Behind Enemy Lines – Winners All Around

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last few days, especially an Iron Bowl review. Beautiful Blogle's grandfather passed away last Sunday, and we've been out of town for the past few days. I promise to have a review for you tomorrow, but for now you will just have to deal with a Bammer's perspective of the game they should have lost.
Season 2, Week 14 - Winners All Around
by FireWillHeath

How often do you leave the Auburn-Alabama game with both sides in a reasonably good mood?

It happened this past Friday, when Alabama rallied for a 26-21 victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

During most of the offseason — as 'Bama fans rubbed Auburn's noses in the 36-0 debacle of 2008 and national prominence, while Auburn fans (apparently) sniffed around in the hopes of catching Alabama cheating — it certainly didn't seem possible. As the season unfolded — and Auburn started 5-0, just like Alabama — it didn't seem possible. And before the game — as both sets of fans started wringing their hands about the possibilities (championships, Heismans, etc) — it certainly didn't seem possible.

Behind Enemy Lines – No Dominance Here

Season 2, Week 13 - No Dominance Here
by FireWillHeath

In the Auburn-Alabama rivalry, the word “dominance” comes up a bit too often.

Alabama fans, for example, love to point out their team’s historical “dominance” over Auburn, quickly pointing out their all-time record over their archrivals (39-33-1). Auburn fans, of course, will counter with more recent statistics: specifically, since Paul Bryant left college football and this earth in 1983, Auburn owns a 15-11 mark vs. ‘Bama, including separate win streaks of four and six years (this decade, Auburn has lost to Alabama exactly twice).

Closer inspection reveals, of course, that neither program has truly “dominated” the other. This decade, the average margin of victory in this game is a mere 13.5 points, and even that is somewhat skewed by separate Alabama blowouts (24 and 36 points). And neither program ever really lets the other get too far ahead – Auburn’s six-year win streak excepted, the last seriously long win streak either team held was in the 1970s, when Bryant’s Alabama team won 9 straight.

Alabama was certain to dominate the state for the foreseeable future after 1999; Auburn was certain to do the same after 2000; Alabama had the upper hand after 2001; Auburn “owned” Alabama after 2007. And right now, obviously, ‘Bama runs things going into Friday.

Behind Enemy Lines – The Decade That Was

Season 2, Week 12 - The Decade That Was
by FireWillHeath

Since the decade is winding down to a close — and since we're all basically in a off-week (de facto for us, de jure for the Aubs) — I figured I'd take some time to look at the close of this decade in SEC football.

You'd forgotten about it, right? I basically had, also. But it is a reality: the '00s (whatever you wish to call them) will end in December, ushering in a brand-new decade of...well, everything.

As a 'Bama graduate and devotee, this decade hasn't been that much fun. I've watched my favorite team suffer through NCAA troubles that won't go away, four different losing (or non-winning) seasons and five different head coaches (five!). We've been to Shreveport three times for a bowl, with one trip to Nashville thrown in for good measure. Just for balance's sake, we've also won (at least) 10 games four seasons as well (counting this season).

(Note: for a preseason review of this decade in SEC football, go here ... note that I somehow predicted UGA to be a sleeper, which worked out ... really well.)

Behind Enemy Lines – Sour Grapes Make Sweet Whine

Season 2, Week 11 - Sour Grapes Make Sweet Whine
by FireWillHeath

Here's the best reason that should've been an INT for Patrick Peterson in the fourth quarter on Saturday in Tuscaloosa; so everybody will shut the hell up.

The prevailing story on Sunday should've been the tenacity of the battle between LSU & Alabama, about Alabama's ability to repeat as SEC West champs (and clinching the deal well before the final week of the season), about Julio Jones redeeming himself from a mostly forgettable season (capped off by that sequence where he forgot to take himself out & cost his team a chance at a touchdown) with an extraordinary effort for the game-winning touchdown.

Instead, we're sitting here talking about officials. Again.

OK, so the SEC helped us get here, obviously -- by showing a willingness to publicly reprimand, then suspend, an officiating crew for some mistakes (the kind that happen all the time everywhere, by the way) basically opened the door for a-holes like Lane Kiffin and Dan Mullen to run their mouths. Eventually, that forced the SEC to institute this silly "zero-tolerance" policy ... which has only drawn more attention to the whole issue.

(Note: To the credit of Les Miles & LSU's program, their guys took the high road consistently. Yet another way LSU is superior to Tennessee.)