AUBURN, Ala. -- In a private moment last summer, Kevin Steele confided to a bystander about his future. If it all suddenly all went sour for Auburn's defensive coordinator with 35 years of experience, he'd retire, go to the lake and kick back.

What lake? Doesn't matter.

"And I still will today," Steele said this week.

That was then, this is right now for the nation's No. 2-ranked team one step away from its first College Football Playoff appearance.

Auburn is on top of the college football world -- or close to it. A win over No. 6 Georgia on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game would continue one of the most impressive finishes in the sport's modern history.

Who else would have beaten two No. 1s and three top-six teams in four weeks to get to the playoff?

Who else would have thought Auburn would be here four months ago?

A quarterback with four games of college experience (Jarrett Stidham) had just been sacked 11 times at Clemson. A 5-2 start had released the vultures circling around coach Gus Malzahn. It, in fact, was going sour. There were reports before Saturday's Alabama game that Auburn's coach was headed to Arkansas win or lose.

"We're a completely different team," Malzahn said. "We were still trying to figure out who we were."

That's the CliffsNotes version. But how did it really happen? Like most championship teams, a lot of guys had career years.

Kerryon Johnson established himself as the probable SEC offensive player of the year: When Kamryn Pettway went down with a broken shoulder, the load was on the junior from Huntsville, Alabama. Sometimes that frees a guy. In this case, it allowed Johnson to become the most productive SEC running back workhorse since Derrick Henry a couple of years ago at Alabama. In the four games since Pettway went down, Johnson has averaged more than 28 carries and 138 yards per game. Despite playing only 10 of 12 games, he leads the SEC in average rushing yards.

The Tigers' chances this week may hinge on Johnson, who is day-to-day with an unspecified shoulder injury. Behind him there isn't much -- or at least as much as Johnson.

"He carries a load every single week for us," Stidham said. "Any time he goes down in game, you know it's something you have to take a look at. He's about as tough as it gets."

Johnson seemed to initially injure his right shoulder stretching to reach the pylon against Alabama. He was later removed, towel over his head, after carrying the ball.

"I'm not even going to lie," Johnson said after chants of "Kerry-on, Kerry-on" echoed through the stadium. "That brought tears to my eyes."

Stidham was better than expected: Malzahn sheltered the Baylor transfer from the media, at least creating the illusion there was a battle to be had with former starter Sean White. Less than three weeks into September, White was dismissed from the team after a public intoxication charge.

Stidham went on to become the SEC's most accurate passer (68.5 percent). But in a twist that surprised even Alabama, Stidham ran for a career-high 51 yards on Saturday.

"You get to this point in this season where you do whatever you do to win a game," Malzahn said. "This was a game if we had to run him, we were going to run him."

A year ago, Stidham was sitting on a couch at his girlfriend's house in Houston watching Alabama play Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

"I remember tweeting that out," Stidham said this week.

Now, he's living it.

New coordinators, no problem: The well-traveled Steele is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award that goes to the nation's top assistant. In his second season here, the defense improved from 71st (2015) to 28th (2016) to 11th this year in total yards. The defensive yards per play (4.42) are the fewest since at least 1996. Not surprisingly, the 59-year-old veteran saw his name pop up this week for the Tennessee job. That's not exactly retiring to the lake.

"When you're successful and you win … it effects recruiting. Everybody wants a new shiny car. They don't want a used car," Steele said, hinting at how recruiting is going.

The only reason Lindsey isn't a Broyles Award finalist is because the school could only submit one name.

"Chip [Lindsey] was the perfect guy for the job. Everybody sees that now," Malzahn said.

Lindsey was an offensive analyst in the press box four years ago when Auburn beat Alabama in the Kick Six game. After serving an apprenticeship at Southern Miss and Arizona State as an offensive coordinator, Lindsey proved himself worthy. Malzahn handed over play-calling duties, totally.

Lindsey, 43, had an all-star season. Stidham went from Baylor freshman transfer to a weapon. He inherited, then lost, college football's leading returning rusher (Pettway). Guard Braden Smith became the No. 2 rated offensive lineman in the SEC, per Pro Football Focus. Slot receiver Ryan Davis became the single-season receptions leader.

The result was the power-running spread Gus likes most. Auburn's is currently the third-most balanced offense in the country, rushing for 2,851 yards and passing for 2,791.

Overachievement by all: Win and Auburn will become the first playoff team with two losses. The Tigers would also become the first two-loss team in 10 years (LSU, 2007) to play for a national championship. The strength of the schedule -- fourth-toughest according to the NCAA – is evidence why Auburn belongs -- and could survive two losses.

"I don't know anybody else who played two No. 1 teams, a No. 2 team [Clemson]," Malzahn said. "Put our schedule up against anybody."

"Dog crap" repeat: Auburn is up for a rematch after wasting Georgia 40-17 on Nov. 11. Malzahn was caught on camera afterward saying, "We whipped the dog crap out of them, didn't we?!"

That was actually refreshing for the usually reserved Gus. It also provides Georgia with more of a revenge motive Saturday. Despite the game being at a neutral field, the Dawgs will have the homefield advantage in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. An SEC East team hasn't won the league title game since 2008.

But Auburn is playing better than anyone in the country. It just has to prove it. Again.

"It takes on a life of its own," Steele said. "It's not really going to look like the last game, probably, in anybody's imagination.

"We've got to approach like the first game against Georgia never happened, although we do have an advantage that it did happen."