Track Em Tigers

Merry Christmas From Track'em Tigers!

2009-12-25T03:50:07Z

Christmas Eve on Track 'Em Tigers!

2009-12-24T09:00:22Z

Christmas is like a Ben Tate TD run!

War Eagle, everybody, and Merry Christmas! Here's hoping everyone is gearing up for a great holiday. This is perhaps the one time of year when we can put aside worry, get emotional without regret, be children again, and just plain have fun! Our Auburn Tiger football team has currently broken for the holidays, and we wish them all a great couple of days with their friends and family. On December 26^th, it's back to reality for the Tigers in Tampa.

As I mentioned near the end of my preview, the watchword for the Outback Bowl matchup with Northwestern is the weather. We're now close enough to game time to get some long-range forecasts, and it does look like a chance of showers and temps in the 60s. For Big Ten visitors, I suppose it will be like spring time, after the coming Christmas blizzard. For Tiger fans in the Southeast, it's more of the same. Rain, rain, rain.

I'd like to give a shout out to Northwestern bloggers over at Sippin' on Purple. Don't miss their two "fear-o-meter" posts on the Auburn Tigers. It's an amusing analysis of Auburn's offense and defense, and is well worth the read! While I'm handing out kudos, you should also read Jerry Hinnen's account of the New Mexico Bowl which he attended. It's hilarious. I'm definitely borrowing Jerry's "Orc Man" moniker...

Auburn's chances in a mud bowl have taken a hit in the past two weeks. When the weather turns wet, most teams like to run the ball. Auburn has lost both of its blocking H-back specialists in the past week. Eric Smith is not making the trip due to academics, and John Douglas is on suspension for a DUI. Mario Fannin makes an adequate blocker, but the entire depth chart behind him is vacated. The loss of Smith is huge. His blocking has been great this year, and our running game will likely sputter without him. Personally, I'd like to see senior Gabe McKenzie get his first meaningful minutes of the year on offense. Gabe was a pretty good blocker in years past, from the tight end position, and does know how to catch the ball!

Periodically during the season, I looked at quarterbacks around the SEC, and compared their net yards per pass. This is a calculation with a 50-yard penalty for every interception. Chris Todd finished 3^rd in the SEC with 7.0 net yards per pass, trailing only Ryan Mallett and Tim Tebow. Applying the same formula to Mike Kafka of Northwestern yields 6.15 net yards per pass. Northwestern backup quarterback, sophomore Dan Persa managed 3.6. There is a lot to be said for veteran senior quarterbacks who are efficient and limit turnovers! Here's a few key statistics from the two teams

	Auburn	Northwestern
Points scored per game	32.9	25.2
Points given up per game	26.9	23.3
Turnovers	19	21
Turnovers forced	19	26
Penalty yards against	707	559
Average gain per play	6.2	5.0
Opponents' gain per play	5.1	5.4
First downs	248	269
Opponent first downs	234	217
Third down conversions	41%	48%

Auburn has had a propensity for hitting big plays, and thus enjoys better offensive averages in many areas. Northwestern has been better at long, deliberate drives, playing keep-away from the defense. Northwestern has forced significantly more turnovers than Auburn, and committed a lot fewer penalties.

Keys for Auburn: The Tigers must stop the Wildcats from driving. Northwestern will be patient on offense, and it's critical for the Tiger defense to make some plays and get off the field. That's the best way to keep the thin Tiger defense from wearing down. Offensively, Auburn must avoid turnovers, and continue to generate big plays. When forced to drive, Auburn has had difficulty scoring points. Without big plays, Auburn managed only 10 points against LSU, and 14 against Kentucky.

Keys for Northwestern: Northwestern must be patient on defense, and play assignment football. If Auburn is forced to drive, they typically will make a mistake, a false start, a holding penalty, a drop or a bad throw. On offense, limiting turnovers and moving the chains will be key. Northwestern needs to churn out long scoring drives, keep the Tiger offense off the field, and wear down the Tiger defense.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-12-24T13:15:09Z

And there were in the same country shepperds abiding in their fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them. And the glory of the Lord shown round about them, and they were afraid. And the Angel said "fear not, for I bring good tidings of great joy. Which should be to all people. for unto you this day in the city of David, a saviour is born, which is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign unto you. You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly with the angel, a multitude of heavenly host saying " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace goodwill toward men.

I have said many times, that this is my favorite place to blog, and come to for info. It's my morning cup of coffee. I wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas.

WAR EAGLE!

The 12 SEC Days of Christmas

2009-12-21T20:55:58Z

On the 12th day of Christmas, the SEC gave to me:

TWELVE schools a plenty

ELEVEN assistants fired

TEN bowl invitations

NINE secondary violations

EIGHT badly called games

SEVEN top-ranked recruiting classes

SIX Slive warnings

FIVE LAST SECOND WINS...

FOUR Clock mismanagements

THREE Armed robbers

TWO Jimmy Sexton renegotiations

ONE Heisman trophy

And ZERO coaching changes for me...

Florida Looking For Let Down in Sugar Bowl Like Alabama Last Year?

2009-12-21T18:40:09Z

Sure this is Florida's winningest senior class ever. It will be legend Tim Tebow's last game in a Gator uniform. They will be playing in the Sugar bowl, a BCS contest, against upstart undefeated Cincinnati. Yea, I know, it's not Pasadena. Many Gators fans were thinking BCS national championship game all the way this season. Undefeated--something no Gator team has ever done. But a blow-out rematch with Alabama in the SEC CG has put Florida in the same pot as Alabama was last year--in a consolation match in the Sugar Bowl--the de facto home of the SEC CG loser the last couple of years. Hey! This is the Sugar, not the Weedeater Bowl. And this time it's against a BCS opponent (barely), not a Mountain West upstart. But it's Pasadena Lost for the Gators and they might be looking to lay an egg on par with what the Crimson Tide did with Utah last year.

Gator fans, like all fans, seem to be voting with their wallets. Initially given an allotment of 17,500 tickets at $125 each, Florida had roughly 5000 still available as of Friday, a far cry from the immediate sell-outs from years past. This is the school's 19th consecutive bowl game. And it's the SUGAR Bowl (did we mention that?) The usual suspects are trotted out as excuses for the lack of virility in ticket sales. The economy is bad. It's Christmas time. Come on Gators, get up and go (to NOLA).

Don't get me wrong. I've always said that the Gators travel better than any other team in the SEC. And I think the Gators will go to the game en masse. They just may not buy the tickets through the university at inflated prices, not with so many discounted tickets being available on the secondary market. Hey, a fan's got to do what a fan's got to do. It's the University Athletic Association that's on the hook for the tickets. They have to eat what's left, and that could end up being quite the feast with two or three thousand tickets left when it's all said and done.

The original deadline for sales was two Saturdays ago. Then it got moved to last Wednesday. Now there is no deadline. Call now! Operators are standing by. An email was sent out to 500,000 fans stating that there is no limit on the number purchased. And the first 500 callers will receive a free Gator Snuggie complete with a bonus reading light. Okay, I'm just kidding about the Snuggie. But you can keep the reading light as a token of our appreciation. Could you maybe include a Sham Wow? Perhaps bundle them with mortgages and sell them on Wall Street? Throw in a Nobel Peace Prize with the purchase of five or more? Or why not just cut prices? Hmmm.

So does all this add up to a possible anticlimactic ending for Florida against Cincinnati come next Friday night, or will the Gators give Tebow his rightful send off? Do we need another promise speech by Tebow as motivation? Can we expect another address by Corrine Brown? On paper, Florida looks stronger than the Bearcats. Plus, they just got their coach poached by Notre Dame. Maybe Cincy might be a little anticlimactic too, having had the wind knocked out of them and blown clear into South Bend. But they do have something to prove--not only for their program, but for the Big East. That and the fact that they're a pretty damn good football team.

But what will Tebow have to say about all this? It was rumored that he was upset about the lack of intensity in practices leading up to Atlanta by some of his teammates . Will he sufficiently motivate the team this time? Tebow has only lost back-to-back games once in his career--in 2007 against Auburn and LSU. And the Gators severely under-achieved in the Capital One Bowl that year by losing to Michigan. Will that Gator team show up in New Orleans this year and have their captain ride off into an orange and blue sunset?

Hot Dog Time In Auburn!

2009-12-20T17:54:13Z

Thanks to Hilary (a.k.a. HMLEE) at the SB Nation blog, The Rivalry, Esq., this year's Outback Bowl will take on more meaning for me. As the Northwestern writer for the Big Ten site, she laid down a challenge this weekend that's hard to pass up. Hilary suggested a friendly wager on the game that involves one of my very favorite things - food.

The bet is simple. The winner receives a catered meal (by mail) from a famous local establishment chosen by the loser. The dish is to be something regional in flavor and well known among Auburn and Northwestern fans. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

So what do I offer up? That's been the million dollar question this weekend. The first major hurdle is finding an appropriate dish. After that, it's finding an establishment that's set-up to ship overnight. That narrows things quite a bit. Fortunately, I've come up with the perfect solution.

Should Northwestern upset our Tigers, I'm prepared to overnight to Hilary some of Alabama's best barbeque from my favorite place, Dreamland. Now I know it started in Tuscaloosa, but it has locations all over the state, so I really don't think of it as affiliated any longer with that school up the street.

Here's what she'll receive: 1 slab of ribs, 1 lb. of pork, 1 lb. of hickory smoked sausage, 1 quart of their legendary sauce and 1 bottle of dressing. Also included are wet naps, bibs and a loaf of Sunbeam bread. To finish it off, I'll throw in a gallon of the finest lemonade in the world from Auburn's very own Toomer's Drug Store.

Does that sound good or what?

What's in it for me? Can you say world famous Chicago hot dogs? Hilary has come up with the perfect meal - hot dogs from Portillo's. Here's what I'll be receiving should Chris Todd get it done through the air and Ben Tate on the ground: 10 of Portillo's beef hot dogs with all the fixings. It includes everything you need to create an authentic Portillo's style hot dog including, 10 hot dogs in a cryovac pouch, 10 poppy seed buns, mustard, relish, 1 fresh onion, 2 red ripe tomatoes, 2 whole kosher pickles, sport peppers & Portillo's hot dog seasoning.

I can hardly wait.

After talking with Hilary Saturday night, she seems fairly confident in her Wildcat's chances and even talked a little smack. "I like Northwestern's chances in this matchup," says the NU law student. "Oh sure I was surprised when they jumped Wisconsin for the Outback, but, unlike some of my esteemed colleagues, I don't think that's nearly as much of a problem as they do.

"Had Northwestern not jumped Wisconsin and instead found themselves in the Champs Sports Bowl they would be looking to a matchup vs. Miami right now. That potential matchup scares me much more than the current one. Sorry Auburn fans, but unlike Miami, you just don't have any wins on your roster that make me quake in my boots. Miami does. Further, Northwestern and Auburn are both spread offenses, so I feel confident that Coach Fitz can get the team prepared to face the Tigers.

"Finally, it should be noted that I also write on Wisconsin and given what Northwestern did to Wisconsin's normally solid defense, I have no desire to see the Badgers up against Auburn. Maybe Miami isn't any better, but I still like their chances more. For all these reasons, Northwestern is going to trounce Auburn in the Outback bowl and I will be ringing in this new year with my very own box of Alabama treats."

You have to give Hilary credit. While somewhat delusional in her love for Northwestern, she's certainly confident. I have a feeling that Antonio Coleman, Darvin Adams, Todd and Tate will hit a little harder and run a little faster than that weak, showboating school in Miami.

Do you smell hotdogs?

Texas Faculty Rejecting Brown Pay Raise A Call For Athletic Revolt?

2009-12-17T22:43:42Z

Last week, the university of Texas' regents decided to make Mack Brown the highest paid coach in college athletics by bumping his salary $2M a year to $5M total, running through 2016. This week, the Texas faculty council voted for a resolution declaring the move to be "unseemly and inappropriate" given the current state of the school's budget. The vote was informal, as not enough members were present for a quorum. Not that it made an ounce of difference.

It goes without saying that Brown's salary is paid for out of athletic department funds, which is separate from the academic side, and Texas' department is the highest earning in the nation with over $87M in revenues last year alone. In addition, the department has also donated $6.6M in funds to academics since 2005. Indeed, things are looking up for Mack Brown, and his successor in waiting, Will Mushamp.

But David Hillis, past chair of the council, believes that athletics are "destroying higher education in America". The amount that it donates to academics is far less than the proportion that research grants donate, by comparison. Hillis believes that this arms race of athletic spending cannot be sustained and that schools like UT are responsible for driving up costs nationwide, and that they can either be part of the problem, or part of the reformation.

Look. Athletics are their own little fiefdom on most campuses. As the old saying goes, basketball pays for itself and football pays for everything else. Is it fair for sport to hold so much sway over these large academic institutions? Probably not, but sway they do hold. Another old saying: "it's hard to rally around a chemistry exam". It's probably best to think of athletics as a little side family business--and a profitable one, especially considering that most FBS schools are heavily subsidized by state legislatures.

Would Texas be as successful now under the helm of a coach only compensated half as much as Mack Daddy? That's debatable, but is it not the same scenario as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Maybe the whole boardroom is on auto-pilot or maybe the president is flying the whole ship solo--albeit by the seat of his pants. The important thing is that his ass is on the line. Coaches live and die by performance--unlike so many of these tenured professors sitting in their ivory towers. When was the last time someone reviewed their compensation package as it pertains to how much they actually produce, teach or manage. Hmmmm.

If you believe in free markets, you have to trust that the market will correct itself eventually--assuming that it's even off. Yes, some of these escalating salaries are obscene, and so are most of the fees associated with trying to obtain football tickets these days. We all have to vote with our wallet. Maybe that's something that the Auburn AD should consider as they contribute with every increment to the rising cost of watching college football on the Plains.

Gearing up for the Northwestern Wildcats!

2009-12-17T07:25:00Z

This highlight clip comes directly to you from the Northwestern Athletic Department. What a refreshingly modern approach to video! (As opposed to the SEC's antique model...)

War Eagle, everybody! It's time now for a look at Auburn's 2010 Outback opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats. Trying to imagine what will happen in this contest has NOT been easy. Auburn and Northwestern have never played each other in football. There are NO common opponents on the two teams' schedules. Both teams feature wide-open offenses that try to push the tempo. Auburn's spread attack has been more run oriented. Northwestern, without a feature back, has aired it out more. Both teams have tended to favor the 4-man rush on defense, and zone coverage. Both Auburn and Northwestern have had up and down periods, losing games they shouldn't have, and beating ranked teams. For those who are expecting a media-bandwagon "SEC is superior to the Big 10" post in this space, you are going to be disappointed. I think bowl history in the past ten years shows the two leagues to be remarkably even.

Northwestern began the season looking like a lower echelon Big-10 team. After blowing out Towson, the Wildcats struggled to a 27-24 win over Eastern Michigan. Losses on the road to Syracuse and Minnesota followed. The Wildcats appeared to be headed for a third road loss at Purdue, trailing 21-3 in the second quarter. The Wildcat D stepped up, forcing six turnovers. Northwestern would rally to beat Purdue 27-21, salvaging the season. A defensive win over Miami of Ohio followed, but then the Wildcats were shut down in East Lansing, falling to Michigan State 24-14. If you thought the 21-3 deficit was huge against Purdue, Northwestern fell behind 28-3 to Indiana at home. 26 unanswered points provided a miraculous 29-28 win over the Hoosiers. Northwestern appeared to be on the way to a major upset hosting Penn State. The Wildcats led 13-10 at the half, but quarterback Mike Kafka was hurt, the dam broke in the 4^th quarter, and Penn State won going away, 34-13. With a 5-4 record, and games left against Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, it looked like Northwestern was in dire trouble. In Iowa City, quarterback Mike Kafka was limited with a leg injury, and gave way to backup Dan Persa. Then Persa hurt his hand. Kafka limped back on the field, and led Northwestern to a stunning 17-10 upset of the BCS-bound Hawkeyes. In Campaign Illinois, again with Kafka hobbling, the Wildcats downed Illinois 21-16. A huge underdog in their home finale against Wisconsin, Northwestern led much of the day, behind a 326-yard passing effort by Kafka. In the end, it was the Wildcat defense turning the Badgers away again and again. Northwestern won it, 33-31. The Wildcats finished 8-4, 5-3 in the Big Ten.

Offensively, the Wildcats try to run a balanced spread attack. This year, with a young offensive line and a variety of backs, rushing totals have been down. Fireplug freshman Arby Fields is the team's leading rusher, with 294 yards. Quarterback Mike Kafka is close behind with 265. Many of the big Wildcat rushing plays have been on quarterback scrambles, which happens to be one of Auburn's defensive weaknesses. The Tigers have been plagued all year by 3^rd and long plays in which the quarterback pops through the middle for big yards. Auburn will have to contain Kafka, who should be 100% healthy after battling leg ailments in the latter half of the regular season. Northwestern's passing attack is dangerous, if Kafka gets time to throw. Senior H-back Zeke Markshausen has caught a whopping 79 passes, and lanky senior wideout Andrew Brewer has added 49 more. Five Northwestern receivers have at least 23 or more catches, and 8 receivers have ten or more catches. The Wildcats are averaging 266 passing yards per game, and 386 total yards per game. By comparison, Auburn is averaging 214 rushing, and 219 passing, for 433 total yards per game.

Defensively, Northwestern has a stout front seven that has weathered brutal Big-10 trench warfare well. A banged up patchwork Wildcat secondary has managed 15 interceptions. The bad news for Auburn is that all 4 starters should be healthy for the Outback Bowl. Lockdown senior corner Sherrick McManis has 4 interceptions and 7 pass breakups, and I'd expect to see him matched up on Auburn's Darvin Adams for much of the morning. Auburn's Chris Todd will have to be careful airing the ball out, as Northwestern's defensive backs all seem to play the ball well. Where Northwestern has had problems is against pounding running games, and against screens. On the line, the Wildcats look to senior defensive end Corey Wootton. Wootton suffered a major knee injury in last year's Alamo Bowl, and has battled a high ankle sprain all year. Despite that, he's still managed 6 tackles for loss and 4 quarterback hurries. All in all, a pretty salty Wildcat defense has tallied 62 tackles for loss and 27 sacks. By comparison, Auburn has 71 TFLs and 25 sacks. Defensively Northwestern gives up 344 yards and 23.3 points per game. Auburn gives up 354 yards per game and 26.9 points per game.

On special teams, Auburn has a few advantages, although a couple of glaring holes remain. Auburn has yet to locate a punt returner who doesn't drop the ball. While this has yet to cost the Tigers meaningful points off a turnover, it has seriously impacted field position. Auburn also has a porous kick coverage unit. Northwestern covers kicks and punts pretty decently, but their returns are only average. Auburn has struggled punting the football with only a 35.4 yard net, but Northwestern is worse, managing only 31.7. Both teams have good placekickers. Auburn's Wes Byrum only missed one field goal all year. Northwestern junior Stefan Demos has hit 18 of 23.

Unit matchups, after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Northwestern offensive line: Auburn enters this bowl with a veteran line anchored by senior All-SEC defensive end Antonio Coleman, who led the SEC in sacks despite ligament damage in his arm. Northwestern is young on the offensive line. The veteran is junior guard Keegan Grant. There are three sophomores: center Ben Burkett, guard Doug Bartels, and left tackle Al Netter. Right tackle Neal Deiters is a redshirt freshman. Auburn has a pair of bullrushing tackles in Jake Ricks and Mike Blanc. And Auburn can bring Nick Fairley off the bench for a breather. Coleman against Netter is a good matchup to watch, but a better matchup will be on the other side, where junior Antoine Carter takes on a freshman tackle. Carter spent the early part of the year injured, but came on against Ole Miss and beyond. The combination gives Auburn speed rushers on both edges, and creates protection problems. Auburn's biggest problem on the D-line has been quarterback contain, and the Wildcats have the guy to exploit it in Mike Kafka. On the other hand, Northwestern has given up 29 sacks. Auburn has 25 on the season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. Northwestern runners: Auburn has absolutely been ravaged by injury in the linebacker corps. Juniors Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens have had to play every snap in most games, and have had difficulty holding up as Auburn played 11 games in a row without a break. After a week off, the pair STONED Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, holding the Tide great to 30 yards. Weakside linebacker has been a rotating cast. Sophomore Eltoro Freeman is perhaps Auburn's most talented linebacker, but injuries have held him back. He's trying to recover in time for the Outback Bowl, and is practicing. The only other scholarship linebacker available is true freshman Jonathan Evans. Northwestern runs the ball by committee. Quarterback Mike Kafka seems like the biggest threat, running the zone read with aplomb. The likely bowl starter at running back will be sophomore Scott Concannon, who averaged 3.6 yards per carry on the season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn corners vs. Northwestern receivers: Auburn's Walter McFadden, a senior, will likely spend the day matched up with Northwestern's Andrew Brewer. McFadden has handled a number of dangerous SEC wide receivers well, good for 4 interceptions and 8 pass breakups. Where Auburn may struggle is on the other side. Sophomore Neiko Thorpe has been suspect from time to time, although he does have 1 interception and 8 pass breakups. The battle between Thorpe and Northwestern junior Sidney Stewart will be interesting to watch. Both are tall and athletic. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. Northwestern secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn will need SERIOUS help here from the linebackers and corners. The Tigers start true freshman Darrin Bates at one safety, and sophomore JUCO Demond Washington at the other side. Washington has only started 3 games. Both guys have lots of speed and are hitters, but are short on experience. Redshirt freshman T'Sharvan Bell is first in off the bench in nickel situations. Northwestern has OPTIONS in the slot. As mentioned above, Zeke Markshausen is a mainstay. The Wildcats can go heavy with "superback" sophomore Drake Dunsmore, a 235-pounder with 38 catches. Northwestern is particularly good at running "clear-outs," where the corners are pinched in on slants and posts, and the slot guys go out and up. Quarterback Mike Kafka has the arm to make all of the throws. Huge Advantage: Northwestern.

Punting: Auburn senior Clinton Durst dropped two yards in his punting average this year, finishing at 40.7. In Durst's defense, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware has revealed upon occasion that Durst was instructed to kick the ball out of bounds rather than test our suspect coverage unit. Junior Stefan Demos has struggled likewise for Northwestern, averaging only 35.3 yards per punt. Coverage for the Wildcats has been shaky, giving up 9.9 yards per return. Auburn's been downright bad on coverage, giving up 13.8 yards. Northwestern's 6.6 yard per punt return average won't impress anyone. Auburn has gone through a merry-go-round of return men, and has probably dropped a dozen punts on the ground over the course of the season. The Tigers' 4.5 yard punt return average is among the worst in the nation. It's been a miracle that the punt teams' woes haven't resulted in a loss. This may be the game! Advantage: Northwestern.

Kickoffs: Auburn is slightly better on kickoff distance, averaging 62.0 yards to Northwestern's 59.9. Auburn coverage has been worse, giving up 23.6 yards per return, to Northwestern's 21.1. Auburn has kicked 5 balls out of bounds, to Northwestern's 1. Lately, we've cheered kickoffs out of bounds, because the other team usually does BETTER than the 40 on returns! Northwestern averages 20.4 yards on returns. Auburn averages 23.6. The thing to note about the Tiger kick return game is that they discovered sophomore Demond Washington's talents late. Washington wasn't used on returns till late in the season, and he's averaging 32.2 yards per return. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Placekicking: Auburn junior Wes Byrum has had a nearly flawless season, hitting on all of his 49 extra points, and 14 out of 15 field goals. Northwestern's Stefan Demos has a good year, too. Demos has hit on 31 of 32 extra point attempts, and 18 of 23 field goal attempts. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Northwestern defensive line: This is a strength vs. strength matchup. The Tiger line has held its own all year, and was only really beaten against Georgia and LSU. Auburn placed junior left tackle Lee Ziemba and junior center Ryan Pugh on some second-team All-SEC units. Auburn runs an array of traps, draws, and misdirection plays. Pulling guards Mike Berry and Byron Issom have been used almost like fullbacks, and have been very effective blocking on the corner. Despite playing in a spread offense, the Tigers have only given up 18 sacks this season. Where Auburn is weakest is handling the speed rush at right tackle. Senior Andrew McCain is a solid run blocker, but has trouble with speed off the edge. I look for Northwestern to at times move senior defensive end Corey Wootton to the right to try and get a mismatch. Wootton vs. Ziemba should be a good battle. Wootton vs. McCain worries me. Wootton is big, at 280, and fast. Wootton isn't the only capable lineman Northwestern has. Junior tackle Corbin Bryant and senior Adam Hahn are solid. Sophomore defensive end Vince Browne is tied for the lead on the team with 4 sacks. There is Wildcat depth in front four, too. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Northwestern linebackers: Auburn's backs have done well most of the year, and should benefit from weeks of rest. Running back Ben Tate made second-team All-SEC. H-back Mario Fannin was a blocking force and caught 39 balls. Backup H-back Eric Smith is a threat, too. Freshman tailback Onterrio McCalebb is a speed-demon. He's been battling ankle injuries in the last 8 weeks of the season, but should be healthy for the bowl. Juniors Nate Williams and Quentin Davie anchor the Wildcat defense. The pair combined for 160 tackles, including 14 for loss. Davie has been dangerous as a pass rusher too, with 4 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, and 4 forced fumbles. These are prototypical Big 10-sized linebackers at around 235-240, and they won't be bowled over easily! Advantage: Even.

Auburn receivers vs. Northwestern corners: For the Tigers, this is the Darvin Adams show. Left out of All-SEC balloting, Adams finished in the top five in the league in every category, including a spiffy 17.8 yards per catch average. Terrell Zachary holds down the number two spot, and is a threat on the end around. Zachary only has 24 catches on the year, but is averaging 19.4 yards per reception. Northwestern will counter with senior Sherrick McManus and sophomore Jordan Mabin. Mabin has only two passes defended on the season in 12 games, so look for Auburn to try to test him. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Northwestern safeties: Auburn will go with senior quarterback Chris Todd and a battle tested bunch. Blocking tight end Tommy Trott has been off and on as a receiver, and Chris Todd has struggled to get him the ball late in the season. The main receiving threat of the secondary receivers is Mario Fannin. That bubble screen to Fannin is probably our single most popular pass play, and I look for Northwestern to have the short zone dialed up for that. With a pair of seniors deep for Northwestern, Auburn may have trouble in the middle. Brad Phillips and Brendan Smith are solid, and sophomore Brian Peters are all among the leaders on the team in tackles. Advantage: Northwestern.

Auburn is not going to wow anyone on special teams, but they MUST minimize mistakes! When Northwestern has the ball, Auburn must really run to contain Kafka and the spread. If Auburn loses the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will be a long day of chasing Wildcat receivers. When Auburn has the ball, they have to continue to be multiple. If the Tigers have to rely on either the run or the pass too much, Northwestern has the scheme and players to shut it down. Chris Todd needs to have an accurate game in his Auburn finale, for the Tigers to win.

Prediction: With an El Nino pattern firmly in place, the gulf coast is seeing wave after wave of low pressure systems, mixed with waves of cold air from the northwest. It's been one of the wettest years on record, in the Southeast. Expect rain, for this year's Outback Bowl. Both teams will struggle with the conditions, and Auburn's running game is the difference in this one. Auburn wins, 27-20.

An Auburn Christmas - Texas Style...

2009-12-17T03:24:39Z

Here's a video that has been floating around the internet for the past day or so. It shows a house in Merrimac Ridge, Texas that's decked out for Christmas and also shows its love for Auburn. Pretty cool stuff...

2009 Lights On Merrimac Ridge Animated Lights from Merrimac Ridge on Vimeo.

Why Turner Gill Was The Right Hire For Kansas...Not Auburn

2009-12-16T18:09:37Z

Why Turner Gill Was The Right Hire For Kansas...Not Auburn

Let's put it to rest, Charles

Big Ten Thinking About Expansion Again?

2009-12-15T20:42:43Z

Big 10 commissioner Jim Delaney has consistently said that conference expansion was a "back-burner issue". Now it appears that the conference will get more aggressive about finding a 12th member in order to qualify for a conference championship game. A conference official said this week that there is quite a "growing groundswell" of support for the idea now, an idea that has grown since the Big 10 meetings back in May.

Why the sudden push? Naturally, money comes into play, as a Big 10(12) CG could be worthas much a $5 million or more to the conference in additional revenues. Plus, some conference members are starting to feel a little left out, what with all three major conference CGs having been played December 5th. "We're irrelevant for the last three weeks of the football season because we're not playing," said Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez. Back during the meetings in May, Joe Paterno said of a championship game, "Everybody else is playing playoffs on television. You never see a Big Ten team mentioned. So I think that's a handicap." But not everyone is for an immediate switch. Northwestern's coach, Pat Fitzgerald, appears to be a traditionalist and is dead set against it.

So where does Delaney stand? Although he was not interviewed for the above-referenced article, he was on the record in May withthis: "I'm agnostic. I could live with two divisions and a championship game, but I think that has a tendency to devalue the season-ending game and have a negative impact (in terms of at-large BCS selection) on your losing team in season-ending games.I don't want us to tear ourselves apart over the structure of football for the sake of expansion." Delaney also wants to add an "institution", not a team. That could mean a school which has a substantial athletic tradition and not a johnny-come-lately.

So who do they grab? That's not entirely easy to decipher. The logical choice is Notre Dame, but after being rebuffed by the Irish in 1999, the polictics of the matter seem too strong to warrant a revisitation of that scenario. JoPa summed it up quite nicely earlier this year: "There's some pressure, I would suppose, to maybe go back to NotreDame and ask again, which I would not be happy with," Paterno said in May. "I think they've had their chance."

So who else? Other than adding a service academy (which might be the best shot for the Big East) it's going to involve a poaching from another BCS conference, with the Big East being the most likley target. But not any conference is above being looted. Indiana blog The Crimson Quarry gives a breakdown of teams in the geographic area that may fit the bill.

Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Rutgers
Louisville
Syracuse
West Virginia
Maryland
Kentucky
Iowa State
Nebraska

Although it's hard to imagine Kentucky walking away from SEC gold and Maryland leaving the frying pan for the fire, Iowa State and Nebraska provide interesting choices. Lest you forgot, the Big 12 is sewn together from remnants of the old Southwestern and Big 8 conferences, with the Huskers and the Cyclones being from the latter. With the exception of Nebraska--Oklahoma, there's not a lot of history there that wouldn't be worth losing. Either team could merge easily into a Big 10(12) schedule, but there's no doubt that Nebraska would be quite the coup d' etat.

As far as the usual suspects from the Big East, Pitt seems to be the favorite and we could finally see them and Penn State pick up their recently hibernated series again. But with yet another possible poaching in the works, the Big East would be wise to strongly consider expansion and attempt to lock in their existing members in an attempt to stave off a pick-pocketing attempt from their western neighbor.

Poll

Other than Notre Dame, which team seems like a more NATURAL fit in the Big 10(11)(12)?

Shut Up, Charles!

2009-12-15T13:24:32Z

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

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With respect to Scarbinsky I will cite him here, although I had already started this piece before he posted it this morning.

What the hell is Charles Barkley thinking? Normally I like him, he is great for television and it is fun to listen to him and have people know he is from Auburn. He and Shaq are the two best athletes to watch on TV. Anyways back to my point. For him to come out and say that he thinks that Auburn should have gone with Turner Gill is beyond me.

How can you fault Chizik after what he has done in Auburn in about 365 days. He has the fan base abuzz with recruiting. We have never seen the top tier talent have Auburn on their radar… much less in the verbal commitment category.

Do you think that Turner Gill would have been able to pull in the assistant coaches that Chizik did? I can answer that… No Freaking Way. Well I don’t guess I can say that… we will never know, but I cannot believe at this point in time that any Auburn Alumni or Fan can complain about Chizik. If things are not remarkably better for Auburn in three or four years, we can start wondering, but today all Auburn should be proud of our coaches.

What about the fact that Auburn was supposed to be a sub .500 team and we are 7-5 and heading to a New Years Day Bowl? No coach has had a winning season in their debut other than Bowden (except we were on probation so no Bowl). Auburn was only a few plays away from being a possible 9-3 team. That is remarkable with the lack of depth the Tigers had this season.

Let us not forget that Chizik and his staff are doing all of this while Alabama is at a place that they have not been since the Bear walked the sidelines. They are a powerhouse once again. Let us not forget that the 2009 team was supposed to be the rebuilding season. They should be even better in 2010.

I for one am proud of Auburn and its staff for doing what they are doing. They are going after recruits like we have never seen before. If we can actually get them on campus and keep them there, we will be just fine. Even against the "Alabama Machine" as Barkley calls it.

Normally I love you Charles, but in this case you need to take your racial blinders off.

War Damn Eagle

Unique Times For The Auburn Program

2009-12-14T07:00:18Z

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A year ago this past weekend a stunned Auburn family got the news. Former Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik was coming home. This was the same Chizik who bolted from Auburn following the 2004 Perfect Season because Texas offered a better chance at becoming a head coach. This was the same guy who won five games in two years as coach at Iowa State. The Auburn Nation was angry and bewildered.

A year later things are much different. Chizik has largely won over the Auburn faithful with his recruiting efforts and a surprising seven win season that will culminate in a New Year's Day bowl. Just about everyone will tell you things are moving in the right direction. So far, you'd be hard pressed to find fault with this new coaching staff.

As good as things look today, there are stiff challenges ahead. Unlike Tommy Tuberville, this coaching staff must deal with a cross-state rival that's arguably at an all-time high. In an age of internet and 24 hour sports, Alabama football is on everywhere you turn.

Whether it's Mark Ingram and his Heisman or the talking heads all but guaranteeing an Alabama victory in the national championship game, the Tuscaloosa program is getting positive press from coast-to-coast. Ultimately it will be up to Chizik to answer the challenge.

It's a task that would push the limits of even Lombardi and Bryant. Chizik is taking on a program and a coach that's laid down the gauntlet not only to Auburn, but the rest of the conference. Like him or not, Nick Saban lives football 24 hours a day and demands the same of his staff. You likely wouldn't want to work for him or be his friend, but as far as coaching goes, there are few who are better.

What must Auburn do to answer the challenge?

Most importantly, it has to recruit. Chizik's staff is made for it. If a few chips fall its way, Auburn will end up with a top five class in February. Tuberville liked to say he could take his three-star athletes and beat your five-stars. In these times that's too much of a risk. Auburn must answer power with power.

Chizik will also need to retain his staff. An eight or nine win season next year means the likes of Gus Malzahn and Trooper Taylor will be in high demand. Auburn hasn't been shy about paying its assistants. That philosophy has to continue. Continuity is key in the early years of a program.

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof must build a defense that can handle being on the field for long periods of time. In Malzahn's book, The Hurry Up, No Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy, he explains that teams must be prepared for a drop-off in defensive stats. When the offense is not clicking, the defense is under more stress than Tiger Woods. Malzahn all but guarantees a team's defense will suffer with his offense. Recruiting should help in this area.

Auburn must continue to upgrade its facilities. After Friday's story, many of you disagreed with my recommendation to increase seating at Jordan-Hare Stadium. All of you had valid points. The key thing about expanding is the addition of luxury boxes. Talk to school officials and they'll tell you that's where you make money. Currently, Auburn has hundreds on the waiting list to purchase these suites. Adding two additional levels of sky boxes along with a few thousand additional seats will bring in millions for the team. That money can then be used to enhance other parts of the football program.

Most importantly, Auburn people must stand together. We all must be patient while Chizik builds this program. The Auburn experience is unlike any other. Most alumni love their schools, but Auburn people take it to another level. The divisions that existing during the Tuberville years must remain locked away. Bobby Lowder leaving the board of trustees in early 2011 will do wonders for morale.

Finally, Auburn must operate on its own timeline. Everyone's aware of what's happening in Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge and Gainesville. It alright to be cognizant of the challenge, just don't let it affect the overall plan. Regardless of what happens elsewhere, you have to like Auburn's chances of returning to the BCS in the coming years.

The Tigers have come along way in a year. There's much work to do, but the future is bright.

Mark Ingram Wins the Heisman

2009-12-14T00:42:22Z

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The Auburn game not withstanding, Mark Ingram had a solid year for Alabama

Marking the third straight year for a sophomore winning the Heisman Trophy, Alabama's Mark Ingramtakes CFB's top honor in the closest balloting ever, beating out the 1985 race between Bo Jackson and Iowa's Chuck Long. Ingram received 227 first place votes, barely edging Stanford's Tony Gerhart's 222. Ingram's point total was 1304, and Gehart's 1276. Third place went to Texas' Colt McCoy, 4th to Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh and 5th to former Heisman winner, Florida's Tim Tebow.

Ingram's win marks the first time ever for a player from the university of Alabama to win the prestigious award, which is very strange considering Alabama's place in the annals of CFB and the number of great players to come through that program. "The legacy of Alabama football certainly had a void filled," Tide coach Nick Saban said.

Showing a predilection for winners, this year's award marks the sixth time out of the last seven that the trophy winner has gone on to play in the BCS championship game. Both Ingram and Tony Gerhart enjoyed a late surge of support, catching perrenial favorite Colt McCoy, who would have definitely been a candidate in the 'body of work' category. Ingram, in spite of not winning the SEC rushing crown, ultimately was deemed to be more of a MVP for the undefeated Tide, a scenario that may have been enough to push him past the candidate from 8-4 Stanford.

Talking Auburn Football and Other Stuff

2009-12-11T07:00:14Z

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It was good to see former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville's name mentioned in connection with the Notre Dame job. On Wednesday the South Bend Tribune reported that his name had come up in discussions. Nobody really expected Tuberville to get the job, but being considered should help him with other programs...

If the non-conference results are any indication, Auburn basketball is in for a struggle this year. Phillip Marshall of Auburn Undercover noted yesterday that only three Auburn coaches have ever had back-to-back winning conference records since 1963. With the new arena set to open next season, Auburn officials will have a tough decision to make on Jeff Lebo should things go south this year. To complicate matters, it appears that Auburn and North Carolina have reached an agreement for the two schools to meet in the first game at the new arena. Lebo was the driving force in making it happen...

As War Eagle Atlanta noted on Wednesday, the Tennessee football program is in big trouble for allowing recruiting hostesses to drive as much as four hours to watch high school games that Volunteer recruits were playing in. Auburn recruit Marcus Lattimore, the talented five-star running back from Duncan, South Carolina got some ink in a New York Times story on the subject. When asked whether these girls being at his games had an influence he said, "You don't want to go to a college where they ain't pretty." No argument here...

What recession? Auburn officials promised the Outback Bowl they would bring the fans and on Thursday they delivered. In less than four days, Auburn sold its allotment of bowl tickets and have requested more. With tickets going for $70 each plus hotel, gas and food, it's apparent that Auburn people are coping just fine with this economic downturn...

This season was a frustrating one for former Auburn Heisman Trophy winner and current Samford coach Pat Sullivan. The Bulldogs struggled to a 5-6 record...

The move by Tennessee running backs coach Eddie Gran to Florida State is an interesting one. The former Auburn assistant spent one year in Knoxville before bolting to join Jimbo Fisher's staff in Tallahassee. The question is, what made him leave Lane Kiffin's after only a year? Was it the pending NCAA investigation or having to endure the immaturity of Kiffin and his unusual staff? We'll probably never know...

What's the over/under on how many years Mark Richt has left at Georgia? Next season is his best shot at getting off the hot seat. With Urban Meyer rebuilding at Florida and Kiffin struggling internally, but still recruiting strongly, Richt needs to beat both schools in 2010 or he's likely out sooner than later...

Auburn officials need to begin making serious plans for increasing the capacity of Jordan-Hare Stadium. It's been 22 years since any sizable addition. Enclosing the north end-zone and adding skyboxes is a necessity if Auburn is going to keep up with the other top programs in the SEC...

Not since Bo Jackson edged Iowa's Chuck Long for the Heisman Trophy in 1985 has a race come down to the wire like this year's award. It's still unclear who'll join sports most exclusive fraternity tomorrow night in New York. It will likely come down to how many voters held their ballots until after the conference championship games last weekend. If the majority of votes were cast prior to last Saturday, look for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy to take the prize. If voters waited until Sunday, you have to give the edge to Alabama's Mark Ingram. The wild card in all of this is Stanford's Toby Gerhart. There seemed to be a groundswell of support for him in the final weeks of the season. Being the only viable candidate west of Texas, it will be interesting to see how he figures into the balloting...

Have a great weekend and don't forget the last regular season football game tomorrow with Army taking on Navy. These days it rarely means anything to the college football standings, but it still means a lot to the country. War Eagle!

The December NU v. Auburn Fan Thread

2009-12-10T12:22:56Z

The December NU v. Auburn Fan Thread

Some quality monthlong discussion over at NU blog Sippin' on Purple. Hopefully. It takes two to tango :)

A Head-Scratching Snub.

2009-12-10T09:00:21Z

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Auburn wide receiver Darvin Adams (89) frequently abused defensive backs! (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)

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War Eagle, everybody. The post-season All-SEC teams are out now, and there aren't too many surprises. It looks like some reporters and sports information directors simply copied their preseason list over again. I guess they DID pay enough attention that Jevan Snead didn't get any votes.

I'd say the biggest surprise of the All-SEC voting was the complete absence of Auburn wide receiver Darvin Adams in the voting. The media voters select 5 wide receivers. Statistically, Darvin Adams was 5^th in receptions, 4^th in receiving yards per game, 3^rd in receiving yards, 2^nd in yards per catch, and tied for the lead in receiving touchdowns. In fact, there's not a single statistical category that Adams WASN'T in the top five. Somehow, Joe Adams of Arkansas made it in ahead of Adams, despite catching TWENTY fewer balls! Adams also finished behind Florida's Riley Cooper, despite having more catches, more yards per catch, and more touchdowns. A similar argument could be made against LSU's Brandon LaFell: fewer yards, and fewer yards per catch. Even compared to the starting All-SEC unit, Darvin Adams had a better yards per catch stat and more touchdowns than Shay Hodge of Ole Miss. When comparing Adams to Georgia's A. J. Green, Adams had more yards, more catches, a better yards per catch average, and more touchdowns. HOW does Adams not get AT LEAST honorable mention notice?

On the season, Darvin Adams finished with 48 catches for 855 yards and 10 touchdowns. War Eagle, Darvin Adams!

In another predictable but irritating snub, kicker Wes Byrum was left out of the all-star balloting. Byrum hit on 14 of 15 field goal attempts, and made all 49 of his extra point attempts. Byrum connected on 93.3 percent of his field goals. The selected All-SEC starter Leigh Tiffin was only good on 87.9 percent of his field goals, and missed THREE extra points. Second-team selection Blair Walsh only hit 90.5 percent of his field goals. What makes Byrum's snub easier to take is that he essentially lost because Auburn was scoring touchdowns in the red zone, rather than settling for 3. The Tigers converted 76% of their red-zone appearances into touchdowns, and got points 94% of the time overall.

There isn't an official offensive lineman stat page on the SEC website. But I'd take Auburn's Lee Ziemba over most of the 2^nd team offensive linemen, and a couple of the starters. Ziemba finished in the "honorable mention" category, surely a result of false starts. The sad fact is that Ziemba earned his reputation for jumping off in previous years. This year, he's actually been penalized less than you think! On false starts, Lee had 1 against La Tech, 1 against WVa, 1 against Furman, 1 against Georgia, and one against Alabama. That's a total of 5 false starts in a 12 game season, which is not many for a starting left tackle. Ziemba had no holding calls against him, all year. And the only other penalty was on his ineligible catch in the Georgia game. How many sacks did Ziemba give up? I don't remember but one, and it was when Ziemba was trying to get over on a corner blitz that was probably not even his responsibility. All in all, Lee Ziemba was the best lineman on a pretty tough Auburn unit.

Let's hear it for the left-out Tigers that led our team! War Eagle!

Other Musings from Championship Week, after the jump.

Once again, we see the need in the Football Bowl Subdivision for a post-season playoff. The argument against undefeated TCU and Boise State for playing in weak, non-BCS leagues is somewhat legit. Big East Champ Cincinnati plays in a BCS conference, went undefeated, and got left out. Rather than play for a national title, Cincy will be taking on a frustrated Gator group. Coach Brian Kelly appears to be headed for Notre Dame, and the Bearcats will be facing a fired up Gator group without their leader. It's a bitter end to a great Cincy season.

As to the Texas Longhorns, has there ever been a more disrespected number two team in the national title game? Oh, yes! I remember about 17 years ago the national press was moaning over a team that had a whole schedule full of single-digit wins, that would NEVER be able to challenge the top-ranked Hurricanes. I think we all remember how that 1993 Sugar Bowl turned out, with the Tide stomping Miami into goo. I'd suggest that the Tide not take Texas lightly. The book on the Longhorns is to contain McCoy and cover Shipley. However, the overlooked part of the 'horn team is their run defense. Alabama will have a tough time replicating their SEC Championship Game effort on offense, I think.

Fellow track'em writer War Eagle Atlanta posted an excellent question earlier this week: Will Auburn fans cheer for the Tide, or the Longhorns? If Alabama loses, I'll snicker and try to get glimpses of Nick Saban's face on the sideline. But there is no hairy way I really want the SEC to lose the BCS title game. We'll never hear the end of it, from the national media, if the SEC loses that game. Yes, I want Alabama to win. No, I absolutely will NOT be screaming "Roll Tide" at my TV that night. Hopefully, I'll be sitting quietly in my chair with a Klondike and a stinger, enjoying a good football game.

It's a difficult time to be a Florida Gator. One of the prices for success is that your assistant coaches become hot commodities. Florida's loss of Tim Tebow pales compared to the amount of talent and experience that has left the Florida coaching staff in the past two seasons. How Urban Meyer rebuilds his staff will be key. It could be a tough transition period ahead.

What a difference a year makes! This time last season, we were jeering the Auburn coaching search. This year, we're cheering a promising foundation, and lauding Jay Jacobs' pitch to the Outback Bowl. Well done, sir, well done!

We've Sold Out Our Outback Ticket Allotment

2009-12-10T03:58:41Z

Check the story out here.

Also, I am not sure how many of you keep up with Rivals, but yesterday it was reported that one of our four star recruits, Antonio Goodwin out of Georgia, decommitted and was heavily considering the University of Georgia now. He's now, again, committed, but this time as a solid verbal and has stated that he will be a tiger on national signing day. Thank Trooper for the recruitment...

WDE

Vol Recruiting Hostesses Trigger NCAA Investigation

2009-12-09T23:08:34Z

The New York Times revealed yesterday that the NCAA is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into recruiting practices by the University of Tennessee. Specifically, they concern the use of recruiting hostesses from the school's Orange Pride organization, an ambassador-like club directly affiliated with the university that is comprised of both men and women . They exist on most campuses and help serve as representatives to the school for many events, and also sometimes escort potential recruits in all sports around campus. It seems that the women of Orange Pride have attracted quite a bit of attention to themselves lately for their uncanny ability to successfully land recent football recruits.

The controversy surrounds an unspecified number of visits made by these women to some potential recruit's high school football games this fall--one over 200 miles away. In this specific incident, hostesses are reported to have brought signs that read 'Come to Tennessee'. The NCAA is conducting interviews with four potential recruits, including Marcus Lattimore of James F. Byrnes high school in Duncan, SC, who saw the signs. "I haven’t seen no other schools do that. It’s crazy," said Lattimore. He also described the hostesses as "real pretty, real nice and just real cool." He said he thought they had "a lot" of influence in two of his teammates' commitments to Tennessee. Often times, these hostesses exchange social networking information with recruits, like Myspace and Facebook, or send them text messages.

Since these hostesses are a formal part of the university, these alledged 'off-campus' visits could be considered secondary recruiting violations, if not more. Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton confirmed the investigation, but refused to elaborate further.

This incident marks the sixth time that secondary violations have been reported during coach Lane Kiffin's tenure. The NCAA's enforcement division gets involved if similar incidents continue to get reported. The investigation appears to revolve around if these visits were impromptu ones made by the hostesses, or if they may have been directed by the university in some fashion. Certainly the latter case, if true, would constitute a more serious scenario.

For me, I think the NCAA should clamp down on this pretty hard for all schools. It has the potential to get way out of hand, especially with all the electronic means of communication these days. We've even seen coaches themselves push that envelope. If they had the male hosts doing this, no one would care, but have pretty girls do it and the intent is pretty clear.

Final Random-ness

2009-12-09T03:00:16Z

Not much to report since all the news is about Alabama heading to the National Championship Game.

It is fitting that seven Bama players are All SEC Members. The only first team Tiger is Antonio Coleman. He earned it playing through injuries all season and still becoming a sack machine. Ben Tate, Ryan Pugh, Walt McFadden, and Lee Ziemba all made second team. I thought that Darren Bates might have a chance for Freshman of the Year, but Warren Norman was fantastic for Vandy.

The SEC is getting love in Vegas. The only two teams that are not favored are Tennessee and LSU. Both are slight dogs. Auburn is an eight point favorite over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. I would expect that number to lower as the game draws nearer. Northwestern is not a bad team. I watched some of their game against Iowa. They have a pretty potent offense… but the defense is not all that. The total score could be in the 60s.

WEA posted the question about if Auburn Fans would be pulling for Bama. That is a tough question. I am typically for the SEC, no matter what. I am sure that I will be this time as well, but damn it is so hard. It is becoming extra hard this year because I have really seen the "closet" Bama fans come out of the woodwork. I am not a huge Facebooker, but I have an account with a few friends. After the Bama game, every status update was about Alabama. Now I think that is great for them, but where I have to wonder what is up is when most of them say something to the effect of, "…The Auburn Gators," or "… I bet Auburn is crying now…" I don’t get it. Let Auburn be Auburn and Alabama be Alabama. Why do the two have to interact with each other at this point in the season. Bama fans should be happy, as should Auburn fans. We got what we wanted, a New Years Day Bowl. Let just leave it at that.

Speaking of the Outback. I sure hope that the Tigers sell out their allotment of tickets. Auburn lobbied for the invite, and we as fans should really step it up. I wish I could go, but it is not in the cards this season. Tampa is a cool place, if you have not been there before you should check it out. Ebor City is the bar scene down there and it can get crazy (at least a few years back). If you do go, cheer like hell. You can bet that I will be doing it from home.

Finally… while Mark Ingram has been my front runner for the Heisman, I think that the Auburn game hurt his chances. Colt McCoy was my second place, but the Nebraska game hurt him. In my view, Toby Gerhart should win it although he has been out of the spotlight most of the season. He has carried Stanford all season. We shall see how it all pans out.