No one will argue that he’s build a solid program. And there’s little argument the program is in better shape than he found it. That all goes without saying. But has he truly built a great program – one of the very best in the country?
Marshall says not yet. But the numbers beg to differ.
Let’s take a closer look at Tuberville’s first nine years on the Plains and compare them to the standard-bearers of Auburn football – Shug Jordan and Pat Dye. Most would agree that both built great programs. After all, they have their names on and in the stadium and both are members of the College Football Hall Of Fame.
In nine years at Auburn, Tuberville has a record of 80-33. During this time he’s made eight bowl appearances, won an SEC Championship, finished in the top 25 five different times and carries a 7-2 record against Alabama.
Most importantly, his 2004 team finished 13-0; the best season in school history. In the 2005 NFL Draft, Tuberville had four players taken in the first round.
During Pat Dye’s first nine years on the Plains he had a record of 81-25-4. He led Auburn to eight bowl games, won four SEC Championships, finished in the top 25 seven times and had a 6-3 record against Alabama. He also produced a Heisman Trophy winner in Bo Jackson.
Like Tuberville, his third-ranked 1983 squad (11-1) was passed over for the national championship despite beating Michigan in the Sugar Bowl on a day when the top two teams lost.
Shug Jordan posted a 63-27-3 record during his first nine years at Auburn. He led Auburn to three bowl games, a national championship, an SEC championship, finished in the top 25 six times and was 5-4 against Alabama. His 1957 national championship team was ineligible for a bowl game due to probation.
When you look at the numbers side-by-side, it’s hard to argue that Tuberville hasn’t built a program that’s every bit as good as Jordan’s and Dye’s. One could argue that Dye was more successful at this point due to his four conference championships.
It’s a point well taken and is probably what caused Marshall to stop short of calling Tuberville’s program great. Some will argue that it’s much more difficult these days to win a conference title than it was during Dye’s tenure because of the SEC Championship Game. I’m not sure you can argue that point with any validity. Name me a year when it has been easy to win the SEC?
While the numbers do compare Tuberville favorably to Jordan and Dye, I can see Marshall’s point. Tuberville has made it to the mountain top only once, although it was Mount Everest. Will one more conference title cement his greatness?
What about Jordan? He only won one conference title, but it was paired with a national title. Should Tuberville be penalized because the voters got it wrong?
You’ll have to decide for yourself. My mind is made up.
Tuberville has reached greatness at Auburn – his program is among the elite in the country. He’s raised Auburn’s profile in the college football world, expanded the recruiting base, consistently wins against top 10 teams, competes for championships and has dominated the state of Alabama in a way that’s unprecedented in the history of the school.
More important than anything else is how he does it – the right way. His players make their grades and graduate, they stay out of trouble (for the most part) and the NCAA has not so much as sniffed Auburn’s way since he arrived on campus. This alone makes Tuberville one of the all-time Auburn greats.
LSU's defense will be a tough early test for Auburn.
By Acid Reign Paraswarm@aol.com
On September 20th, at 7:00 PM, a major war will take place in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn and LSU will fight it out, and the winner will have the inside track towards the Western Division title. The game has been picked up by ESPN HD, and will be on national television. The late kickoff should allow plenty of time for fans to get revved up, and the house should be rocking!
LSU returns to the Plains as the defending national champion, but it will be a team minus 10 senior starters from a year ago, seven of which were selected in the recent NFL draft. Previously, LSU will have played Appalachian State, Troy, and North Texas. Barring a year-ago-Michigan-level upset, LSU should be undefeated, and ranked in the top 5. Auburn likely also will be undefeated. This tilt will be LSU's first road game of the year, and their SEC opener.
As with Auburn's first three opponents, LSU had to replace a coordinator, this season. Bo Pellini departed to Nebraska, so a new defensive boss had to be found. Head coach Les Miles promoted from within, naming Doug Mallory and Bradley Dale Peveto as co-coordinators. Mallory came over with Miles from Oklahoma State, coaching the defensive backs. Mallory's secondaries have led the SEC in pass efficiency defense all three years he has been at LSU. Last season, led by safety Craig Steltz, LSU picked off 21 passes. Peveto is also in his third season with LSU, coaching linebackers, and serving as special teams coordinator. Peveto previously served as defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State. Last season, Peveto coached an All-American linebacker, Ali Highsmith, an All-SEC linebacker, Darry Beckwith, and two All-SEC kickers, punter Patrick Fisher, and kicker Colt David.
No question looms larger for LSU than the quarterback position. With the dismissal of the talented, mercurial Ryan Perrilloux, the candidates to replace him are redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee, and Harvard transfer, junior Andrew Hatch. Hatch appears to be slightly ahead in the race. LSU replaces 3 offensive line starters, but they are LOADED at the skill positions, including veteran pass-catchers Brandon LaFell, and Demetrious Byrd. LSU has a stable of dangerous running backs by committee, including Richard Murphy, Keiland Williams, Trindan Holiday, and Charles Scott.
The defense must replace six starters. The line should be very strong, even without Glenn Dorsey. Darry Beckwith returns at middle linebacker, to anchor a fast, athletic group. LSU has four solid safeties to step into the void left by Craig Steltz, but thus far, the new corners have been disappointing. If there is a weak spot on the LSU defense, it is at corner. Colt David, the All-SEC kicker returns, but LSU must find a punter, and a reliable punt returner. Kickoffs against LSU are always an adventure, with the ever-dangerous Trindon Holliday returning kicks.
Matchups
Auburn defensive line vs. LSU offensive line: Auburn fields a talented, dangerous front. LSU will be bringing 3 linemen getting their first road start, but they'll be led by talented veteran senior center, Brett Helms, who'll be in his third year as a starter. 5th year senior left guard Herman Johnson returns, as well, and he is a LOAD, at 351 pounds. We'll have a lot of trouble matching up with him. Look for LSU to try lots of weakside runs, with Johnson paving the way. Auburn counters with speedy defensive ends, against young LSU tackles. Advantage: Even.
Auburn linebackers vs. LSU runners: Last year, LSU bashed out 169 yards against the Tigers. Auburn will be deeper and stronger, this year, and LSU loses Jacob Hester to graduation. The second-leading rusher was Matt Flynn, who is also gone. LSU backs frequently gashed through arm tackles in the game, and who can forget Keiland Williams setting sail on a 46-yard screen-pass touchdown late in the 1st quarter. LSU likely will run a lot, this year. Auburn's ability to fly to the ball, and get runners on the ground, will be key to getting young LSU Qbs in some bad situations. Advantage: Even, in a strength against strength matchup.
Auburn corners vs. LSU receivers: LSU returns a couple of dangerous veterans in Demetrious Byrd and Brandon LaFell. The question will be whether a young QB can get the ball to them reliably. Jerraud Powers should be fine against one of them, but I worry about the other side. Gary Crowton may deviate from his usual screen-happy attack, in favor of testing new Auburn corners Aaron Savage and Walt McFadden over the top. Luckily, Auburn's closing speed at safety is as good as it has been in years, and new defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes tends to favor more cover-two packages, than the previous two coordinators did. Auburn cannot afford to give up big plays on the perimeter. Advantage: LSU
Auburn safeties vs. LSU secondary receivers and quarterback: Both teams will be young, in this matchup. Zach Etheridge and Michael McNeil have the talent, and both got their feet wet last season. Etheridge was an All-SEC freshman team selection. LSU fullbacks are primarily blockers, but LSU's tight ends are a threat. Richard Dickson get the starting nod at tight end. He was all-SEC as a freshman, in 2006, and was on some freshman All-American teams. At quarterback LSU will have no game experience returning. Junior transfer, from Harvard, Andrew Hatch is listed as the starter, but Les Miles plans to use a two-quarterback system, this fall. The other quarterback is redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee. Hatch is more of a pocket-passer, while Lee has good speed on the edge. Advantage: even.
Punting: Auburn will be solid with any of three different punters, and good coverage. LSU counters with sophomore returner Chad Jones. Jones dropped several punts last season, and made some bad fielding decisions. He averaged 6.6 yards per return, with a long return of 16 yards. LSU is hoping that Jones matures greatly, this season. LSU loses All-SEC punter Patrick Fisher. Neither of the possible replacement candidates punted well in LSU's spring game. LSU opponents averaged 9.5 yards per return, whereas Auburn gave up only 6.5. Advantage: Auburn
Kickoffs: Auburn will be looking to improve on a poor season, in this area. The health of Wes Byrum will be key. LSU did not fare terribly well in the kickoff department last season, either. LSU tried five different kickers, and none could average more than 60 yards. Auburn averaged 57yards. LSU gave up 20.2 yards per return to Auburn's 21.2. Trindan Holiday gives LSU a dangerous return man, Auburn counters with Tristan Davis. Advantage: Even.
Placekicking: Wes Byrum was consistent for Auburn, hitting 17 of 23 attempts, and made all of his pressure kicks. Colt David was the All-SEC kicker selection, hitting 26 of 33 attempts. David had no misses inside 30 yards, and hit all of his extra points. Advantage: Even.
Auburn offensive line vs. LSU defensive line: Auburn returns every starter from the LSU contest a year ago, when the line showed that it could match up with LSU. They created running creases, and provided protection for Brandon Cox. As inconsistent as Auburn's offense was in 2007, it put up 24 points on the national champions, and it started on the line. LSU returns an abundance of talent, though, and should put up a heck of a fight. Senior end Tyson Jackson is a monster pass-rusher that is awfully tough to block. He has Stanley-McGlover-level speed, but weights almost 300 pounds. Slight advantage: LSU.
Auburn backs vs. LSU linebackers: For Auburn last year, the Lester-Tate-led rushing attack only managed 97 yards on the ground. LSU loses All-American linebacker Ali Highsmith, while Auburn's rushers are a year stronger. Still, it is hard to imagine a spread-offense having huge success running at LSU. Auburn's backs won't be measured by gobs of rushing yardage, but by how well they pick up blitzes, and how they run with screen passes. LSU returns All-SEC middle linebacker Darry Beckwith, while no Auburn back last year even got a sniff of post-season honors. Advantage: LSU.
Auburn receivers vs. LSU corners: After two years of questionable play out of this unit, Auburn's outside guys should be back to typical speed and talent. In addition to stalwarts Rod Smith and Montez Billings, a pair of big-play guys stepped up this spring, in James Swinton and Chris Slaughter. LSU had problems covering their starting receivers, in their spring game, with two new starting corners. Chris Hawkins and Jai Eugene have speed, but both are under six feet, and are not considered physical. A key will be how well Auburn can block these guys on the slip-screen. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. LSU safeties: Curtis Taylor returns at strong safety for LSU, and he's a bruising, ball-hawking specimen in the mold of Ronnie Lott. LSU breaks in a new free safety to replace departed All-American Chris Steltz. Harry Coleman starts there, and he's still adjusting a bit. He was a special-teams stalwart in the past, and is a good tackler. Auburn's secondary receivers, Robert Dunn and Tommy Trott should be able to get some mismatches in this area. Auburn will play a pair of young quarterbacks in their first big game, Kodi Burns and Chris Todd. It's worth noting that in both of LSU's overtime losses last season, they gave up a lot of points, facing spread-out offenses that got the ball out to slot receivers, tight ends, and backs. Advantage: Even.
Tallying up the matchups, it appears that LSU has a slight advantage, on paper. Fortunately, this game will be played on an actual football field with 87,000 raucous fans. LSU will be at a decided disadvantage with young players on the road. In addition, Auburn's offensive scheme is one that should be able to take advantage of some of LSU's few defensive weaknesses, IF Auburn's quarterbacks get time to throw and/or run. LSU faced a version of the spread last season, against Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, and Arkansas (Darren McFadden played a LOT of Wildcat/shotgun quarterback in that game). In those four games, LSU gave up 161 points. And this year, they're minus 3 All Americans from that defense. In addition, one can expect mistakes from new quarterbacks, on the road, against a fast front seven like Auburn has.
Prediction: LSU makes too many mistakes to win their first road game, and Auburn romps to a shocking 34-13 victory!
I attended a cool event over the weekend in Columbus, Georgia. Each year the ministries of former Auburn All-American Joe Cribbs, Alabama great Jeremiah Castille and former Georgia All-American David Pollack put on a celebrity golf tournament at the local country club.
It’s an opportunity to raise money for each of the foundations and for fans it’s a chance to meet and talk with some of the greats from the three schools. Those representing Auburn included Cribbs, Aundray Bruce, Trey Gainous, Gerald Robinson, Pat Dye, Brandon Cox, Frank Sanders, Terry Henley, Smokey Hodge, Rob Pate, Stan White and Jeff Burger to name just a few.
The Alabama and Georgia contingent included Roger Shultz (from Biggest Loser fame), Nick Saban, Antonio Langham, Barry Krauss, Kevin Butler, D.J. Shockley and Robert Edwards.
A couple of observations: Bruce looks like he could still line up anywhere in the NFL and play. The guy is huge and built like a truck.
He had the coolest line of the night. We are going through the buffet line and someone asked him what he was doing these days. He answered that he was playing golf and fishing. To which the person said, "You have to do more than that." Bruce responded, "Actually I don’t." Pretty funny stuff. Must be nice.
I had a chance to speak with Shultz and he joked that everywhere he goes people always look at what he’s eating. Let me tell you – television doesn’t do that guy justice. He is flat skinny. You’d never guess he weighed 363 pounds a year ago. To look at him now, it’s hard to believe that he ever played on the offensive line in the SEC.
I also had a nice conversation with Gainous. He looks like a skinny sociology professor - with great hands I might add. He’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.
Attending events like this where you have former players from different schools, you realize how fans take the rivalries much more seriously than the players. These guys genuinely like each other and have a healthy respect for one another.
With that said, I still can't wait to get a piece of Georgia in November. I hate Georgia.
A few weeks back we took a look at the epic 1994 Auburn-Florida game. It’s probably still the biggest win over the Gators in series history – although some of you may argue that point.
Today we look at another great Florida game – the one that occurred a year earlier. Auburn came into the contest on October 16, 2003, as a big underdog at home. The fourth-ranked Gators were expected to trounce over the upstart 19th ranked Tigers.
Few around the country believed that Auburn’s 6-0 record was for real. The victory marked a turning point in the season – others around the country started taking notice of this team and its young coach, Terry Bowden.
Before a capacity crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn would prevail in a back and fourth contest that ended with the Tigers pulling out a 38-35 win on the way to a perfect 11-0 season.
This week, the commissioners of the big six BCS conferences meet in Miami to discuss the state of the BCS and possibly propose various playoff scenarios. Mr. College Football himself, Tony Barnhart of the AJC, wrote a series of articles last week about the subject, culminating in Sunday's blockbuster expose' which should be required reading for all fans of CFB.
A 1-A playoff is right around the corner. We can all taste it. Only now can we start to believe in it. But know this: whatever inaugural system they implement is going to need some fine tuning--A LOT of fine tuning. But that's the fun of it. The important thing is to get one in place to show that it can work. We can address it's weaknesses later. Conventional wisdom says that a four-team playoff could be the first format put into place.
But a lot has to happen in order for a playoff to come about, and there are many obstacles in the road. Today I'm going to give you my list of who's driving the bus, who's on board, and who's about to get run over.
Leaders:
College football fans are by far the ones who are really leading the push for a playoff. No where else is it more evident than seeing how much we keep devouring the game. Attendance is up everywhere in the country, especially in the south, where stadiums are jammed to capacity each week. TV viewership and ratings are rising, and CFB sites on the Internet are exploding with new members thirsting for more info on their sport and their teams. Just how big is the demand? You need only look at how much exposure that spring games and recruiting get to demonstrate the escalating desire for more football.
Yes, we fans are hungry for more, and more than anything, we want championships to be decided on the field rather than by the media. When we finally get this done, fans are going to owe each other one big collective pat on the back!
The BCS Commissioners, who each represent the six conferences who make up the BCS, seem to finally be on board, having seen the writing on the wall that this playoff genie was refusing to be stuffed back into the bottle. The commissioners will eventually iron out an initial playoff scenario, but don't necessarily expect it this year. Sure, there will be regional biases, but perhaps new coalitions among conferences might be formed to finally gain acceptance among all. The commissioners know that the spotlight is shining directly on them, so the pressure is on. Although they don't enjoy total autonomy on making decisions, their recommendations do carry a lot of weight. Here's hoping that they move quickly.
The majority of BCS team coaches appear to be all for some sort of playoff. In the article in the AJC, all these coaches were polled about whether they'd like to leave the current system alone or have a four team playoff. More than half responded, and a majority of those definitely favor a playoff. Although it's not hard to imagine that any coach would want a chance for his team to play themselves into a title, don't forget the enormous pressure that will now be added for them to make it into this playoff--considerably more pressure than there already is in maintaining the status quo. That's something to consider for these guys who live and die by their wins and losses.
Followers:
The school presidents seem to be on the sidelines these days, seemingly allowing their proxies, the conference commissioners, to fight it out for them, but ultimately wielding veto power over the final decision. Realistically, I think that although the presidents may threaten to throw the rock in the blender, we can expect a flock mentality when it comes down to it, with conferences acting in concert to promote their own self interests. What we sometimes forget is that the presidents are tasked with overseeing the academic integrity of the member schools, something that supercedes sports. And until the NFL turns CFB into one big farm system, we always have to keep that in mind.
The non-BCS teams are the patient ones, quietly sitting in their seat on the bus, trusting that wherever the big boys decide to go, they're going to be brought along for the ride. Although currently long-shots for BCS slots, they have to know that a 4-team playoff would raise those odds even higher. Perhaps they hope that eventually the field would be expanded into a format that would allow for the junior conferences to participate. For the time being, they seem to be content to have their occasional Cinderella shot. Time will tell for them.
UGA president Michael Adams is the one person who characterizes those in academia who are accused of plagiarizing their peers. A little over a year ago, Florida president Bernie Machen decided to stick his neck out and suggest that the SEC presidents possibly take the initiative with a playoff proposal. The idea was instantly pooh-poohed by Adams; yet it is he who basically comes up with the same idea a year later. The chilly reception that followed forced groundhogs back into their burroughs for six more weeks.
The idea instantly crashed and burned, playing to only slightly better reviews than he and Machen's grass-roots effort to rename the World's Largest Outdoor C*cktail Party to something else. How good is a leader if no one is following, Dr. Adams? Although it doesn't take a rocket-scientist to figure out that no one likes a copycat, there's still a good chance that the other presidents could have still been pissed about how Adams unceremoniously dumped Vince Dooley a few years ago. No, wait. Sorry. That's MY reason...My bad...
In the Way:
The Big Eas(y)t is the one thing that is not like the others, the one thing that doesn't belong. Decimated by mass defections unheard of outside the old Soviet block, the Big East combines old guard schools like West Virginia, Pitt, and Syracuse with a host of new kids on the block, and frankly, they just don't deserve to be there with the rest of the big five. I mean, MAYBE, if they somehow convinced Notre Dame to join in football, but I don't think a good old-fashioned Catholic miracle could bring that to pass.
The prime reason that it's bad for an undeserving conference being added to the guest list of the playoff party is because it gives hope to the rest of the junior conferences who are standing at the rope line, trying to sneak in. Look, eventually you guys can be included, but it's going to take a little of that fine-tuning we were talking about before we can work you in. In the meantime, no soup for you! Come back, one year! Next!
Notre Dame. Why the hell not include ND on the list of obstructionists? I dunno... Maybe because the Pope was just in town and decreed that the Irish should not join a conference until after marriage? Come on! They're an obstacle because for now, they write their own ticket and they refuse to join a conference. (which will be their death knell, BTW) But the Irish's luster may be starting to tarnish and non-Irish fans are getting a little tired of the golden dome pony show. Last year ND got paid by the BCS a few million for their 3-9 record and an appearance in the Toilet Bowl. Anyway, write your own reasons why they're part of the problem in the comment section. Next!
The Pac-10, the Big 10(11) and the Rose Bowl are the biggest obstacles to avoid on the road to a playoff, and I'm thinking real soon here that we take a detour around them all together. If there's ever been a case of trying to take your ball on go home, these three are the epitome. Seemingly binded for eternity in a blood-pact in Pasadena, these three and their tradition are the hold-outs that prevent the four major bowls from becoming de facto playoff venues in the proposed 4-team tournament.
The Pac-10 went to a 9-game conference schedule in the 2006 season so that every team played every other team and could crown a champion on the field. That was a good first step in lieu of expanding and having a conference championship game. Inexplicably though, they still have had co-champions the first two years, seemingly ignoring head-to-head competition while determining the ONE champion. Hello! Anyway, crowning a true conference champion on the field will go a long way toward a playoff, especially when the playoff evolves into one between conference champions.
The Big 10(11) is truly a complete mess. Aside from having their ass handed to them in MNC title games of late, they are risking their own relevancy in the modern CFB world by refusing to expand by one more team and crown a true champion of their conference on the field. Seemingly, they want to remain a crusty relic of days gone by, relying on the media to vote into the national title hunt a multitude of their teams who never play each other during the season. If you say that this lack of a conference title game gives them an unfair leg up on all the real conferences that do have one, you'd be right. Don't shirk your responsibility of providing us your best, Big 10(11), if your best hasn't been tested against all your conference has. If you say that it'll just mean that your conference will devour itself, I'd say welcome to the SEC, baby!
Of course, all wrongs could be righted if somehow the Big 10(11) could manage to land the ever elusive Notre Dame into the ranks, but that would lend itself to new problems--like what to call the new conference since 'Big XII' is already taken...
The Rose Bowl is starting to remind me of that aging Hollywood star who wonders why the Paparazzi is no longer following him around. Can it be because the youth and vigor are long gone? You don't invite many people to your party, so pardon us if we start to think about throwing our own. How can you claim to be the 'Grandaddy' of them all if you don't even want to claim the red-headed step children of the CFB family? If you still want to cling to the old days and honor your pact with two conferences of yesteryear, then I guess it's your right. Just don't expect all the cameras to be flashing...
Guaranteed of a MNC game at least every four years, the RB is probably thinking that it may be as good as it gets if the playoff expands and even more venues are brought in. Although the idea of bypassing the RB completely was floated during the early formation of the BCS, no one really wants to exclude the Rose Bowl from any playoff scenario. CFB fans are traditionalists, and we'd like to have Pasadena on board. He's just going to have to realize that he can't be the leading man in every film.
So there's my compilation of all the players in the playoff scenario today. Just remember, it's not WHAT kind of playoff you get installed, it's THAT you get one. All the tuning and adjustments will be completed later. That's what the media is for. Since they'll no longer have as big a hand in determining who's going to be in it, they'll want to shape up the process to their liking as much as possible.
Playoff 1.0 is going to be less than perfect, and it's still going to rely heavily on the polls. With only four teams, the media is still going to be selecting who the participants are. Yes, team #5 and the rest of the cast are not going to be happy, but it's better than it is now. Eventually, the playoff will evolve into having all conference champions competing against each other, but that day is way off, considering the logistics in weighting all 1-A conferences against each other and having enough rounds to include them along with at-large teams. The road to a solution will be long, but think about all the great pit stops along the way.
War Eagle Atlanta will now take your stark criticism...
The pre-season ends for the Auburn Tigers, on September 13th, when they travel to Starkville Mississippi, for their first SEC game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Auburn is still smarting from last season's disastrous home loss to the Bulldogs, and will be out for revenge. A win won't come easily for either team, though. Both squads, at times, featured hard-nosed defenses last season. Both had porous games, as well, such as Auburn's 17 point fourth quarter meltdown against LSU, and Auburn allowing 4 straight touchdown drives against Georgia in the second half. MSU failed on defense in more games, giving up 45 against LSU, 38 against South Carolina, 33 against Tennessee, 38 against West Virginia, and 45 against Arkansas.
The Bulldogs will have to overcome the loss of Defensive Coordinator Ellis Johnson, who was hired away by Steve Spurrier during the off-season. Charlie Harbison was promoted to replace Johnson. Harbison has an interesting pedigree, having coached defensive backs at Alabama during the Dubose era, then coaching wide receivers under Mike Shula. Harbison developed such players as D. J. Hall, and Keith Brown. The MSU defense returns 8 starters, but two starting linemen depart including defensive end Titus Brown, who was the unit leader. All of the back seven return, including star senior safety Derek Pegues, but there are depth issues in the secondary. MSU did sign Charles Mitchell, a high-school cornerback who was named the Mississippi player of the year. Mitchell is being counted on to help out immediately.
Mississippi State has struggled to move the football on offense, for most of the Sylvester Croom era, and that trend likely will continue, if MSU's spring game is any indication. The game ended regulation play in a scoreless deadlock, and had to be resolved in overtime. On the other hand, starting QB Wesley Carroll and monster tailback Anthony Dixon only played a few snaps. The MSU offense took a blow when starting offensive tackle Michael Brown was arrested on a firearms charge, and kicked out of school. Brown, a transfer from Florida, had started 18 games. Reserve defensive tackle Quinton Wesley was also involved in the gun incident, and likewise was expelled. The Bulldogs are counting on signee Templeton Hardy, the 8th best incoming defensive tackle in the nation, to add depth to the defensive line.
The Bulldogs struggled with a rash of injuries and youth on offense, last season. Veteran Michael Henig has given up football, after a hip injury. That leaves sophomore Wesley Carroll as the starter. Carroll was largely a caretaker as a true freshman starter last fall, and more will be expected of him this year. Tailback Anthony Dixon has the size and tools to be a top SEC back, but needs to be more consistent. Dixon also had a bit of the fumble-bug last year, and needs to hold onto the ball better. MSU turnovers played a big part in the number of points they gave up, last year. Taking care of the ball and developing a downfield passing game will be key to returning to a bowl game this year, for Mississippi State.
Matchups
Auburn defensive line vs. MSU offensive line: MSU fields a bit of an undersized line, losing three starters from last season. Due to the loss of Michael Brown, they will be very young at tackle, starting two sophomores. Auburn counters with talented ends Antonio Coleman, Antoine Carter, and Michael Goggins. Inside, SenDerrick Marks will require a double-team block, and that will leave MSU senior Anthony Strauder to block the Auburn nose guard one-on-one. Auburn will rotate as many as three talented youngsters, there. Advantage: Auburn, possibly by a big margin.
Auburn linebackers vs. MSU backs: MSU starts two behemoths in the backfield, senior fullback Brandon Hart, and junior tailback Anthony Dixon. Both are 240 pounds. Spelling Dixon is another junior, the shifty slasher Christian Ducre. MSU is also hoping that redshirt freshman Robert Elliot will be productive. Elliot is a 190-pound speedster who got a lot of work this spring, while Dixon recovered from minor knee surgery. MSU will try to pound Auburn's undersized linebacker corps. Auburn does have great depth at linebacker, but they need to get some stops for losses, and keep MSU from grinding out first downs. Advantage: Even.
Auburn corners vs. MSU receivers: MSU returns most of their receivers, but it was hardly a prolific unit. Senior Jamayel Smith is the most dangerous of the MSU receivers, last year catching 33 balls for a 15.5 yard average, and 3 touchdowns. Overall, the top 4 receivers on the MSU depth chart only caught 57 balls for 814 yards, last season. That's a healthy 14.2 yards per catch, but only 62 yards per game. One reason for the lack of production was a freshman quarterback, and a heavy emphasis on the running game, but these guys weren't running around wide-open all game, either. Auburn counters with speedy, dangerous corners in Jerraud Powers, Aaron Savage, and Walter McFadden. If MSU has to throw to move the ball consistently, they're in trouble. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn safeties vs. MSU secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn is young at safety, starting two sophomores. MSU is even greener at tight end, and quarterback. Wesley Carroll is only a true sophomore, and for the most part, he was only asked to hand off and run bootlegs. Chris Relf and Tyson Lee have no experience, except for taking most of the snaps in MSU's spring game. The MSU staff was hoping for big things out of Relf, especially, but the pair of QB's produced zero points in regulation. MSU replaces all of their playing rotation at tight end. Sophomore Brandon Henderson has the starting job after spring, and two freshmen are behind him. Advantage: Auburn.
Punting: Auburn has a trio of capable punters, and good coverage, giving up 6.5 yards per return. By contrast, MSU gave up 9.8 per return. Senior Blake McAdams returns for the Bulldogs, averaging only 39.3 yards per punt. MSU averaged 9.9 yards a return, with dangerous veteran Derek Pegues taking one 75 yards to the house. Auburn counters with veteran Robert Dunn, who averaged 9.4. Advantage: Auburn.
Kickoffs: Senior Adam Carlson returns for the Bulldogs, and he averaged 60.4 yards per kickoff, vs. Auburn's 57. MSU averaged giving up 20.8 yards per return, to Auburn's 21.2. MSU will be kicking to (possibly) Tristan Davis, Mario Fannin, or Brad Lester. All have potential. Derek Pegues returned kicks last season for MSU, but this spring's depth chart lists a pair of redshirt freshmen: Wade Bonner, and Robert Elliot. I think MSU is trying to put more speed on the field here, but inexperienced returners are a huge liability in SEC play. Advantage: Even.
Place kicking: Adam Carlson was excellent for the Bulldogs last season, hitting 10 of 13 field goals, including only one miss from inside 40 yards. Wes Byrum was 17-23, with several clutch kicks for Auburn. Both kickers missed one extra point. Advantage: Even.
Auburn offensive line vs. MSU defensive line: Auburn fields a veteran, nasty bunch, with depth. All five starters return. MSU loses top end Titus Brown, as well as one other starter. However, MSU is huge in the middle. Starters Kyle Love and Jessie Bowman combine to weigh 625 pounds. The backups are both over 290 each. All 4 tackles are experienced and tough. It will be an absolute war, inside, and very fun to watch! At end, the Bulldogs will go with light, 240-pound speed-rushers, senior Tim Bailey and sophomore Brandon Cooper. Lee Ziemba should be able to neutralize the left side, but Auburn is still a bit unsettled at right tackle. Coach Nall is still looking for an alternative to the undersized Ryan Pugh. Running a spread offense, Auburn can't afford any mismatches against them. Slight Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn backs vs. MSU linebackers: Ben Tate and Mario Fannin got a taste of MSU's hard hitting linebackers last fall, and did not fare so well. The addition of Brad Lester will definitely help Auburn, this year. MSU linebackers have been excellent at stopping the run, as well as dropping into a stifling zone. However, the Bulldogs had problems containing well-designed screen passes. It's a deep and talented MSU corps, led by seniors Dominic Douglas and Jamar Chaney. Given Auburn's lack of an experienced lead blocker, it's Advantage: MSU.
Auburn Receivers vs. MSU corners: At this time, a pair of 5-10, not terribly fast corners are listed as starters; Jasper O'Quinn and Marcus Washington. The Bulldogs are hoping that potential All-SEC star Anthony Johnson is full-speed by fall. Johnson is still recovering from a broken ankle suffered during last year's Egg Bowl. Johnson returned two picks for touchdowns, before he was hurt. If Johnson can return, and recruit Charles Mitchell is ready to start, MSU could be lock-down. If not, there is definite room for Auburn's veterans Rod Smith, Montez Billings, James Swinton, and co. to operate. Advantage: Even, on uncertainty.
Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. MSU safeties: The Bulldogs return a pair of veteran, talented safeties; Keith Fitzhugh and Derek Pegues. Pegues had a pick-six that was the difference in the game, against Auburn, last season. These two safeties are good ones, very strong in run support. If there is a weakness, it is against speedy slot receivers running corner or out-routes. Either safety can make a QB pay for a bad throw. Auburn counters with veteran Robert Dunn (who has struggled with his hands throughout his career), Tommy Trott (likewise) and an inexperienced QB, either Kodi Burns or Chris Todd. Advantage: MSU.
This game will be a low-scoring war in the trenches. On paper, Auburn appears to be stronger on both lines of scrimmage, and possibly markedly so, on defense. MSU has advantages in the back seven (if they are healthy) over Auburn's skill folks. Auburn should be able to contain the MSU offense, but might wear down against the bigger Bulldogs, if the defense is on the field too much. Kicking games are nearly even. This game will likely be decided by a key turnover or two. Whoever takes care of the ball, and knocks out first downs, will win this contest.
Prediction: A tiring Auburn team holds off a late Bulldog drive, and hangs on to win: 17-13.
Groves (right) poses with Derrick Harvey in Jacksonville.
By Jay Coulter jccoulter@gmail.com
NFL Draft Day may be the most overblown event in all of professional sports. I’ll admit to working my Saturday schedule around the event. I was anxious to see how quickly Quentin Groves and Pat Lee would be drafted.
They are two of my favorites and it’s always great to see Auburn guys make it big – or at least get a shot at it. I tuned in around 1:30 p.m. CT and then waited... and waited some more. I’m as big a college football fan as they come, but I have to admit that I have never heard of about two thirds of the players selected in the first round. I’m sorry, but I can’t name the starting front five at Ohio State, USC or even Florida.
By 2:30 p.m. I was sleeping comfortably on my couch. A few hours later I woke up in time to see Groves selected with the 52nd pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yawn. A little while later Lee was selected with the 60th pick by Green Bay. Good for them.
As me for it was a wasted Saturday. I should have skipped it and read about in the Sunday paper. I was a sucker for another made for TV event.
The NFL Network ran a show on Friday that showcased the top 10 draft flops of all time. Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce, the 1988 number one overall pick came in at number six. Ryan Leaf took top honors.
On Friday’s ESPN College Football Live an email from a viewer in Auburn was directed toward analyst Mark May. He asked why the Tigers were not getting a lot of attention from the show. May said it was simple. LSU was the defending national champion and Alabama was getting a lot of attention for its recruiting class.
Here’s where it gets good... He went on to say Auburn would finish behind LSU and Alabama in the SEC West this year. LSU... maybe. Alabama? It looks like some of the stupid has spread from Lou Holtz to young Marcus. My guess is that May gets all his Alabama information from Tide homer Reece Davis. Too funny.
In case you missed the race at Talladega yesterday, Tommy Tuberville drove the pace car for the event. It was his first race at the Alabama speedway. Kyle Busch went on to win in an exciting finish. Dick Trickle was 44th.
Today we look at the career of former Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig. In my lifetime, I’d have to say he’s the best quarterback I’ve ever seen wear the orange and blue.
I was too young to remember Pat Sullivan. And no, I’m not suggesting he comes close to the Heisman winner. But you’d be hard pressed to pick a better one that’s played on the Plains since.
During the 1997 season, he passed for 3,277 yards – still the most in Auburn history (by a mile). He was not only a gifted passer, but one of the best running quarterbacks in the country. Today it’s common place to see a quarterback run – in 1997 it was something new.
Craig was given serious Heisman consideration until a late season loss to Miss State. He came within a point of leading Auburn to an SEC Championship, falling to Peyton Manning and Tennessee 30-29 in the conference championship game.
Auburn receiver Karsten Bailey single handily blew the game for the Tigers by dropping a series of Craig passes that halted Auburn drives deep in Tennessee territory.
Auburn and Craig would finish the season with a win over Clemson in the Peach Bowl. A year later the wheels fell off the Auburn program and Terry Bowden was run out of town.
By late Saturday afternoon, former Auburn defensive star Quentin Groves should be a very wealthy man. The hard work in the weight room and on the practice field is expected to pay off – in the millions.
The all-time Auburn sack leader is projected as a late first round or early-to-middle second round choice in the NFL draft. Where he’s headed is anyone’s guess.
The off-season has been like a freak rollercoaster ride for Groves. After having a somewhat disappointing senior campaign due to injuries, Groves rebounded at the NFL combines in February. His performance in Indianapolis caused his stock to rise faster than gas prices.
Then it all came crashing down – temporarily. While undergoing an NFL physical – which is akin to being treated like Ned Beatty in the North Georgia Mountains, doctors found a minor heart condition that ended up requiring surgery.
It now appears the condition will have little effect on his place in the draft and most importantly should have no effect on his overall health.
Quentin Groves is such a class guy. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he will get an early call Saturday and hopefully it will be from Pittsburgh – the team he’s idolized his whole life.
While Groves is grabbing most of the attention, there are several more former Auburn players expecting a phone call over the weekend. Defensive tackle Pat Sims and safety Patrick Lee are projected to go as high as the second round by some draft experts.
Here’s an interesting stat that I read in Thursday’s USA Today. Auburn is ranked third all-time in the number of top picks taken in the NFL draft. Auburn has had four players taken number one overall, trailing only Notre Dame and USC. Not too shabby.
Say it ain’t so Joe
Former Auburn great Joe Cribbs is at it again. You may remember that earlier this year, Cribbs served as president of Team Alabama – a Birmingham semi-pro football club that was made up of mostly washed up Alabama players who were scheduled to compete in something called the All-American Football League. It folded like a house of cards before a ball could be put on the tee.
Yesterday Cribbs was named commissioner of another new league – this one called the United National Football League. It plans to field 22 teams, but currently only has two in place – both in Texas.
Cribbs hopes the organization will serve as sort of a feeder league to the NFL. Where have we heard this before?
"This league is not trying to compete with the NFL. It's trying to complement the NFL," said Cribbs. "This is a true developmental league. It's not a destination or a last-stop league. We want this to be affordable for fans who crave more football."
On September 6th, the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles visit Jordan Hare Stadium. This is a matchup that has a good chance of being on television, as the only other major SEC matchups are Miami at Florida, Ole Miss at Wake Forest, and Troy at LSU. The competition should ratchet up in difficulty, after the previous week's tune up against Louisiana Monroe. Southern Mississippi is trying to rebound from a bit of a disappointing season. They were picked to win their division in Conference USA, but instead finished 7-6, with a double-digit loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats, at Legion Field, in the Papa John's Pizza Bowl.
Southern Mississippi made a controversial move at the end of last season, firing long-time head coach Jeff Bower, after 17 seasons in Hattiesburg. Bower took USM to 10 bowls in the past 11 years, but the administration decided to go in a different direction.
Larry Fedora takes over as the Golden Eagle Head Coach. Fedora was previously the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, developing high-powered offenses for the Cowboys, and before that, at Middle Tennessee State. Fedora brings a new staff to Hattiesburg, including one of Tommy Tuberville's former assistants, Art Kaufman. Kaufman was Tuberville's defensive coordinator at Ole Miss. Now, he coaches the defensive line for USM.
Any time a new coach comes in, there's a learning curve. Fedora's offense is complicated, and players have thus far struggled with the complex hand signals used to send in plays. Southern Mississippi has plenty of talent returning, but how well the talent adapts will be key.
Todd Bradford takes over as defensive coordinator, after previously serving as linebackers coach at Oklahoma State. Bradford has a tough job ahead, trying to maintain the ferocious defensive reputation of the Golden Eagles.
Spearheading the revamped offense will be returning running back, junior Damion Fletcher. Fletcher rushed for an eye-popping 1586 yards, last season, and 15 touchdowns; averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Behind Fletcher is another junior, a lightning-quick scat-back named Tory Harrison.
Quarterback has been a battle this spring, and at this time, it would seem that redshirt freshman Austin Davis has won the starting job. Davis hit 17 out of 23 passes for 207 yards in the USM spring game, and rushed 7 times for 52 yards. 5th year senior Jeremy Young has both experience and athleticism, should Austin falter. As a part-time starter last season, Young hit 120 of 224, for 1464 yards with 11 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. More impressively, Young rushed for 349 yards, as well. Sophomore Torris Magee is the most dangerous of the returning receivers. Magee caught 44 balls last fall, for a 14.4 yard average.
On defense, the Eagles are anchored by junior Gerald McRath, at middle linebacker. McRath is the reigning Conference USA defensive player of the year. He's a 212 pound speedster that loves to hit, and reminds me a lot of Tray Blackmon. Junior Eddie Hicks is a dangerous, veteran safety for USM. 311-pound behemoth Anthony Gray, a sophomore, anchors the middle.
Matchups
Auburn defensive line vs. USM offensive line: USM returns a veteran unit that paved the way for a rushing attack that produced over 200 yards per game. With a new scheme, and Fedora's tendency to use wider splits, the USM front may have trouble with Auburn's speed up front. Advantage: Auburn, and they need to dominate, for Auburn to keep USM under wraps, offensively.
Auburn linebackers vs. USM backs: USM has a great starter, and Auburn is deep in talented linebackers. Advantage: Even.
Auburn corners vs. USM receivers: USM has experience returning, from a run-first attack. They put up respectable numbers in the spring game, but Auburn has the speed to match up well. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn safeties vs. USM secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn is green at safety, but very talented. They'll be going against unproven receivers, and possibly a freshman quarterback. Advantage: Even.
Punting: Auburn returns a solid trio of punters, and had good coverage. Senior Britt Barefoot (I did not make this name up!)returns for the Eagles, averaging 42.5 yards per punt, with 14 kicks downed inside the 20 vs. only 4 touchbacks. USM's coverage averaged 7.1 yards a return, to Auburn's 6.5. Advantage: Even.
Kickoffs: Auburn averaged only 57 yards per kickoff (caught at an average of the 13-yard line), and had poor coverage at times, allowing 21.2 yards per return overall. USM held opponents to 19.9. Advantage: USM.
Kick Returns: With Tristan Davis our numbers here should go up, although USM has traditionally covered kicks well. Last season, Auburn averaged a paltry 19.2 yards per return; USM averaged 21.8. Tory Harrison returns on one side for USM, but Antwain Easterling was recently dismissed from the team. Advantage: Even.
Place Kicking: Wes Byrum was 17 of 23 on field goals, including 9-10 from 30-39 yards, and was money in the bank, on clutch kicks, for Auburn. USM's Justin Estes was 15-22, and only 6-10 in that key 30-39 yard range. Advantage: Auburn
Auburn offensive line vs. USM defensive line: USM loses quite a bit of beef, aside from Anthony Gray, in the middle. Auburn has a deep, talented line. Big advantage: Auburn.
Auburn backs vs. USM linebackers: Auburn has several good choices at running back, but they'll be running at a very good linebacker corps. Given that Auburn's scheme now does not include a lot of lead blockers, the backs should struggle, unless the Tiger attack is diversified. This won't be a defense we can pound inside. Advantage: USM.
Auburn receivers vs. USM corners: USM is fairly green here, and Auburn has a number of talented wide receivers. Assuming that we can throw accurately downfield, USM will have a lot of trouble staying with Auburn's guys. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. USM safeties: USM has a good one in Eddie Hicks, but unless the USM line can get pressure without blitzing, Kodi Burns and Chris Todd will have too many options, with players like Robert Dunn, Tommy Trott, and Terrell Zachary. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn has more positives than USM, especially on the lines of scrimmage. It's likely that USM will hang tough on defense, and keep the game closer than we would like, but Auburn should prevail at home, particularly if USM brings a freshman quarterback into Jordan Hare for his first road start. The real key for Auburn is to shut down Dameon Fletcher, and keep the USM offense from getting any consistency.
Prediction: Auburn pulls away in the second half: 23-10.
Seems like a trend that we can all relish in: SEC team finishes season on a roll, only loses a pair of conference games, and although fails to make it to Atlanta in December, wins their bowl game big, thus setting the table to be run to the title game for the following season .
We saw it with LSU after the 2006 season, in which they demolished Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl and were the hand-picked successors to Florida by the media as the upcoming champion in 2007. And now you're seeing it with Georgia, whose losses to South Carolina and Tennessee last year precluded them from playing in the title game, but propelled them into the Sugar to thoroughly trash an over-matched Hawaii team. Starting to see the emerging trend now?
Heck, you can even draw parallels with the 2005 Florida team, whose 9-3 record in Urban Meyer's inaugural year wasn't bad, but didn't involve a Sugar Bowl appearance. Nor did it involve a pre-season MNC nod for 2006--the Gators were ranked pre-season that year around an average of 6th. But they went on to win it all anyway, giving the SEC it's second of three Mythical National Championships (MNC) in the new century.
But we're not even done with spring drills, you say. True enough, but the sports media these days never sleeps, and certainly does not like a void. Just because college football isn't being played on the field, don't think for a minute that it isn't being played in the minds of coaches, fans, and the media alike.
Just like a Fortune 500 company these days doesn't have a CEO exiting stage left without a successor already being named, college football is rapidly coming to the point where they're not going to shut off the lights on the old season before they determine who the favorite for the next one will be. Hell, they're even starting to do it with head coaches--this 'coach-in-waiting' crap. Don't be surprised if they even start conducting exit polls outside the various bowl game venues so they can determine who the on-deck champion is going to be...
But a lot of giggling coming out of Athens here lately lets you know that the Dawgs are ready to have their day. Good for them. I think they're entitled to feel a little giddy. We Tigers probably shouldn't have much that we can say against them, being that we were in the same position going into the 2003 season, and we all know how that turned out. There's no team that benefits more from flying UNDER the radar than Auburn. That's how we like it--unexpected and under-appreciated. We never seem to live up to our lofty expectations anyway, so perhaps we can serve as a cautionary warning to the 2008 Dawgs.
But maybe we also serve as a little inspiration. You gotta ask yourself, "Why is the SEC getting so much love lately?" Everyone already knows that we're the toughest conference, right? Why has it taken them so long to recognize it?
I think a lot of the reason is that the media and the CFB powers-that-be feel guilty over Auburn having been left out of the MNC hunt in 2004 and are now bending over backwards to give deserving SEC teams every break and benefit of the doubt that they deserve. Of course, you have to factor in the superb competition in the conference, too, but at long last the SEC is being given its props. It sucks that it took a shafting of Auburn for everyone to recognize it, but at least it's time has come.
Florida at the end of the 2006 season is the first beneficiary. For sure, they don't get into the title game without a USC face plant to UCLA, and maybe an 11-1 SEC team is the natural choice anyway, but don't forget how strong the sentiments were to get a Michigan-Ohio State rematch for all the marbles. In my opinion, there's no way that a nascent Gator squad gets the call over Big Go Blue without a little extra caution and consideration from the media being exercised.
Then look at LSU last year--predicted to win it all. They shoot themselves in the foot twice, and almost shoot it four other times. Yet they win the SEC, and none of their losses are OOC. Couple that with the fact that virtually every other team lost near the end; and LSU gets the nod.
They're the first two-loss team EVER to get that chance. Think a two-loss team from almost any other conference gets the same opportunity? Not a chance. The CFB powers were weighting those SEC losses a little differently than the rest...
Seem a little pre-ordained that LSU ended up where they were? Yea, maybe--I hate it when the media seemingly gets their way. There definitely was a lot of luck involved, but I think that LSU received supreme consideration, being the SEC champs.
And the growing trend seems to be that in a world without a playoff, perhaps the champion of the SEC deserves to automatically get a bid in the MNC title game. Call me crazy, but I think that's the way it's going. Give it a few more seasons and I'll know for sure.
So you Dawgs have a tough schedule out in front of you this season, perhaps the toughest of anyone. But relax. Maybe you don't quite have to run the table. Facing the opponents you do in the conference you're in, even if you slip a little, maybe they'll cut you a little slack!
The 1984 Florida State game in Tallahassee is without question the best game that was never seen by most Auburn fans. It’s my all time favorite. Despite pairing two top twenty teams, no networks picked up the game – what a shame.
No, it didn’t have the importance of an Alabama or Georgia match-up, but for sheer excitement, it’s the best I’ve ever witnessed.
It was a seesaw battle that went back and fourth for four quarters. Auburn came into the game ranked 16th after starting the season number one in both polls. FSU was ranked ninth. The Tigers were a sizable underdog. Brent Fullwood scored the winning touchdown with seconds to go. Enjoy...
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