What a crazy game. My heads still spinning a little bit, but here's tomorrow's lede for A1.

TAMPA, Fla. — Gene Chizik's schedule was so packed in the week leading up to Auburn's appearance in the Outback Bowl that the Tigers coach had little opportunity to catch a glimpse of any other bowl games.

After Auburn's wild 38-35 overtime win against Northwestern, he doesn't feel short-changed.

"You will be hard pressed to find one better than that as far as getting your money's worth," Chizik said.

Nobody was sure if they've ever seen a game this crazy. The teams combined for 10 touchdowns and 73 points, breaking 18 Outback Bowl records and tying another 10.

Auburn cornerback Walt McFadden had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter that turned into a mere footnote.

The Tigers watched a 14-point lead evaporate in just over three minutes at the end, forcing overtime, yet nobody was talking about it afterward.

Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka shattered an Outback Bowl record by throwing 78 times for 532 yards ... and lost.

Yet all of that was overshadowed by a crazy final drive that featured replays that overturned two crucial calls, two premature celebrations, a missed field goal, a roughing the kicker penalty and a modern-day fumblerooski that Auburn stuffed two yards short of the end zone to preserve the win.

Whew!

"That was the craziest game I've ever seen, heard of, been a part of," Auburn linebacker Craig Stevens said. "Everything."