Possumblog

AND Speaking of Football...

...I ALSO have to go ahead today and give you the Super Duper Possumblog Sports Center Presentation that was scheduled for tomorrow!

Making it a day earlier like this is BOUND to make it less accurate when it comes time to predict the score, but you're just gonna have to deal with it.

MUCH LIKE YOUR BELOVED AUBURN TIGERS will have to deal with yet another bunch of ugly slobbering bulldogs this weekend as they invite The University of Georgia to the Plains in order to beat upon them and squirt them with garden hoses!

Yes, that's right--The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry^tm heads into its 110th episode Saturday with a Tiger team seeming to be a bit put out with itself as it has struggled with miscues and bobbles, even as it has worked its way to a darned-fine-in-anyone's-book 9-1 season. The frustrations of last week's win over the Arkansastate Indians might finally be a signal to the Plainsmen that it's time to fix what needs fixing, and start playing like the good strong team they are.

Defensively, there's not much more they can do, but offensively there has to be more lightning than just being able to march up and down betwixt the 20s. Thankfully, most everyone is healthyish, so with some effort and concentration from the younger players and some hiney-chewing by the coaching staff, this might be the week when things all work together.

And they'll need all they can get, because the Dogs, although seeming to struggle with a 6-4 record (3-4 SEC) and wondering how they could lose to both Vanderbilt AND Kentucky in the same season, are still a fundamentally sound team, with the ability to beat the living daylights out of anyone if THEY are working at full speed. The question is if they'll be able to gather up the necessary gumption to come into Jordan-Hare and lay it out there. I think they probably will--this is a chance for them to get some redemption after their embarrassments and Auburn is their last conference game (their last game of the season being against in-state rival Georgia Tech), and so I think they'll be screwed together pretty tightly.

Will it matter? I don't think so. They've got a young--if talented--QB and Auburn has demonstrated they know how to deal with such things pretty well. And, let's face it--no matter how good they CAN be, they haven't been good when they NEEDED to be. The only thing is that Auburn's offense has also suffered greatly at the hands of opposing defenders, which sounds at though this one has the potential to be another tight, low-scoring affair similar to the LSU game. History is also on the side of a close contest, so it very well could go that way.

UNLESS the aforementioned efforts at meanness by the coaching staff have been taken to heart by the Gentlemen in Orange. If the Tiger offense can get going, it could be an ugly one for the Bulldogs. But that's only fair since bulldogs are ugly themselves. And slobbery.

As for cheerleaders, this one is just too lame to even worry about. Auburn's website is still lackluster, and Georgia's site is even worse. How these teams manage to win ANY games is just beyond me.

Speaking of team-spirit related things, one item of note is that Auburn's golden eagle Tiger, who has served as War Eagle VI for the past 20 years, will be retiring after Saturday's game.

A beautiful sight, even if you're not an Auburn fan.

War Eagle VII will be Nova, a mere pup of a bird at only six years old. Spirit, an 11-year-old bald eagle, also will continue to make pre-game flights. In addition, a new tradition will be started at the Georgia game of releasing fifteen hungry wild tigers into the opposing team's seating section just prior to kickoff. Should be exciting!

ANYWAY, now that we've dispensed with all that circular logic and faulty reasoning, it's time for the part of the show that you've all said is your most favorite! (That is, if anyone ever took the time to write and say so. Lacking that, I'm extrapolating by the absence of hate mail that this is the most favorite feature.) ANYWAY, the PREDICTION OF FINAL SCORE!!

Given my reading of the tea leaves and the shape of my head, I predict the final score will be...








AUBURN 23 -- GEORGIA 17

Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Central, and the game will be "covered" by stations of the Lincoln Financial Sports Network, who remind you of just how bad televised sports can be, and by the Auburn Radio Network.

BUT WAIT, THAT'S NOT ALL!!

It's that time again! We've taken this opportunity for the past weeks to salute and highlight the fine scholar-athletes of Auburn University by awarding one deserving and lucky student with the title of Possumblog Student Athlete of the Week, and this week is NO EXCEPTION!

This week's honoree is none other than golfing phenom Mariana Macias, a sophomore International Business major who comes to the Plains from Margarita Salas High School in Madrid, Spain, where apparently all young women are required to look like Penelope Cruz. A Top Tiger in the classroom (maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA), she was also listed on the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. AND since we've mentioned Tiger, here are Mariana and Tiger having a chat about golf.

CONGRATULATIONS on this high honor, Mariana, as the PSAotW!

Posted by Terry Oglesby at November 9, 2006 12:52 PM