The media is reporting that Willie Martinez may be named Auburn's newest assistant coach in a move that would reunite him with defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder while bringing the former Georgia assistant back to the SEC.

Martinez would be the third assistant hired with SEC experience this offseason.

The university has not formally announced the hiring, but (according to Charles Goldberg) Martinez was in Auburn Monday meeting with coaches.

Here's a Monday quiz for you: Name me all the football teams in the Big East. How about the Big 12? Don't feel bad; there are few among us who probably can these days. In less than a year, college football realignment has completely changed the look of the sport. Now it appears those changes may hit closer to home.

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity made a startling comment last week that if true, could have far reaching ramifications on the SEC. With member schools seemingly against going to a nine-game conference football schedule, McGarity fears rivalries like Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee may become causalities of the new look SEC.

The issues are numerous. The SEC's upcoming season schedule is a one-year deal. Beyond it lies more than a few obstacles to saving the South's Oldest Rivalry. With Texas A&M and Missouri joining the SEC, the conference is moving to a 6-2 format, meaning each school plays six teams from its division and two from the other - one permanent and one rotating.

McGarity rightly points out that there are only two true cross-divisional rivalries - Auburn/Georgia and Alabama/Tennessee. His fear is that other member institutions may prefer moving to a rotating schedule when playing outside the division. This season Auburn faces Vanderbilt (rotating) and Georgia (permanent) from the East.

SEC presidents and athletic directors are set to meet the week of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, devoting an entire day to scheduling for 2013 and beyond.

"I think if you ask Alabama and Tennessee, like us and Auburn, we'd like to retain the (permanent cross-divisional) games," says McGarity. "But does that work? What do the other 10 schools think? Those four schools like having those games but there's no other East-West match-up that has that piece of history to it. So I don't (know) where that fits in."

The ACC announced a few weeks back that it was moving to a nine-game conference schedule now that Pittsburgh and Syracuse have joined. The chances of the SEC following suit are slim.

The reasons most cited by SEC schools for not favoring a nine-game schedule are to save out-of-conference rivalries like Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State and South Carolina-Clemson. McGarity says a nine-game conference schedule along with state-rival Georgia Tech could make things tough on the field.

"Nine games, and Georgia Tech, that makes 10 games, he said. "If you ever wanted to schedule Clemson or Ohio State, like we have, then that only leaves one guarantee game. That's a pretty tough schedule. Fans would love it. But I don't know if your coaches or players (would). That's strapping it up 11 of 12 weeks there. You have to have some time where some players play who never get a chance to be on the field."

Something lost in McGarity's concern over a nine-game conference schedule is whether these ACC schools will continue rivalries with their SEC foes. They too are facing similar issues to the SEC.

There was a time when the thought of Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee going away seemed impossible. It was bad enough when Tennessee and Florida vanished from the yearly Auburn schedule back in 1992.

But Georgia? That's sacred. It will never happen. Right?

I'm not sure anymore.

We chuckled when the Oklahoma-Nebraska series went away. We wondered aloud how the Big 12 let it happen. We said it could never happen in the SEC.

Suddenly, here we are today. It's not farfetched to envision Auburn-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee, Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson all vanishing off the college football landscape in the near future.

And for what? So the SEC could add Texas A&M and Missouri and the ACC could welcome Syracuse and Pittsburgh? That's a lot of sacrifice for four mediocre programs. Then again, it's not about the schools as much as it is the television markets.

Call me old school, but things were so much better when there were just 10 of us in the SEC.

Auburn announced Wednesday that Cornerbacks Coach Phillip Lolley will be moving back into the administrative side of the football program. Lolley has been with Auburn since 1999 and this is not the first time he has served in the athletic office.

He was the Director of NFL Relations when new Head Coach Gene Chizik brought him back to the field in 2009. Prior to that he had served as the conditioning coach from 1999 -2000 and as the secondary coach in 2000-2003 when he coached Jim Thorpe Award winner Carlos Rogers.

Lolley becomes the third coaching change from the 2011 staff after Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn left to become the Head Coach at Arkansas State and Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof left to become the DC at Central Florida.

The move has the appearance of one that may be taking place to make room for new DC Brian VanGorder to bring someone else on staff. After all it's only natural for a coordinator to want to have someone come along with him.

If that's the case, one has to expect the replacement might well come from the NFL ranks.

Nonetheless this writer hopes that Phillip will be able to still have a hand in recruiting because he has the respect of high school coaches across the state of Alabama.

Yes Phillip Lolley knows the coaches in this state as good as anyone, having served as a high school coach himself from 1978-1998. He was Head Coach at North Jackson High School for 10 years and led the Chiefs to the 4-A State Championship in 1993.

Coach Chizik said in a prepared statement yesterday, "We appreciate Coach Lolley and the contributions he has made to the Auburn football program in his various roles over the years and we look forward to him continuing to help with the program's success in his new capacity."

I too appreciate Coach Lolley. I'm thankful this morning for his hard work and service to Auburn University for the past 12 years and I'm thankful he will still be part of the Auburn family. While I don't question this move, I do have one question ...

Who will be the new Cornerbacks Coach?

Call him the comeback kid. Against the odds, Gene Chizik looks to have landed his third consecutive top 10 recruiting class. It may have taken three days beyond signing day to get there, but Auburn coaches have done the seemingly impossible.

With the signing of five-star offensive linemen Jordan Diamond on Friday, Auburn jumped significantly in all of the recruiting services rankings. Scout.com moved Auburn up five spots to number nine in its 2012 recruiting round-up. 247 Sports.com moved the Tigers from No. 17 to No. 13.

Auburn may not be finished yet. They remain in the running for Washington D.C, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Denver prep offensive lineman Alex Kozan. Diggs is said to leaning toward Ohio State, but Maryland and Auburn remain possibilities. As we go to press, Kozan is still considering Iowa and Auburn.

For those who remain skeptical about the recruiting services and their rankings, this article will give you more ammunition. I'm just saying...

Watching the spectacle of the Super Bowl last night, it makes you wonder why the BCS can't put on a similar show. Holding the game on a Monday night is plain stupid. Why not showcase college football and have the championship on a Saturday night? It's the sport's traditional day to play and fans would have the next day off. Seems so simple.

While Auburn has yet to officially release its 2012 football schedule, we have a good idea of how it will shake out. According to FB Schedules.com, the slate looks like this:

(Sept. 1) Clemson (Georgia Dome); (Sept. 8) at Miss State; (Sept. 15) Louisiana-Monroe; (Sept. 22) LSU; (Sept. 29) OPEN DATE; (Oct. 6) Arkansas; (Oct. 13) at Ole Miss; (Oct. 20) at Vanderbilt; (Oct. 27) Texas A&M; (Nov. 3) New Mexico St.; (Nov. 10) Georgia; (Nov. 17) Alabama A&M; (Nov. 24) at Alabama.

I don't know the people behind the website, Never to Yield Foundation.com. What I do know is that in recent weeks, they've pinned some of the best articles ever written about Auburn and its standing in this state.

If you haven't already, check out their story entitled, The Cult of Updyke. It's been posted on our Fanshots page for several days. When in mixed company, you often hear Alabama fans say alleged Toomer's Tree killer Harvey Updyke is the exception to the Alabama fan base.

The dirty little secret is that most (not all) feel exactly the way Updyke does and that's why he's treated like a rock star at Alabama sporting events. It's a very telling article and one I agree with completely.

Vigor defensive lineman Darius Philon learned a valuable life lesson last week. When you hang around trash, bad things happen. We've all heard the story by now. Alabama coach Nick Saban yanked his offer to Philon on Wednesday morning and left the talented lineman sitting broken hearted at his signing ceremony.

This is not the first time Saban has pulled this stunt. It's been well documented in the past. In fact, it happened last month with Georgia prep running back Justin Taylor. I'd like to say I feel sorry for Philon, but he should have known better. You can bet he was warned.

There's no arguing Saban's success. There's also no arguing he cares only about himself. He's never left a job on good terms and the same will likely be said when he leaves Tuscaloosa.

Montgomery Advertiser columnist Josh Moon nailed it when he wrote last week, "For years, Saban has treated college football like a cutthroat business. He's skirted recruiting rules, danced around scholarship limitations and been surrounded by more career ending injuries to third-string players than any coach in the history of organized athletics.

"Honestly, taking the high road from Saban is the easiest win Gene Chizik will ever get. It's like winning a Good Ideas for Space Exploration Contest over Newt Gingrich."

As legendary college football analyst Beeno Cook said recently, "He's (Saban) a great coach, but I wouldn't be his Bridge partner." Amen.

In the end, Philon signed with Arkansas, a place he's never visited. Despite all the publicity surrounding the snubbing, you can bet there will be more kids who find themselves in the same boat next year. When you play with fire...

Auburn's 2012 recruiting class got a big boost Friday as reported by KoolBell earlier here at Track Em Tigers. Jordan Diamond, a Parade All-American and five-star offensive lineman from Chicago signed to play for the Tigers

Diamond is 6-foot-6, 300 lbs. and is ranked by 24/7 Sports as the fifth-best offensive tackle in the nation. He is the sixth offensive lineman and the 21st member of Auburn's 2012 class.

Scout.com gave the following profile on Jordan:

"Diamond has a nice frame with long arms and a solid base in his legs. He's a naturally strong kid who drives defenders down field and does a nice job finishing his blocks. He has experience in pass protection and does a nice job of using his arm length and locking out on pass rushers."

Jordan had offers from over 20 of the top programs in the country including Notre Dame and Ohio State. He recently narrowed his list down to Auburn, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Michigan. After his visit to the Plains, he reportedly said he was drawn to Auburn's family atmosphere and that he had a lot of respect for Line Coach, Jeff Grimes.

Coach Chizik had said in published reports that signing a good class of linemen was a top priority. Well that mission has been accomplished. According to Scout.com, Diamond's signing gives Auburn the second best offensive line recruiting class in the country.

Auburn is still in the picture with at least two other top prospects in five-star receiver Stefon Diggs of Olney, Maryland and four star O-Lineman Alex Kozan of Castle Rock, Colorado. Diggs is scheduled to make his announcement next Friday.

Stay tuned, the Tigers final class count may yet grow some more.

Jordan Diamond Highlights (via 247SportsStudio)

War Eagle, everybody! National signing day has come and gone. Despite real worry leading up to, and during the day, Auburn finished with a top 15 class. The Tigers signed 19 players, about 3 short of the 22 most folks feel the Tigers had available. Auburn is holding open those slots in the hope of signing several stars later. While there doesn't appear to be an instant Bo Jackson/Cam Newton/Nick Fairley in this class, it's a strong one nonetheless. Every single guy is at least a 3 star. Added to the top-5 classes the past couple of years, this class could help Auburn return to the top!

Looking at star ratings, over half the signing class is 4 stars, two of which are already in school and will participate in spring drills. Those guys are offensive tackles Patrick Miller and Shane Callahan. In addition, Auburn should greatly benefit from the transfer of veteran starting Illinois fullback Jay Prosch. As has been voiced by others, I'd have liked a couple more big-time linebacker signees. It was tough to do in a year featuring few great linebackers.

This year's angst over recruiting brought up a lot of memories for me. I try to downplay this whole time of year as much as possible. I've seen spectacular classes later riddled with attrition. 1995, anyone? It was said that Terry Bowden had a monster recruiting year, coming off probation. Yes, that class produced Takeo Spikes, Jimmy Brumbaugh, Karsten Bailey and Jeno James. At least half that class never saw the field, or crashed and burned like Robert Baker. Then you have completely unheralded classes like some from the late Barfield Era. Classes that produced Randy Campbell, Lionel James, Ed West, Chris Woods, etc.

When Auburn has produced champions in the past, there's always that euphoric feeling amongst us fans. "We've made it!" "We've ARRIVED!" I wonder how much of that carries over to the team, and the coaching staff? It's like everyone expects the program to sell itself from that point forward. We've seen that scenario time and time again. Dye nearly won it all in 1983, but had a tough time the next two years, and survived it only by jettisoning coordinators and re-trenching. Even as Dye-part-II was winning 3 straight SEC titles, the talent level was declining, culminating in a pair of 5 win seasons that landed Auburn on probation, and starting walk-on nose guard Joe Frazier at tailback. Terry Bowden won his first 20 games, but could not parlay that into consistent recruiting success. Tommy Tuberville won 13 games in 2004, but Auburn's recruiting numbers slid there after.

It seems to me Auburn recruits best when there's immediate playing time available. We've seen Barfield get it going with Andrews, Brooks and Cribbs in his early days. Dye brought in a TON of talent in his early years. Same for Tuberville, luring in Rudi Johnson, Carnell Williams and Jason Campbell in an Auburn rebuilding project. Once again, Auburn's success may have had something to do with this year's class. I think Gene Chizik would be well served to remember that you have to prove it all over again every year. There can be no years off, or you will lose ground. While we admire Gene for handling the coordinator replacements well, and fielding a slightly better defense in the bowl game under his own tutelage, one must wonder how much it all hurt his recruiting efforts. Don't get me wrong. This isn't a bad class by any means. However, it's not a top ten class. Chizik set the bar pretty high the past two recruiting seasons, and this one came up just short. Is it a one-year blip, or a trend? Time will tell. In the meantime...

Which players have the best chance of playing immediately? I'd say 7 or fewer of this class will crack the two deep next season, and the reason is lots of returning talent at Auburn. The Tigers have had to play a lot of freshmen the past two seasons, and that has resulted in a number of veteran juniors and sophomores on the roster for 2012. I'd guess that half this class will redshirt, with a few guys contributing on special teams.

Position by position breakdown, after the jump!

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This time of year is when you start to feel it. By Wednesday you know it's over. I'm of course talking about college football. With only one football game - college or pro - left on the docket, Wednesday's National Signing Day is the biggest day of the year until early September.

Like Auburn's regular season, this week's big event is expected to be more mundane than exceptional. The Tigers won't be laying claim to a top five class; and for the first time since the Tuberville era, Auburn has swung and missed more than it has hit it out of the park.

At least that's what the pundits say.

When I think of pundits these days, I immediately think of ESPN's Todd McShay. Who can forget the star quarterback of the Swampscott (MA.) High School football team screaming on every ESPN platform last year about how Cam Newton would never make it in the NFL as a quarterback?

Hey Todd: Cam says Aloha!

The same can be said for recruiting analysis, political analysis and every other ass out there. When it comes to judging future returns, you cannot simply assign a star next to someone's name and determine their future.

I say this not because Auburn is expected to "only" have a top 20 class, but because history says I'm right. Of the 25 players expected to sign with Auburn on Wednesday, only half will ever make an impact on the football field.

Coaches will soon learn that some peaked during their senior seasons of high school. Other less recruited players will blossom and grow into more than anyone expected. It's why players like the Dallas Cowboy's Demarcus Ware ended up at Troy despite being able to see Jordan-Hare Stadium from his high school practice field.

Some will not adjust to the bright lights of college football. Many will not be able to balance school and practice. And yes, some will do stupid things like commit armed robbery.

Go back a few years and you can bet Florida fans were feeling pretty heady when Cam Newton signed and was quickly anointed Tim Tebow's successor. In the long run, things worked out fine for Newton, but not so much for the Gators.

For these reasons I won't fret over Wednesday one way or the other. I remember Enterprise's Alan Evans heading to Auburn in 1982 as the nation's top running back. Once on campus he was introduced to a guy named Bo and a short time later, the toast of college football recruiting was playing in Chattanooga.

I remember as a college freshman in 1987, a quarterback named Billy Ray. He was the top player in the country and Alabama had him. He was billed as the second coming of Stabler and Namath - combined. Ray ended up wasting away at Duke. His coach never beat Auburn and left for Kentucky in shame.

Pat Dye has said repeatedly over the years that there are more than enough good players to go around and the biggest factor remains coaching. He reiterated it again last week speaking to Phillip Marshall at Auburn Undercover.

"Ain't no question about it," Dye said. "We've had two good years back to back. We'll have a good one this year. We are going to sign some good football players. When you put four or five of them together and take the top seven or eight out of each class, that's all you have to have to have a good solid football team."

Don't get me wrong. National Signing Day is fun for all fans. It's a day to celebrate the future. We take it seriously here at Track'em Tigers. KoolBell will be with you from sun up to late afternoon reporting all the news. It's one of our busiest days of the year here at TET.

Enjoy the day, but don't get too high or low. Focus on the seven or eight who'll make a difference in Auburn's program. That's the toughest part - finding those who have a head to match their talented bodies.

See you Wednesday.