Tuesday News and Notes

by Jay Coulter on Jan 6, 2009 5:00 AM CST in Football Comment 7 comments

Trooper Taylor will coach receivers and serve as assistant head coach.

It looks like at least part of Auburn made it to the BCS and the Fiesta Bowl. Or did it? The burning question this morning is whether the eagle that flew into the stadium prior to the Texas-Ohio State game Monday night was Auburn's own "Spirit." The bird certainly looked just like Spirit. However, those handling him (or her) looked nothing like the Auburn crew. If anyone knows, please share with us. It's the important things in life that matter.

If anyone knows how Oklahoma State feels this morning, it's Auburn people - See Mack Brown. Gene Chizik has now snagged two coaches off Mike Gundy's Cowboy staff and there may be more on the way. Yesterday, the hiring of Trooper Taylor became official. He will coach wide receivers and hold the title of assistant head coach, which really means nothing at all.

I suppose these titles help justify paying these guys so much to coach a position. The best one to date is the "promotion" that Dabo Sweeney gave defensive coordinator Brad Scott at Clemson. In addition to running the defense, Scott now holds the title of executive head coach. For a guy that got rolled by Tony Franklin that's a mighty big title.

There's still no word on whether Gundy will lose offensive line coach Joe Wickline to Auburn. Chizik is said to be working hard to bring him back South. Wickline graduated from Florida in 1983 and was offensive line coach for the Gators from 2002-2004.

I don't believe I've ever heard of a school taking three assistant coaches from another program in a week's time. We just thought Gundy's tirade last year was bad. He may have to be controlled with a straight jacket if Wickline walks. But then again, he's a man and he's 40 - make that 41 now.

From top to bottom is there a worse stable of announcers than what Fox has put together for this bowl season? They are horrendous. The worst was when they wheeled out Pat Summerall to do the Cotton Bowl. On three different occasions, Summerall commented that Ole Miss was a "happy" team. Say what? Thankfully, Fox will be a distant memory when ESPN takes over the BCS games in 2011.

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Re: Spirit

I thought that the Auburn aviary was the only one authorized by the Fish and Wildlife Commission to fly the birds in a function like a football game (or the Olympics). At least that’s what is announced at each Auburn game I been to recently.

I have no other proof that it was Spirit.

by sullivan013 on Jan 6, 2009 7:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

No, they didn't...

I didn’t see the Cotton Bowl, but you’re telling me they propped up Pat Summerall to call the game? OMG! I thought it was bad when he did the Cotton Bowl two years ago with us and Nebraska. Hang it up, Pat! Stick to calling Golden Tee golf…

Of course, it wasn’t near as bad as them propping up Dick Clark’s corpse once again to ring in the New Year on ABC…

by War Eagle Atlanta on Jan 6, 2009 10:32 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I remember that, he was awful. Nebr. had a running back in that game whose last name was Lucky, and Summerall kept running his name into the ground, as in, “He was certainly lucky on that run”, or “Nebraska is lucky to have him in the backfield”. And it wasn’t even funny the first time. I finally had to turn the sound down.

I think they just wheel him out of the retirement home once a year to fill in.

by atlWDE on Jan 6, 2009 12:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Very interesting read on Malzahn's offensive strategy...

by some Tulsa players and Tulsa head coach Todd Graham. Also says Malzahn is a coffeeholic,…I can relate to that…:-)

Source: http://tinyurl.com/77vkno

Some excerpts from the article:

“Everything we do is fast,” said Johnson, the fifth-year senior quarterback who has passed for 3,866 yards this season, with 43 touchdowns to 18 interceptions and ranks second in the nation in passing efficiency.

“It’s fun when you start to see defensive guys’ tongues hanging out,” said Adams

Speed. Tempo. Fast-paced. The title of the book Malzahn wrote describing his offense says it all: “Hurry Up No Huddle – An Offensive Philosophy.”

But this offense, Graham insists, is not a spread. It is “up-tempo.”

“It’s completely different,” he said. "What Gus runs is … a unique system based on tempo and being physical. We run a multitude of formations. We stretch the ball sideline to sideline but also end zone to end zone. We adapt.

“The first year we couldn’t run the ball, so we threw more. This year we run the ball more, because if I can line up and run over your rear end, how are you going to stop that?”

“The stuff we do is really very simple. Complexity in organization makes simplicity in operation. This is not a spread. This is something unlike anything anyone else in the country does.”

And you won’t need a cup of coffee to keep you awake when Malzahn’s offense is on the field.

“It’ll be fun to watch,” Graham said. “Nobody asked for their money back at Tulsa, I can promise you that.”

War Eagle!

by WarEagle99 on Jan 6, 2009 11:37 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Despite what the hiring of Chizik was....

which one would say a debaucle at best, the man has put together a very good staff to this point on paper. The hiring of Ted Roof while not even on the radar for most of us is a solid hire. The assembling of this staff has certainly supplied the wow factor that we were craving with the head coaching hire but didn’t get. Trooper Taylor can coach up some recievers and it will not surprise me in the least if we don’t land a couple of blue chip recievers to close the recruiting class out. Can you say Kendall Kelly and or Pat Patterson? Its going to be fun to sit back and watch the recruiting. War Damn Eagle and I still say Fire Jay Jacobs!

I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU

by Todd92 on Jan 6, 2009 3:52 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Oddly enough...

I happen to be both an Auburn fan and an Oklahoma state fan, ive attended both schools, and currently live in Guthrie Ok. Its disappointing to see the Pokes losing all these coaches, but OSU will be fine. We have deep pockets and a good team, we’ll find a way to reload coaches, and the have them poached again next year, but thats football. Im just glad Chiznik is actually making some good coaching hires. Everyone in Stillwater is just hoping Gundy will hire a decent defensive coordinator.
War Eagle

by okietigerr on Jan 6, 2009 8:29 PM CST reply actions 0 recs