Check out Week 1 here, Week 2 here, Week 3 here, Week 4 here, Week 5 here, and Week 6 here.
Week 6 of the college football season saw the cream of the college football crop continue to rise to the top (or stay there). The defending national champs struggled in a defeat on the road against a Top 10 opponent for the 2nd straight week, while Alabama truly did whip Vandy’s backside (a nasty habit they’ve developed over the years that I pointed out last week). So what’s the mood like in Auburn? What’s it like in Tuscaloosa? Let’s turn to the Netflix Local Favorites for our answers.
As mentioned above, Auburn was defeated by the Arkansas Razorbacks last week in a game that featured the same offensive struggles Auburn exhibited a week earlier on the road in Columbia. Interestingly, it seems Auburn fans’ viewing patterns were affected by the loss. If their choice of movies is indication, the Auburn Family is ready to see their team learn from their mistakes and get back to the things that allowed them to be successful earlier in the year. An Auburn “Local Favorite”? Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Auburn’s season has been a bit like the Transfomers franchise. The season started out on a high note with the team winning four of its first five games, including a win in Columbia over a top 10 South Carolina team. Last week’s game was Auburn’s Revenge of the Fallen. Poor execution doomed the Tigers, but Gus Malzahn’s playcalling wasn’t helping much as he seemed to be getting too “cute”. This has to remind fans of Michael Bay and how he tried to give fans more humor and more Megan Fox in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. As it turns out, fans didn’t really dig the changes. They wanted a return to the hot robot on robot action interspersed with human drama that they saw in the original Transformers.
Bay learned his lesson and with Dark of the Moon definitely went back to his strengths. I can’t help but imagine Auburn fans flocked to the latest Transformers because they would love to see the Auburn offense return to its early season form and put up points quickly and efficiently. Frustrations aside, it seems fans in Auburn prepared for today’s game with Florida by watching the comedy Jumping the Broom. The movie is relatable as it follows two families who are opposites being united by a marriage between a member of each family. Of course, in Jordan-Hare we won’t be watching a wedding, but we’ll be experiencing a clash of two programs with strong traditions as an old rivalry is renewed.
After the loss to Arkansas it seems the Auburn Family took a more realistic approach to the season. I think a lot of us were disappointed with the Arkansas loss because we were hoping to knock off a Top 10 team for a second straight week. The defense seemed to be turning a corner and all we needed was the offense to continue scoring. We were warned that October would be a brutal month for our Tigers and it seems we prepared ourselves by watching No Country for Old Men. One line in particular speaks to the need for our young men to put in their hard work in order to find success; “You can’t stop what’s coming, it ain’t all waiting on you. That’s vanity”. For all the uncertainty and frustration felt after the loss to Arkansas, the Auburn fans have remained fearless and true. (The fact that Limitless is still a local favorite shows that everyone still believes in Coach Chizik’s young team and their potential to be great.)
The Crimson Tide will be taking their show on the road for the 2nd time in three weeks. The Tide’s last road trip was a huge success. They routed the Florida Gators in front of their own fans. The local favorites for Tuscaloosa show that there’s a bit of feeling of business as usual amongst Tide fans. Two movies in particular stand out to me, No Strings Attached and Hanna.
Why does No Strings Attached stand out? If there is a team that puts in a more workmanlike performance each week than Nick Saban’s team, I’d like to see it. Alabama is a good team. They’re very strong on defense and have a solid offense. They don’t do anything fancy and No Strings Attached does a great job describing their style of play. It’s pretty much what you see is what you get. They play good defense and are efficient on offense. That formula will win you a lot of games.
Hanna is another movie that reflects the Tide’s efficient approach to football. Nick Saban has proven he is a good football coach, winning at every stop he’s made at the college level. Again, his teams are extremely well coached and disciplined. Hanna was trained by her father to be an efficient killing machine… which obviously resonates with Bama fans because they’re watching Hanna more often in Tuscaloosa than folks anywhere else. With the robotic way they go about their work, the young men in crimson jerseys can’t help but remind you of the charming little blue-eyed blonde girl who could snap your neck.
What They’re Watching:
Auburn hosts Florida in what is shaping up to be a fun game. These two used to play every year, but due to the SEC’s schedule change they only meet every four years. It’s a shame, but I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. You can feel the electricity in the air in Auburn. Auburn fans are clearly excited, but how are fans in Gainesville feeling? If their viewing habits tell us anything, it seems they’re being a bit cautious.
The Gators are rolling in to Jordan-Hare at one of the worst possible times. They are not only catching Auburn a week after a road loss in the first SEC night game to be played this season on Pat Dye Field, they’re also stepping into Jordan-Hare mere days after an announcement by the NCAA that Auburn did nothing wrong in its recruitment of Cam Newton and that the claims made by former players to HBO that they received illegal benefits were crap. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the Gators will supposedly have to play their third string quarterback due to injuries. Instead of throwing in the towel it appears the Gator Nation has decided to take pointers on how to survive a nightmare scenario by watching Prom Night. So will the Gators leave Auburn Saturday feeling like the prom queen or like Carrie?
In Oxford, Houston Nutt and his Ole Miss Rebels hope to do the impossible: Beat Alabama. In order to prepare for the No. 2 team in the land fans in Oxford are watching The Perfect Host. The film is about a man on the run who figures he’ll take refuge with an unassuming fellow, only to find out he might have just stumbled into the wrong house. There’s no doubt that the “Right Reverend” will do his best to ensure his team is anything but a gracious host to the Crimson Tide.
*Final note: It has to be a total coincidence that the No. 2 local favorite in Oxford the week Nick Saban and his team visit is Antichrist, right?
Great illustration via.
Thanks for reading! Until next week!
Stephen Savage writes at “Movies ‘n Munchies” and is considered by his mother to be the best blogger on all things movie and food related. Holding two degrees from Auburn University, Stephen is proud to call himself an Auburn Man. He currently spends his time working on his blog. He is available for freelance work and retirement parties. Follow his blog on Twitter @moviesnmunchies.
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