Auburn is not the only SEC team who has had a miracle season.
Just one season after going 5-7 overall and 2-6 in their first season of SEC play, the Missouri Tigers are 11-1 and seeking their first SEC Championship.
"I think what (Auburn's players) did is they probably did the same thing we did," said linebacker Donovan Bonner. "After a tough season, you grab a group of guys and you set goals.
Seniors get together and set goals about how you want the team to do and where you want the team to go. They trusted in our coaching staff and they got back to work," he said.
Led by head coach Gary Pinkel in his 13th year, Missouri has only lost one game, a heartbreaker in double-over- time to South Carolina.
Missouri has avenged losses from last year against Georgia, Vanderbilt, Florida and Tennessee.
The Tigers have won nine of their 11 games by at least two touchdowns, including a 31-point victory over Kentucky.
Missouri has a potent offense, with quarterback James Franklin having several tall options to throw the ball to.
While missing four games due to injury, including Mizzou's only loss, Franklin has had an impressive final season in Columbia.
"It's pretty exciting to me to be able to be at this point and be able to come back this season and to have some success," Franklin said earlier this week.
"I'm just really thankful for it. "I'm glad that I did go through the things that I did, and it's helped me out a lot with my perspective and perception on some things.
Franklin has thrown the ball for 1,952 yards, 16 touch- downs and only four interceptions this season.
On the ground, Missouri comes in at No. 17 in the nation in rushing yards, accumulating 2,843 yards behind the dual ground attack of Franklin and running back Henry Josey.
Josey has a had a solid year for Missouri, rushing the ball 153 times for 951 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also has nine completions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
One of Missouri's most dangerous offensive weapons is their utilization of two tall wide receivers.
"(Our receivers) were doubted a little bit, but whenever you have a quarterback and a hefty offensive line, you can do tremendous things," said receiver LaDamian Washington.
Washington is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior, and has so far caught the ball 44 times for 824 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Complementing Washington is sophomore Dorial Green-Beckham.
Coming in at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, Green-Beckham's size makes it incredibly difficult for opponents to keep the ball from. Green-Beckham has 49 receptions for 686 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Scoring hasn't been an issue for Missouri this year, with the Tigers winning nine of their games by at least 14 points.
The only two close games that Missouri has played this year was in their loss to South Carolina, and to a thrilling 28- 21 victory against Texas A&M at Faurot Field.
The Tigers are currently tied for 13th in scoring with Boise State, with 465 points scored this season.
Defensively, the Tigers main threat is senior defensive end Michael Sam. Sam was awarded the team MVP recently, and leads the SEC with 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.
Sam will tie the Missouri single-season sacks record with one more sack, with Aldon Smith's total sacks coming to 19 in 2009.
Missouri will likely try to pick on Auburn's smaller defensive backs, while Auburn's running game will stick to the plan and gash Missouri's defense as it has done all year.
While Missouri is ranked No. 40 in passing yards, Auburn comes in No. 105 with an average of 172.8 yards per game.
In rushing, however, Auburn is No. 5 nationally, averaging 318.3 yards a game, while Missouri is No. 17.
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