Howdy everyone and welcome back to another edition of Fade Fernando’s Picks from God. If you took my advice last week, you either made one dollar or hundreds depending on your unit size. Bottom line: you made my money. This week’s slate of college basketball isn’t as great, however we get a great matchup of top 5 teams as the 3rd ranked Kansas Jayhawks travel to absolute worst place on earth, Waco, TX, to take on the top ranked Baylor Bears. Time to make some money… here are the picks:
Tennessee+6.5 vs. Auburn: While the Volunteers haven’t been great this year and nearly lost their last game at home to underwhelming Vanderbilt, the Auburn Tigers have dropped two straight to unranked opponents thanks in large part to the loss of freshman phenom Isaac Okoro. The forward is likely out for tomorrow’s matchup which could spell trouble for the Tigers. Tennessee Forward John Fulkerson has been great of late and could have another big game with Okoro out. 6.5 is a big number and with the Tigers skidding as of late, I like the underdog here.
Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M +4.5: Yes, I am telling you to take Aggie Men’s Basketball. Early on it was free money to bet against the Ags. Now, however, it is a different story. The man Buzz Williams has turned this group of misfits into a respectable bunch who have some fairly solid road victories under their belts, including Wednesday’s 6 point win at Alabama, a game in which they were 11 point underdogs. Mississippi State is undoubtedly the far superior team in this matchup and all logic points to them as being the safe bet here. Having won 5 of their last 7, they come into this matchup with plenty of momentum. Yet, that old Reed Arena magic has me thinking the Aggies are going to make a game out of this and could absolutely pull off the upset. Take the home dogs in this one.
North Carolina +9 vs. Louisville: North Carolina can’t win a game if their lives depended on it and even Coach Roy Williams knows his team stinks. That being said, while they aren’t getting the victories they are keeping games close. The Tar Heels have looked like a completely new team with Cole Anthony back from injury and nearly knocked off those Dukies 2 weeks ago. Louisville does possess one of the best players in college basketball in Jordan Nwora and UNC’s defense will be put to the test. However, the Cardinals have been sputtering recently and a pesky UNC team could keep it close. While Louisville definitely wins the game, I think the Tar Heels keep it close enough to cover.
Kansas v. Baylor -2: It is incredibly difficult to beat a team twice in a season, especially an elite program like Kansas. This really does pain me to say this as I am no way, shape or form a Baylor fan, but this Bears team is cooking up something special in that God-forsaken place of Waco. Last week they fairly easily took down a very good West Virginia team and then on Tuesday took down OU in Norman. In a world of “one and done’s” in college hoops, it is refreshing to see a veteran group such as the Bears. This is the biggest game in Baylor Men’s Basketball history and those Baptists in the crowd at the Ferrell Center surely will not disappoint as the coffee flows freely through the student section. Give me the Bears in a close one. For a more in-depth look at this game, be sure to check out Brady Vaughan’s stellar preview.
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THERE GOES DAVIS!!! DAVIS IS GOING TO RUN IT ALL THE WAY BACK!!! THEY’RE NOT GONNA KEEP THEM OFF THE FIELD TONIGHT!
Even just by reading, you can hear, in your head, these words being proclaimed loud and proud in an ecstatic deep southern accent by Auburn sportscaster, Rod Bramblett, that gives you goosebumps as you recall the moment when, in the 2013 Alabama- Auburn rivalry game, Alabama attempted the last second 57 yard field goal that would literally just fall short and would project Auburn into the last National Championship of the BCS era. It is one of those moments where people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when it occurred.
The “Kick Six,” as it has become popularly known as, while an incredible play in it of itself, can not be fully appreciated without some background information to help people fully grasp the significance of that play. First off, Gus Malzahn was in his first year of his head coaching career at Auburn, and had managed to turn an Auburn team that went 0-8 in conference play, in the previous year, to being a national title contender in the next, all in one year. The manner he did so was incredible, squeaking out wins by a score or less against multiple division opponents (24- 20 Mississippi State, 30-22 Ole Miss #24, 45-41 at Texas A&M #7), and just the week before Alabama, Auburn kept their championship hopes alive as QB Nick Marshall, on 4th & 18, with 36 seconds left, from their own 27 yard line, lobbed up a pass that was deflected off a Georgia DB but then fell into the arms of Auburn receiver Ricardo Louis for the go ahead, winning score that would send Auburn into the Iron Bowl 10-1 against undefeated Alabama for a shot at the SEC Championship and a National Championship.
Never before had an end of season rivalry game, with its history and hate already embedded into it, have so much riding on it, on a national stage. Alabama had cruised into Jordan- Hare Stadium on an 11-0 record, crushing the competition with hopes of a 3rd national title as in as many years. Auburn, while hoping to keep its miraculous season going, was projected as the underdog, at home by 10 ½ points, with most of the country picking Alabama to go in and win and preserve their undefeated season. However, once the game began, point spreads and predictions fell to the wayside as two collegiate heavy weights started trading blows as there were multiple lead changes. The game remained tight and tied going into the 4th quarter before Crimson Tide senior quarterback, A.J. McCarron, threw a 99 yard TD pass, the longest play in Alabama history, to super star wide receiver, Amari Cooper, to go up 28-21.
GIF by Bleacher Report
With 2:32, the Auburn defense made a critical stop on their own 27 yard line, as they blocked Cade Foster’s, senior Alabama kicker out of Southlake, TX, 3rd FG attempt that day, which would’ve put the Crimson Tide up by 2 possessions and made the game nigh impossible for Auburn to come back in. After six consecutive hand offs to Auburn RB Tre Mason, Nick Marshall finally pulled the ball back and sprinting to his left, drew the Alabama defenders in pursuit of him, and then tossed it to a wide open receiver Sammy Coates for a 39 yard touchdown pass, tying the game up at 28-28 with 32 seconds left. Auburn had executed the 2 minute drill to perfection and now looked poised to take the game into OT.
GIF by Bleacher Report
But then, Alabama running back, T.Y. Yelden, on 2 consecutive draw plays against Auburn in the prevent defense, ran all the way to the Auburn 38 yard line and stepped out of bounds when the clock showed 0:00, and it looked like Auburn would force the game into OT. However, Nick Saban fiercely argued that Yelden had been pushed out by Auburn cornerback, Chris Davis (recognize the name?), with a second remaining, and after further review, the clock was reset to 0:01, much to the angst of the Auburn crowd. To everyone’s surprise, Saban elected to go with a 57 yard FG attempt instead of a Hail Mary, and to everyone’s further surprise, sent in redshirt freshman kicker, Adam Griffith, instead of the starting senior, Foster, to conduct the kick. And here, the stage has now been set for the most dramatic and memorable sports moment of the decade.
Adam Griffith lined up for the kick and made a very decent kick, just falling short of the goal post into the waiting arms of deep return man Chris Davis, the same Chris Davis that had forced out T.Y. Yelden out with 1 second remaining that had set up this situation. Once Davis caught it, the rest is history as he returned the ball for 109 yards, sprinting past the Alabama players and tightroping the sideline, to send the Auburn Tigers into the SEC Championship, past the vaunted defending back-to-back nation champion Crimson Tide. The call made by Auburn sportscaster, Rod Bramblett, captured and immortalized the moment perfectly:
“ Chris Davis is going to drop back into the end zone in single safety. Well, I guess if this thing comes up short he can field it and run it out. Alright, here we go. 56-yarder, it’s got—no, it does not have the leg. And Chris Davis takes it in the back of the end zone. He’ll run it out to the 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 45—There goes Davis! (White shouts “Oh my God!”) Davis is going to run it all the way back! Auburn’s gonna win the football game! Auburn’s gonna win the football game! He ran the missed field goal back! He ran it back 109 yards! [fans streaming onto the field] They’re not gonna keep them off the field tonight! Holy Cow! Oh, my God! Auburn wins! Auburn has won the Iron Bowl! Auburn has won the Iron Bowl in the most unbelievable fashion you will ever see! I cannot believe it! 34–28! ”
Courtesy of Auburn Football
It was in that moment, when the world became Auburn fans; an improbable, unbelievable season, riddled with comebacks, tight scores, and answered prayers capped off by the most improbable of all victories. A season where being the underdog and rising to the challenge defined who they were and forged them to become who they would be. Too many, this moment and the call made was as iconic as Al Michaels “DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES” call when another massive underdog team, the 1988 United States’ Olympic hockey team took down the seemingly invincible Soviet hockey team, to put them in the gold medal round and win it all. For Auburn, and many college football fans, this might be the greatest collegiate sports moment of all time, if not in all sports. It was this game where I discovered my love for college football; as a 17 year old junior in high school, looking into the process of college applications for the first, this game set off my excitement for the sport, and while I did not end up going to Auburn (Gig Em baby), the “Kick Six” was burned into my memory for all of time. It is moments like these that makes sports so great. To see the improbable, the impossible being done. To see a collection of young people get together and work so hard, to give so much of themselves, all for just an opportunity, a chance at being great.
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