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A spirit that is not afraid

Football notebook: Top-10 test in The Swamp should show Auburn's true colors

<p>Bo Nix, Joey Gatewood and Gus Malzahn walk the field prior to Auburn vs. Mississippi State, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.</p>

Bo Nix, Joey Gatewood and Gus Malzahn walk the field prior to Auburn vs. Mississippi State, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

In this week's Auburn football notebook, sports writer Harrison Tarr opines on the Tigers' top-10 showdown with Florida this weekend.

In Auburn, Alabama, rolling Toomer’s Corner has been a weekly occurrence throughout the first five weeks of the college football season. After an impressive 56-23 win over Mississippi State last weekend, Gus Malzahn and his Tigers are 5-0, they have outscored their opponents 190-86, and true freshman quarterback Bo Nix appears to be improving every single game. 

So what does Auburn have to do to make the experts buy into their own hype and to keep their Playoff dreams alive? 

In short: find a way to win this weekend in Gainesville.

Auburn has played, and beaten, two ranked teams already this season. Of the seven remaining teams on their schedule, four of them are ranked. The most absurd part of the whole deal? This weekend’s opponent, Florida, is the lowest ranked of those four teams. And the Gators are No. 10.

This makes the Tigers’ battle in The Swamp a golden opportunity because, given the caliber of teams they’ve already had to play, heading into a bye week at 6-0 gives Malzahn and his team a much more forgiving road to a top-tier bowl — or better.

Should Auburn win Saturday, it is not unreasonable to believe that they do not have to win out against LSU, Georgia and Alabama to make the Playoff.

If the Gators hand Auburn its first loss of the season, the battle shifts uphill. The Tigers would then find themselves in a position where they more than likely have to go into the LSU game, on the road and win, something they have not been able to do since 1999.

This weekend’s showdown is one that should be important in the minds of the Auburn faithful. It is unlikely to dictate the outcome of the Tigers’ season; however, if Malzahn and company want to make things any easier on themselves, they’ll need to bring their A-game.


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