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This isn't the column I planned to pen, not from beginning to end, but Auburn, even in disarray, has a habit of providing a story as compelling as Alabama's in the most unusual ways.
Auburn-Texas A&M wasn't the game I planned to watch with more than a passing interest because the dignity of the Alabama dynasty was on the line at Ole Miss, but Jordan-Hare after dark is a marvelous environment for crazy.
It happened again Saturday. Go Crazy was the plan, in honor of interim coach Carnell Williams and his endless enthusiasm unknown to mankind. The Auburn family, after more than a year of misery, fully understood the assignment and was thrilled to comply.
Players and coaches, fans and alums came together to deliver an experience all out of proportion to what was at stake. A bargain basement bonanza between the two worst teams in the SEC West became the most moving struggle between 3-6 teams in the history of college football.
It was a deep-fried, laser-eyed light show. It was a unified show of force from a family that's been far too fractured far too often. It was a 13-10 mud-wrestling match of a victory they celebrated almost as if it were another Kick Six.
They did keep them off the field last night, but a human turf takeover would've been redundant next to Williams' impression of a one-man, non-stop human cyclone.
The name of the game came from the coda to the first in a series of perfect calls from legendary Voice of the Tigers Rod Bramblett. He punctuated Williams' 80-yard touchdown explosion on the first play of the 2003 Iron Bowl like so: "Go crazy, Cadillac! Gooooo crazy!"
Williams did then, and he did it again Saturday before, during and after his first home game as head coach of his team, his program, his school. He covered more than 80 yards along the sideline on virtually every possession. His battery stayed fully charged despite the ebbs and flows and flaws of this slog between two wounded rosters.
Never has one man and one fan base poured more into a game that meant less in the standings and the rankings. By winning for the first time since Sept. 24 against Missouri, for just the second time this season in a conference game, Auburn avoided its first six-game losing streak since 1950. In turn, the Tigers saddled the anemic Aggies with their first six-game skid since 1972.
If that was a dubious honor for the home team, it was not the extent of the evening's importance. THAT was Auburn being Auburn to the max, a big, fat come and get it to potential head coaches near and far. One of them had to take notice after a rough day at the office just across the state line. ...
Read more of Kevin's reflection on a special night at Auburn and what it may mean moving forward. Only in The Lede.
