It's an offensive attack that has left defensive coordinators frustrated, national analysts astonished and, most recently, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel speechless at the SEC Championship Game podium.
Yet with all of Auburn's success on the ground this season, the Tigers know there is still doubt surrounding them ahead of their matchup with No. 1 Florida State.
And they are feeding off of that doubt.
"People say we were just lucky, and we rushed for 323 yards against Georgia," junior center Reese Dismukes said Saturday at Auburn's BCS National Championship Media Day session. "They said we were just a lucky team heading into Alabama, and we rushed for 296 against them."
Dismukes, the leader of an offensive line that has paved the way for the nation's best rushing offense, sighed and propped his chin on his hand.
"People are going to say what they want to say. We're going to have the throw the ball at some point, but we're going to run the ball a lot, too. It's as simple as that."
Florida State will enter the Rose Bowl Stadium with one of the nation's best defenses from a statistical standpoint.
The Seminoles rank No. 3 in total defense and have only allowed five rushing touchdowns all season--just one more than running back Tre Mason had by himself against Missouri in Auburn's 59-42 SEC Championship Game victory.
"(Florida State's defensive players) are extremely fast and very dynamic across the board," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. "They get after you, and they recover better than anyone we've played...they really don't have any weaknesses. (Defensive coordinator) Jeremy (Pruitt) does a great job with the scheme, and we're going to have to play our best game by far."
That "best game" will have to come after a record-shattering performance against one of the nation's top front sevens.
The last time they took the field, the Tigers racked up rushing yards against Missouri at a video game-like pace.
When the confetti fell at the Georgia Dome, Auburn had a record-breaking 545 yards on the ground against the SEC's No. 2-ranked rushing defense.
"All we heard of Missouri was, 'Well, they've got the best box that we're going to play. They've got one of the best run defenses--how are you going to run the ball?'" said junior tight end CJ Uzomah. "Honestly, I think our offensive line took that as an insult. It was a slap in the face to them. No one talked about them and how well they had been doing."
As a former running back-turned-defensive back, freshman Johnathan Ford knows where to point when asked about the key to Auburn's ground attack.
"It's the front line," Ford said. "I give the credit to those guys. They push themselves in practice and keep us all going."
The key to Auburn's running back success this season has not just limited to Dismukes and the offensive line.
When Marshall, Mason or speedy running back Corey Grant bounce the run to the outside, Auburn's often-overlooked wide receivers become the difference makers.
"It's amazing to go out there and show that I can actually block and not just run down the field," said sophomore wide receiver Sammie Coates. "I just do what I got to do to go out there and help the team win, whatever it takes--it doesn't matter if it's knocking a guy on his back or running down field for a touchdown pass."
For several of Auburn's players, the SEC Championship Game performance was a testament to the offense's attitude from the entire season--one that they will carry into Monday's game against the favored Seminoles.
"We're the underdogs," said junior quarterback Nick Marshall. "We love being the underdogs. We just go out there and prove our point."
As Marshall's top backfield partner, Mason knows that the Tigers will not divert too much from their tried-and-true rushing attack, even against a team that has had great success in keeping opposing backs out of their end zone.
"We're going to keep doing what we're doing," Mason said. "People have doubted us all year, saying we couldn't run on certain teams. We ignore it. We're going to find a way to execute our offense.
"I don't care if you put 13 people on the field--we're going to find a way to get it done."
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