For the first time ever, the South Alabama Jaguars will travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium to play Auburn. It will be the first meeting between the two schools as far as football is concerned. Sidenote: Auburn beat South Alabama 13-5 in baseball this past Spring in Montgomery.
Let’s not act like this is something that should’ve happened forever ago. South Alabama didn’t have a NCAA-sanctioned football team until 2007. They were putting together a club football team when I was in college in the early 2000s. So, people that love to act like Auburn hasn’t given South Alabama a chance as an in-state team, just hold up. Auburn plays more in-state teams than that other school ever will.
Also, because people can’t just say positive about Auburn for more than two weeks at a time, there’s been a growing storyline that Auburn should be on upset watch this weekend. Of course they should, they are playing a football game.
But this bandwagon idea of “well South Alabama is better than Ball State, so they better watch out…” I’m like “ok…?” A lot of teams are better than Ball State. Can Auburn not beat those teams?
If you think Hugh and Co. are sitting at practice this week with their feet up, skipping over what South Alabama does, and already thinking about where they’re going to eat in Norman, Oklahoma next week, then I strongly suggest you log out of 4chan.
In this age of football, there are plenty of reasons and examples to not look past any team. So no, just because you randomly had a thought that South Alabama might sneak in and upset Auburn, or because some cool Twitter account that needed likes said that South Alabama is much better than Ball State, that doesn’t mean that it has to be a thing.
South Alabama is not Diego Pavia’s New Mexico State. It’s not the same. Quit being weak.
Auburn has a noticeable change in attitude and drive this year. They went on the road and beat a Baylor team that turned around and beat ranked SMU. What did South Alabama do? They beat Morgan State and then almost beat Tulane at home. Almost.
I don’t have any issues with South Alabama, even though most of their fans are really Alabama fans, but can we not just say “yeah, this team is gonna be a little tougher than Ball State was probably, but as long as Auburn just handles business, they will be sitting at 3-0 heading to Oklahoma?”
Do we have to make up something to talk about or show fear?
Sorry, there’s just not much to say. Auburn should win. South Alabama won’t be awful, but they’re South Alabama. Alston might be back if needed because Durell is out for some time. Champ Anthony will be playing in a cast. Yeah, there you go. Oh, you want a prediction?
It will look almost exactly like last week on offense, with Jackson hitting one long bomb. The defense will give up a touchdown or two, but the offense will do plenty enough. Auburn will be 3-0 before the West Coast is even really up.
Auburn 38, South Alabama 13
