach” Nick Saban into a game-ending substitution penalty which bailed the Tigers out of punting to game-breaking returner, Jaylen Waddle.

Don’t miss the fun, hilarity, and analysis of the Auburn 48  Bama 45 Iron Bowl, which was an instant classic!

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Can the Auburn Tigers wreck Bama’s college football playoff hopes?

Sure, it’s Thanksgiving week, but here in the deep South, particularly in the state of Alabama, it’s IRON BOWL week, as the Auburn Tigers prepare to host 5th ranked Alabama in Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday, November 30th. 

The game is very possibly a “play-in” game for the Tide, depending on how this Saturday’s final regular season and a week later, the conference championship games go, particularly in the Utah vs Oregon and LSU vs Georgia title games.  Playoff guru Heather Dinich believes that Nick Saban’s 1-loss Bama team – due to a shaky at best “resume” in schedule difficulty – must “crush” Auburn in order to sway voters. 

WHAT? The term “crush” or “dominate” has at NO point this season been used to describe Auburn’s three losses which were to # 1 ranked LSU (23-20), Georgia (21-14), and Florida in close one in the Swamp.  The Auburn defense simply doesn’t let you breathe offensively to light up the scoreboard. So Bama plans to accomplish that with star QB Tua Tagovailoa out and backup QB Mac Jones trying to solve this elite Auburn defense?

Join Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for the fun and analysis on this monster rivalry week, and even grab a couple of holiday culinary tips from “Chef Ray”!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Music used: For You King by Ender Güney https://www.youtube.com/c/NCMEpicMusic

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Auburn’s offensive woes cost it another big SEC game

Given the opportunity to take on # 4 ranked archrival Georgia in the rabid confines of Jordan-Hare stadium, the Auburn Tigers’ defense delivered a winning performance, stuffing Georgia with a remarkable NINE “three and out’s” on offense, and in the 4th quarter, suffocating the Bulldogs’ offense to a paltry 4 total yards.

Surely that would be plenty to deliver what would be a very big Amen Corner win?  Unfortunately, it was not, as the continuing woes and lack of a consistent, planned “identity” on Coach Gus Malzahn’s 2019 offense was the culprit, as the Tigers were stuffed for zero points through the first three quarters.  And although the offense caught fire in the final quarter to close the score to 21-14, they again came up short as Bo Nix was unable to deliver on critical plays down the stretch.

Up next, a likely breather game against Samford, and then, the 83rd edition of the Iron Bowl on November 30, 2019.

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Can the Auburn Tigers make November, 2019 a month to remember?

Amen Corner, as former Auburn Coach Pat Dye dubbed the Georgia and Alabama rivalry games of late November, has arrived on the Plains in Auburn.  With the college football playoff committee’s ranking of LSU as the # 1 ranked team coming off of their emotional 46-41 road win over the Crimson Tide, the national  – and SEC country – discussion centers heavily around one team which has the opportunity to be a November dream wrecker.

The Auburn Tigers’ only two losses, as it turns out, have been in the Swamp against a # 11 ranked Florida Gator team, and by the score of 23-20 against the # 1 ranked team in all of college football.

Join Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for the analysis of the hugely important renewal of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, # 4 ranked Georgia vs # 12 ranked Auburn, Jordan-Hare stadium, November 16, 2019.

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In the wake of the crushing loss in Baton Rouge, Auburn still has huge games ahead

The Auburn Tigers turned in what would be considered one of the more brilliant defensive game plans and efforts in Baton Rouge, holding the juggernaut LSU offense to a mere 24 points, half of their eye-popping season average of 50 points. 

And that is precisely what will sting about the loss, as once again in a big road game, the Auburn offense sputtered, stumbled, and could find little rhythm or success.  Nonetheless, the Tigers’ found themselves down only 23-20 with a desperation shot at an onsides kick with two minutes left, which came up short.

Join Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for the discussion, and how Auburn must rally in a hurry as some huge games remain, all of which will be in home Jordan-Hare stadium.

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Auburn must be road warriors to end 20-year drought in Baton Rouge

The stakes simply do not get any higher in a midseason SEC West tilt between the # 2 and # 9 ranked LSU and Auburn Tigers this Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge.

LSU is riding extremely high with the nation’s most potent aerial attack, an oddity to even say in the same breath as “LSU”.  Meanwhile, Auburn just may have a mad on as they recently are mentioned at best as an afterthought to contend for the SEC title and playoff selection.

Can Malzahn and Kevin Steele bring a smart, bold plan that knocks LSU back on their heels, and sets up this weekend’s big stunner?

Join Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for the analysis!

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How Gus Malzahn’s staff must use the Arkansas road game to ready for the brutal home stretch

In the wake of the bitter – and entirely avoidable – 24-13 loss to the Florida Gators in the Swamp, what lies ahead now for Gus Malzahn’s 5-1 Auburn Tigers is nothing short of a bloody gauntlet which includes a road trip to face currently undefeated LSU in Death Valley, and November home sweet home stands against an improving Ole Miss, Georgia, and # 1 ranked Alabama.

The first order of business coming off the open date is to take care of business in FayetteNam, against a Razorbacks team that fought the Aggies hard, but has more problems on both sides of the ball than they’re likely to fix against an elite Auburn defense, and capable Tigers offense.

Join Coach John Ray and Doug Dean for the analysis!

Intro music provided by Royalty Free Music: https://www.youtube.com/royaltyfreezone

Music used: For You King by Ender Güney https://www.youtube.com/c/NCMEpicMusic

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