This past Saturday, Nov. 30, was one of the most highly anticipated football games of all time. The Iron Bowl, one of the most historic rivalries in all of college football was played, and everyone knew about it. University of Alabama and Auburn University are two schools that have a reputation for not being fond of the other.
Alabama has been on top for two years now with back-to-back national championships, while Auburn, on the other hand, has come off one of the worst SEC records they have ever had. Nobody gave Auburn a chance this year (including myself) to come out so strong after playing so sloppy in their first few games of the season. They were behind the reins of a new coach and a new quarterback – nobody knew how things would turn out.
Auburn persevered despite all the adversity going on in the program. They came into the Iron Bowl with only one loss this season to LSU who is another SEC powerhouse, and by no means is an easy team to just roll over. It seemed as though Auburn was meant to play in this historic match up with Alabama.
Due to how Auburn finished their previous game against Georgia, they were hoping to continue their lucky streak versus Alabama. On a last second heave that seemed to have no hope, two Georgia defenders lost track of a ball on a fourth and 18. The ball deflected perfectly into the arms of an Auburn wide receiver. He sprinted to the end zone with only 30 seconds on the clock and the Auburn Tigers held on for the win.
Who didn’t want to watch the No. 1 team in the country play the No. four team in the 2013 Iron Bowl? Not only should it have been great by the rankings, but it is also a historic rivalry. What a great match up that was sure to make headlines, and that it did.
By the time kickoff came around, Jordan Hare was electric. The crowd was excited to see what the game could hold given that the winner had a guaranteed trip to the SEC Championship. The game was back and forth the entire time. Fans of both teams were on edge for all 60 minutes. I know this because I am an Alabama fan.
Alabama’s kicking game was horrendous and Auburn’s was fantastic. Auburn managed to land not one, but two punts inside the five-yard line, while Alabama managed to miss four field goals.
When all the dust had settled, Alabama and Auburn were tied up with one second left on the clock. T.J. Yeldon had stepped out of bounds on what seemed to be the final play of regulation in the Iron Bowl, when upon further inspection actually had stepped out with a single second left to play.
As an Alabama fan, this second turned out to be my worst nightmare. Alabama sent out a red shirt freshman to attempt a 57-yard kick that would seal the game with a three-point victory. The second the kick left his foot, I could see it was off and not long enough. Then the worst of the worst happened. The kick was short enough that Auburn’s man they had deep could return the kick, and he did.
One hundred and eight yards and a touchdown later, I was devastated and, in my opinion, clinically depressed until the next morning. When I looked back on the game, it was obvious that Auburn University was meant to win the football game that night. Even though I am a distraught fan, I will recover and hopefully the Tide will also. But until next year’s Iron Bowl, I will just have to wait it out. Hopefully, I will get to see another great game, but this time with the Tide coming out on top. Roll Tide.
