Dec 07, 2013 11:43 AM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

One year ago, the Auburn Tigers (3) and the Missouri Tigers (5) could not so much as think about playing in a bowl game, but are now playing for the SEC Championship.

CLICK HERE to LISTEN LIVE to radio coverage of the SEC Championship showdown of the Tigers. 

Only two weeks ago, it was far-fetched to imagine this game not including the Alabama Crimson Tide (4). One of the most memorable plays in recent college football history (and one of the greatest broadcasting calls to go along with it) dashed Alabama's hopes of an SEC Championship and made one possible for Auburn.

Missouri is in its second year in the SEC, going 5-7 last year and beating just two conference opponents. Last week, they flexed their defensive muscles and stifled Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M for their seventh win against a conference foe. Their one and only loss of the season was a double-overtime defeat to SEC opponent South Carolina.

"We just kept getting better," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said Sunday, according to the Associated Press. "Our kids played hard every single game at a very high level. I've been around a lot of good football teams, but I've rarely been around a team like that, playing at the level they did on a consistent basis."

Both teams have an outside chance at a bid for the BCS National Championship. Being from the SEC, a highly competitive conference, voters may favor them if Florida State or Ohio State - ranked one and two respectively - lose their games or do not win convincingly enough Saturday.

For Auburn, continuing their worst-to-first run is only about the game ahead of them.

"We're playing a very good Missouri team that's very similar to us," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who was extended by the school for six more years, said. "I think about both teams being very hungry. We were both kind of down at the bottom at the start of the year. But we've improved. I feel like we've improved each game. They would probably say the same thing."

Both teams have strong defenses, with Missouri holding a slight edge in average points allowed. Missouri has given up just under 20 points per game, while Auburn has surrendered just over 22. Auburn's ground game is lethal and they torched Alabama, the nation's best defense, for 296 yards.

However, Missouri holds a strong advantage in the passing game. Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall is not accustomed to throwing a lot of passes in a game, but he has not needed to. If the game were to come down to a QB passing duel, Missouri's James Franklin would seemingly have the upper hand.

For either team, the BCS standings would have to get rocked for a second consecutive week to make a BCS National Championship appearance. Both Ohio State and Florida State are undefeated and favored in their games. Still, a chance at the crystal football would be moot for either Tigers team if they lose to the other Tigers team.

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