Has it all been a dream?
Could all this really be happening?
For an entire half last Friday, it all seemed to be crashing down.
It seemed we were about to be awakened from the euphoria we've been sharing since early September.
Our small orange-and-blue section seemed to be drowning in a crimson tidal wave.
Just when it seemed we could hold our breath no longer, we broke the surface.
Cam hit Emory for six, and the comeback was on.
When the clock hit zero, we were still dreaming. Still believing. We were still, unequivocally, All In.
It would be impossible for anyone to deny that something special has happened in Auburn this year.
Few at the beginning of the season said we would be sitting in this position.
And yet, here we are--60 minutes away from the most glorious stage in the game of college football.
We have climbed every hurdle, defied every odd and silenced every speculation with an on-field performance even Thayer Evans cannot deny.
We have been great.
While the country may believe we only have a one man team, we know that this is simply not so.
Controversy or not, Cam is the best player in college football. There is no denying it.
Without him, a convincing argument could be made that a few tallies would have been added to the loss column. But for the naysayers who shout this argument, the counterargument is simple. Even if he is the entire team, he is on our team. We have him, you wish you had him, and now we're going to beat you for offending our sensibilities.
Of course, for those of us who have watched this team week after week, we know that Cam is only one piece of this larger puzzle of greatness.
Without an outstanding front five, he would not have the holes to explode through. Without Dyer, Onterio and Mario, crucial plays would never have come to be. Without a receiving core who could snatch a shooting star out of the air, he would have no one to throw to. And for all of their faults, coach Roof's defense has come up with every stop it's needed when the game was on the line.
The 11 men on either side of the ball are not the only ones who play the game of football.
The game is played every day, every hour, every second, in the hearts and minds of this campus, this family.
While the team has played great, the community has upheld its highest standards as well. We've showed up earlier, screamed louder, and celebrated longer and harder than we ever have before.
Through it all, this is what we have become now more than ever--a family.
We've leaned on each other when we were not strong.
We've slapped high fives when we were the strongest.
Saturday, we will undoubtedly do both.
If the past 12 games have been any indication, there will be perilous moments.
It is in these moments, however, when we will lean.
We will lean on one another and see it through.
And when the clock strikes zero, we will once again emerge victorious and prepare for a journey west to show the country exactly how high a War Eagle can fly, how loud a Tiger can roar.
Saturday we will once again show we are here to conquer.
Yielding never crossed our minds.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
