KICKOFF: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 12/7/13
SITE: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV: CBS
SERIES: Missouri is 1-0 against Auburn (34-17 in the 1973 Sun Bowl)
BCS RANKINGS: Auburn 3rd, Missouri 5th
(All Five of Lindy’s college football pickers like Auburn to win)
KEYS TO THE GAME
A few days away from the most improbable game in a most improbable season, Gary Pinkel said “it’s business as usual” for his fifth-ranked Missouri Tigers (11-1, 7-1 SEC).
Missouri faces third-ranked Auburn (11-1, 7-1) in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta on Saturday. It’s the Tigers’ third conference championship game appearance since 2007. Missouri went to the Big 12 championship game in 2007 and 2008.
But with a completely different team in a completely different conference, Pinkel said they’re preparing for Saturday like any other game.
“I think it’s real important that, obviously with all the things that are happening, the task that you have is to stay focused,” Pinkel said, “and prepare so you can play your best football game.”
Missouri’s done plenty of that this season, after suffering through a 5-7 2012 campaign which included a 2-6 conference mark in its first year in the SEC. This offseason, Pinkel said the team didn’t panic about one down year, and his seniors helped re-establish lofty standards.
“A couple of the captains stood up in front of the team,” Pinkel said, “and talked about standards for championships. We’d won three divisional championships, played in two championship games in the Big 12, and that’s what the goal should be.
“That’s THE goal.”
To reach that goal of a conference championship, Missouri has to get past Auburn, a team very similar in more than name. Both Tigers have overcome a down 2012 team to rebound spectacularly in 2013. Both Tigers came up with a close win in their most meaningful game of the season — Missouri beat Texas A&M 28-21 to advance to Atlanta and Auburn beat Alabama on a missed FG returned for a touchdown, both games occurring last Saturday.
Auburn, however, is a new challenge for Missouri with first-year head coach Gus Malzahn’s option-run attack. Led by QB Nick Marshall and a trio of running backs (mainly Tre Mason), those Tigers lead the SEC in rushing by nearly 100 yards over the second-place team — Missouri.
“They run forms of the triple-option and wishbone,” Pinkel said. “But they do it different ways, but it it’s the same principles in a lot of respects. They have a great offensive scheme and are very good at it. Then when you have talented tailbacks, which they do, some great players there, a great quarterback, they present a lot of problems.
“My point is I think what you do is you have to contain it. That’s the best you can (do).”
Pinkel said his defense will have to play “assignment” football, focusing on technique and responsibilities rather than always going for the big play. In a way, the gameplan for Auburn mirrors Missouri’s 2013 turnaround.
Don’t panic. Focus on each assignment, each game. A renewed emphasis on the small-stuff turned into big rewards.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Pinkel said. “You’ve got to go play. I can’t do anything more than that. You’ve got to go play and take care of your business.
“Can’t do anything more than that.”
The matchup itself is improbable — the teams were a combined 2-14 in SEC play a year ago, then went 14-2 this year to mark the greatest single-season turnarounds in conference history.
“We’re a team of destiny,” Auburn special teams hero Chris Davis said after his 109-yard missed-field-goal return with no time left on the clock that beat No. 1 Alabama, 34-28, in the Iron Bowl this past Saturday — one of the craziest, most dramatic endings in college football history.
Three weeks ago, Auburn’s season was all but dead against Georgia, facing a 4th-and-18 from its own 27-yard line with 28 seconds remaining and behind, 38-37. But when Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall’s 73-yard heave to receiver Ricardo Louis was tipped by two Georgia defensive backs and into Louis’ arms for the game-winning score, “The Prayer at Jordan-Hare” was born.
It was called the greatest game in the history of the oldest rivalry in college football.
Then two weeks later, Auburn somehow topped it.
And Pinkel, like everyone else, hears the talk that Auburn looks like a freight train that can’t be slowed down.
“Good teams find ways to win games. That’s what they’re doing. It’s great (to watch) and they deserve all the accolades they’re getting,” Pinkel said when asked about Auburn being called a team of destiny. “We’re going to focus on Missouri.”
They’d better focus on Auburn’s SEC-best rushing attack, which gutted Alabama’s Top 10-ranked rushing defense for 296 yards last week, including 146 from Tre Mason and 99 from Marshall.
If not, Auburn may just run wild on Missouri and straight to the BCS … Well, actually, that part’s still not clear.
“I’m really not worried about our team at all in that area,” said Malzahn about the rampant speculation that Auburn could jump undefeated, No. 2 Ohio State in the final BCS poll and play for the national title if the Tigers — who last won the SEC crown in 2010 — beat Missouri, which is only in its second season as a member of the conference, convincingly Saturday.
“This game is big enough. We are playing for the SEC Championship, so they are going to be focused on that. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Malzahn added. “We’ll worry about all of that afterward and see what happens.”
The good news for Auburn? The Buckeyes could lose to a super-tough No. 10 Michigan State team Saturday in the Big Ten Championship game and easily settle the debate if the Tigers beat Missouri.
The bad news for Auburn? If both teams win, what Auburn fans are hoping for — a one-loss team playing for the title over a perfect program — has simply never happened in major college football.
Then again, nothing about Auburn’s season lately has been the norm.
“God is good. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Davis said. “(We’re) a team that’s determined. We won’t take no for an answer.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Missouri
–QB James Franklin showed that the rust against Mississippi wouldn’t linger against Texas A&M. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and made a number of deep passes to alleviate any concerns about his healed right shoulder. QB Maty Mauk will likely continue to get a series of playing time in the first half, and he’ll be ready to enter should anything happen to Franklin.
–S Duron Singleton remains questionable with a hip injury. Gary Pinkel said it’s “possible” that he plays this week. Singleton is Missouri’s back-up nickelback when they use a five defensive back look.
–PK Andrew Baggett missed another field goal against Texas A&M, making him 6-for-11 this season. Since he made all five field goal attempts against Florida on Oct. 19, Baggett has gone 3-for-7. It’s putting Gary Pinkel in an interesting situation, as Missouri now will keep the offense on the field in some medium-to-long field goal situations.
Auburn
–Senior CB/KR Chris Davis. Everyone on The Plains hopes Davis can somehow one-up his 109-yard, heroic Iron Bowl return that propelled the Tigers into the SEC Championship game. Maybe this time Davis, who received a standing ovation when he walked into his Geology class Monday at Auburn, will save a baby from a burning building at halftime and get back in time to return the kickoff, or catch a falling fan — and intercept a pass at the same time. Whatever Davis has in store next, you better believe it will be electric. After all, last Saturday against Alabama was far from Davis’ coming out party. He already leads the team in tackles with 65 and pass breakups with 12 and he returned a punt earlier this season to help begin the rout against Tennessee.
–Senior DE Dee Ford. Ford is a game-changer for the Auburn defense when he’s on the field, and opposing offenses have to account for him on every down. Ford’s fourth in the SEC with 8 sacks, and he’s a consummate quarterback stalker, accounting for a team-best 16 hurries this season and 12 tackles for loss. Ford will arguably face his toughest test of the season when he faces Missouri’s James Franklin (1,952 passing yards, 412 rushing), a dual-threat quarterback who — outside of reigning Heisman winner Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M, which the Tigers already beat — will arguably be tougher than any other quarterback Auburn’s defense has faced this season.
–Junior RB Corey Grant. It’s easy to put SEC-leading rusher Tre Mason (1,317 yards, 18 TDs) up here every week, but as fast as Auburn likely plans to play against Missouri in the conference title game Saturday, Mason will need someone to spell him at times. Grant and junior Cameron Artis-Payne have split time in relief of Mason, but after four runs for 28 yards — including a long of 16 — in the win against Alabama, Grant may have emerged as the go-to backup. He is now the Tigers’ third-leading rusher with 585 yards and 5 touchdowns.