We’re all winners with Iron Bowl

Published 10:53 pm Monday, December 2, 2013

No matter which team you cheer for, the environment at Saturday’s Iron Bowl was one of the best I’ve ever seen and the finish speaks for itself.

By now, we all know how it ended and if you don’t know, I hope you enjoyed your weekend sleeping under a rock.

If you really want to have some fun, ask an Auburn fan who won. Or, better yet, ask an Alabama fan.

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All joking aside, Saturday’s game will be talked about for a long, long time. Even “Punt Bama Punt”, often regarded as the greatest Iron Bowl ever played due to its bizarre ending, has to take a backseat to this strange finish.

Obviously, Auburn University and its fans are the big winners from Saturday’s contest. The Tigers can now continue their quest for a SEC Championship and a trip to the national title game, but in reality we are all winners.

We live in a state that can claim the last four national champions and that streak may become five if Auburn catches a few breaks in the upcoming BCS standings.

How many other states can say that?

I’d never been to an Iron Bowl, but I must admit I’ve never been in an environment like that or to a game like that. Even when Auburn was down 21-7, the Tiger faithful never got quiet.

Sitting in the open press box allowed me to take in the entire environment. The crowd noise was so loud that it would just engulf you at times. Every time you felt like it was as loud as it could possibly be, it got louder.

The way the game ended, with Chris Davis’ 109-yard return touchdown, is not something you see everyday and it is the reason the game will be discussed for years and years to come.

But the game had a lot of other craziness.

Alabama quarterback A. J. McCarron completed a 99-yard touchdown pass to receiver Amari Cooper to give the Crimson Tide a 28-21 lead. You don’t see that every day.

What a game.

Right now, Alabama is the king of the college football world and we shouldn’t take it for granted. What the state is currently experiencing in terms of gridiron success will not last forever.

Alabama fans should enjoy it. Auburn fans should enjoy it. The fact that both teams are great makes the rivalry fun.

With this rivalry, we are all winners.