Heading into the Oct. 26 game a 12-point underdog, you could make out a little hope if you squinted hard enough. Auburn was No. 5, but the Cougars had already held their own and then some against ranked opponents. They’d opened the season by shocking No. 14 Miami, 7-0. The next week, they’d lost by just a touchdown to No. 11 Baylor, then bounced back with a 7-0 win over Cincinnati. The 24-6 road loss to Texas A&M was their worst, but the Aggies were No. 3, maybe even tougher than the Auburn team flying into town, who knew…
The Tigers had the best defense in the country, sure.