So what if Georgia and Alabama are reeling from humbling upsets?
The fifth-ranked Tigers (9-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) were hoping their so-called ``Amen Corner'' could provide a potential strength-of-schedule boost and two meaningful wins for the Bowl Championship Series standings.
Before Auburn finished polishing off a mostly weak nonconference schedule with a 27-0 win over Arkansas State on Saturday, the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide had both lost their fourth SEC games.
``Usually you do have that boost in the end when you play Georgia and Alabama,'' Auburn linebacker Karibi Dede said. ``The teams that they lost to, it's not really going to help us any. For us it's not about where they're ranked. It's about coming out with a win.''
First up, Georgia. The Bulldogs (6-4, 3-4) are stinging from a 24-20 loss to Kentucky. Ouch.
``They're still Georgia,'' coach Tommy Tuberville said Sunday. ``They've got good football players.''
Then, the Tide in Tuscaloosa. Alabama (6-4, 2-4) is coming off a 24-16 loss to league doormat Mississippi State. Yikes.
Dede Co. dismiss those outcomes, saying the rivalries will bring out the best in those teams against the Tigers.
``Both those teams are having tough times this year, but I think both of them are going to come in and play us at a level that's really going to surprise a lot of people,'' Dede said.
``It's Auburn-Georgia here at Jordan-Hare (Stadium) and then it's Auburn-Alabama up there in Tuscaloosa. It doesn't take anything away from the rivalry, and it doesn't take anything away from the level of game that's going to be played,'' he added.
Others beg to differ, including the three national TV networks CBS, ESPN and ESPN2 who passed on this Auburn-Georgia game, which will instead only be televised regionally by Lincoln Financial Sports.
``That is unusual for both of them not to be (ranked),'' Auburn receiver Courtney Taylor said. ``It doesn't matter. These are two of our biggest rivalries, and they're going to give us their best shot.''
Besides, Tuberville still doesn't have a fix on his own team, no matter the opponent's record. Just how good are the Tigers?
He likened Auburn's inconsistent team to a box of Cracker Jacks. Open it up, and you never know what surprise you're going to find.
``We've found a way to win a lot of games, but it hasn't been pretty,'' Tuberville said. ``We've won a lot of games in the last minute. We win them right at the end. I think we can be better. I might be wrong. We might be playing to our potential.
``One thing I have noticed is our focus has not been as good for the entire game as it could have been.''
Tuberville said tailback Kenny Irons will return for the game. He played only the first series against Arkansas State before heading to the sidelines to rest a bruised right fibula and sprained right ankle.
Irons said Sunday he won't be 100 percent for ``a while,'' but that he would definitely play against the Bulldogs.
Safety Eric Brock is questionable for the game with a sprained left ankle sustained early against Arkansas State.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2006/11/100826