Under an Orange and Blue Sky

As the thick, gray sky parted and the sun cast an orange glow on the remaining clouds, orange and blue had parted the 'Tide' that had washed down the field in the first half.

Truly one of the greatest symbols of a 'Tale of Two Halves,' the 75th Iron Bowl will go down in history as one of the best. Alongside other Auburn greats such as 'Punt Bama Punt' and 'Bo Over the Top,' this year's game should not be downsized to a quotable one-liner. There was not a single contributor to this Auburn victory. Rather, a variety of occurrences - all rather unlikely - contributed to a slow, steady, rather resilient comeback.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

1. Change in Strategy

Cam Newton, unlike every other game this season, was not his dominate presence. Credit Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, and the other defensive coordinators for discovering a blueprint for stopping Newton. Newton was held to a minute 39 rushing yards on 22 attempts, leaving him with a 1.8 yards per carry average. The defense, especially shown through linebacker Courtney Upshaw's play and defensive lineman Marcell Dareus'containment, had been well-coached on defending the best player in the nation.

Where credit is due to the Alabama coaching staff, may it also go to Gus Malzahn who made some quick, simple adjustments. The adjustments allowed for the talented running attack of Onterio McCalebb and Michael Dyer to be utilized in a lateral system. Also, changes in passing patterns allowed for more quick releases from Newton avoiding the pressure from the first half. Newton finished the game going 13 for 20 for 216 yards and 3 touchdowns.

2. Auburn's Defense

Who would have thought that Auburn's defense would be a contributing factor? Non-existant in the first half, the defense provided substantial pressure in the second half, stifling both the rushing and passing attacks of the Crimson Tide.

The obvious 'weak link' for the Auburn defense, the secondary, allowed Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy to complete his first twelve passes which included a touchdown pass to both Julio Jones and Darius Hanks. McElroy ended the game 27 for 37, a career-high 377 yards, and 2 touchdowns. Defensive back Nico Thorpe and others for the Auburn defensive were bullied up and down the field. Unable to compete with the size and natural athletic prowess of Jones, he finished the first half with 175 receiving yards and seemed to be on his way to a career day.

The half provided the Auburn secondary with time to regain focus, and the second half proved much different. Jones was shut down to just 24 receiving yards in the second half. Both Jones and Hanks were disabled by big hits as well, leaving considerable matchup advatages for Auburn.

The running attack for Alabama was its usual mediocre presence. The stronger front seven of Auburn, including standout defensive tackle Nick Fairley, were constantly in the lanes leaving Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson with little hope.

By the end of the fourth quarter, the defense had successfully taken Jones, Hanks, and McElroy out of the game. Down by one point, in desperate need of a Van Tiffin reminiscient game-winning field goal, the Alabama offense had to rely on the inexperienced back-up quarterback AJ McCarron, as well as young receivers.

3. Taking Advantage of Opportunities ('The Way the Ball Bounces')

Up 21-0 in the second quarter, Alabama and Ingram were racing down the sideline to seemingly place the straw that broke the Tiger's back. Unfortunately for the Tide, Auburn defensive end Antoine Carter decided to display a football lesson on hustle. Out of the play, Carter followed the play and received a chance to strike after a broken tackle. Slinging his massive paw under the cradle of Ingram's breadbasket, the ball flew from Ingram's grasp at the 19.

In slow motion, the ball rolled - almost perfectly - down the sideline and out of the endzone for an Auburn touchback.

Pair that with the trivial performance of the Alabama offense in the red zone; Auburn had its rejuvenation. Richardson dropped a touchdown pass which led to a field goal. McElroy was sacked and fumbled inside the ten. The greatest letdown may have been the inability to finish off of an Upshaw initiated turnover on special teams. The Tide settled for another field goal.

Also, the 70 yard Terrell Zachary touchdown reception was another missed opportunity. From the stands, it seemed that Alabama safety Mark Barron had a direct path to either intercept the pass or clean Zachary's slate. Barron, looking bewildered, allowed Zachary to catch the pass before trying to strip the ball to no avail.

Barron suffered a torn pectoral muscle on that play. Barron said himself that he was going for the interception of the pass until he realized he could not lift his arm in order to make the catch. Left in the middle of a fast-pace play, Barron tried to regain himself for the tackle leaving Zachary with an easier route to the end zone.

4. The Revert from Explosive to Game Management (The Greatest Contribution In My Eyes)

Alabama's offense, up big in the first half, reverted to the worst possible habit. The offense began the patented clockwork, game-management offense for which it was known. Of course, this is an understandable move by offensive coordinator, Jim McElwain. Being ahead by so much at home to a talented team, it is completely understandable to revert to a clock-chewing, yard-inching machine to choke the Auburn offense.

The problem is that the running attack had been - to that point and was during the game - futile against a strong Auburn front seven. What Alabama had actually done was to give the offense time to make adjustments. Those offensive adjustments, mentioned previously, provided the spark to the Auburn comeback.

If Alabama had chosen to stay true to the multiple formation, fast-paced offense of the first quarter, there would have been the chance of more scoring opportunities which would have led to an insurmountable lead for a desparate Auburn and Cam Newton.

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That is why they play the game. Sixty minutes are in place for a reason. An excellent twenty minute spree will be surpassed by a steady forty minute attack any day of the week (except if you have Oregon's offense).

Congratulations Auburn. Seeming in despair and utter disbelief, the Tigers responded. They did not respond through athlete Cam Newton but rather as a unit which is useful moving forward into the most important stretch of games in Auburn history.

Under an orange and blue sky, Auburn began to paint the picture for a national championship. Just remember, there will be no sky in the Georgia Dome.