The New and Improved College Football Playoff

It all started on a rainy day back in December of 2008. My dad and I were sitting around watching the early stages of college football bowl season. You know, the drudge matches between a 7-5 C-USA team and a 6-6 Big East champion (R.I.P., Big East).

As we watched the exceptional mediocrity unfold before our eyes, we began to wonder out loud whether or not the holiday season could be made even more exciting.

With at least four teams with legitimate championship potential (Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas), and a few others who could make some noise if given the chance(Southern Cal, Penn State, Utah, Texas Tech), we began thinking that maybe the BCS had already overstayed its welcome.

We decided amongst ourselves that change was needed. We started drawing up plans for a college football playoff.

What?! A playoff? In college football? Six years ago? I know, I know, we were clearly geniuses, way ahead of the times in which we lived.

We slaved over the coffee table in the den, taking notes on the top 25, conference champions and co-champions, for an entire afternoon.

We poured over endless pages of stats and records, racking the infinite wisdom of Dad’s brain and the thrilling creativity of mine to assemble the ultimate playoff system.

Needless to say, we succeeded.

Our playoff system was comprised of 28 teams, with spots reserved for all of the conference champions, a bye week for the number one seeds, and flawless recipe for awesomeness.

In our system, every conference was represented and given a fair chance, while other playoff-worthy teams (even though they weren’t necessarily conference champs) were also given a chance to make some noise.

Apart from our sand castles, this playoff system was easily our greatest creation.

Okay, maybe the sand castles were better. Those things were awesome.

Nevertheless, at the close of that fateful evening, we closed up shop and put the idea to rest, since neither of us knew the fax number for the NCAA’s headquarters.

Besides, the world wasn’t ready yet.

Now fast forward to December of 2012, exactly four years later. While I should have been studying for finals, I was combing through our old college football playoff notes.

After the LSU-Alabama national championship rematch fiasco of the previous year, rumors had begun to swirl around that the NCAA was trying to come up with some kind of playoff system for the FBS.

Just so I could compare whatever stupid idea they came up with against the genius of my father and me, I dug up our old system.

Yep, still brilliant.

But given the shift in the college football landscape since 2008, I made some changes. Mostly realigning the position of the conferences in the playoff, as well as tracking down the bowl games, all six billion of them.

And from there, I put the idea to rest again. Until now.

The first ever playoff in FBS history is almost upon us, and as we get wrapped up in the excitement and anticipation of this unprecedented next step, I would just like to say this: it could have been better.

Bear with me for a minute, ignoring all of the issues with money, player health, and logistics. Let’s indulge ourselves for now and imagine how awesome it would be to have a- wait for it... 32-team college football playoff.

Just let that sink in for a minute. In fact, look at this picture of my dog while you mull over how this could be possible.

Cute dog, huh? ... Oh, you’re ready? Great! Moving on.

Now I know some of you doubting Thomases are saying to yourselves, “That’s so stupid, Bobby, a 32-team playoff would never work. There’s just too much that could go wrong, the people in charge would have to change way too much. I don’t like change. I’m a square. Four teams is good enough.”

I hear you, doubters. And in return, you should hear me out. I think you’ll enjoy this.

Forget all of the football politics, and just pretend we live in a video game world in which players possess infinite stamina and could play 52 weeks of football a year, while fans and alumni have bottomless wallets, no jobs, and all the time in the world to travel to each game.

A 32-team playoff would be awesome. It would give every conference a chance to be king of the hill, while rewarding teams like 10-2 Mississippi State who didn’t win their conference.

Using a combination of my dad’s and my original notes, and the slight improvements I made to the plan in 2012, I’ve designed a template bracket for an FBS playoff.

As you can see, every conference is represented at least once.

But to make it simpler for those of you who hate pictures or have bad vision (I’m one of you, I know you’re out there), here are the main criteria for determining which teams make the bracket, and where they are seeded:

• All Power 5 conference champions are top seeds (four number one seeds and a number two seed)
• Any non-Power 5 conference champions can be no lower than number five seeds
• FBS Independent schools must finish with at least nine wins or in the Top 25 to make the bracket
• Fill out the rest of the bracket with Power 5 co-champions, the rest of the Top 25, and the best remaining teams with at least nine wins, starting with other co-champions

Following these simple steps, here’s what a bracket made from the current season would look like:

Pretty awesome, right? Just the first round alone would offer some thrilling and unique matchups.

When else will you get to see Marshall play Boise State? Or Southern Cal play Mississippi State?

And did you notice the conference representation? For all of you pro-SEC folks, this system has not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven- count ‘em, seven- SEC teams in the playoffs.

Unlike the short-minded four-team playoff system, our bracket doesn’t punish the SEC for being so good that it’s the only conference it’ll lose to.

You could even make certain matchups in the bracket existing bowl games. The only thing this playoff system has in common with the “real one” is that we would name the final three games after some of the marquee bowls.

See? Everybody’s happy.

All in all, this playoff system is better.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where people have jobs, players actually get tired and hurt, and guaranteed money speaks the loudest.

And I’m a realistic guy, I know that putting together a 32-team playoff in college football would be a logistical nightmare.

Trusting fans to travel to five playoff games after a whole regular season is risky. Two playoff games? Not so much.

But in a perfect world, this would be the perfect playoff system.

So you think this shiny, new, ice cream cone-shaped College Football Playoff is impressive? That’s nothing.

My dad and I had it figured out six years ago.

UAB's Story Is A Tragedy

They were just starting to become respectable.

They finished the regular season with a 6-6 mark, good enough for their first bowl bid since 2004, when they finished 7-4 through eleven games.

They played C-USA champion Marshall down to the wire at Legion Field, and turned in dominant wins over conference opponents North Texas and Southern Miss by a combined score of 101-45.

Sophomore tailback Jordan Howard finished second in the C-USA in rushing with 1587 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading the way for offensive production of 431 yards and 33 points per game.

For the first time in over ten years, UAB football was on the rise.

First year head coach Bill Clark, whose swift, astronomical rise through the coaching ranks landed him an FBS job not two years after being the defensive coordinator at South Alabama, had brought a renewed sense of energy and optimism to the Blazers’ program that had been absent for a decade.

Clark believed in his players, and they believed in him. It showed on the field, as the Blazers displayed the most toughness they had shown in recent memory.

Between 2005 and 2013, UAB never had a better season than 5-6. The Blazers went 2-10 and 3-9 more than once, and had nothing more to show from its football program than Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White.

But this year was different. UAB was competitive in its conference, and eligible for postseason play. The Blazers were on the rise, things were going to be different.

And the reward for players and coaches?

The green and gold rug being pulled from under their feet by school president Ray Watts and the University of Alabama Board of Trustees.

As most of the nation has been swept in the race for the College Football Playoff, one team is being completely dismantled and tossed aside.

A team who came together in a hopeless situation, under the lights of a decaying Legion Field, is now witnessing firsthand the demolition of the cause that assembled it to begin with.

And it’s sad.

There’s really nothing else that needs to be said about this horrible set of circumstances. What we’re witnessing in Birmingham, Alabama is nothing short of tragic.

And frankly, it’s not fair.

It isn’t fair to the players and the coaches who committed to the UAB football program in an attempt to make it better place than how they found it.

It isn’t fair to those 15,000 fans who braved the rotting corpse of Legion Field to see their Blazers do battle.

It’s not fair that this team, bowl eligible for the first time in over ten years, will not be able to participate in any postseason play. No bowl games want to get wrapped up in the controversy.

What we’re witnessing appears to be the culmination of twenty years’ worth of attempts by Alabama’s board of trustees to squash any football program at UAB.

In the past, the board (which includes Paul Bryant Jr., son of legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant) has stonewalled attempts for the Blazers to cease playing in Legion Field, and they even prevented UAB from hiring Jimbo Fisher.

It’s a well-documented fact that the University of Alabama Board of Trustees has made it a nightmare for UAB to run a football program. And now, it seems, they’ve finally gotten their wish.

No more money flowing into a football program that is “not sustainable.”

The board of trustees is probably the most hated group of people in the state of Alabama right now, and Ray Watts isn’t viewed in a much more positive light.

Photo courtesy of AL.com

UAB football was shut down because as Watts claims, it was costing too much and not bringing in enough revenue. But do you know what does bring in revenue?

Bowl appearances. Do you know what could bring in more revenue?

Two bowl appearances in a row. And as the Blazers continue to make bowl games under Bill Clark, maybe even win a couple of them, a few more big-name recruits start taking a second look at UAB.

As the overall level of talent increases and the team improves, attendance numbers (or in financial terms, ticket sales) rise. Cha-ching, cha-ching, right?

And by all appearances, Clark had his Blazers headed in that direction. Who knows what would’ve happened in the next two to three years?

It could’ve been exactly the same as the past decade, but then again, what if it wasn’t?

Sadly, all we can do now is play the “what if” game.

There just had to be another way.

Call up former and current donors. Beg if you have to. I’m sure that through all of the donors and former athletes, president Watts could have scrounged up enough money to keep the program afloat.

He should have started by approaching Don Hire and Jimmy Filler, two very generous supporters of UAB who would have gladly done all they could to keep UAB football alive.

But he didn’t, and UAB football is dead.

You can’t help but feel sorry for those affected by this termination. Yes, the decision made was grounded in financial principle, but real human lives were greatly affected by one of the saddest stories in FBS history.

And they were headed bowling. Did it have to happen now?

Cornballer Bad Hands Play of the Week

Nothing went right for Arizona on Friday night. Playing for the Pac-12 championship, the Wildcats were looking to sweep their season series with Oregon.

But Oregon was obviously way angrier about their single loss than we all thought. The Ducks put a beat down on Arizona to the tune of 51-13.

The Wildcats were outgained 627-224, and didn't even score until midway through the third quarter.

Oh, and this happened:

You know that trick you'd pull on your buddies while you were out playing football in the backyard where you "decorate" the ball before the offense runs a play?

Carter Wood just took it a step further. Except that he's on offense. And he's pranking his own quarterback.

Also, if this was intentional (which I seriously doubt it was and really hope it wasn't), I think the joke is really on him.

Although I'm not so sure what puking on the ball actually accomplishes, I do admire his creativity.

Jim Brinkerhoff: The Best Man I've Ever Known

There are few people I’ve met in my short walk on this earth whom I’d claim to have had any kind of profound impact on me. Remove my parents and grandparents from that list, and the list gets even smaller.

I’ve been heavily involved in the ministries of two churches in two different cities, worked in the fast food industry and at a radio station, traveled to New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Honduras, and through it all, met thousands of people from almost every walk of life imaginable.

No one I have ever met in my short 22 years of life have ever had a stronger influence on my life than Jim Brinkerhoff.

Jim was the campus minister at the Auburn Christian Student Center (we call it the “ACSC”), the ministry that I was involved in during my four years at Auburn, and the place my parents met when they were in school.

He was the best man I’ve ever known. He loved God, he loved his wife, he loved his kids, he loved Auburn, and he loved his job.

Today marks exactly one year since his passing. I remember everything about the events that transpired over a panicked then eventually numbing seven or eight hours as if it happened yesterday.

I remember being at the campus rec center. I remember getting a phone call from a friend, scared about something she had heard. Something was wrong. It was about Jim.

I remember sprinting all the way back across campus to the ACSC building, as if my running would somehow save him. I remember trying to get in touch with Michael, my friend and the ACSC intern, trying to get answers.

I remember finally getting a hold of him. I remember all of the sounds around me instantaneously disappearing, all I can hear is Michael saying in a shaking voice, “Jim... passed away. He’s gone.”

I remember standing right where I was, speechless. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true.

I remember making to the ACSC, walking in the front door to see a few people sitting around, having a nice conversation. They didn’t know yet.

I remember going into the office to find Michael with our friend Scott, both sitting in silence.

“Is it true?” I ask. Both faces, torn between shock and sorrow, look up at me. I remember Michael’s weak answer, “Yes.”

I remember almost falling. I remember having to steady myself, hands on my knees, staring at the ground for who knows how long.

We sat in the office, silent, for what was likely a few minutes but felt like a few days.

I remember having to call my parents and tell them that Jim, their good friend and mentor, had just passed away.

I remember having to call my girlfriend to tell her what had happened. I remember seeing her eyes glistening with tears as she approached me in the parking lot minutes later, as my own tears finally started coming out.

I remember crying. There was a lot of crying.

I remember at least a hundred students in the ministry were at the ACSC that Thursday night, sitting in the devo room, sharing thoughts and memories about our beloved friend and teacher.

I remember feeling empty and lost. I remember feeling as though the world had stopped turning.

And I remember thinking to myself, “What would Jim say to us right now?”

Jim Brinkerhoff would have stood on the foot-high octagon-shaped podium in the center of the devo room, clad in a Beatles T-shirt, jean shorts and moccasins, looked me right in the eye and said fervently, “Don’t give up! This is not an excuse to quit. It’s non-negotiable.”

As I sit here, thinking about this exact day a year ago, I keep coming back to the same thought: I miss Jim Brinkerhoff.

I miss everything about the man. The rapid pace at which he would walk, scurrying around the ACSC like a chicken with its head cut off. His inability to keep up with 90 percent of his things without help from his wife, Mary.

The meticulous and painstaking process with which he would set up chairs for devotionals, with exactly the same amount of space in between each chair, and just enough room for people to walk in between the rows without them being too far back.

His habit of using the phrase, “blip on the radar incorrectly.” He would say, “blimp on the radar.” I feel bad that I had to suppress a grin every time he said it.

The ease with which he spoke to others about his Lord and Savior. Or anything, for that matter.

Jim Brinkerhoff possessed any incredible ability to talk to and relate to anyone. Tell him what you’re interested in, and he could talk to you about it.

Of the ten best conversations I’ve ever had in my life, Jim holds at least five spots. I could talk to him about anything: God, relationships, sports, why the North has way better pizza than the South, even superheroes.

Yes, I really had a conversation with him about superheroes. It mostly had to do with the way modern superheroes are being made much less clean cut, a lot darker and grittier.

And then in the same conversation, he gave me the single most important advice I’ve ever heard from another person about my faith.

He said that faith isn’t easy, it takes hard work to develop. You have to “put in the sweat equity.”

If there was one thing Jim Brinkerhoff always worked his hardest at, it was his faith. He never settled for where he was; he always strove to be a better man of God than he was the day before.

And as he continually grew in his faith, he made it his mission in life to speak to others about Jesus. His passion was in his ministry, a place in which he flourished and touched countless lives.

Jim Brinkerhoff was my superhero. Over a span of nearly 30 years, he personally taught, ministered to, comforted, befriended, and influenced hundreds of believers who are now in various corners of the globe, doing the Lord’s work.

Never have I met a person with such a wide-reaching net of personal interaction.

Of course I know he would remind me of who empowers him to speak the good news and be a light to those around him, and that it is in He who does the empowering that I should truly look up to. And he would be absolutely right.

That’s what made him so incredible, as a man, a minister, and a friend.

On December 5, 2013, I lost my campus minister. I lost my friend. Some people lost the same man, others lost the man who performed their weddings, and those rare few who were ACSC interns lost their boss.

Three kids lost their father. One woman lost her husband.

But no matter what his relationship was to anyone, you can guarantee that he had an influence on them.

Jim’s goal in life was to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world, and he did so in a manner so profound that I know the Father is proud.

I can say with more confidence than I’ve said anything in my entire life that Jim Brinkerhoff is in Heaven, and has heard these words from his Father: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

The last substantial face-to-face conversations I had with Jim wasn’t about faith, the life of Jesus, superheroes, or pizza.

It was about Auburn football, of all things.

The week before the 2013 Iron Bowl, I strolled into Jim’s office as I usually did, blissfully unaware of whether he was working on anything important or not, and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

“Hey, Jim!”

He turned and smiled. “Hey there, Bobby! How are you?”

“I’m good, I’d be better if Auburn had hung on to a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter.”

“Yeah, that was quite a game,” he replied as he leaned back in his chair and swung his foot up onto his desk. This was the position he’d take when he was about to be talking for a while. He knew me so well. “One of the most remarkable finishes I’ve ever seen.”

“Definitely. Do you think we have a chance against Alabama?”

“Not playing like that we won’t,” he laughed. “But this team is special. There’s always a chance.”

These are simple words that he probably wouldn’t even remember saying to me, but they’ve stuck with me in the year since he spoke them.

There really wasn’t any kind of deeper meaning behind that conversation, it was simply about football. But his attitude about Auburn’s chances against Alabama were the same as his outlook on life.

He was ever the optimist, ever full of hope. No one was too far gone to be brought back to God, no one was too damaged beyond repair.

There’s always a chance.

It’s why he did what he did, and for almost 30 years. Jim Brinkerhoff believed in and loved God, and he believed in and loved people.

It wasn’t his powerful speaking, vast knowledge of most subjects, or ability to interact with people that made him the great man we all knew him to be.

It was his faith. It was his love for God.

All of those wonderful qualities and quirks we remember him for were all byproducts of God’s work in his life.

On December 5, 2013, the world lost a great man. A man who devoted his life to following God and passionately urging those around him to do the same.

He has had a more profound impact on my life than anyone I’ve ever known.

I hate that I don’t get to lead singing for him again. I hate that I don’t get to hear him say, “Bobby, Bobby!” when I walk into a room. I hate that I can’t ask him just one of the thousands of questions I still need an answer for.

I hate that I wish he was still here; it’s quite selfish of me. He’s exactly where he belongs, and has always wanted to be.

He is rejoicing with His Father, basking in the infinite glory and joy that the rest of us have yet to fully understand.

I miss you, Jim. Keep those chairs straight in Heaven until I get there, okay?

Podcast: Auburn vs. Alabama

Auburn yet again surprised us all with its overall stellar performance in the biggest game of the year, the Iron Bowl. The Tigers rolled up an astonishing 44 points and 628 yards on a Nick Saban-coached team... and still lost.

Matt Donaldson joins me to discuss the game, the fallout from it, including the firing of Ellis Johnson, and what we learned from the Tigers' performance.

Nick Marshall has cemented himself in Auburn history as one of its greatest quarterbacks, Sammie Coates and Duke Williams might be the best receiving tandem in the country, and as long as Gus Malzahn is at Auburn, they will always give Alabama everything they can handle.

Get excited, Auburn fans. The future is bright.

Meet Missouri

Have you met your SEC East champion this year? It’s important that you get to know them.

They are, after all, the poor souls who have to play whatever juggernaut from the West comes rolling through Atlanta on its way to the College Football Playoff.

At least, that’s what we were all thinking back in October, when the top ten looked like this:

Back then, I honestly believed that the SEC championship should feature two West teams. If not, then Georgia was the only logical choice to sit atop the SEC East throne.

They seemed like the only East team who could realistically hope to compete with the clear dominance of the SEC West. At the very least, they hadn’t lost to Indiana at home.

But it isn’t Georgia making the short trip to its state’s capital.

Welcome back, Missouri. You left some unfinished business in the Georgia Dome last season.

Arguably the SEC’s biggest surprise, the Missouri Tigers have seemingly come out of nowhere to win the East division of the nation’s best conference.

That technically makes them the second-best team in the conference, right? And you really should get to know them. They’re rather interesting.

Before beginning this daring undertaking, however, you should know that it won’t be easy. Many before you have tried and failed to get a proper read on Missouri, a task proven foolish to even attempt.

Don’t try to box Missouri into normal categories. They haven’t done anything this season that will blow you away, there are no “signature moments.”

In fact, Missouri has spent the vast majority of this season flying under the radar, quietly piling up enough wins to sneak past Georgia (to whom they lost 34-0) into the conference title game.

Some would argue that they have not been very impressive.

The Tigers rank 11^th in the SEC in scoring offense, 12^th in total offense. They won nine conference games by an average of eight points, and only topped 40 points once.

And don’t let that 42-13 win over Florida fool you, either. The Tigers recorded only one offensive touchdown, scoring four times returning a kickoff, punt, fumble, and interception. In the strangest win I’ve ever seen in my life, Missouri only managed 119 total yards. Not exactly championship material.

And yet, here they stand. 10-2, and headed to Atlanta.

In an oddly mediocre year for the SEC East, Missouri used a stout defense, brilliant special teams play, and just enough offense when they’ve needed it to prove wrong all the doubters.

As of now, Missouri has a 66 percent success rate on making the SEC championship.

Saturday, they’ll be looking to prove that it was no fluke or mistake that they are squaring off with top-ranked Alabama for SEC supremacy. They’ll certainly have their hands full.

But before you write the Tigers off, consider this: Missouri is still the only team in the SEC to be undefeated on the road this season.

Not only that, they actually play better football away from home. At home, they put up 24 points per game. On the road, it’s 35 points. At home, their average point differential is 4.3 points per game. On the road, it’s 14 points.

They put up more total yards and give up less yards while on the road, and they have even posted an astonishing plus-seven turnover margin in away games, as opposed only plus-two at home.

Say what you will about Gary Pinkel’s squad, but they travel very well.

Alabama? Not so much.

While Missouri seemingly becomes a better team on the road, the Crimson Tide have been unexpectedly average away from home.

They score 22 less points and give up three more points per game (which is actually a big swing for a Saban defense), and they only outgain their opponents by 50 yards per game on the road, as opposed to an average margin of roughly 270 yards at home.

And where did Alabama’s one loss come? On the road, against Ole Miss.

I’m not saying for sure that Missouri will absolutely beat Alabama in the SEC championship. In fact, I still think that due to Missouri’s offensive inconsistencies, the Crimson Tide present a very tough matchup.

But if Missouri can sustain its level of play on offense the past three games (587 yards against Texas A&M, 410 yards against Tennessee, 423 yards against Arkansas), and get pressure on Blake Sims with its dynamic pass rush, Missouri should at least make this an interesting game.

The Tigers appear to have hit their stride the past few games, they’ve already proven they can compete with anyone in any environment, and can win so many unique ways. Just ask Will Muschamp.

And don’t even think about trying to put a label on Missouri: sloppy, offensively inept, underdog. They live for shedding those labels.

It’ll take their best game to down the Crimson Tide, but why not?

They’ve spent all year surprising us.

Just Not Quite Enough

Let’s make no bones about it. When Auburn and Alabama took the field Saturday night, each was looking to make a statement.

Auburn was looking to prove to the nation that losses don’t define them. They are just as talented and capable as anyone in college football, and they wanted to put it on full display.

For Alabama, demonstrating that it is still one of the premier college football programs in the nation was the key focus. Last season’s shocking finish was not going to shake control of the state out of their grasp. At least not that easily.

In a way, each team got a strong message across to everyone watching.

Alabama got the last word, but Auburn still made its voice heard, even though the end result wasn’t what they wanted.

Despite another gut-wrenching loss, Auburn still made quite a statement.

Two weeks after getting blown out on the road against Georgia, three weeks after self-inflicted wounds led to home loss to Texas A&M, Auburn was looking like a longshot to win the 2014 Iron Bowl.

Projected as a potential playoff contender, Auburn’s 8-3 record entering the Iron Bowl was disappointing, to say the least.

Head-scratching penalties, untimely turnovers, and a general lack of discipline had led to Auburn’s downfall, leaving many to wonder how much fight they really had.

Was last season, particularly the 2013 Iron Bowl, just a fluke?

Auburn answered with a resounding “NO” as they walked into Tuscaloosa to face down a multitude of angry fans and players, and responded by controlling the game for two quarters while putting up the most points and yards ever allowed by a Saban-coached Alabama team.

The Tigers rolled up 44 points and 628 total yards on a Crimson Tide defense that had only been allowing 283.5 yards and 14.5 points per game heading into the contest.

Nick Marshall, Sammie Coates, and Duke Williams all had career days: Marshall threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns (and added 49 rushing yards to give him 505 total yards on the night), Coates caught five passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, and Williams caught seven passes for 121 yards.

The Tigers also earned a hard-fought 172 rushing yards, converted 47 percent of their third downs, and made it to the red zone an astonishing eight times.

Auburn scored 13 unanswered points in the second quarter to recover from an early 14-3 deficit, and eventually led 26-21 at halftime. In the third quarter, they were up 33-21, the largest deficit Alabama has faced all season.

All of that, and Auburn still lost. How?

It looked like Auburn was running a 5K and Alabama was running a marathon. At the end, the Crimson Tide simply had more gas left in the tank.

They have more talent. They have more depth. And this year, they have more wins.

Once the fourth quarter hit, Auburn just couldn’t match Alabama’s energy, particularly on defense. This group of young men had been fighting back against a hostile crowd, a whole city’s revenge mentality, their own mistakes, and an extremely talented football team the whole game, and for a rather sizable span of it, they were winning.

But down the home stretch, the number one team in the nation flexed its muscle.

That’s where Nick Saban has made his living the past eight years: systematically breaking down opponents with superior talent and depth.

Auburn held off the attack as long as it could, but eventually they were just overwhelmed by a better team.

In the end, we in the Auburn family all had to yet again swallow an unpleasant truth: Alabama is simply better than Auburn.

But the gap is closing. Never has that been more evident than on Saturday night.

If I may, I’d like to reiterate that Auburn scored 44 points against Alabama on their own turf. If not for Amari Cooper’s ability to teleport across the field and better offensive execution in the red zone, Auburn may very well have won that game.

Auburn walked straight into the belly of the beast, and held off being swallowed longer than anyone else had all year, and put up quite a fight in doing so.

I dare say the Tigers left the Crimson Tide with more bruises than they were expecting.

Even though they lost, Auburn proved that last year was not a fluke. After losing two ugly games on the road and blowing a one at home, going 3-3 since a 5-0 start, Auburn could easily have trudged into Bryant-Denny Stadium, received the beating half the state thinks they deserve, limped back out, and started preparing for next year.

But that’s not what Gus Malzahn is about. That’s not what this team is about.

This team fought back. It will always fight back, especially when it isn’t supposed to.

But simply fighting back won’t always be enough, especially with the nation’s most powerful talent vacuum just miles down the road.

Auburn, despite all of its grit, resiliency, and offensive explosiveness, is still not quite where it wants to be.

The Tigers need more depth, especially on defense. They need to have more gas in the tank come fourth quarter of big games.

Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but it turned out that Auburn was better than anyone expected them to be. Now that the secret was out, championship expectations were levied upon them this year.

And they might have been put on Auburn a little too early.

Don’t misunderstand me, Auburn is still an extremely talented team. They are easily a top program, just on the cusp of being elite.

But they aren’t quite there yet. They’re really good right now, just not quite great.

They’ve shown flashes of what they can be with a full deck (I’m looking at you, home blowout of LSU and road win against Ole Miss), but they want to be even better.

They want to be able to still take down premier competition without playing its absolute best game. And make no mistake, it would have taken a perfect game to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

What’s funny is that Auburn got pretty darn close.

As long as Gus Malzahn is at the helm, Auburn’s offense will be able to score on anyone, and I mean anyone. If he can shore up the defensive issues and keep amassing depth on both sides of the ball, look out, college football.

Auburn plays with toughness, resiliency, and heart. Now imagine if they had an overall talent level to match it.

Saturday night, Auburn came up just short. The marathon proved to be just a few yards too long.

But remember this: Auburn can compete with anyone in the nation. Saturday night proved at least that, if nothing else, about the Tigers.