When is a win not a win?

[Raven_tiger 5]

Does anyone still think that we shouldn't have punched in another TD??? Or played soft zone and allowed Bama to cut the lead to 8 pts. Obviously the voters felt that the Iron Bowl win was less than impressive. Don't get me wrong, thanks for the win. I believe that it should have been at least a 22 pt victory (28-6), and so did the voters. Barring losses by SC or OU we will be on the outside looking in at the MNC game. Style points DO count.

[autiger6 0]

I will say that if we would have put 40 pts on the board we may had had some voters look closer at us. I think most voters didn't even care what the score was they were going to count us #3 regardless of how close the game was. It just boils down to a popularity contest more then anything. If they were to wait until October to release the first polls it would make more since due to the so called destiny teams. Screw the BCS we know who the best team is and if we finish the season at 13-0 it isn't against the law to claim our stake of the championship. I could handle being state champs and SEC champs leaving a dark spot on the future of the BCS. The thing that is bad if we would have played a UAB or someone else instead of the Citadel and that could have made the difference. To be honest if this is a team of destiny then things will work themselves out and if it is meant to be it is meant to be. Higher powers control these things anyway.

[StatTiger 3,188]

The game is over and nothing you or I say will change the outcome of the 2004 Iron Bowl. Did the play calling in the end cost us "style" points? Perhaps but the main objective was accomplished. Coach Tuberville, his staff and the players main goal is to do what they have to do within the rules to win the game and they have accomplished this goal 11 of 11 times. Raven, I want a MNC as much as you but only one team can win it per year for the most part. Tuberville pointed out the fact that no team went undefeated last year and our players should be proud of themselves for posting a 11-0 record thus far.

As a long time Auburn man, I have seen the ups and downs of Auburn football and cherish the moments when we shine. For me, I've enjoyed the effort and dedication that our coaches and players have given for such a wondeful season. If we become picky about how we win, than where do we draw the line?

I'm not questioning your opinion or loyalty to Auburn nor am I saying that you are wrong. Opinions are never wrong, just not the same. I do realize that this might be the only chance or the best chance of us winning the MNC under Tuberville but I don't think it's fair to criticize this team or coaches after going 11-0. Even if we finish #2 in the country, there will be 115 other teams who would have enjoyed our season. I also believe that this team has proven they can beat ANYONE in the country and I don't need a poll to tell me otherwise.

Again, you are probably correct that our "calling off the dogs" may have hurt our positioning in the BCS but it's great to be where were are right now. For the past three weeks, we have heard many on ESPN, CBS and ABC arguing that Auburn is one of the best teams in the county and we are just as good as USC or Oklahoma. My fellow Auburn supporter, WE HAVE ARRIVED and Tommy Tuberville has delivered...

WDE and Beat Tennessee!!!

[auskull 239]

Maybe now we will take a closer look at the schedule and play some decent teams. Wev'e all talked about the weak schedule and the need to play somebody nationally. USC hurt but we were not a very good team then either. I say schedule somebody, anybody from the Big 12 north Division. Then we can get one of those quality wins from a 4-7 or 6-5 team.

[AUTaxMan 0]

CTT is doing what he is paid to do - win football games. He is not paid to win with style. He cannot control the system. When such things are out of our hands, all we can do is be proud of the job he has done and reward him for it.

[CarolinaTiger 0]

Maybe now we will take a closer look at the schedule and play some decent teams.

124952[/snapback]

i agree...yet we tried it last season without much success... add two patsies in the place of USC & GaTech last year and we're approaching a 10-win season...i know, hard to tell.

YET, who knew playing & beating an alabama team at their place when they're bowl bound would end up hurting us in the eyes of the pollsters.

[Ranger12 46]

About the schedule thing, let's not forget that Bowling Green jumped ship on us and went to OU, which would have made our strength of schedule much better and OU's not so tough. However, as I have said time and again, no use of worrying about polls, because nobody can control them except the voters. There is plenty of things that can happen between now and Dec. 5th. We are griping about getting shafted in the polls, but we have not finished our season yet. I think it makes more sense to do any necessary griping after Dec. 4th, because right now anything can happen between now and that BCS poll that will come out on Dec. 5th. By complaining about it, we are assuming that OU, USC, and our guys are going to win out. We all not what assumptions make out us, right? Why stress over something that is not completed yet? Instead of being presumptious, let's wait and see what happens after Dec. 4th, shall we. No matter what happens, CTT, the coaching staff, and the players have gave us one hell of a season and to complain that we did not win big enough, while going to 11-0, well it smacks of OU, Nebraska, Miami's style of fans. We are the Auburn Nation and we are better then that!!! I am now off my soapbox!

WAR EAGLE!!!

[Apraser99 168]

As it stands right now, AU's opponents have a worse record than OU and USC. We have only played 4 teams with winning records. I surely hope we handle UT easily in the SECCG and the voters look favorably on us. If we beat UT but don't get help from the voters, we will be on the outside looking in. The best we could probably get is a split of the MNC. All this assuming USC and OU win out......WAR EAGLE AND GO IRISH!

[eagle76 1]

A win is always a win..............

This crap about style points is just that ----- crap.

We won THE game against our most hated rival and we did it with class. No need to run up the score. If not running up the score on uat or any other rival costs us a mnc then so be it. We are still AUBURN and we won and will continue winning with class. We can and will always be proud of this team and staff.

Now our brethren across state will take exception to us being able to run the score up on them, but we all know that CTT pulled in the reigns the 4th qtr - he knew our "D" would not let us down. He has done this in every game !!!! This is class.

It's not how much you win by but how you win.

[TexasTiger 13,026]

Does anyone still think that we shouldn't have punched in another TD??? Or played soft zone and allowed Bama to cut the lead to 8 pts. Obviously the voters felt that the Iron Bowl win was less than impressive. Don't get me wrong, thanks for the win. I believe that it should have been at least a 22 pt victory (28-6), and so did the voters. Barring losses by SC or OU we will be on the outside looking in at the MNC game. Style points DO count.

124941[/snapback]

28-6 would obviously have looked better and done more. But we only lost 5 points and picked up a couple of first-place votes. We need to spank the Vols pretty good and hope for the best.

[StatTiger 3,188]

A win is always a win..............

This crap about style points is just that ----- crap.

We won THE game against our most hated rival and we did it with class. No need to run up the score. If not running up the score on uat or any other rival costs us a mnc then so be it. We are still AUBURN and we won and will continue winning  with class. We can and will always be proud of this team and staff.

Now our brethren across state will take exception to us being able to run the score up on them, but we all know that CTT pulled in the reigns the 4th qtr - he knew our "D" would not let us down. He has done this in every game !!!! This is class.

It's not how much you win by but how you win.

124978[/snapback]

I might be going out on the limb here but I bet the majority of Alabama fans would take a 1-pt win over Auburn right now compared to an opportunity to run up the score in a loss.

[Raven_tiger 5]

A win is always a win..............

This crap about style points is just that ----- crap.

We won THE game against our most hated rival and we did it with class. No need to run up the score. If not running up the score on uat or any other rival costs us a mnc then so be it. We are still AUBURN and we won and will continue winning  with class. We can and will always be proud of this team and staff.

Now our brethren across state will take exception to us being able to run the score up on them, but we all know that CTT pulled in the reigns the 4th qtr - he knew our "D" would not let us down. He has done this in every game !!!! This is class.

It's not how much you win by but how you win.

124978[/snapback]

I might be going out on the limb here but I bet the majority of Alabama fans would take a 1-pt win over Auburn right now compared to an opportunity to run up the score in a loss.

124984[/snapback]

They seemed to enjoy that 31-7 win in Jordan Hare a few years back. It would not hurt my feelings to beat UAT by 24 pts. Especially with an AU team that is EASILY 24 pts better than UAT this year.

[StatTiger 3,188]

They seemed to enjoy that 31-7 win in Jordan Hare a few years back.  It would not hurt my feelings to beat UAT by 24 pts. Especially with an AU team that is EASILY 24 pts better than UAT this year.

124990[/snapback]

That's fine, let them enjoy that last victory, three years ago and I'll relax with Auburn's 3 in a row.

[AUesquire 1]

No team has or even would be able to run up "style points" against Alabama this year and chunking the ball around the field with a few minutes to go and up by 21-6 would be ridiculous. What if the ball bounced off a receivers hands again and they ran the other way? All of a sudden, we're fighting for our lives and possibly losing. How many would be saying, "It's alright, we needed an extra score to win over the voters. CTT was only doing what was in our best interest."

The chance to blow em' out was lost in the first half. The second half was about winning the game. WDE

[StatTiger 3,188]

The chance to blow em' out was lost in the first half.  The second half was about winning the game.  WDE

125017[/snapback]

[AURaptor 1,126]

The BcS was gonna look for ANY damn reason to keep Auburn down and out, regardless of the outcome. Bama had everything to play for and nothing to lose, at home. Auburn got in a hole early, and came back to dominate the game. THAT is the true mark of a champion.

Auburn is No. 1 .

End of discussion

[jared52 4,354]

A comeback by OU = Valliant effort

A comeback by AU = Show of weakness

That's the way it goes.

[PenguinAUB 0]

the voters for both polls suck

none of them realize how big an 8 point iron bowl win is

there is no way anyone can shut us out of a national chaampionship game

[Tigermike 3,054]

Oklahoma has ONE more first place vote than AUBURN. OKLAHOMA is 5 points ahead of AUBURN. IF AUBURN beats TENNESSEE in the SECC game, it would seem reasonable that AUBURN would receive several more first place votes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?poll=1

[cadillacattack 0]

When is an Auburn fan not really and Auburn fan?

[rexbo 104]

Oklahoma has ONE more first place vote than AUBURN.  OKLAHOMA is 5 points ahead of AUBURN.  IF AUBURN beats TENNESSEE in the SECC game, it would seem reasonable that AUBURN would receive several more first place votes. 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?poll=1

125071[/snapback]

Several more first place votes won't be nearly enough, Oklahoma is FIRST in the computer polls. Barely getting ahead of them in second place in the human polls is not going to get us a shot at the NC. We have lost control of the situation now, our only hope is that one of them loses or Oklahoma plays very, very poorly in their conference championship game.

[AUColorado 0]

What I don't understand is with so many close games and massive points scored on their D, OU wasn't ever penalized for a win. We were.

I just don't understand it!

[jaydubb121 22]

Oklahoma has ONE more first place vote than AUBURN.  OKLAHOMA is 5 points ahead of AUBURN.  IF AUBURN beats TENNESSEE in the SECC game, it would seem reasonable that AUBURN would receive several more first place votes. 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankings?poll=1

125071[/snapback]

Several more first place votes won't be nearly enough, Oklahoma is FIRST in the computer polls. Barely getting ahead of them in second place in the human polls is not going to get us a shot at the NC. We have lost control of the situation now, our only hope is that one of them loses or Oklahoma plays very, very poorly in their conference championship game.

125098[/snapback]

Here's a newsflash for ya. We never had control of the situation. So I don't see how we've lost control of anything. USC and OU started out #1 and #2. They havent lost. It's gonna be hard to top that unless one of them lose.

We should just win our game and let the polls fall where they may.

If we go 13-0 and don't have a piece of someone's MNC I'll be surprised.

[WarTim 3,457]

You are right as rain jaydubb. To say that we "lost control of our destiny" is to say that we ever had control. All these players and coaches have done is CONTROL what was in their power to control....WINNING Football games ! ! !

Please, resist the urge to say that we have done anything but our BEST all year.

My hat is off to these kids and the men that lead them.

It is GREAT to be an AUBURN TIGER....WAR EAGLE....Now and FOREVER.

[clantontiger 0]

The problem with this whole system is tha twe are fighting against last year. All the writers want the OU/USC match up. That is what they wanted last year and that is what they will try to do this year. We are fighting a popularity battle pure and simple. We will continue to be held to a higher standard than OU. They have played one though game all year. We need to win them all and stake our claim to the MNC.