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The first College Football Playoff is still almost two months away, but for third-ranked Auburn it's already begun.
Thanks to Kris Frost's potentially season-saving tackle in a 35-31 win at Ole Miss last Saturday, it's still going.
"I talked to the team before the game and basically I just told them that this is a playoff game for us," the junior linebacker said. "From here on, every game is a playoff game for us.
"We know every game is just bigger and bigger from here on out, and we've just got to take care of what we need to take care of."
That's a path that picks up again Saturday against Texas A&M as the Tigers (7-1, 4-1 SEC) hope to avoid a third straight nail-biter while extending the nation's longest home winning streak to 15. The defense made two stands in the fourth quarter of a 42-35 win over South Carolina two weeks ago, then Frost caught Rebels receiver Laquon Treadwell from behind at the 1-yard line and forced a fumble in the waning moments to ensure Auburn's latest escape.
"Our guys really believe that they're going to win games if they're close," coach Gus Malzahn said. "It's all about the players. They've done it the last two years in the most bizarre ways. There's a lot of champions in that locker room."
Ten of Auburn's 22 games since the start of last season have been decided by one possession and they've won nine of those, losing only to Florida State in the BCS title game.
One of those back-and-forth contests came last season in College Station, where the Tigers rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat No. 7 Texas A&M 45-41.
Nick Marshall helped saved Auburn in that one, throwing for 236 yards and two touchdowns while running for 100 yards and two more scores. That air total was his second-best in a Tigers uniform until last Saturday, when he went 15 of 22 for 254 yards and two TDs.
Hardly known for his passing accuracy, Marshall has hit on 75 percent of his 36 throws over the last two weeks.
"When the game is on the line and the pressure is the highest, he plays his best," Malzahn said. "... He's one of the better quarterbacks in the country, and one of the better players in the entire country, too."
Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin has a pretty good idea what to expect from Marshall and the Tigers' offense.
"I think Gus will tell you that they want to start with their run game, run power football out of the spread, and then the play-action off of that has been deadly for a lot of different people," Sumlin said.
Auburn's eighth-ranked rushing attack (277.5 yards per game) might be more of the focus against the Aggies (6-3, 2-3). Texas A&M has given up an average of 255.8 yards on the ground and 14 rushing touchdowns in its past four conference games.
It held Louisiana-Monroe to 2.6 yards per carry last Saturday while stepping out of conference to end a three-game losing streak with a 21-16 victory.
The bigger story was the absence of Kenny Hill, who just two months ago was being touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate after throwing for 511 yards and three TDs in his starting debut. But he struggled during A&M's losing streak, and Sumlin announced shortly before the win over the Warhawks that Hill was suspended two games for violating team rules and athletic department policies.
That means another start for Kyle Allen, who couldn't do much to move a once-dynamic offense in his first start. The freshman went 13 for 28 for 106 yards with a touchdown and an interception and was sacked three times. Texas A&M was held to 243 total yards by a Louisiana-Monroe defense which allowed 409.8 per game in its previous six.
Auburn has forced 18 turnovers - one fewer than it did last season - but has just 16 sacks, though four came last Saturday against Bo Wallace.
"I thought we got a little bit more pass pressure," defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson told the Tigers' official website. "That improved (against Ole Miss) and, hopefully, that's a good thing to build on going forward."
Texas A&M is tied for sixth in the nation with 30 sacks, 11 of which belong to Myles Garrett. The defensive end had 3 1/2 against Louisiana-Monroe to break the SEC freshman record held by Jadeveon Clowney.
Getting Marshall on the ground won't be easy. Auburn has allowed only six sacks, sixth-fewest in the FBS.
