Auburn fans prepare for trips to BCS National Championship
Published 8:34 am Thursday, December 26, 2013
Auburn Tiger running back Tre Mason runs for some of his record-setting yardage against the Missouri Tigers in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. The Tigers will play the Florida State Seminoles in the BCS National Championship in Pasadena on Jan. 6. — Todd Van Emst / Auburn University
Several area residents are making the 2,032 mile trip to cheer on the Auburn Tigers in Pasadena, Calif. at the BCS National Championship.
Mike Bruner and his wife Fran are among several locals making the trip, but unlike many Auburn fans, they’ve had plans to go since before the SEC Championship game was played.
“Evidentially we were feeling a little confident so we booked our flights and hotel rooms the Friday before the SEC championship,” Bruner said. “We had our rooms and everything but we didn’t have tickets.”
On the final Saturday of the regular season, Auburn needed to win the SEC Championship game over Missouri and have Ohio State fall to Michigan State to reach the BCS National Championship game. Bruner said it was tough watching both games after booking his flight and hotel room, but it “paid off” when the Spartans came from behind to pull the upset, coupled with an Auburn win.
The last time Auburn made the championship game, Bruner said he didn’t get to go, but he promised then that if they ever made it back, he’d be there.
“We said if they ever go back again that no matter what we were going,” Bruner said. “We did not realize it would be this soon. We decided after the Alabama-Auburn that if it all panned out we were going to go.”
Steve Todd, another Selma resident headed to Pasadena, actually went to the Auburn-Oregon national championship game in 2010 believing he had a ticket. When he got to Glendale, Ariz., Todd found he actually didn’t have tickets. This time, he’s 100 percent sure he will get in the stadium as he prepares to follow Auburn to Pasadena.
“I had one lined up out there and it fell through at the last minute,” Todd said. “[This time] I’ve got tickets.”
While Bruner plans on seeing famous sights in California, Todd isn’t sure what he will do yet.
“I’m not big on having plans,” Todd said. “I like to make them as I go.”
Todd is confident Auburn will be coming home with a victory over Florida State.
“I’m fairly confident,” Todd said. “You can’t predict turnovers, but nobody has stopped us running the ball this year.”
Todd and Bruner plan to meet up for tailgating on the morning of Jan. 6 as they begin their preparations for the game.
Both of them are hoping when they head home, they are celebrating an Auburn victory.
