I hope you’re all emotionally preparing yourselves for kickoff! As I write this there is actually less than a week left until SEC Football returns and this is a great time to remind you all to go ahead and resume/continue your hatred for the University of Georgia. The countdown of my favorite games continues here.

Number 7-Auburn vs Georgia 2017

I’d like to preface this by saying that all of my favorite games listed are extremely sentimental to me. These games don’t just mark great victories by Auburn, but important memories of my life too. I hope that by reading these articles you also reflect and share your good times as well.

2017 was a crazy year for me. I was 23 years old fresh out of college when I decided to press the “reset” button on multiple facets of my life. Necessary heartbreaks were made and at the time, I never could have envisioned how my life would so beautifully put those broken pieces of my heart back together again, but it happened. For those who have been in a familiar situation, you don’t need me to tell you that the healing process hurts like hell.

That’s what 2017 was like for me.

We interrupt this deep moment to bring you Jeff Holland aka Sensei Mud, enjoy.

Jeff Holland’s SEC leading 9th sack on the season. Remember, the @butkusaward ignored the SEC’s best pass rusher & all of Auburn’s defenders while two UGA defenders were listed as their semifinalist. pic.twitter.com/8r5Ao3t1Bs

— Skye Underwood (@SkyeUnderwood) November 12, 2017

 

Traveling to Auburn to see my friends was an escape for me. When I turned off of 280 and into Auburn it would feel like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I went down there a lot in 2017 and each time I was welcomed into the arms of my closest friends. I advocate therapy for anyone, but if you want an instantaneous soul refresher, get your friends together for game day and get your booty down to Auburn.

Getting together for Auburn vs Georgia in 2017 was a no-brainer for all of my friends. Post graduate life scattered us all across the map and not a single one of use could figure out how this “adulting” thing worked. Life doesn’t give people blueprints, but it does give you companionship and that’s what we needed more than anything. Each other.

And for the Tigers to beat the tar out of Georgia.

These tweets aged SO well. Thanks for playing, Georgia.

War Damn Eagle & Kerryon Johnson for Heisman. pic.twitter.com/MfrMi6NeTj

— braves grief counselor (@sheabooskyy) November 12, 2017

I was all sorts of amped up heading down to Auburn that Friday. I really believed in this 6-1 Auburn team. The only loss the Tigers had was a head-scratching complete come-apart against LSU, but these dudes were a scrappy bunch! It wasn’t surprising that the national talking heads weren’t giving Auburn any love against Georgia after that LSU loss, but Georgia added fuel to the fire that week after their fans took to the keyboards to fire off some hot take trash talk.

The Bulldogs were pretty new to being ranked first and there was just no way a 6-1 Auburn team was going to knock them off of their pedestal.

Oh, but they did.

Deshaun Davis, Jeff Holland, and Dontavius Russell pummeled Jake Fromm and completely shut down Georgia’s offense. Jarrett Stidham threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns, but the player of the game was none other than Kerryon Johnson. Johnson rushed for 167 yards and scored the final Auburn touchdown on a 55-yard catch to quiet any barks from the crowd.

I spent the first half of that cold game tailgating on the Green Space with my closest friends in tow. The campus that night? Absolute bedlam, and not a single depraved soul was barking at innocent Auburn fans. I’ve never hated leaving Auburn more than I did that Sunday. That weekend reminded me that nobody needs a roadmap to navigate life, they just need the right kind of people in their camp and good times.