Auburn is a team of destiny.
It’s a clichéd statement used to explain a team’s improbable run to a championship, but there is no other way to describe how Auburn now finds itself in the SEC title game and one step away from potentially playing for a BCS national championship after a come-from-behind 34-28 win over top-ranked Alabama on Saturday.
For the second consecutive game, Auburn had a miracle play in the final seconds of the game to snatch a victory away from its opponent. Two weeks ago, it was a deflected Hail Mary for the game-winning touchdown. On Saturday, tied with rival Alabama as time expired, it was a 100-yard return (unofficially 109 yards) by Chris Davis off a missed 57-yard field goal.
[Related: Listen to amazing Auburn radio call of final play]
What's more: It wasn’t even a play Auburn wanted.
Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon stepped out of bounds as time expired, but a review of the clock showed one second remaining, giving Alabama a chance for either a Hail Mary or a long field goal.
Of course, Auburn protested and fans booed, but it was the plan of the football gods to once again smile on the Tigers and give them an opportunity for victory. When the kick came up short, Davis had a open lane up the sideline. All he had to do was outrace some offensive linemen and he was in the clear. It couldn’t have been a more perfect situation for Auburn.
So now, the team that had already orchestrated the most incredible one-year turnaround in SEC history has a chance to complete one of the most amazing turnarounds in college football history.
[Related: Auburn QB Nick Marshall has his own ridiculous move in win over Alabama]
Remember, this is a team that went 3-9 a year ago and fired coach Gene Chizik. It’s fair to say that even with a 10-1 record heading into Saturday’s Iron Bowl, the Tigers weren’t getting nearly the respect they deserved. But the Tigers more than held their own against the two-time defending national champions and when the BCS standings are released on Sunday, there’s a decent chance the Tigers will either slide into that coveted No. 2 spot or be right on the verge of a national title game berth needing just a win in the SEC championship to push them forward.
And the team that faces Auburn in either game won’t just be facing the Tigers, but also some unknown force that is making this a dream season for Auburn.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!Follow @YahooDrSaturday