Florida and Auburn meet in first part of 'Triangle of Doom' round-robin with LSU in October
A few days before the season kicked off, Gus Malzahn gathered his players and took them through Auburn’s schedule. He wanted them to see, as he put it, “the big picture” – because then he wanted them to stop seeing it, and instead focus only on what was directly ahead.
Five games in, the Tigers are undefeated and ranked No. 7 in the Amway Coaches Poll. They visit No. 8 Florida Saturday. Which means there’s little danger anyone will view the season through a wide-angle lens.
“You can’t think that way,” Malzahn says. “There’s no reason to think that way.”
Certainly not this week, when the Gators host the first Top 10 matchup at Florida Field since 2012. ESPN’s College GameDay will set up camp, conveying the ultimate stamp of college football bigness. There’s no reason for Malzahn and his players to think any bigger.
But we should.
For Auburn, Florida and No. 6 LSU, the month of October features a triangle of doom.
First, a word about September, which was a heady time to be an SEC fan. We know, that’s SEC fans’ steady state. But during the first month of this season, it has been especially exhilarating – and at least mildly surprising – as LSU, Auburn and Florida joined preseason favorites Alabama (ranked No. 1) and Georgia (No. 3) near the top of the rankings and in many of those faux projections for the College Football Playoff.
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With a suddenly wide-open offense, LSU won a road shootout against Texas in one of the biggest non-conference matchups of the season. With a devastating defense and a rapidly growing freshman quarterback fueling a developing offense, Auburn found its way past Oregon, then dominated at Texas A&M and against Mississippi State. Florida doesn’t have a similar signature win, but with an aggressive, mean defense, the Gators are 5-0 for the first time since 2015.
They’re all in the Top 10, with reason to dream of climbing even higher. Come November, each gets its shot against Alabama or Georgia – or in Auburn’s case, against both. But first, they have to navigate a defining triangle.
On Saturday, we get Auburn at Florida. Next week, Florida is at LSU. Two weeks after that, Auburn visits Baton Rouge.
Three hopefuls, all locked into a round-robin tournament of sorts. Who emerges unscathed? Will any? It’s possible that Auburn, Florida and LSU beat each other up, that by the time November arrives, none is a realistic SEC contender, much less for the College Football Playoff. Or that if one goes 2-0, it’s worn down from the grind.
Not that anyone is complaining (yet).
“This is why you come to Florida, to play in big, big games like this,” says Florida coach Dan Mullen of the Auburn matchup. “I think (the players) know this is here and you’ve got to pick up the intensity. This is what you go for.”
The same goes for Auburn and LSU. And then they’ll go for it again, all the way through October. And if they do?
The Gators play Georgia Nov. 2 in their annual battle in Jacksonville. A week later, LSU travels to Tuscaloosa to play the Crimson Tide. And Auburn – well, wow. With what might be the nation’s most difficult schedule, Auburn gets Georgia Nov. 16 and Alabama Nov. 30. At least they’re both at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
It could be epic fun, because what we’ve seen so far from LSU, Auburn and Florida provides hope that instead of simply fast-forwarding to yet another matchup between ‘Bama vs. Georgia in the SEC championship game, we might be in for something new and different. But it all begins Saturday in Gainesville. The winner advances to the next round still unbeaten, with larger goals still intact. Just don’t try to get them to acknowledge it.
“I don’t look at it,” Malzahn says. “I mean it’s whatever – this is Florida. This is it. This is our game.”
Next week, when the buzz shifts to Florida at LSU, Auburn has an open date. And then after that?
“I think our next game is a road game,” Malzahn says.
We’re pretty sure he knows it’s at Arkansas. And that he’s well aware of what comes after that in the bigger picture.