aubiefifty 16,740 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 espn.com Must-win and trap games of 2017: Auburn Tigers David ChingESPN Staff Writer There are 12 regular-season games, but they’re not all created equal. To help get prepared for next season, we’re looking at every SEC team’s must-win and trap games. Next up is Auburn. Must-win game: Listing the Nov. 25 Alabama game here is too easy. The Iron Bowl is always the game that Auburn fans want to win most. It helps that the Tigers will get the defending SEC champs in Auburn, too, but let’s focus on a different rivalry game as being a must-win for Gus Malzahn’s team. Georgia has defeated Auburn in nine of the last 11 playings of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, including a 13-7 decision last year over an Auburn team that had climbed back into the top 10 before a pitiful offensive performance in Athens. The Tigers and Bulldogs might both remain in the conversation in their respective division races when this game arrives on Nov. 11. As so often seems to be the case, the loser here might see its chances of playing in Atlanta go up in flames. Trap game: Oct. 21 at Arkansas. The final opponent standing between a daunting road trip to LSU and a challenging November schedule is Arkansas. And on the road no less. Auburn obliterated the Razorbacks 56-3 last year, rolling up 632 yards of offense, which Bret Bielema’s team will surely have on its mind when the Tigers arrive in Fayetteville. Arkansas has also been a tough place for Auburn to win in recent years, with the Razorbacks winning three of the last four in the series while playing on their home field. Maybe that will help Malzahn keep the Tigers’ attention focused on winning this game ahead of their Oct. 28 open date and the aforementioned November slate that includes a road trip to Texas A&M and rivalry rematches with Georgia and Alabama teams that caused a streaking Auburn club to end 2016 with a thud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aucanucktiger 1,791 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Journalists tend to oversimplify. 2017 MUSTS (not "would likes") are situations, not necessarily specific wins or losses against specific teams. IMHO. We must be in the mainstream media playoff conversation at the end of the season. That translates to a level of respect that satisfies the BOT and most AU fans and is NOT a "low goal" because in the SEC West it historically means we could lose to two solid teams and still be in the conversation. The number of scenarios keeping us in a playoff conversation is huge - we actually had perennial Auburn nemesis media going to bat for us based on our once-in-a-generation level of key injuries late last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Win4AU 4,052 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Must Win: UGA - at home. LSU would be my second but as we saw in 2013 there is time to recover. Gus at LSU hasn't gone well since 2009. Trap - Miss State. Even though it's at home this game is always the make or break game in a season. Last year Auburn rolled and that kick started the win streak. Years Auburn loses this game usually go badly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU64 10,122 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 3 minutes ago, Win4AU said: Must Win: UGA - at home. LSU would be my second but as we saw in 2013 there is time to recover. Gus at LSU hasn't gone well since 2009. Trap - Miss State. Even though it's at home this game is always the make or break game in a season. Last year Auburn rolled and that kick started the win streak. Years Auburn loses this game usually go badly. Yep, typically early in the season and is a pretty good predictor of what kind of team we have.....Seems like it's further down in the schedule this year and probably the Clemson game and Missouri will tell us a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionheartkc 6,150 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 I think it's hilarious that reporters and fans always bring up Arkansas as a potential issue. Bret has beaten Gus ONCE, and that was after 4 overtimes against the worst team Gus has fielded in his tenure. Every other year they have faced each other, Auburn has embarrassed Arkansas... in fact, the beat down just keeps getting worse. Bret is so desperate to beat Gus that he gets in his own head and craps the bed. This year, Auburn could very well have the best team Bret has faced. I don't see it as a trap in the slightest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerbrotha12 2,362 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Win4AU said: Must Win: UGA - at home. LSU would be my second but as we saw in 2013 there is time to recover. Gus at LSU hasn't gone well since 2009. Trap - Miss State. Even though it's at home this game is always the make or break game in a season. Last year Auburn rolled and that kick started the win streak. Years Auburn loses this game usually go badly. 2013 second half went quite well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger 8,818 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 3 hours ago, lionheartkc said: I think it's hilarious that reporters and fans always bring up Arkansas as a potential issue. Bret has beaten Gus ONCE, and that was after 4 overtimes against the worst team Gus has fielded in his tenure. Every other year they have faced each other, Auburn has embarrassed Arkansas... in fact, the beat down just keeps getting worse. Bret is so desperate to beat Gus that he gets in his own head and craps the bed. This year, Auburn could very well have the best team Bret has faced. I don't see it as a trap in the slightest. I get what you're saying and I agree. But I think this particular case it is listed as a trap game because it is sandwiched between LSU and a bye week leading up to TAMU and UGA in b2b weeks. But I think it's annual trap game listing is a product of Tuberville era Arky game PTSD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionheartkc 6,150 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 4 minutes ago, Tiger said: I get what you're saying and I agree. But I think this particular case it is listed as a trap game because it is sandwiched between LSU and a bye week leading up to TAMU and UGA in b2b weeks. But I think it's annual trap game listing is a product of Tuberville era Arky game PTSD Actually, it's the Chizik era. Arky owned us when Chizik was coach... under ever other coach, we beat them far more often than they beat us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abw0004 10,110 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 I am surprised no one has said "Every game is a must-win game next season for Gus." Some people are slacking after football season is over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFDTiger80 790 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 There cannot be a bigger must win for AU than UGA next year. They have had our number for a while now and we really need to reverse this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaker 2,457 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Must win: UGA for all the reasons mentioned above and because we had a failed O plan knowing S White was not close to 100%. Outcoached. If we lose to UGA this year, we will likely lose the next one. That would be 0-8 against those 2 over the past 4 years....let's just change subjects. No need for that garbage on this site. ARK could be harder than most want to admit. 1. They have a great W-L record at home. 2.That is our 5th SEC game in a row - no off week since 9/2 (8 weeks). 3. We will be bruised and have a couple of injuries after 8 weeks and physical games just prior like Ole Miss and LSU. It's more than Gus' record vs Belliema, but we should be ok I agree. They did sign 2 impact 4* JUCO players on O, a TE and a 6' 4" WR. And Ark just gave up after the first QTR last yr - they weren't that bad (and we weren't as good as the score indicated). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUld fAUx@ 2,584 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 8 hours ago, aubiefifty said: ...between a daunting road trip to LSU and ... 2 hours ago, Tiger said: ...sandwiched between LSU and a bye week leading up to TAMU and UGA in b2b weeks.... 21 minutes ago, Beaker said: ...That is our 5th SEC game in a row - no off week since 9/2 (8 weeks). 3. We will be bruised and have a couple of injuries after 8 weeks and physical games just prior like Ole Miss and LSU.... Arkie could well catch us looking ahead to bye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionheartkc 6,150 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 4 minutes ago, AUinTLoosa said: Arkie could well catch us looking ahead to bye Bye is a heck of an opponent. Our guys never seem to put their full effort on the Saturdays that they face bye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarTiger 3,901 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 I can't stand the term trap game and as far as I'm concerned there's no such thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUwent 3,747 Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 38 minutes ago, AUinTLoosa said: Arkie could well catch us looking ahead to bye Luckily, they'll be coming off UAT to neutralize us off LSU. Thanks 'Bama? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUIH1 1,515 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Trap game is BS. Trap game means we lose to a team that we are better than but the team is in the SEC. Gus has not earned the luxury of losing a trap game. Must win is uga. wde Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn2Eugene 2,317 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 8 hours ago, Win4AU said: Must Win: UGA - at home. LSU would be my second but as we saw in 2013 there is time to recover. Gus at LSU hasn't gone well since 2009. Trap - Miss State. Even though it's at home this game is always the make or break game in a season. Last year Auburn rolled and that kick started the win streak. Years Auburn loses this game usually go badly. Not this season there isn't. LSU isn't on the early schedule like in years past. This upcoming season, LSU is game 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerOne 1,140 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 the first game is a must win. Gus has zero excuses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn2Eugene 2,317 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 First game we will hopefully win by 60. Game 2 is what has me worried... @TigerOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehighfan 1,240 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 4 hours ago, abw0004 said: I am surprised no one has said "Every game is a must-win game next season for Gus." Some people are slacking after football season is over! OK, I'll say it. Every game is a must win this season. Just ask Gus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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