There was no miracle to save Auburn against Georgia in 2014.
The Tigers' 34-7 loss in Sanford Stadium eliminated the reigning SEC Champions from both the SEC West title race and almost certainly the College Football Playoff.
Auburn's preseason dreams of being "13 seconds better" and bringing home a national title were resoundingly crushed under the rushing attack of Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb.
As those title aspirations finally slipped from their hands, head coach Gus Malzahn could feel little else than overall disappointment as he exited Sanford Stadium Saturday night.
"The thing about Auburn and why I am here, we're going to have high expectations," Malzahn said. "You're disappointed when you don't reach some of your goals, but that's part of it. We're always going to have high expectations. Sometimes you're going to meet them and sometimes you're not."
Even though Auburn had lost twice already this season, this loss broke the mold for a team that has become known for fighting through adverse situations.
"All of them are hard," defensive lineman Gabe Wright said. "This one is a little different because we physically, mentally and emotionally just really got our butts whooped."
Malzahn said there was little Auburn could do after the game other than to regroup, dust themselves off and find a way to move forward.
"We've got to be big boys," Malzahn said. "We got it handed to us tonight. That's uncharacteristic so we have to bounce back."
A key to that improvement, according to Malzahn, is the Tigers' upperclassmen, such as Wright and running back Cameron Artis-Payne.
"We've got a lot of seniors that have a lot of character," Malzahn said. "I definitely expect these guys to bounce back."
For Artis-Payne, the loss puts extra emphasis on the final two games and whatever bowl game the Tigers land in.
"Disappointment, of course, but we still have games left and we have to refocus even though we're disappointed and get back to try to win our last two," Artis-Payne said.
Wright said that though the team's major goals have been lost, the team still has a lot to play for this season.
"We may be out of the playoff race, but in all actuality there is still so much to play for," Wright said. "The playoff and the national championship are the biggest, and our goal is the SEC Championship, but at the same time we can't get caught up and let one loss turn into another loss."
With Auburn's defense reeling in the second half of the season, Wright said he hoped fans would appreciate the strengths of this team, even if he could admit the drastic turn the defense took in the middle of the year.
"After losing like this, it's hard to talk about mental toughness and the attributes and strengths of a team," Wright said. "This team has been through a lot. I'm not going to lie to you."
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