TAKES. 3rd Edition. Volume 3.

It's been quite a weekend. Since Auburn last played football, I've been to Atlanta for a Garth Brooks show, Tuscaloosa to pay off a bet (ugh) and seen Real Estate at BottleTree. It seems like ages ago. I slept for, like, 90% of Sunday. I'm tired, gang, and September isn't even over yet.

1. Thursday! Manhattan! Weird! So let's start here: "What a weird game! The Wildcats really used that Thursday voodoo!"

Stop it. Kansas State was a top 20, Power Five team and Auburn beat them on the road. Auburn never trailed at the end of any quarter. It was never actually in doubt, unless you just wanted it to be in your head to pique interest.

Was it Auburn's worst offensive performance since LSU in 2013? Without a doubt. But that wasn't because of some kind of "totally weird voodoo/Thursday in Manhattan/Bill Snyder coaching em up" thing. They ARE a well coached football team, which completely shut down Auburn's running game and made Auburn play at its pace. Most folks cant do that. It made it interesting. But, as you were told all week, Auburn had more players. Auburn was more talented. And let's not neglect that Auburn could have scored again at the end if it needed to do so. Six point margins aren't comfortable on paper, but paper doesn't always tell the entire story.

2. Wide receivers. I'll give you this: the dropped passes are becoming a concern. That isn't Nick Marshall's fault. Sammie Coates hasn't had a great go of it this season, and Duke Williams dropped a couple to begin an epidemic. Those guys are extremely talented, and I can't imagine that problem continues throughout the season, but it's the most troubling thing that I see right now. Fortunately, while not a team to be overlooked, Louisiana Tech should offer one more decent chance to right that before a hellish October.

3. October. Hoooo man. October. But is it all we thought? Is LSU still intimidating? They nearly lost to Wisconsin and were just beaten by Mississippi State, allowing both Mississippi schools to get into the Top 25 at the same time for the first time since, like, ever. Auburn should still be favored in all of its October matchups, and it's coming off the first time in fourteen weeks that it didn't cover the spread. While it's daunting, attack it. Have fun. Don't be a bunch of Eeyores. A day will come when you'll not be able to walk so proudly and boast about how great your team is, so enjoy every second of this with confidence.

4. Tuscaloosa. We didn't win the Fight Song Challenge for charity. But we DID raise a whole bunch of money that will help rebuild the fire-damaged building at The Literacy Council. I had a great time with a bunch of generous folks at The Capstone on Saturday. I mean, Tuscaloosa isn't as awesome as Auburn, but it has some really cool folks. Thanks to everyone on both sides that contributed and for being great sports about this rivalry. With each passing year, we're changing attitudes and tearing down a lot of really old, backward hatred. Keep on keeping on, and War Damn Eagle.