The miraculous ending to the Tigers’ games against Georgia and Alabama didn’t hurt,
but that is not the reason. The main reason for their unwavering confidence is because
they have lined up against two of the best run defenses in college football over the past
two games and neither came close to stopping them.
Yes, the Seminoles are talented, but they have not faced
anything as potent as the Tigers’ No.1-ranked rushing
offense. The Tigers will find success on the ground against
any team in college football, including Florida State.
Tigers running back Tre Mason has been his best at the
biggest moments. Auburn's toughest games this season
were Alabama, Missouri, Georgia, Texas A&M and LSU. In
those five games, Mason totaled 893 yards and nine
touchdowns. That is an average of 178.6 rushing yards per game.
The Auburn defense is not an elite defense, but make no mistake about it: The unit is
opportunistic and has made key fourth-down stops to seal the game in the Tigers’ final
three games. This team is battle-tested, and if this game comes down to the final drive,
Auburn will be crowned the 2014 BCS National Champion.
The deciding factor for this game
This game will be decided by how quickly Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy
Pruitt is able to make adjustments. Teams with explosive offenses like the Oregon
Ducks are usually shut down in the postseason because the opposing team has a full
month to prepare its defense for the different look.
Auburn’s head coach, Gus Malzahn, doesn’t mind introducing new formations on the fly,
and if Florida State stops his first attempt, he will shift up the formations on the next
series. The Tigers will still run the same types of plays, but they will come at you in a
different way. Pruitt’s defense has been outstanding all season. However, is the firstyear coordinator prepared to match wits with one of college football’s brightest minds?
Prediction
This game has the potential to be one of the best in college football history. Needless to
say, we will not have the boring game we have seen the past two seasons. In my
opinion, this game will go back and forth the first three quarters of the game. However,
FSU will have a three-point lead and will add on a touchdown in the final four minutes to
put the game away.
Score Prediction: FSU 41, Auburn 31
Stat Prediction: Jameis Winston 275 yards and three touchdowns