Saturday's game was somewhat like the '85 game when Tide placekicker Van Tiffin launched a long game-winning field goal as time expired on valiant Auburn, which had twice taken leads in the fourth quarter. In some ways, the 1997 contest was similar even to the 1992 clash, Pat Dye's last as Auburn's head coach. In that game, 15-point underdog Auburn battled Alabama to a scoreless first half before taking the second-half kickoff and driving into Tide territory behind the powerful running of TB James Bostic. Shortly after it appeared Auburn might actually be driving for a score, Tiger QB Stan White threw a critical interception into the hands of Bama cornerback Antonio Langham, who bolted the distance giving Alabama the momentum it needed to pull away to a 17-0 victory.

There are others. Many others. But there is something that lies beneath nearly all of these games that gives them definition. There is a reason Auburn won Saturday's game, despite not playing its best football. There is a reason Alabama lost, despite playing perhaps its best game of the season. The current that carries any team to its destiny is not luck, though some could accuse Auburn of getting a game-winning break on Tide fullback Ed Scissum's fumble at the Tiger 33 with scarcely 40 seconds remaining. The underlying determinant of a team's success is often not that closely related to the level of talent a team has. Auburn's 1972 Amazins threw sand in the face of that arrogant notion. Courage, character, discipline, leadership, enthusiasm? True, all these things go into the batter that make the cake, but, remember, we're talking about what makes a winner in the Auburn-Alabama game, not merely about the ingredients which form a good football team.

So, why did Auburn win in 1997 but lose in 1984? How could Bill Newton block two fourth-quarter punts and David Langner run both of them back for touchdowns to defeat heavy-favorite Alabama at their place in Birmingham? What ordains success and failure when red and white clashes with Blue and Orange? Habits. That's what. Good ones and bad ones. It often has been said that you can throw out the record books when Auburn and Alabama play. But that typically hasn't been the case in this, college football's penultimate rivalry. Usually, the best team wins. Sure, Alabama, an 11-point underdog, played Auburn off its feet Saturday. But, why didn't Auburn quit with the Tide leading 17-6 in the third quarter? For the same reason Alabama called a pass play on third and eight, and lost the ball to Auburn. Auburn had been a winning team all season. The record is 9-2 and some awfully powerful positive habits were formed in tough environments like Baton Rouge and Athens, Georgia. The 1997 Tigers had traveled too far this season to just rollover and acquiesce to Alabama's will. They knew they could win, and, given the opportunity, they did it on the strength of one of their most battle-tested men, placekicker Jaret Holmes.

The Tide, on the other hand, had a sudden attack of déjà vu while leading Auburn late. Deep down inside, they seemed to know. Their sense of justice was out of balance. They wanted to beat Auburn, badly, in fact. But they had not established a habit of winning under Mike DuBose. Presented with opportunities to improve after losing to Tennessee and beating Ole Miss, Alabama floundered around in mid-season, losing to Louisiana Tech, LSU and Mississippi State. It was a self-imposed stigma they could not escape. Self-doubt replaced self-confidence. And Saturday night in Auburn, it caught up with them.

Many people have asked why Tide offensive coordinator Bruce Arians called a risky pass play with so much at stake. Why did head coach Mike DuBose not intervene or at least have knowledge of what play was called? Why did Ed Scissum fumble when hit on the play? There aren't any reasonable answers to those questions. Just that ole evil eye that got you in its sway. Like gambling or smoking cigarettes. Just plain ole bad habits. And like many men before them, the players and coaches of Alabama finally succumbed to those bad habits, those losing habits.

And Auburn? Buoyed by their continued success, the Tigers went on their merry way to Atlanta for a date in the SEC Championship Game.