Six games against top 25 teams and they call that brutal? Son, we used to play in the old SEC where you had Florida, Tennessee, and Auburn every single year, plus a powerhouse non-conference game. That 2008 schedule had us facing four top 10 teams by November. These days, with the expanded playoff and conference realignment, the whole concept of a tough schedule has been watered down. Auburn's fans have gotten soft if they think that's a gauntlet. I remember when Pat Dye's teams would line up against Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State in the same season and never blink. Now everybody wants a participation trophy for having a few ranked opponents. The game has lost its edge. Back then, you didn't complain about the schedule, you just went out and played it. This new generation of fans and analysts wants everything quantified and ranked before a single snap is taken. It's nonsense. Real toughness is built in the trenches over a season, not measured by some preseason list from Bristol.