Auburn Tigers Football

Don't ever count out the Ole Ball Coach!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:38:00 +0000

So we head to good old South Carolina. Last year this was a game to enjoy, I think every SEC teams enjoys beating up on Steve Spurrier just a little. We will call it pay back for years of running up scores! At the same time he is still Steve Spurrier, he might not have the talent he did at FLA, but he can come up and bite you just the same. He is an offensive master mind and would love nothing more than a momentum game to get his team kicked started in the right direction, and who better to do that then the #2 Tigers.

Then there is the short week, while I dont think this was an issue since we played Buffalo, it could be some issues when it comes to routine, especially being an away game. Thursdays nights are weird, and weird things happen, overtime, weird injuries, trick plays, it all has to be considered.

With all that said, Auburn is way to talented on defense and offense. We have the leagues top rusher, one of the leagues best QB's and a defense that held LSU to just a field goal. Auburn is well coached and well prepared, Buffalo will be an after thought and our eyes will be on that visor across the field.

Prediction Auburn 35 USC 10(Touchdown on some trickery)

So where is Buffalo?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:20:00 +0000

I heard this asked a lot of me from my co-workers and friends this past week. Yes it is Buffalo, New York. Ok now that we got that cleared up! The game, well I listened to half of it in anger and the other half in partial dis-belief.

I know this was a let down game, I know that we most likely used this past week to prepare for USC not Buffalo, but at the same time seeing 10-0 and half and 17-7 half way through the third was just insane. Buffalo is one of the worst teams in Division I, most likely Arkansas State will be a harder team to play. With all that said, it was nice to see that Tate has some real promise and almost nice to see Brandon Cox kind of struggle through some things and get it write headed into three SEC games that will put us in the West driver seat or see us drop from the radar. So I will take 38-7, I would have liked that score in the first half so all the starters would have been officially removed, but hey I will take it. Plus not to mention based on the scores around the top 25, a lot of teams had let downs.

Then there is the issue of #22. And some of you might call me harsh, but there is nothing good about him having a good game against Buffalo, because all that can do it possibly put it into Tubbervilles head that he can play in big games. Lets get this straight he had one good game that is it, one good game! Say it over and over, it does not make up for the fumbles and lost yards that he posts everytime he is on the field against any team worth a dang. So please Tommy keep Trey off the field and just let the 6th year senior graduate. Ok said my peace on that.

Lastly there is the issue of the Bama game. I am not going to laugh or point, because I really do believe Karma is a...well you know. But I will say after last year getting ripped into by Bama fans after the John Vaughn incident and after this past week getting ripped into that we are cheaters and won on a bad call, I did take a small amount of pleasure seeing the ball kicked wide right, but couldn't help but feel for the guy when he did it again in overtime. I am of the belief that a good Bama teams serves Auburn in the long run and would like to see the Iron Bowl become more than a rivalry game, but I did enjoy that game just a little bit.

WAR EAGLE - ALWAYS FEELS GOOD TO BE 4-0!

EVER TO CONQUER, NEVER TO YIELD

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 01:32:00 +0000

First off let me start by retracting my prediction that John Vaughn would have his revenge. After watching a shanked kick hit the upright again, everyone knows Vaughn is a great kicker but LSU has his number.

It goes without saying WAR DAMN EAGLE! In a game that saw more speed and hard hits than any other game on separation Saturday, possibly in this decade, Auburn came out on top. Any fan across the nation has to tip their hats to both teams. It was what football used to be before the writers at ESPN and across the nation made it boring to play defense, even though time in and time out it is what wins championships. Auburn and LSU are among the best in college football right now, and it was sad to see a team lose a game like that and to drop below teams that would not want to see LSU walk into their field. It is proof while the SEC has weak teams just like the next conference (see Ole Miss and MSU), that their elite make it the best and toughest conference to play in and to win a championship in.

To the game...lets start with the offense. I look at it this way, Alabama won the national title with Jay Barker at quarterback. Why is this important you might ask? Because it was offense that was good enough to win every game. Now I dont think this was our best offensive go at it, our line was a little soft, kenny had flashes of greatness but did not seem like it was dialed in, vaughn missed a chip shot and cox was too hestitent trying to not make mistakes, but the bottom line is all your offense has to do it be good enough to win, especially when your defense holds a team to 3 points that was averaging 45. I think in the next couple weeks you will see a more focused offense that will key in on play action to set up everything, and Borges has not let us down yet, so a 7 point win is no time to start doubting him.

The defense. The scary part is there were times I thought we played really poorly and we still held LSU to no touchdowns, something that has not been done since the 90's. We are soft in the middle, but with the addition of Sears and Blackmon I think our linebacking core will be that much stronger. I did not like the fact that we did not show a lot of blitzes, but I will give Auburn the benefit of the doubt since we held some of the top receivers in the country to no TD's. Our speed was great, we swarm to the ball, tackling was good at times and bad at others, but overall we were prepared to play and that is a testament to the coaches and the players.

The Call. Wow I am tired of hearing about this. I get it, Bama fans and LSU fans are ticked. Bama fans all I have to say is get a life and worry about your own team who struggled to put 17 on the board by the half against Louisiana Monroe. LSU fans I can sypathise with, after such a hard fought game you never want it to come down to a call and I cannot say I would not be doing the same thing if I were them, but at the end of the day, whether the rule is right or not, it was the right call. Two reasons...1)If was knocked away (more than tipped) and therefore deemed uncatchable and pass interference cannot be called. 2)The play is not reviewable by the rules and it is a judgment call made on a bang bang play, and there is room for human error. Either way it is sad that this is now taking away from a game that was one of the best I have ever seen.

MVP. Kody Bliss! Without him our defense would have been put in 10 times worse situations and I think would have given up points. No one wants to give credit to a kicker for a defensive battle like that game, but without Bliss flipping the field everytime we went three and out on our own 20 we would have been in a lot worse shape.

It was a priviledge to be in the stands for such a game and remarkable to watch two teams so hungry to win that it came down to 5 yards. War Damn Eagle and congrats to both teams on a game that will be remembered as one of the greats.

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Prediction for this weeks game...Auburn 56 - Buffalo 0, and I would be surprised to see Cox or Irons play more than a series or even a snap. Either way it will be a nice week to recover from such a brutal game.

5 Missed Field Goals Later

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:10:00 +0000

Five missed field goals and a loud clank of the post left Auburn with their first loss in the SEC and controlling the west in the hands of other teams (Thanks Alabama). The 2005 game will stick with all of us, about us much as the 10-9 loss most likely stuck with them for the entire year of 2004. We can take a lot from that game. We can move the ball, we can score points, and we can hold our own in their stadium, what we can also take from that, they can come into our house and do the same thing.

LSU is a strong team, fast on defense and have a tree for a quarterback that Will Herring better take better shots at then the one he tried on MSU last week and got side stepped.

Auburn is quick to the ball, efficient on offense with really only one mistake on the board, and seems to be pretty disciplined right now.

But really we know nothing about these two teams. They have played teams they should beat and have done it efficiently, and with little to no injuries. So it is put up or shut up. Who is worthy of their ranking and a run at the SEC Championship and possibly more? Come to play or you will get destroyed, because both teams have coaching staffs that can smell blood and will jump to make a statement. LSU doesn't understand why Auburn is ranked higher, Auburn doesn't understand why USC or ND is ranked higher, well here is a national stage for both to prove why they belong. The sad part is win or lose I think both teams will prove they deserve to be where they are at the top, but one will fall in the ranking real hard because that is just the name of the game when it comes to college football polls.

Keys to the game: Defense Defense Defense! Balanced attack on offense with a heavy dose of pounding the football to set up a tired defense in the fourth quarter. And hopefully better than 5 missed field goals.

Key Stat: Past 6 games each team is 3-3, all three wins for each team are at home...heres to praying that will not change.

Prediction: Auburn 20 - LSU 17 (John Vaughn gets revenge.)

AU 34 - MSU 0

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:59:00 +0000

When was the game over? Or is the better question did it really ever start. MSU played hard, especially there front 7-8 in choosing to get beaten by the air and holding our running game at least in check. The sad part for MSU is they are not even in the same league as someone like Auburn right now, and most likely 5-6 other SEC teams.

Auburn's passing game was nice to see, our ability to win two games two different ways has made some defensive coordinators at least think about packing 9 in the box and covering man to stop the run. Would some fans like to see us run up the score, sure, we all want to be USC, but Tubberville has never been one to run up the score to prove a point. Bottom line is LSU was already being planned for before the first snap of the MSU game was taken. MSU might be back some day but for now, you chalk it up to a good prep game for LSU.

The Real Heroes - 9/11

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 03:10:00 +0000

I know this is a football blog, that I get on here and ramble about Auburn football and the stupid system, but when it all gets down to it, without real heroes like the ones we found coming out of fire stations and not stadiums on September 11, 2001, we would not have the freedom to ramble like we do.

I sat in my car this morning listening to the replay of the days events, and I just hit the steering wheel in frustration. On that day, it did not matter who you were, man woman or child, black or white, republican or democrat, you were attacked. Our way of life was attacked, and it had nothing to do with an Iraqi war or a Iran war or Israel, all things that we blame now. It was purely because those people got up in the morning and lived in the greatest country in the world. People can blame President Bush, I don't, people can blame President Clinton, I didn't, but if people don't wake up and realize it is not caused by a President or a foreign policy, that it is about a hatred so deep America can not fathom it, and in doing so have lost focus on the pure unadulterated fact that they want to kill us.

I am not stupid enough to say political debate is not good for this country, because it is, but decent on the war on terror has gotten out of hand, and by doing so we are doing an injustice to the heroes that died that day and to the heroes that have died before them. Demand a new course of action, but don't think for a minute you will win by coming home. Coming home will fuel an already fueled enemy. A good opponent always smells blood, and if I was watching the news in this country I could smell it all the way from Bin Laden's cave. If we retreat the war will be brought to our streets, our shopping malls and our schools --- and if you don't believe me then watch the news coming out of Israel. This is an enemy that does not fight man to man on a battlefield, it is a coward that does not see a difference between soldiers and your wife/husband and kids.

The heroes of 9/11 deserve a resolve that demands for us to find a winning strategy no matter what politics you believe in, they do not deserve retreat, because not one that day that died in those towers, or the pentagon, or on Flight 93 has the option to retreat, and many never even thought about it.

I pray that God will bless this country, bless our troops, bless the families of the victims, and help guide this country in such troubled times. I hope someday we can honor those fallen by picking this country up and defeating an enemy that has had more resolve than any other enemy in our history, and show why this is a country that will never let anyone threaten that freedom which we hold so dear.

God Bless America! And don't ever forget!

Like throwing darts blind folded!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:56:00 +0000

What can you compare the polls to this year? It is like throwing darts blind folded. Sure lets make Texas number 2 after beating North Texas, that way we can have a #1 vs #2. Sure lets make ND and USC #2 and #3 setting up an end of the season show down for the national title. It is perfect, if one loses sure we will let an Auburn or LSU in, but if they dont we get the matchup everyone wants....right? WRONG! The polls are almost becoming something to laugh at this year. Until this week there has been no real shake up that is worth talking about. No one besides OSU has established there position at the top, everyone else (including Auburn) has played basically games they are suppose to win and win big. Sure ND did not win against GT like one might think being ranked 2, but GT plays up to hard teams and down to crappy teams, it is there style. This is more fuel to the fire for week three or four polls instead of preseason, because the bottom line is experts have no clue...none. ESPN College Gameday has made 4 preditions for the national title winner, and two have already lost...Miami (What was Herbsteit thinking?) and Cal (What was Corso thinking?). After week three depending on what happens, I think we will at least know if LSU or AU is for real, or ND or Michigan, or FLA or TN, or USC or Nebraska. Why not wait till this week or next for that matter, let everyone get the week teams out of the way and start playing some before we deam a national championship game in week 2. It is crazy and all it does is hurts the sport. I know with this many teams someone is always going to be left out, but an and 1 system or 8 man playoff has to be better than what we have!

STUPID POLLS

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 01:15:00 +0000

Not that it really matters this early (at least you hope, because there are some scenarios that could make this early season move tragic for Auburn), but how can a team beat an unranked team and move three spots. How can Texas move up when Notre Dame defeated a much better competitor at GT home stadium. I hate Notre Dame, but they did nothing to move back, and USC nor Texas did anything to move up. Over the next couple weeks it will be clear the cream of the crop, especially with the following games.

USC v Nebraska
ND v Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan St.
Auburn v LSU
Florida v UT
Ohio State v Texas

Polls get more and more rediculous and the argument for week 2 or 3 polls is getting greater and greater. But now with USC moving up it does set the possibility for the winner of the OSU v Texas game to run the table as well as USC and that will be your national title game, and Auburn or maybe even West Virginia could say nothing about it (Even more fuel for an AND 1 system). Preseason polls are great for fans but serve the teams 0, take Cal for instance, ranked 9th and taken to school, or even Auburn two years ago, ranked 6th and whooped at Auburn. It just does not make sense.

Just a fans rant, but something has got to change, everyone knows that with 100+ teams nothing is simple, but there has to be something better than this.

Looking Past MSU

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 01:06:00 +0000

After a 40-14 win, one can't help but look past 0-1 MSU to hated west rival LSU and a top 10 showdown. But, one hopes Auburn and Tommy Tuberville are not. Even though MSU lost its opener to South Carolina, it played fast defense. They also lost their starting QB, and have replaced him with a mobile QB that can always cause defenses havick, especially ones that could be dialing it in until the next week. Lets not also forget that Florida walked into Mississippi State two years ago ranked in the top 10, and walked out with a loss. Sylvester Croom is a well trained coach that has that program at least leaning in the right direction. Week 2 should be just like week 1 for Auburn. Slow start due to a pumped MSU defense, but slowly dominating a game that should be over by the end of the half.

Auburn I do not think will get caught looking ahead, but MSU is still the second step of 12 to getting to a BCS Bowl or even a national title, and should be taken seriously, especially since every SEC fow at home can be dangerous.

Prediction for the week: Auburn 45 - MSU 6.

AU 40 - WSU 14

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 15:21:00 +0000

College football is here and what a weekend it was down on the plains. We arrived on Friday to a packed out city already. After enjoying dinner and a fish bowl at Niffers, a local restaurant, we headed onto campus to set up for the tailgating and realized that half of the 90,000 fans had already set up.

On Saturday we set out for our tailgating spot, which it must be said that tailgating in the SEC is an art and sometimes a comedy to watch some fans get a little too much into their friends Bud Lite and Miller Lite. Walking around campus it gets you fired up for the game that is still 6 hours away, you start to think about your time on campus as a student and sometimes weird to see the dozens of changes made to the campus you practically lived on for 4 years. We did the typical rounds to the overcrowded overpriced bookstores, where we of course spent to much money on a hat and two shirts. We then ventured to the landmark, Toomers Corner, and for anyone planning on visiting Auburn, Toomer Corner is a must, their lemonade is legondary (althought a little overpriced). We then headed back, passing the stadium on the way and see students standing outside 3 hours before the game. Ah the days of being a student and having to be at the game that early. WOW that sucked! Sure is nice to have regular tickets now.

Tiger Walk! One of the coolest traditions for people to experience. The mob of fans that crowd the streets to slap the hands of Tommy Tuberville and the Auburn football players is amazing to see. Sons climb on their dads back, people climb trees, it is a site to see what people will do, you hear the band leading fight songs, the chearleaders chanting, it is enough to make everyone chant WAR DAMN EAGLE, and a ball have not even been snapped.

The Game! I must say I was nervous going into this, I felt we should win, but I did not know if we would. WSU has the 18th ranked offense in the nation, but also went 4-7, so I felt like we were going to score points. After an amazing flight of Spirit, and a really cool intro it was game time, put up or shut up for the #4 Tigers. After watching the first defensive series you thought this was in the bad, with one sack and a hurry WSU went three and out to give the ball up to the #1 offense in the SEC. Kenny Irons then stormed onto the game with an opening 40 yard run, and you thought good we are off to the races. "Not so fast my friend!" Auburn while moving the ball basically as they pleased could not finish. Brandon Cox seemed tight, but still was not making the mistakes he made in the opener last year, and then there was Kenny Irons being Kenny. After a few field goals, including a 54 yarder, the tigers were leading by only 5 (12-7), when finally the Tigers were able to put it into the endzone with a screen pass to Lester. At this point you felt the game was in control. Auburn tacked on another touchdown before the defense had a huge breakdown and let WSU score an easy touchdown to bring the score to 26-14 and seemingly the momentum was with WSU, as there defense dropped Irons for a lost and sacked Cox to set up a punt on 4th and 16, when the old river boat gambler called the fake from inside his own 20, that resulted in a 40 yard run, but 0 points. The big part was it really broke WSU's spirit. Auburn would then take advantage of a tired defensive front and tack on two more touchdowns to take the game 40-14.

Overall the Tigers looked good, we missed a few tackles, Cox started tight, Kenny let his mouth run a little too much, and heck you know that was not our entire offense or defensive packages. MSU should play hard but the Tigers look like they will go into a showdown, for basically the SEC West two weeks from now again LSU. Auburn needs to tighten up the middle and the safeties need to make better decisions, the offense just needs to continue to find its stride, and work on finishing better, too many redzone opportunities lost. But as I said 40-14 in game one against a pac 10 team and not Western Kentucky is good with me.

On a note, it is really funny, and maybe best for now, that Auburn is #4 in the nation and getting no press time even with a solid win, still the obsession with USC and ND is still there, and I am sure now UT.

Until next time, WAR EAGLE!

Now we have to deal with #4!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 01:13:00 +0000

Well it has been a while since my last post, work has been crazy, but there is plenty to sound off on.

First lets start with yet another high ranking...#4. As stated before this is a good and bad thing. Good because if we do run the table we will find ourselves in the national title game, no controversy this year. Bad because of a bunch of reasons. With 3 opponents in the top 15 and my feeling by years end a lot more in the top 25 (bama, Arkansas, and possibly south Carolina), this SEC schedule is looking tough for any team to run the table with. And then there is Washington State. Lost 4 games last year by 4 points or less...so they were that close from a good season. The throw the ball a lot and expect to score points...all things Auburn does not deal well with...especially early in the season. WSU has everything to gain and nothing to lose...heck we even paid them to come play us...what would be better than beating the #4 team in the nation, 3000 miles away, and get paid for it. I love Auburn getting some of the recognition its program deserves, but putting a big target on our back is never a great thing.

Second we have injuries abound. Wow, I mean I could go down the list but that would be too much to type...but the bottom line is we are young...you take away Brandon Cox and Kenny Irons and I think we are ranked 17th or 18th...that is how much they bring to the table. Our defense is young and learning a new offense, our offensive line is young and learning to play together, so what have the coaches done, stuck it to them..forced them through pain and adversity. Now this could go one of two ways...we could have our injuries now and it make us stronger, or it could be really bad and we limp into the game on September 2nd and gets out butts handed to us. I am hoping with our coaching staff it will be the first option and I think it will.

Lastly there is the issue of Tommy Tubberville basically saying to the press he cannot prepare his team for a Sept 2nd game against a quality opponent. Now this (and I hope it is) might be a motivational tool to keep players focused with all the hype around them and kind of sober all the talk...but it if isnt...I am very disappointed in him...and let it be said I am a huge supporter of Tubberville. WSU while a much higher quality opponent than Buffalo is still WSU, they are a PAC 10 team...which besides USC sucks as a conference...that does not belong on a smash mouth football field like we play in the south. Plus you get past that and you have the same amount of time to prepare players, young and old, that they do. We are young and inexperienced...but that it his job as a coach to overcome especially when you recruit the kind of talent AU has in the past couple of years. We should have one of the best RB's in the nation and a top 10 quarterback, there is no excuse for you not feeling that your team is prepared to play a quality opponent on the first game. I think due to our lack of success with USC and GT we have gotten cold feet...when I say bring them on...lets see if we are any good and if we are we will win, bottom line. All I have to say for any respectable Auburn fan to be ticked at Tubbervilles statement...is Miami and FSU....first game of the season for the past three years...and both of their coaches expect to win and both of those teams are yearly preseason top 10. WSU is a great ball club and I think they will play hard and fast..but if our coaches do their job I think we should win...not saying we will, but we should win.

WAR DAMN EAGLE until next time, most likely a preview to the WSU matchup and my thoughts on tailgating in the SEC.

Two-A-Days and #6 in the Nation

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 20:35:00 +0000

Well it has been a while since I posted...went on vacation. So a couple things to talk about.

The first preseason poll is out (Auburn is ranked #6), and I wont start on my rant about why a preseason poll should not exist, but as much as the fans complain about it, we also tend to enjoy the spark it gives to kick off the war of words between fans. Heck it also gives sports writers better things to talk about than a stupid sociology class. Just FYI Auburn has been cleared of any athletic wrong doing so no NCAA problems.

As an Auburn fan I cringe and rejoice at this ranking. Cringe because the last time Auburn was showered with rankings and talk of greatness we went 7-5 with a trip to the Music City Bowl. I welcome the ranking because the only way Auburn has a chance at the national title game is to have a repeat of the 2004 season and to start higher in the rankings than the 17th they started that year. Auburn has got the potential to be great and the home schedule that favored them in '04, heck we even have a harder schedule since we have added Florida, but there are a lot of question marks that were not there in '04. There are huge shoes to fill at receiver, a defensive and offensive line that is young and talented but have not played many games together, two starting linebackers on the bench for three games including the LSU game, and not to mention a defense learning a totally new scheme. I hate to be a skeptic, but I don't see us reaching that pinnacle this year, but if we start 3-0 I might start to believe.

Then there is fall practice, basically all I have read for the past two days is sloppy, so much so that the defensive line was required to run till exhaustion. I have heard bad things about the receivers, already another starting LB has gotten injured, and there has been fights between players that resulted in coach Nall threatening to throw this player off the team if it happened again. Sound like the #6 team? Well lets take a look at things, 106 degree heat index, plus pads, plus two a days, plus fatigue can equal early mental mistakes and frustration. This is also very parallel to what happened this time last spring, so I am not calling it quits just yet. It is early with little offense and defense in right now, basically they are getting the depth chart decided and working on physical football. I personally think it is healthy for the team to have adversity right now that they will be forced to deal with before the season starts.

Auburn is on the pinnacle of being a great football team, and this might be the year, but the season has not even started, not one whistle blown, so lets take it a day at a time and just be thankful that Notre Dame is not #1 :).

Paul Finebaum

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:14:00 +0000

The title should be enough said. But I might still have to say a few words. WOW, what in the heck did Auburn do to this man. Did a girlfriend dump him for an Auburn grad or something. Nevermind the fact that Paul is so far biased that he cannot see any of the other side, lets get to the fact his column writing is about as poor as the NY Times attempt at journalism. If you want to read the article click on this link, but I am warning you that things might be thrown. I am not going to repeat my last post, but it is time we get a reality check on college education here in America. America has put huge emphasis on a piece of paper that you can hang in your office. I love Auburn, loved the college, love the football team, and received what I thought was a great education in subjects, but mostly in life and growing up. But as far as my job goes, I got more experience to prepare me for my job through internship, and a job I held as a webmaster at the college of business. I took hard classes like JAVA, Cal I and II, C++ Programming, E-Commerce with PHP, Economics, Finance and all prepared me to talk the talk and walk the walk in my profession, but I also took Golf I and II and Bowling, and Organic Gardening, as what the press are calling GPA builders. With that said I dare one person from Alabama, Tennessee or Georgia to tell me that there education as better or that they are better educated than me, because I took a few easy classes among my hard ones. So for Paul Finebaum to tell Tommy Tubberville that he is stupid because he boasts of a high graduation rate is absurd. His school that he loves so dearly has the same type classes the Auburn offers --- see previous post for proof on good ole Brody --- and I do not see any problem with it. I heard a quote on the radio that said when Daniel Moore paints a picture of Jay Barker or Bo Jackson walking across the stage in his cap and gown and people buy it, then we can talk about the serious problems in education, and I promise it will not start with the problem of GPA building classes.

What is going on down on the plains?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 19:27:00 +0000

Auburn has potential for a really good season, and in this off season we have had two drunk driving incidents to deal with, and now education allegations. Let me start by saying that I hope they do a full investigation and find out if there is any foul play or wrong doing when it comes to preferential treatment, this should not be a part of academia.

Here is the catch though, this is done with tons of classes, and not just for athletes as the article states, but the focus is strictly on the football program...Why you ask??? Because it sells papers. Independent studies run ramped throughout all the schools, and most of them are pretty valid. I am speaking from personal experience on this. I would not have graduated on time if it were not for a professor helping me out and allowing me to do an independent study, and the fact was I learned more with the assignments I had to do for him, then most likely I would have sitting though powerpoint education that overruns our colleges today.

Favoritism does not just go for athletes, I took a history class, taught by an extreme left wing professor, and any student that spoke a more conservative answer to his questions were picked apart by him in the class. I took a programming class, I helped a class mate get her program working that only met the basics when he said extra credit would be given for added functionality, and the girl made a better grade than me.

So unless you are dealing with math or multiple choice, grading and teaching, especially at the college level is subjective, all in the professors hands...that was the scary part of college for me...the power each of your professors had.

I am not trying to justify any wrong doing, but lets at least get a reality check about the nature of college academics throughout the country, and not act like it does not happen across the board, to all students, athletes or not. I hope for Auburn sake this ends up being a lot of fluff and a newspaper trying to sell ads because a stupid southern school showed up on the academic radar a few months back with its high academic score, but if it doesn't there should be action taken, I just think people should take a step back and look at the entire situation.

Enough is Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 15:59:00 +0000

I have been a long supporter of the statement that athletes are held to a different standard than most college kids. College kid does something stupid, it might make page 30, a college athlete does something stupid, it makes front page. I have always said the university and NCAA make millions off these athletes yet put ridiculous rules on them about getting jobs and basicly any move they make.

With all that said it has been insane to me to hear just this summer, in the two major Alabama football schools(Auburn and Alabama), there has been three drunk driving arrests. Two of them so far have for all practical purposes gotten away with it.

First drunk driving is one of the most selfish and idiotic things a person can do. Everyone, especially a starting football player, has to have one friend out there that can pick them up. Second drunk driving is not only illegal, you are putting someone else's life at stake. A mother, a little girl or even a fellow team mate. Third lets make the statement 'you a starting athlete for an elite football program'. You get your education paid for, you get worshipped like gods around campus, and every Saturday you get to go play a game that could potentially pay you millions. It is sad that a 22 year old man can not put into perspective the fact that something is illegal, you could kill yourself or another person, and you are sacrificing what you and your team work so hard for.

These athletes doing this insult their families, their college, the students and the fans that support them and even though I am a huge supporter of how hard it is to be a student athlete, there comes a point when enough is enough.

Irons for Heisman

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 14:33:00 +0000

While this is as far fetched as Big Foot, it does have a ring to it. I read an article off of AL.com that talks about Irons, and where he stands in the Heisman race. While I think there is 0 chance he could win, there is plenty of stats to back it, saying he repeats his performance from last season.

Leading SEC Rusher
1200+ years (in basically half a season, the first half it was RB by committee.
200+ yards on national television against LSU
ALL SEC first team in his rookie season.

Now give him a full year and a couple more pushovers to pad his stats, and you might have a 2000 yard rusher, with 3 out of the first 5 games being on national television (WSU-ESPN2, LSU-CBS, USC-ESPN). Well it is early, but I think if Irons can repeat his performance from last year for a 12 game season, then his name should be at least whispered....even though we all know that as long as Notre Dame has a front runner he really has 0 chance.

Iron Bowl on Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 14:12:00 +0000

Four words that I cannot even begin to try to explain. The biggest game of the season for both of these teams, and arguably the biggest rivalry in the nation is going to be played during a week were 95% of the students head home. Part of being a student is experiencing all the events that week building up to Saturday, part of being a fan is arriving on Wednesday in your camper to tailgate with friends and debate the outcome of Saturday. But with fans and students traveling around the nation for family thanksgiving events, I think the game will lose some of the buzz. And what is the reason, the "level the playing field." The claim is both Alabama and Auburn if they were to make it to the SEC would have more rest than an eastern team that plays on thanksgiving week. Well no matter who you are you know that as far as fan turnout, and fan support there is more for the Iron Bowl than there is the SEC Championship. But hey what do I know, just sharing my thoughts on the matter. If you want to read more about it check out this link.

Scary Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Matt) — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 15:50:00 +0000

This has been a scary off season for me. I am not sure if everyone has notices but this is very very simular to 2003. Highly touted offense, unproven defense, and a whole lot of promise. With ESPN, CBS, Sportsline, and every other pole you have seen this preseason, Auburn will most likely be ranked in the top 10, maybe even top 5. With a not so good out of conference opener, that Auburn should always win, but always makes difficult, and a push over SEC West foe in the form of MSU, Auburn hopes to go into a top 10 showdown with the other highly touted SEC team, the LSU Tigers. Why Auburn likes to schedule the likes of LSU early I am not sure, but with a coach that never has his full offense flowing until half way through, it should be interesting to see if the Tigers will sink or swim. WAR DAMN EAGLE! Heres hoping for the best.