Countdown to Kickoff: 45 Days

45 days until kickoff, everyone. September 1st is RAPIDLY approaching, and Auburn’s got a big task ahead with Washington in Atlanta. It’ll be a home game for the Tigers, much like today’s entry on the Countdown to Kickoff was one of the best home atmospheres at Jordan-Hare Stadium in the past decade.

Yep, it’s the Kick Six.

However, we go back to the early portion of the ballgame, when we didn’t quite know the legendary status that this game would eventually achieve. Auburn entered ranked 4th, Alabama atop the polls, and the winner went to the SEC Championship at the Georgia Dome.

Cool. Not much pressure. Especially when you consider that Alabama had won the previous two national titles and was looking for a third straight, and they’d steamrolled everyone to this point in 2013.

Auburn was pretty good that year too. It was Gus Malzahn’s first year, and the Tigers finally found their footing thanks to the read option prowess of Tre Mason and quarterback Nick Marshall.

If you remember, it was Marshall that clowned the Bama defense and put Auburn on top in the first quarter by embarrassing Landon Collins.

45 yards to the house as he went straight up the middle and ran away from a future All-Pro safety.

I think Auburn won this game, but I’m not sure. Memory’s fuzzy.

War Eagle!