1. Auburn belongs
When Auburn suffered their second loss of the season things looked pretty grim for the Tigers’ Playoff hopes. No 2-loss teams have ever made the Playoff before, so the Tigers would have to do something incredible to buck the odds this season.
They just beat the No. 1 team in the country by 23 points.
It’s impossible to explain away the Tigers’ two losses. But both blemishes look more palatable than the losses of other teams in Playoff contention. Auburn lost by eight points to Clemson and by four points to LSU. Clemson fell to Syracuse. Washington fell to Arizona State and Stanford.
Having “quality losses” is nice, but it’s even more important to have quality wins on your resume. Auburn has a 39-point win over Mississippi State and now adds a #### point win over Georgia. They might not be done. Auburn hosts Alabama in the Iron Bowl in two weeks. If the are able to upset the Crimson Tide they’ll earn a trip to the SEC Championship Game where it’s likely they’ll play Georgia once again. If Auburn beats Georgia they’ll have three wins over teams that were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation for a good portion of the season.
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There is plenty more for Auburn to prove in the coming weeks. They might not live up to their lofty goals, but they’ve earned the right to be included in the conversation.