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A spirit that is not afraid

SEC Nation arrives in Auburn for week three

Fans gather behind the set of SEC Nation in Auburn on Friday.
Fans gather behind the set of SEC Nation in Auburn on Friday.

Ahead of Auburn football hosting Penn State this Saturday, the SEC Nation rolled into the Plains to highlight the game. 

A southeastern spinoff of ESPN’s College Gameday, the SEC Nation crew travels to what they determine as they biggest game in the SEC each week to showcase the campuses and preview games. The crew is also joined by Marty Smith and Ryan McGee, who open Saturday mornings with a segment on southern culture and college football. 

The show features Tim Tebow, Laura Rutledge, Paul Finebuam, Roman Harper and Jordan Rogers. 

Selecting Auburn for its week three location, the crew arrived Friday to begin filming The Finebaum Show, which hosts guests like Harper, Rodgers, local media and head coach Bryan Harsin. 

On Saturday, sponsors like Gatorade, Bush’s, Dr. Pepper and Academy will be on site, hosting giveaways and games for fans to experience during the show. Fans are allowed to hang out before the game, participating in the various activities and listening to the show as it airs. 

Rogers and Harper were available to for interviews Friday between their television appearances, providing commentary on their expectations for both Auburn and Penn State’s performances. 

Harper was a safety when he played football, playing professionally with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers after four years at the University of Alabama. Playing in the state’s rivalry game has given him a taste for what Penn State can expect to deal with. 

“I’ve been in the stadium. I know how loud it gets. It’s going to take a complete effort from the stadium, not just offense, defense and special teams,” said Harper. “Especially when the defense is on the field, Penn State is trying to get their communication and things like that…That’s going to be the advantage if I’m looking at it from Auburn’s perspective.”

While in the NFL, Rodgers was a quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, playing college ball at Butte College and later Vanderbilt University. He focused on both T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford’s need for improvement if Auburn is to reach full potential. 

“I think It’s going to help Robby to be able to come in and have a smaller package of plays and develop as a passer and use his athleticism,” said Rodgers. “T.J., I think, as well, needs to develop as a passer…As a whole, I think this offense needs to rally around Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter. They’ve got to be a downhill running attack.”

Marty and McGee will air at 8 a.m. with SEC Nation following immediately afterwards at 9 a.m. CST, broadcast on the SEC Network. Auburn will kick off its game at 2:30 p.m. CST, airing on CBS. 


Callie Stanford | Sports Editor

Callie Stanford, junior in communications, is the sports editor at the Auburn Plainsman. Currently a junior, she has been with The Plainsman since January 2021.

Twitter: @Stanford1Callie


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