After the Tennessee game, if you checked The Bunker or went on social media, you’d think Auburn was a bubble team fighting for its life.

“This season is derailing.”

“Auburn already peaked.”

“Auburn doesn’t have what it takes to make the second round (of March Madness).”

Then, Auburn came out firing on all cylinders against Mississippi State going up by 19 and well enroute to the SEC regular season title. It looked like Auburn was going to blow the doors off the Bulldogs and snap its road losing streak, but the Bulldogs didn’t go down easily and it took overtime and some heroics from K.D. Johnson to get the win and the title.

Fans were excited, but concerns again rang out. And it’s fair to have concerns. Auburn has had back-to-back games getting crushed on the boards and nearly blew a massive lead to Mississippi State just after blowing one to Tennessee. There are clearly still issues that have to be fixed with this team.

But it’s not fair to get so wrapped up in it that you stop enjoying the journey. You are watching a historic Auburn team, a championship-winning Auburn team and a truly special team.

In the Auburn locker room the message: “Make history” is around the AU logo. Auburn has done just that all season.

It didn’t take long for Walker Kessler to etch his name into the history book for his blocks and triple-doubles.

Jabari Smith has solidified himself as a top-3 pick and looks to be close to being considered a consensus No. 1 pick.

K.D. Johnson quickly became a folk hero for his performance in the Bahamas and all the crazy faces he’s made along the way.

Wendell Green Jr. has hit half-court shots and looked like a young Jared Harper at times after moving from the Ohio Valley Conference to the SEC.

Zep Jasper has been the most tenacious on-ball defender in the SEC and made it into some very long nights for opposing guards.

Devan Cambridge has brought the house down with some absurd alley-oops while improving as a defender and rebounder.

Allen Flanigan battled his way back from an Achilles injury in under four months and has accepted a new role from a star player last year to a defensive specialist taking just over five shots per game.

Dylan Cardwell has never failed to bring the energy off the bench.

Jaylin Williams chose not to transfer and, like Flanigan, accepted a new role off the bench with Smith coming in.

Walk-on Lior Berman lit up non-con play.

Chris Moore and Stretch Akingbola went from rotational pieces to hardly playing, but you wouldn’t know it — they’re the most excited people in the arena after a big Auburn play and team leaders in the locker room.

Auburn got its first-ever No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll.

Auburn fans relentlessly meme’d opposing teams' tweets. The fans created an (online) rivalry with Murray State, only for Murray State’s Tevin Brown to re-post the final score and turn a rivalry into an alliance.

Ryan Sterritt created the peacock, and Auburn fans fully bought in. The Tigers started peacocking through a 19-game winning streak.

Students braced the cold and camped out for the Kentucky game while former AuburnSports.com writer Allie Davison helped organize a fundraiser to get food, hand warmers and other items to the students that raised thousands and partially went to AUTLive.

College GameDay came for the game against Texas A&M.

All season long Auburn fans traveled and packed out opposing arenas making their voices heard.

Bruce Pearl got his “lifetime” contract and a new training facility for his team to be able to work even more and even harder.

The largest Auburn Athletics donation ever came for basketball, and now Auburn Arena will be Neville Arena come Saturday.

And now, Auburn is SEC champions when the league is the hardest it's ever been.

The Final Four trip for Auburn in 2019 was historic and elevated the year-to-year expectations for Auburn. Naturally, with a more talented team, Auburn fans are dialed in on a Final Four trip and hoping for a National Championship. Those are fair expectations to have for this team.

That’s obviously still on the table, but it’s not Final Four or bust for this team. It has accomplished so much and so much for the future of Auburn’s basketball program.

Since the first practice notes and observations we put up over the summer, we’ve been saying this team is special and this team has flown past those expectations. This team has solidified itself as a 2-seed and has a very good chance at securing a 1-seed. Auburn will be a favorite of many to win it all in March Madness.

No matter what happens I hope you can look back on this team fondly. This has been, without a doubt, the most fun team I’ve gotten to cover at Auburn, and it is historically-good. Whatever happens in March doesn't change the fact this has been a special team and deserves to be remembered as such.

Remember to enjoy the journey… and strap in for a wild ride in March.

This team is special, and that’s what it takes in March.

“‘It’s March time,’ you know?” Johnson said after the Mississippi State win. “It’s the time when all the special players show up.”