Gearing Up For Fall Practice

We're just a few weeks away from the start of fall practice, folks. Who's getting excited? I know I am. While the 2009 season probably won't be one of Auburn's best, there's definitely a lot to look forward to. Change will be evident across the board. A new(er) offense, a new defense, all new coaches, lots of new players, and new expectations. Auburn won't be competing for the SEC title this season, but they will begin the building process for 2010 and beyond. This team has the opportunity to compete for a bowl invitation, and those extra weeks of practice in December could be important down the road.

This season will be a lot like 1999. If you remember, Auburn fans were glad the drama of the Terry Bowden soap opera was behind them. Tommy Tuberville was an up and coming coach, and fans were excited about seeing the Auburn program return to a championship caliber based on power running and strong defense. Auburn struggled in 1999, but that team laid the foundation for the surprise division title in 2000 and the success of the new decade. Auburn fans need to approach this season, and all the changes around it, with that same goal in mind.

Here's a projected starting lineup for 2009:

OFFENSE QB Kodi Burns (6-1, 209, Jr.) RB Ben Tate (5-11, 217, Sr.) WR Darvin Adams (6-3, 184, Soph.) WR Tim Hawthorne (6-3, 214, Jr.) WR Terrell Zachery (6-1, 209, Jr.) TE Tommy Trott (6-5, 237, Sr.) T Andrew McCain (6-6, 295, Sr.) T Lee Ziemba (6-8, 304, Jr.) G Mike Berry (6-3, 313, Jr.) G Byron Isom (6-3, 293, Jr.) C Ryan Pugh (6-4, 287, Jr.)

DEFENSE E Antonio Coleman (6-3, 257, Sr.) T Mike Blanc (6-4, 288, Jr.) T Jake Ricks (6-4, 296, Sr.) E Michael Goggans (6-3, 257, Jr,) LB Josh Bynes (6-2, 233, Jr.) LB Eltoro Freeman (5-11, 222, Soph.) LB Craig Stevens (6-3, 227, Jr.) CB Walt McFadden (6-0, 176, Sr.) CB Aairon Savage (5-11, 173, Sr.) FS Zac Etheridge (6-0, 204, Jr.) SS Mike McNeil (6-2, 205, Jr.) SPECIAL TEAMS K Wes Byrum (6-2, 214, Jr.) P Clinton Durst (6-1, 192, Sr.) KR Mario Fannin (5-11, 226, Jr.) PR Mario Fannin (5-11, 226, Jr.)

Granted, this lineup is definitely subject to change based on fall practice. In particular, the quarterback race should provide daily storylines. Neil Caudle and Chris Todd will push Burns for the job. I wouldn't count out true freshman Tyrik Rollison, either. He's the future of the Malzahn offense, and if the upperclassmen aren't executing, the coaches may decide to get Rollison on the field quickly with an eye toward 2010. Auburn opens with 4 straight winnable home games, so the schedule provides an opportunity to ease Rollison into college game.

I think the running back rotation is also going to be interesting. Ben Tate is the starter, but there are some solid options behind him. Mario Fannin could be all over the field this year, but if he can fix his fumbling issues, I expect him to touch the ball a lot. Look out for Eric Smith and Onterrio McCalebb, too. Smith is big and powerful, while McCalebb is small and quick.

I'm also looking forward to seeing more from Auburn's receivers. The Tony Franklin spread offense was a dud last year in part to the underperformance from the Tiger wideouts. That will need to change this year. I think Quindarius Carr, Derek Winter, and Philip Pierre-Louis will step up to provide multiple options for the Auburn quarterback, in addition to starters Tim Hawthorne, Terrell Zachary and Darvin Adams.

The offensive line depth will certainly be a problem. Auburn's hopes for a winning season rest on their health. Any serious injuries would result in a lot of shuffling and inexeperience on the field. That was a major problem during 2008.

Anyway, I'm excited, and I hope you're excited. Football season is just around the corner.

Auburn Opens 2009 SEC Hoops Season vs. South Carolina

10-4 Auburn starts their SEC schedule in Columbia this Saturday vs. 11-2 South Carolina. Auburn might have their best chance under Jeff Lebo to contend for a bid into the NCAA tournament. The SEC lacks a truly dominant team, and the Western division appears to have no clear front-runner. 12-1 Arkansas has a pair of impressive wins against top-10 teams (Oklahoma, Texas), but I still have my doubts about the strength of the Big XII. After seeing Arkansas firsthand vs. South Alabama, I did not come away impressed. The Jags dominated play most of the game. Arkansas relies heavily on their guards. Any team with decent perimeter defenders should be able to squelch the Hogs' offense. That's why I like Auburn to compete in the West. They are playing the best defense of any Jeff Lebo-coached Auburn team. I was in Charlottesville for the game against Virginia, and I came away very impressed by their ball-hawking and presence on the defensive glass.

As for South Carolina: play somebody! The Gamecocks have padded their record through a November and December schedule that would have made Cliff Ellis very proud. They played just two major-conference opponents, losing to #20 Clemson, but beating #19 Baylor in Waco (again, I think the Big XII is being overvalued by the pollsters). Throw in a loss to College of Charleston, and you have a team that could easily be pushing near .500 by late February.

The player to watch for the Gamecocks is guard Devan Downey. Downey scored 23 against Baylor, and went for 37 against a good Clemson team. South Carolina uses a 3-guard, 2-forward starting five. Their biggest inside presence, Dominique Archie, is prone to foul trouble. Archie has already fouled out of 3 games this year. Archie fouled out in both the Clemson and Baylor games. Carolina lacks depth on the interior, and if Archie has to spend significant minutes on the bench, it could allow Auburn's Korvotney Barber to dominate the paint. Look for Auburn to get the ball in Barber's hands early and often in order to try and draw Archie into foul trouble.

Auburn is riding a 7-game winning streak as they enter SEC play. This opening game is a chance to keep the momentum going before two huge homes games against Florida and Alabama. Forward Korvotney Barber is having a stellar season, averaging a double-double (12.0 points / 11.4 rebounds). DeWayne Reed has been playing extremely well of late, scoring 20+ points in his last two games (Southeast Louisiana, Tulane). As I mentioned earlier, the defense has been driving Auburn's success this season. The Tigers are holding opponents to just 37.7% from the field (and 33.8% vs. their last 3 opponents).

Auburn matches up well with South Carolina b/c both teams rely heavily on their guards. Auburn has the perimeter defenders necessary to keep Devan Downey and Zam Frederick in check. Barber should be unchallenged on the interior, allowing Auburn to control the glass. I like Auburn in a close game, 66-62.

I Think I Just Threw Up In My Mouth

Really? Gene Chizik? When Jay Jacobs paid a $5 million buyout to the current coach (who was not fired, but who resigned) and then said that in hiring a new coach, "Money is not a concern," this was the guy they hired?

Gene Chizik, the guy who bolted Auburn after the 2004 season to be the co-defensive coordinator at Texas because it was more likely to land him head coaching opportunities? Seriously, this guy bolted after a 13-0 season and basically told Auburn it was a bad place for his career. And we're the big time school that ultimately gives him a prestigious head coaching job!?! How stupid does Auburn look for making that move.

Gene Chizik, who went 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State, including 2-10 in 2008. Did Auburn just do Chizik the biggest favor imaginable by hiring him before he was fired by the Cyclones? Iowa State, a bottom-feeder in the Big XII, but still a program that has had moderate success in recent years. They've been to 5 bowl games this decade. However, Chizik showed no ability to turn that program around. At all. Compare his body of work to Turner Gill's three seasons at Buffalo. Gill went 8-5 and won the MAC Championship. Chizik couldn't even reach bowl eligibility. Chizik lost the final 10 games of the season, and 1 of his 2 wins this year was against FCS South Dakota State.

Oh, but Gene Chizik is a defensive wizard who masterminded Auburn's defense in 2004 and Texas' defense in 2005, you say? How were his defenses at Iowa State? The Cyclones allowed 42 points per game in 2008. Here are the point totals allowed for the final 9 games of the year: 34, 35, 38, 3, 49, 59, 28, 52, and 38. And Iowa State didn't even play Texas Tech, Oklahoma or Texas, the 3 best offensives in the conference. The Cyclones finished 111th in total defense (452 yds/game) even with the most favorable schedule in the Big XII (a. they play in the North division; and b. they avoided the top 3 teams in the South division). Yikes.

Chizik arguably left Iowa State in worse shape than he found it. In 2006, the final season before Chizik's arrival, the Cyclones allowed merely 30 points and 392 yards per game to their opponents. The team went 4-8 that year, and fired Dan McCarney. Chizik promptly went 3-9 out of the gates in 2007, and then followed it up with a 2-10 mark this season. I wouldn't be surprised if Cyclones fans are dancing in the streets that he's gone. Maybe they'll do the smart thing and hire Turner Gill.

It's tough to be a Longhorn this morning . . .

I can't take credit for coming up with this, but it's pretty funny, and so is this Southpark version of Big XII coaches. Yes, it's from 2006, but the Mangino is priceless.

BCS DECLARES GERMANY WINNER OF WORLD WAR II - US Ranked 4th

After determining the Big-12 championship game participants the BCS
computers were put to work on other major contests and today the BCS
declared Germany to be the winner of World War II.
"Germany put together an incredible number of victories beginning with
the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland and continuing on into
conference play with defeats of Poland, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Belgium and the Netherlands. Their only losses came against the US and
Russia; however considering their entire body of work--including an
incredibly tough Strength of Schedule--our computers deemed them worthy
of the #1 ranking."

Questioned about the #4 ranking of the United States the BCS
commissioner stated "The US only had two major victories--Japan and
Germany. The computer models, unlike humans, aren't influenced by
head-to-head contests--they consider each contest to be only a single,
equally-weighted event."

German Chancellor Adolph Hitler said "Yes, we lost to the US; but we
defeated #2 ranked France in only 6 weeks." Herr Hitler has been
criticized for seeking dramatic victories to earn 'style points' to
enhance Germany's rankings. Hitler protested "Our contest with Poland
was in doubt until the final day and the conditions in Norway were
incredibly challenging and demanded the application of additional
forces."

The French ranking has also come under scrutiny. The BCS commented "
France had a single loss against Germany and following a preseason #1
ranking they only fell to #2."

Japan was ranked #3 with victories including Manchuria, Borneo and the
Philippines.

The Skinny on Mike Leach

Rumors abound that Auburn wants Mike Leach to be the next head football coach. Here's my take on Leach.

Good:

1. Nine straight winning seasons at Texas Tech, with nine bowl appearances (5 wins)

2. Only once has he had a losing record in Big XII conference play (3-5 in 2000)

3. No probation or NCAA penalties

Bad:

1. His career record against Oklahoma is 2-7. Both wins were at home.

2. His career record against Texas is 3-6. All 3 wins were at home.

3. This is the same guy that lost to Mike Shula's Alabama team in the Cotton Bowl following the 2005 season

4. He's obsessed with Pirates.

Leach is the wrong guy for Auburn. Period. If Leach has ever sat in on a defensive meeting, I'd be shocked. This guy is an offensive guru, but that's not what Auburn needs. Auburn needs a football coach that understands the SEC, can recruit solid players, and who can actually beat his biggest rivals.

Blame This Guy

I'm stunned. Shocked. Terrified. If 85 wins and 7 Iron Bowl victories in 10 years is not enough to satisfy the boobs that now run Auburn University, then what will it take?

Why would Auburn run off a coach that has been incredibly successful, runs a clean program, loves the University, and epitomizes "Auburn football" for the flavor of the week? With that I'm referring to rumors that Auburn has unofficially gauged Texas Tech coach Mike Leach's interest in the job. Really? Mike Leach. That gimmick offense will never work. The man could care less about defense. Auburn football is about defense, power running, and toughness. Those are three things you won't find at Texas Tech.

Want to blame someone? Blame Bobby Lowder. I don't get this guy. Did he force out a coach who has won 6 of the last 7 games against Alabama simply because he wouldn't worship at the feet of all things Lowder? How can he claim to love Auburn, and act in Auburn's best interest, when he does something this stupid? Karma has a funny way of working. I guarantee you that Mississippi State is going to be all over Tuberville. And when State beats Auburn next year in Jordan-Hare, I might be cheering silently for the Bulldogs.

We Need Some Names

Everyone seems preoccupied with whether or not Coach Tuberville is going to keep his job. Personally, I think he is a lock to stay. You don't fire a guy that's 7-3 against the school's biggest rival after one bad season. After two consecutive bad seasons? Maybe, but let's not throw away 2009 just yet. The search for the next offensive coordinator has been weighing on my mind, lately. What direction will Tuberville take the offense. Keep leaning towards the spread? A return to a traditional, more conservative, power offense? The "humanist" hybrid I talked about yesterday? It's hard to say. Since the humanist thing is my creation, I'm going to run with it. Here are some names I think will end up on the list that Tuberville chooses from. Oh, one name you won't be seeing is Chip Kelly.

Kelly is Oregon's offensive coordinator. He was recently named the "coach in waiting" when Mike Bellotti moves on to become the school's athletic director. Kelly, 45, was rumored to be of interest to Syracuse for their head coaching position. It's certain that Tuberville would have looked into hiring him. Using his spread-option offense, the Ducks are ranked fourth in the nation in rushing, averaging 277.8 yards a game, and are eighth in total offense with 467.2 yards a game. Kelly was also instrumental in developing former Oregon QB Dennis Dixon. If Tuberville was looking to keep the spread offense, Kelly was definitely the best available coordinator. On to the list, which is in no particular order.

1. Trooper Taylor, Co-Offensive Coordinator, Oklahoma State. Taylor is in his first year at Oklahoma State and serves as co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach. Taylor came from Tennessee, where he was on staff from 2004-07 and was assistant head coach/player development and receivers coach for the Volunteers. He is nationally-known for his prowess on the recruiting trail, and was recognized by Rivals.com as a top-25 recruiter in 2005 and 2007. His ability to recruit, his familiarity with the SEC, and his energetic rapport with the players (he's like the Will Muschamp of offensive assistants) would make him very desirable. I think he would become the first African-American offensive coordinator in SEC history, too. A public relations coup that might pay off on the recruiting trail. Taylor brought some major talent to Knoxville. Oklahoma State's offense has been outstanding this year. The Cowboys are 7th overall in total offense (489 yards/game), 8th in rushing (256 yards/game), 42nd in passing (233 yards/game), and 8th in scoring (41.5 points/game). So, who's the other co-coordinator in Stillwater, you ask?

2. Gunter Brewer, Co-Offensive Coordinator, Oklahoma State. Brewer is in his fourth season at Oklahoma State and his first as Co-Offensive Coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He served the three previous three seasons as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He was one of the key minds behind one of the nation’s most dynamic and explosive offenses as I described above. Brewer coached receiver Adarius Bowman to back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2006 and 2007, as Bowman’s receptions totaled 1,181 yards in 2006 and 1,006 yards in 2007. Brewer also coached Dez Bryant to 622 receiving yards and a spot on Rivals.com’s 2007 Freshman All-America second team in 2007. If Auburn is looking to get better at the wide receiver position, then Brewer is a coach with a proven track record for recruiting and developing top-flight receivers. Before coming to Oklahoma State, Brewer developed outstanding receivers at Marshall (1996-99) and North Carolina (2000-04).

3. Stan Parrish, Offensive Coordinator, Ball State. Parrish has helped the Cardinals build a 12-0 record this season, designing an offense that leads the Mid-American Conference in scoring and total offense. Running back Quale Lewis leads the conference in rushing (130.8 yards/game), and quarterback Nate Davis is second in passing yards (257.9 yards/game). Parrish is one of five coaches in the running for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in the nation each year.

I'm sure there will be other names out there, and as I come across candidates I will try to profile them. I thought this would be a good starting point to discuss what's next for Auburn's offense. If you have a name to throw out there, then let me know.