For Auburn Football, Amen Corner Provides a Golden Opportunity

As Auburn sits at 5-5 with only two remaining games, it's a far cry from the lofty expectations that were set out for them at the beginning of the season. Nobody would have thought this Auburn team, a squad that was picked to win the SEC West in the summer, would be fighting for a bowl bid with only their two biggest rivals, Georgia and Alabama, left on their schedule.

Former Auburn coach Pat Dye coined the phrase "Amen Corner" to describe the last two games of the season for Auburn, and that phrase doesn't ring more true than this year, with Alabama sitting at No. 1 in the country and Georgia at No. 13.

It's almost impossible to remember when Auburn was actually 4-1 and a top 15 team in the nation after a victory over Tennessee. One fired offensive coordinator and a quarterback change later, Auburn is trying to find their identity on offense, trying to get healthy players back on defense, and maybe trying to save a coach's job as Tommy Tuberville sits on the hot seat, maybe for the last time.

There are certainly no shortage of excuses with this year's Auburn team. Tony Franklin was a mistake hire, injuries, whatever the reason may be, this Auburn team has failed to meet expectations and the Auburn faithful have endured one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory.

So this begs the question, what does this Auburn team have left? With all the turmoil and problems that have occurred with the coaching staff that are no fault of the players, does this Auburn team have enough will power to put aside the problems that have risen and go out swinging, or will they continue to make excuses and lose for the third year in a row to Georgia and lose their current six game win streak over Alabama.

It's easy to blame Tuberville for hiring Franklin, blame Franklin for not doing a good enough job, blame a teammate for not performing up to their ability, but if there are enough Auburn players that are ready to stop the excuses and make a statement about the character of this team, Amen Corner provides the perfect opportunity for just that. There's no doubt this season has been a disappointment, but a win over Georgia and Alabama is always a good way to help ease that pain and end a season on a positive note.

This Auburn team isn't the first team to go through struggles and then come up with a huge win at the end of the season. In 1999, Auburn entered the Georgia game with a 4-5 record in Tuberville's first season. Quarterback Ben Leard and wide receiver Ronnie Daniels had career days that night and helped Auburn light up the Georgia secondary on their way to a 38-21 victory on the road over a ranked Georgia team that is still remembered in the minds of the Auburn faithful.

So while the season has been a struggle, those struggles have a chance to be a golden opportunity and to be remembered very fondly among Auburn fans. Amen Corner is the time when legends are made, it's the time when seniors go out on a high note, and it's the time when freshman and sophomores make their mark on the history of these two games for the first time.

For Auburn, you can't erase a disappointing season, but what you can do is put aside the excuses for the next two games, and go out and play your two biggest rivals like it's a new season.

Auburn fans won't fault you if you lose, but they will remember how you responded to a difficult season and whether you laid it all on the line against the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide, and whether you laid it all on the line for a coach that's job is on the line as well.

That's the beauty of rivalry games. They have the power to ease a lot of pain—if you win them.