The thing that's struck me most about the "message boarding" across lines for this game so far is that it is almost IDENTICAL to that which occurred just over a year ago with the good people from NDSU.
Except... the tables were turned and WE were the bigger, faster, more athletic team from the "power" conference and they were just a well schooled, fundamentally sound, hard working group of quality athletes that believed they could win when nobody gave them any shot. This entire attitude permeated throughout our entire fanbase save for a very few who would say "It might be a close game" and even fewer who actually gave them any shot of actually pulling off the un-imaginable.
I admit to falling prey to it myself and even convinced myself that our coaches would have our kids ready and convinced of the challenge they faced in the Bison. Not until after we lost a game we probably shouldn't have did we find out that our kids took NDSU a bit for granted, and why wouldn't they? Save for a few coaches trying to tell our youngsters what they were up against; the media, the fans, their friends and teammates all believed our team should win by 14-20 points without prepping like it was a "championship game". Guess what? That game was NDSU's "Super Bowl" and it showed on the field.
I'm not guaranteeing we will win, but what I do know is that our kids are treating this game EXACTLY the same way that NDSU treated their game with us. I am of the belief that while the Auburn kids are likely focused and doing their best to prepare for this as if it were just another non-con road game, there is NO WAY I can be convinced that there is the same focus and intensity in the preparation that's taking place at Auburn.
Just a little food for thought as to why I, amongst others, believe we will win this game. It makes NO sense whatsoever on paper to the casual observer and having fallen prey to the "there's no way we can lose to these guys" syndrome just 12 months ago, I understand exactly why every Auburn fan with an internet connection feels the same way as I did.