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Defensive back Nick Ruffin of Atlanta, Georgia tweeted this picture inside one of Auburn's meeting rooms Sunday. Ruffin is a four-star commitment in the class of 2014. (Nick Ruffin/@nickruffin20)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Two words inscribed on one wall at Auburn say it all.

Beat Bama.

Auburn commitment Nick Ruffin snapped a photo (above) inside one of the Tigers' defensive meeting rooms while visiting campus Sunday. When were the eight orange letters installed? It doesn't matter. The purpose of the two words is simple: motivation.

The Tigers last defeated Alabama in the Iron Bowl in 2010, when Cam Newton led the Tigers back from a 24-0 deficit for a dramatic 28-27 victory in Tuscaloosa.

First-year coach Gus Malzahn is tasked with re-energizing the Tigers following a 3-9 season, the worst season in 60 years. When asked Tuesday about the proverbial elephant in the room, Alabama -- and its back-to-back national titles since Auburn's 2010 Iron Bowl and BCS national championship victories -- Malzahn shared a singular focus.

"We're worried about ourselves," he said. "We're worried about getting better. I told our guys in our first team meeting, 'Hey, I'm not worried about what happened last year. I'm worried about moving forward, getting better.' Auburn's a great place. It consistently has won, and won some championships. That's on our mind. We've got some work to do, but we're going in the right direction."