Auburn prepares for 'Amen Corner'

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) Al Borges quickly figured out how significant Auburn&#39;s final two games are each season. The 15th-ranked Tigers&#39; offensive coordinator got his first taste of those season-ending games against Alabama and Georgia last year.<br> <br> ``You can tell right away that the intensity&#39;s turned up 10 notches by everybody the players, the coaches, the media,&#39;&#39; Borges said. ``It just dictates how your offseason&#39;s going to be, whether you&#39;re going to be happy or depressed.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s a big deal.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Indeed it is, and particularly this year.<br> <br> Auburn (7-2, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) is still in contention for a division title, but so are Georgia and Alabama.<br> <br> Tommy Tuberville doesn&#39;t think that extra incentive is needed for the Tigers&#39; two top rivalry games. Especially since 18 Auburn players hail from the state of Georgia.<br> <br> ``Your players really don&#39;t care about SEC championships when it comes to these two games,&#39;&#39; the Tigers&#39; coach said. ``This is not what this game is about. This is about playing Georgia and about rivalry and about friendship. If it wasn&#39;t on TV, it wouldn&#39;t make any difference.<br> <br> ``The next two weeks for us are like the world is on your shoulders because your fans look at these two games different,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> But for Auburn, these next two games could mean the difference between a terrific follow-up to a 13-0 season or a somewhat disappointing one despite a huge loss of talent.<br> <br> The Tigers would clinch at least a share of the SEC Western Division by winning the final two games.<br> <br> Two wins and an LSU loss would put them back in the championship game.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s two very big games back to back,&#39;&#39; quarterback Brandon Cox said. ``It&#39;s what&#39;s going to make a great season or just an average season.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s not going to be too hard to get up for these games.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The Tigers found plenty of things to correct defensively in a 49-27 win at Kentucky, having allowed a season-high 450 total yards to an offense that still ranks only 99th nationally.<br> <br> Auburn won all four games against Top 10 teams last season but lost to No. 5 LSU in overtime in the Tigers&#39; only such matchup this year.<br> <br> Rafael Little had 124 yards rushing and 122 yards receiving for the Wildcats. Tuberville said that was partly a credit to Little and partly because ``we were taking wrong angles of pursuit&#39;&#39; in tackling.<br> <br> ``People are going to make plays, and when they do make plays, you try to keep them to a minimum,&#39;&#39; Tuberville said. ``Last week we didn&#39;t keep them to a minimum.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> But, he added, those mistakes could ``be a blessing for us in hindsight, knowing we&#39;ve got to do better at these scenarios to have the opportunity to win these next two games.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> TIGER TALES: Tuberville said Troy Reddick will return to right tackle after playing some center against Kentucky. Right guard Tim Duckworth, who didn&#39;t make the trip, will resume the starting job.<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)