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Time For A Little Rest and Relaxation...
by Jay Coulter
on Jun 29, 2009 3:00 AM CDT
in Football
5 comments
This week marks our annual vacation here at Track'em Tigers. With most of the country taking the week off, we figured why not us too? Fourth of July week is typically one of the slowest times of the year for Auburn Athletics. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this year will be no different.
We'll return on July 6th and immediately turn our attention to the season opener with Louisiana Tech. It's hard to believe, but the season is upon us. I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday week and weekend. War Eagle from all of us here at Track'em Tigers!
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Who Says College Football Is In A Recession?
by Jay Coulter
on Jun 26, 2009 3:00 AM CDT
in Football
24 comments
What recession?
If you own a home or have a 401K you've undoubtedly felt the current recession. If you are in sales you face it every day. People and businesses are scared and keeping their wallets closed. Today, the Alabama unemployment rate is nearing 10 percent according to government records. Many believe the actual total is much higher.
As a backdrop to all of this we get word yesterday that Alabama officials are negotiating a contract extension and raise for football coach Nick Saban. The same thing is being discussed with Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. Before I go any further, this is not a Saban bashing article and I'm not solely going after Alabama. It runs deeper than Bama and Auburn's not immune.
In what's widely accepted as the worst economic times since the Great Depression, we are seeing athletic departments around the country bring in record profits on the backs of fans that can't pay their rent in many instances.
I still remember like it was yesterday, my first Auburn game - October 4, 1975 - Auburn vs. Virginia Tech. Ticket price: $7.00. Today, that wouldn't buy two Cokes in Jordan-Hare. Unfortunately, college football has caught up with its professional brethren in making it nearly impossible for the average family to afford season tickets. Let's face it, most can't afford to take their families to one game.
Is Saban really worth more than $4 million a year? To be fair, is Chizik worth $2 million considering his five wins in two seasons at Iowa State? Truthfully, from an economic standpoint, Saban is probably closer to being worth his salary than Chizik is his paycheck - at least at this point. I believe most of you would grudgingly agree.
But the point is both salaries are insanely ridiculous and to think Alabama and others continue to pile on more money borders on criminal. We are all so accustomed to hearing and reading these salary numbers that we don't stop and think about them in real terms. Birmingham News reporter Ian Rapoport posted a cool salary calculator yesterday that compares any salary to that of Saban's. Looking at it in real terms is mind boggling.
Let's compare Saban's salary to that of someone who makes $50,000 a year. For the record, the average annual family income in Alabama is $40,232 according to The Kaiser Family Foundation. Here's how it shakes out...
If you make $50,000 a year, your hourly wage for a 40-hour work week is $24.04.
If Saban worked 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, his average hourly wage would be $1,923.08.
Each day, you make $192.31, while Saban makes $15,384.62.
Your weekly paycheck is $961.54; Saban's is $76,923.08.
It would take you 80 years to earn what Saban makes in one year.
That's 1.78 lifetimes* to earn the average $4 million that Saban makes each year in his eight-year contract.
I'm as big a capitalist as the next person and many of you are probably saying Saban is worth it because Alabama is willing to pay it. Point taken. But with bigger stadiums, higher paid coaches and huge television contracts, we are running the risk of having an entire generation of kids not get the opportunity to see a game at Jordan-Hare or Bryant-Denny Stadium on a football Saturday.
Is it really worth it?
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Where There is Smoke There is Fire
by WarDamnZach
on Jun 25, 2009 3:58 PM CDT
22 comments
You guys may or may not have heard the rumors making their rounds on the internet... well it is confirmed... An Auburn athletics official confirmed to AuburnSports.com Thursday afternoon that DE Jomarcus Savage, S Christian Thompson and LB Marcus Jemison are no longer on Auburn's team and will not return.
This is from Auburn Undercover earlier today:
At least four players who might have played significant roles in Auburn’s plans for next season are no longer parts of the football team.
Gone are sophomore safety Christian Thompson, redshirt freshman defensive end Cameron Henderson, redshirt freshman defensive tackle Jomarcus Savage and redshirt freshman wide receiver Philip Pierre-Louis, AuburnUndercover
The circumstances of their departures, sources said, vary. Whether there could be opportunities for some to return is not clear.
On Wednesday, the lockers of tne four players at the football complex had been cleaned out and nametags removed, sources said.
In a Facebook message, Henderson told AuburnUndercover.com he expects to rejoin his teammates for workouts next Monday. That could not be independently confirmed.
First-year head coach Gene Chizik is on vacation and could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Thompson, from St. Thomas-Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, played in 10 games last season and was in on one tackle.
Former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin had big plans for Pierre-Louis, also from St. Thomas-Aquinas, last season. But Pierre-Louis suffered a knee injury on the season’s opening kickoff, underwent surgery and missed the remainder of the season. He did not participate in contact work during spring practice.
Savage, from Johnson High School in Huntsville, played early in the season at defensive end but couldn’t overcome shoulder problems. He underwent surgery and was granted a medical redshirt. He was moved to defensive tackle in the spring.
Henderson, from Shades Valley High School, did not play last season.
Thompson’s departure is the second blow to Auburn’s secondary, one of the team’s strengths. Cornerback/safety Aairon Savage suffered an apparent Achilles injury working out. His status for the season is uncertain.
If Henderson does not return, there could be an opportunity for a newcomer. Only senior Antonio Coleman and juniors Antoine Carter and Michael Goggans have previous game experience among defensive ends.
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Auburn to Wrestle the Hogs on New Carpet
by Acid Reign
on Jun 25, 2009 6:30 AM CDT
in Football
15 comments
Ryan Mallett hopes to be the next great Petrino quarterback!
War Eagle, everybody! It's time for another Auburn opponent preview. This week, the Arkansas Razorbacks are featured. On October 10th, Auburn travels to Fayetteville, to face the Hogs on the new artificial turf in Reynolds Razorback Stadium. It will be the second road game in as many weeks, as Auburn moves through a grueling October. Auburn faces 5 SEC teams in 5 weeks, three of which are on the road.
Arkansas will be battle-tested, by the 10th of October. The Razorbacks open with Missouri State, followed by an off week, then Arkansas jumps right into the fire, hosting Georgia. Following that, Arkansas goes on the road to play Alabama and Texas A&M, before hosting the Auburn Tigers. Arkansas expects to show a much-improved team in 2009, with 18 starters returning. Some of the losses, though, are big, including center Jonathan Luigs, and veteran quarterback Casey Dick.
Defensively, the Razorbacks were suspect last season, giving up 31 points per game. Arkansas had particular trouble stopping the run, but all of the front seven starters return this year, and they should be stronger. Two or three starters in the secondary have to be replaced, but there is talent there, and candidates to get the job done. The unit showed some improvement in spring drills, but gave up some big plays in the spring game. Auburn should bring a vastly improved running game into this year's matchup.
Special teams were spotty for the Razorbacks, a year ago. Freshman phenom kicker Alex Tejada had a sophomore slump, hitting only 4 of 9 field goals. Kickoffs were a bit of a problem, with short kicks, and good opponent returns. Returns were respectable, as Dennis Johnson set the Razorback single-season kickoff return record with 905 yards. The Razorbacks lose solid punter Jeremy Davis. Arkansas hired former Michigan State coach John L. Smith to shore up the special teams, this season.
It was no real surprise, that the Razorbacks were better than expected offensively in Bobby Petrino's first season. The Razorbacks had an efficient, balanced offense, when tailback Michael Smith was healthy. Smith rushed for 1119 yards last season, and had 32 receptions. He's a shifty, dangerous weapon, returning for his senior season. Smith did sit out spring drills this year, with a tweaked hamstring. All of the receiving corps returns, and it is deep, led by junior tight end D. J. Williams, who had 61 catches in 2008. The leader after spring drills, in the quarterback race, is sophomore Ryan Mallett, who transferred from Michigan last season. Mallett was 3-0 as the Wolverines' starting quarterback in 2007. In the Arkansas spring game this year, Mallett was 15-26 for 233 yards, with two picks.
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Finally, Recruits at Auburn
by WarDamnZach
on Jun 23, 2009 9:00 PM CDT
3 comments
Well, well, well… there just might be a Quarterback race on the Plains. It is about time the NCAA has cleared Tyrik Rollison. Rumor has it he is already at
In other news, the recruiting is still paying dividends. Jonathon Mincy a CB out of
Did anyone else see that Seastrunk missed his summer camp trip to
Speaking of committing… what is this garbage with Dyer looking at the Irish? The only reason to play up there is to get some NBC playing time. That program is and will remain in shambles.
That’s all today…
War Damn Eagle
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1st and Five: Best Auburn Coaching Performances in the First Three Seasons
by War Eagle Atlanta
on Jun 22, 2009 11:32 PM CDT
11 comments
With so many people wondering how Gene Chizik is going to perform in his inaugural season, it helps to look back and see how well many of his predecessors have done. We at Auburn have been blessed with relative coaching stability. We had our coaching icon, Shug, who stayed for a quarter century, and we've had four coaches total stay on the Plains for a decade or longer. And ever since Shug took the reigns at API in 1951, the average tenure for a head coach has been 11.6 years, tops in the conference over that period. Compare that to the school to the west, or to perrenial revolving door LSU, who's average tenure for a coach since Charlie McClendon left after 18 years on the bayou is four years.
Many fans of other teams in other conferences talk about rebuilding. In the SEC, you come out on fire or you don't last long enough to rebuild. For the top tier teams, two years is all you get--three max.Something's gotta give, they say. Although most don't expect miracles in the first outing, you better be laying a foundation to make a run at something soon, lest you be running for the door. Since those first three years are crucial, today we look back at the top 5 performances in an Auburn coach's first three seasons, going all the way to the beginning. Missing are some of the more storied names in Tiger history: Heisman--who coached five seasons on the Plains, but only averaged four games a year. Jordan--the most legendary Tiger coach, who took a while to build a powerhouse. The rest of the names are going to sound pretty familiar, which is good commentary about how fast our contemporary coaches have come out of the box.
1) Pat Dye, 1983, 3rd season, 11-1: With a losing record his first season in 1981, Dye bounced back big time and erased all the pain of the Barfieldyears by giving Bear a proper send off and having a respectable 9-4 record, but the finest of his seasons was the third, where an improbable Tiger team only lost to Texas en route to getting ripped off for the national championship by Miami. Led by a gutsy QB named Randy and a punishing back named Bo, this team brought back a SEC title to the Plains for the first time in 26 years andestablished a precedent for three more in the decade. During my lifetime, arguably the first or second best Tiger team, in my opinion.
2) Terry Bowden, 1993, 1st season, 11-0: With Jay's fine article yesterday conjuring up fond memories with Baby Bowden, we'll always love him for his record breaking start, winning his first 20 games, an Auburn record. The best team you never saw, since they weren't on TV that year due to probation. You either saw them at the game, or listened to it on the radio. A total blue-collar team, lead by Stan White at QB and James Bostic at tailback, their best wins that season were against #5 Florida (the best game I've ever seen) and#12 Alabama, with Pat Nix pitching in relief for an injured White. Although not eligible for the SEC title game or bowl due to probation, this team finished #4 in the country, behind the one-loss-apiece trio of FSU, Notre Dame and Nebraska. Ironically, this team actually received more MNC votes (4) from lesser NC selectors than did the next undefeated Auburn team of 2004 (3).
3) Mike Donahue, 1904, 1st season, 7-0: Wow, what can you say about Mike Donahue, the Irishman who was Auburn's first super coach, who came out undefeated in his first season, paving the way for 17 more successful ones to follow, en route to the highest winning percentage of any Auburn coach ever? Under Donahue, Auburn was a SIAA powerhouse, and had victories against Clemson and Ga Tech that year, topped off by one against Alabama--our last victory against the Tide before the series was shut down 3 years later until 1948. It's also worth noting that Donahue's seven opponents that year scored a whopping 11 points.
4) Tommy Tuberville, 2000, 2nd season, 9-4: After a 5-6 record his first season, Tubs proved that he hadn't in fact left Mississippi in a pine box, pushing the upstart Tigers into the SEC title game for the first time since 1997 and erasing all the bad memories from the end of the Bowden era. After a mid-season slip-up to Jackie Sherril's MSU Bulldogs anda blowout by Florida, Auburn turned Amen Corner perfectly, squeaking by Georgia, then shutting out Alabama. After another blow-out loss to Florida in Atlanta, an uninspired team went on to lose to Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. But Tuberville proved himself in the rebuilding department, setting up the glorious run of 2004 after a few false starts in 2002 and 2003.
5) Terry Bowden, 1994, 2nd season, 9-1-1: Bowden's second season started where his improbable first one ended--on fire. Rolling up an additional 9 more wins in a row, Auburn was also eligible for post-season play. The best game of the year was the victory in Gainesville over Steve Spurrier's #1 ranked Florida Gators the biggest slug-fest of any game I've ever seen. But Amen Corner proved to be difficult as we bogeyed both holes, allowing Georgia to come back and tie us, and losing to undefeated Alabama in the Iron Bowl, a game which decided who would go to Atlanta. Bowden would follow with back-to-back 8-4 seasons in 1995 and 1996, and finally made it to the SEc title game in 1997. The next year, he was gone in a flash, about as quickly as he arrived. But we'll always have those first two years!
11 comments | 0 recs
Bowden Still A Lightening Rod In Alabama
by Jay Coulter
on Jun 22, 2009 3:00 AM CDT
in Football
9 comments
Has it really been 16 seasons since Terry Bowden first came to Auburn?
In the months since Tommy Tuberville's resignation, there have been a lot of stories written about his place in Auburn history. Where does he rank? How will he be remembered? Like the presidency - and I'm in no way comparing the two jobs - it takes years before one can objectively look back and determine where an Auburn coach fits in the history of the program.
Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky wrote two excellent pieces yesterday on former Auburn Coach Terry Bowden. The feature story looks at Bowden's new job as head coach at North Alabama and also takes a peek back at his days on the Plains. In his column, Scarbinsky talks about the parallels to Bowden's hiring at Auburn in 1992 and the surprise pick of Gene Chizik in December.
As shocking as Chizik's hiring was, Scarbinsky argues that it wasn't nearly as surprising as Bowden's arrival at Auburn 16 seasons ago. "Chizik isn't the most unlikely Auburn coach of the postmodern, post-Bear era," writes Scarbinsky. "Chizik isn't even the most unlikely Auburn hire currently coaching in this state. Bowden himself earned and retired that title when, in December of 1992, he traveled down Highway 280 from Samford. A lot of people didn't think he had a prayer."
Bowden's hiring was a surprise. The choice of Chizik was the shock of a lifetime. Maybe that's more of a testament to Tuberville's success than the won-loss records or the level of competition the two coaches in question faced before arriving in Auburn.
Now that 16 seasons have passed since Bowden first arrived on campus and all of the emotion of his success and failures have been given time to age, where does Bobby's son fit in the history of Auburn Athletics?
His tenure is one of the more interesting in Auburn history. Because he didn't even last six seasons, Bowden can never be viewed as anything more than a transitional coach. Yet he guided Auburn to one of only three undefeated seasons in school history. The unbeaten year of 1993 remains the most improbable in Auburn history.
Winning his first 20 games as head coach at Auburn is something that is likely never to happen again in major college football. Had it not been for wide receiver Karsten Bailey inexplicably dropping two key passes in the 1997 SEC Championship Game, Bowden could have laid claim to two conference titles in five seasons (due to probation, Auburn was ineligible in 1993).
Bowden's success came at a time when Steve Spurrier was the toast of the college football world and Peyton Manning was under center at Tennessee. These weren't exactly down years for the SEC.
Critics of Bowden point to his inability to recruit. There's little arguing that by the end of his tenure in 1998, there was not a lot of talent left on campus. Despite winning 10 games the year before, his final team was a shell of what he inherited a few years earlier.
How bad was the 1998 team? Current Major Leaguer Gabe Gross lead the team in passing with 1222 yards and Michael Burks was the leading rusher with 483 yards and no touchdowns. Bowden started the 1998 season 1-5 and abruptly quit the day before the Louisiana Tech game. It was a move that has made him a lightening rod in the state of Alabama to this day.
Many believe the accusations made about him quitting on his team cost him another opportunity in Division 1-A football. To this day, Bowden still insists he made the right move, quitting then rather than waiting to be fired at year's end.
While it's approaching nearly two decades since he first came to Auburn, Bowden remains highly unpopular in Auburn circles. Time has allowed him to get his due for what he accomplished in his early years. Unfortunately for him, the decision to quit on his team halfway through the season will be his lasting legacy among Auburn fans.
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6/21/2009: '09 Season W/L Pick 'Em Right Now
by WarEagle86
on Jun 21, 2009 12:27 PM CDT
18 comments
Just to get some discussion going, and talk some football, I've looked our schedule and made some picks shootin' straight from the hip. I picked so quickly I didn't even try to settle on a score for the games. It's only June, and things certainly can change dramatically between now and September. But I just want to know how YOU have the season mapped out in your head as of right now.
Here's mine:
9/05 La. Tech: Win
9/12 Miss. State: Win
9/19 West Va: Loss
9/26 Ball State: Win
10/03 @ Tennessee: Loss
10/10 @ Arkansas: Win
10/17 Kentucky: Win
10/24 @ LSU: Loss
10/31 Mississippi: Loss
11/07 Furman: Win
11/14 @ Georgia: Loss
11/28 Alabama: Win
Record: 8-5; I think we will win our bowl game as well.
That was how I picked them in about 30 seconds time, so certainly arguments can be made on almost all of these results, so I want to know what you think. How do you think the season will play out at this point in time?
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Tigers Football Schedule
| Louisiana Tech | Sat 09/05 | 6:05 PM CDT |
Mississippi St.
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Sat 09/12 | 6:05 PM CDT |
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West Virginia
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Sat 09/19 | 6:45 PM CDT |
| Ball St. | Sat 09/26 | 6:05 PM CDT |
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Tennessee
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Sat 10/03 | 6:05 PM CDT |
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@
Arkansas
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Sat 10/10 | 6:05 PM CDT |
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Kentucky
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Sat 10/17 | 6:05 PM CDT |
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@
LSU
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Sat 10/24 | 6:05 PM CDT |
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Mississippi
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Sat 10/31 | 6:05 PM CDT |
| Furman | Sat 11/07 | 6:05 PM CST |
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Georgia
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Sat 11/14 | 6:05 PM CST |
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Alabama
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Sat 11/28 | 6:05 PM CST |
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