Predicting This Week's Big Games

#10 Ohio State @ Illinois (12pm Eastern)
Ohio State is still in prime position to nab a BCS at-large bid, but it must win out and finish in a tie with Penn State for the Big Ten title (State, having the head-to-head win, would get the automatic spot in the Rose Bowl). This game is part of a larger slate of games whereby teams will seek revenge for a crucial 2007 loss. The Illini upset the Buckeyes last year behind the powerful running of Rashard Mendenhall. Ohio State still reached the BCS Championship game, but the Illini used the game as a springboard to a Rose Bowl bid. Illinois is a scrappy bunch, but I think Ohio State will cruise, 31-17.

#4 Texas @ Kansas (12:30pm)
Texas is in a tough spot: There's a good chance they will finish in a 3-way tie with Oklahoma and Texas Tech for the top spot in the Big XII South division. The tiebreaker would likely come down to whomever has the highest BCS ranking. That would probably be Oklahoma, even though Texas beat them. Texas still has everything to play for, however, including the BCS championship. Kansas has no defense. None. Zero. Nada. Texas wins another high scoring game, 44-24.

#13 Georgia @ Auburn (12:30pm)
I think this is the season for Auburn. Win this game and the Tigers get the 6 wins they need for an Independence Bowl bid. Don't laugh. Trust me, this team needs those December practices, all Shreveport jokes aside. You don't think that extra time in December 2007 helped Alabama turn into a juggernaut this year? This game is at home, and that's why it's Auburn's best hope, despite the trend favoring road teams in this series. Georgia is going to score its points, so Auburn has to find creative ways to match them. It's time for the Riverboat Gambler to make an appearance. Auburn has nothing to show for 2008, so they've probably got nothing to lose. You can't gameplan for crazy, and that's why I expect from Auburn's gameplanners this Saturday. Will it be enough? Probably not. But it will be an entertaining game nonetheless, UGA wins 27-23.

#17 North Carolina @ Maryland (3:30pm)
The good news: Maryland is 3 wins away from its first appearance in the ACC title game. The bad news: those 3 wins have to come against North Carolina, Florida State and Boston College. Maryland is unbeaten at home this year, where they've played great football and knocked off a pair of ranked teams (Cal, Wake Forest). I like Maryland's chances, provided Chris Turner gets the passing game going. Take the Terps, 24-20.

Cal @ #23 Oregon State (3:30pm)
Oregon State is 3 wins away from the Rose Bowl. Seriously. No, really, I'm not kidding. If they can beat Cal, Arizona and Oregon, then the Beavers will clinch the Pac-10 and a spot in the Rose Bowl (who would have predicted a Penn State-Oregon State matchup this past summer?). Imagine the weirdness should USC reach the BCS Championship game without even winning the Pac-10. It could happen. The Golden Bears are just 1-3 on the road this season. Take the Beavers, 30-21.

#24 South Carolina @ #3 Florida (3:30pm)
Florida is riding high and demolishing everyone they play at the moment. Since losing to Ole Miss on Sept. 27, the Gators have won 5 straight by an average score of 49-11. Yowza! Carolina, get off the tracks, the train is comin' through, Gators 41-17.

#9 Boise State @ Idaho (5:00pm)
The Broncos will travel just 224 miles to Moscow to play the Vandals. Boise State should have little trouble with their in-state rival. Boise's season probably comes down to the Nov. 28 finale against Fresno State. The race for an at-large BCS bid has taken an interesting turn with three teams essentially competing for one spot. Utah, Boise State and Ball State all remain unbeaten, but barring a dramatic change in the rankings the BCS bowls will probably take just one of these teams on selection Sunday. Utah is in the lead because of their #7 BCS ranking (.7692). Boise sits at #9 (.6783). Ball State is currently #14 (.4163), and could well end up at 13-0 and in the Motor City Bowl against the 7th-best team from the Big Ten (i.e., someone like Iowa or Illinois). Oh yeah, Broncos win big, 57-13.


#6 USC @ Stanford (7:00pm)
Huge revenge game for the Trojans. The loss to Stanford probably kept them out of the national championship game in 2007. USC's defense has been an absolute beast. Like Florida, they have responded in a big way after a late September loss. Since the Sept. 25 loss at Oregon State, USC has allowed just 23 points in 6 games, including 3 shutouts. USC closes with Stanford, Notre Dame and UCLA. Expect 3 more wins, and, at a minimum, an at-large bid to the BCS. What BCS bowl they play in, is still undecided. Trojans, 41-0.

Mississippi State @ #1 Alabama (7:45pm)
Did you know that Alabama hasn't scored an offensive touchdown against Mississippi State since 2004? Seriously. State has 2 straight wins in the series. But they'll be hard pressed to keep up with this Alabama team. Bama likes to knock you in the mouth on the opening drive with power running and a touchdown. Alabama heads into the Iron Bowl 11-0, Tide 30-3.

#8 Utah @ San Diego State (8:00pm)
I think the Utes are starting to feel the pressure. Two straight 13-10 nailbiters can do that to you. The win over a ranked TCU team is the reason Utah has the lead over Boise State for that coveted non-BCS conference spot in a BCS bowl. I worry about Utah in this game. With rival BYU looming the next week, there's every reason to think Utah might not be paying attention to the Aztecs. San Diego State is having an awful season, but they played very well at Notre Dame, and this is probably their bowl game. I think the Aztecs could surprise, so I'm taking this one as my upset special, SDSU 23-20.

Season record (since I started the blog): 13-8

Auburn-Georgia: Inside the Numbers

Here's a look at how the two teams compare heading into their 112th meeting:

OFFENSE:

Georgia

22nd in Total Offense (436.8 yds/game) (#1 in SEC)

18th in Passing Offense (273.8 yds/game) (#1 in SEC)

48th in Rushing Offense (163.0 yds/game)

28th in Scoring Offense (32.6 pts/game)

Auburn

99th in Total Offense (316.2 yds/game)

99th in Passing Offense (199.3 yds/game)

61st in Rushing Offense (146.9 yds/game)

103rd in Scoring Offense (19.5 pts/game)

DEFENSE:

Georgia

28th in Total Defense (308.9 yds/game)

62nd in Pass Defense (206.3 yds/game)

13th in Rushing Defense (102.6 yds/game)

63rd in Scoring Defense (23.9 pts/game)

Despite these solid numbers, the Georgia defense is struggling right now. Their defense has allowed 38, 49, and 38 points over the last 3 games.

Auburn

26th in Total Defense (305.0 yds/game)

14th in Pass Defense (175.3 yds/game)

49th in Rushing Defense (129.7 yds/game)

13th in Scoring Defense (16.3 pts/game)

The defense has put up solid numbers, especially considering the ineptitude on offense. However, in order to help keep the pressure off this defense, the offense is going to have to score some points. I think special teams will have to be the catalyst that helps both the Auburn offense and Auburn defense. The defense needs a strong day from the Auburn punt team. Auburn ranks 1st in the SEC in net punting, and they make sure Georgia's offense consistently looks at a long field at the start of each possession. The offense needs a big day from Auburn's kick return unit. Auburn ranks 3rd in the nation in kick returns. Auburn's offense needs a short field as often as possible on Saturday.

Players to Watch:

When Georgia has the ball -

QB Matt Stafford - Stafford leads the conference in total offense (262.8 yds/game). He has a rocket for an arm, and this is both a good thing and a bad thing for the Auburn defense. Stafford will sometimes think he can thread the needle because of his arm strength, and that will lead to poor decisions and interceptions. Auburn's secondary will need to take advantage of these mistakes, either by scoring points on defense or setting up the Auburn offense with a short field.

RB Knowshon Moreno - Auburn must stop the run if they want to have any chance in this game. Moreno demolished the Tigers with 105 yards and 2 TD in 2007. Moreno has rushed for over 100 yards in 4 of his last 5 games, despite an offensive line down to just 7 healthy scholarship players.

WR A.J. Green - Green is just a true freshman, but like Alabama's Julio Jones, he has had an instant impact in Georiga's offense. Green leads the SEC in receiving yards per game (80.6). Green is also a tremendous deep threat, averaging roughly 20 yards per reception. Auburn must limit Georgia's big plays on offense, and that starts with blanket coverage of Green and Mohammed Massaquoi.

S Zac Etheridge - When your safety is the leading tackler (5.5 tackles/game), that's usually not a good sign. Etheridge will be busy again on Saturday. He must provide coverage help against Georgia's talented receivers, but he must also keep an eye on Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno (especially because middle linebacker Merrill Johnson will miss this game).

When Auburn has the ball -

Tristan Davis - Davis leads the SEC in kick returns, averaging almost 31 yards per return. If Auburn can score points on special teams, then they have a chance to pull the upset.

LB Renni Curran - Curran, only a sophomore, leads the Dawgs' defense in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. So, Auburn might want to consider blocking this guy.

PK Wes Byrum - Byrum made 17 of 23 kicks as a freshman in 2007. This year, however, he's converted just 11 of 18 attempts. In fact, Byrum has missed at least one attempt in each of the 7 games where he has been called on to kick a field goal (Byrum did not attempt a field goal against LSU, Vanderbilt, or Ole Miss, although he did miss an extra point in the Vandy game). Byrum needs to have a perfect day against Georgia. The points are important, but the momentum lost after a missed field goal attempt would be huge to an Auburn team with a fragile psyche.

QB Kodi Burns - This needs to be Burns coming out party. Burns has accounted for 620 yards of offense the past two games (73% of Auburn's production). He has shown he can throw (319 yards vs. Ole Miss) and run (158 yards vs. UT-Martin) for big numbers. If Burns can put it all together and consitently move the chains, then Auburn has a very real chance to win this game. Auburn cannot be one-dimensional and hope to beat Georgia. Burns must spark the passing attack (despite the absence of WR Montez Billings), and the running back combo of Ben Tate and Brad Lester need to consistently grind out tough yards. Tate's production has severely dropped off in the 2nd half of the season. He has just 27 rushes in the past 4 games, averaging only 28.5 yards per game).

Skyhawks wear orange, avoid A-Day Part II

Tennessee-Martin wore new orange uniforms for their game against Auburn last Saturday. Auburn agreed to allow the Skyhawks to wear orange uniforms, and the Tigers wore all white at home for the second time in the last 2 seasons (Auburn wore white at home vs. Vanderbilt in 2007 to honor the 1957 national championship team). Having the Skyhawks in orange prevented the game from looking essentially like an A-Day game. The uniforms were still quite similar. Honestly, it looked like UT-Martin was wearing no-contact practice jerseys. Maybe they were hoping Auburn's defense would oblige and not tackle the Skyhawks' offensive players. The strategy appeared to work for the first 3 quarters of the game. Auburn finished strong, however, and won 37-20, improving to 5-5.

It's Georgia Week!

Auburn and Georgia will renew "The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry" this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Unfortunately, Auburn's 5-5 season, and the fact that Georgia's defense is allowing 28.7 points in conference play, means that ESPN and CBS have passed on televising the game. Kickoff will be at 11:30 CST, and the game will be televised by RAYCOM. CBS has selected the Florida-South Carolina game, and ESPN will cover the Alabama-Mississippi State and Vanderbilt-Kentucky games.

The image above is the game program from the 1970 Auburn-Georiga game. Auburn was caught looking ahead to its matchup with Alabama, and a weak Dawgs team stunned the Tigers, 31-17. This year's Auburn team is playing for its bowl-eligible life, so I don't think they'll be overlooking the final home game of the season. You can see many other classic Auburn posters at http://historicfootballposters.com/fp_gallery.php?school=Auburn

Dave's Power 10

1. Texas Tech (10-0) - I expected a mental letdown following the victory over Texas, but the Red Raiders came to play. In fact, they scored TDs on seven consecutive drives to secure a 56-20 thumping of a very good Oklahoma State team. Tech QB Graham Harrell played a tremendous game (40-50, 456 yds, 6 TDs) while controlling the run of play (34:57 TOP, 7-9 on 3rd downs). He's the Heisman front-runner going into the match-up with Oklahoma in two weeks.

2. Alabama (10-0) - LSU gave Bama a tough game for 4 quarters, but blew it in overtime. Jarrett Lee deserves just as much credit for the win as any Crimson Tide player. Lee threw four INTs, including another pick-six before halftime that wiped out a 14-7 lead. Despite three Bama turnovers and 201 yards rushing from Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, LSU could never take control of the game. Saban has never coached an undefeated season, and has some tough challenges ahead in order to accomplish that feat (Miss. St, Auburn, Florida).

3. Florida (8-1) - The Gators remain on a mission, although not the type of mission that the Tebows embark upon to convert non-Christians. This mission has laid waste to SEC opponents and propelled the Gators into the SEC Championship game against Alabama. The Florida defense dominated Vandy, and only allowed two mop-up TD's while playing back-ups. As long as no injuries occur to key players, the Gators have a great chance to win the SEC, and possibly the BCS Title.

4. Southern California (8-1) - The Trojan defense limited a good Cal offense to 165 total yards (27 rushing), and scored enough points to pull away 17-3. If USC doesn't beat themselves - as they are prone to do - they will make a strong statement for inclusion in the BCS Title game. It would be great to see this defense go against one of the offensive juggernauts from the Big XII or even Florida. However, if Oregon State (6-3, 5-1) wins out (Cal, @ Arizona, Oregon), the Beavers go to Pasadena.

5. Texas (9-1) - Colt McCoy bounced back from the Texas Tech game and had his way (again) with Baylor (300 yds, 5 TDs). With an easy schedule to finish the season against defensive doormats Kansas (#92 Total defense) and Texas A&M (#109), the Longhorns merely need to wait for Texas Tech to slip up. If Oklahoma can win that game, the polls will determine who gets to Kansas City.

6. Oklahoma (9-1) - The video game continues as the Sooners put up 21 points in the first quarter, bringing their two week total to 56-0. Any team that establishes that kind of lead early is difficult to beat, especially with efficient QB Sam Bradford (320 yds, 4 TDs, 67% comp.) leading the offense. Both Texas Tech and Oklahoma get a bye week before their November 22nd match-up in Norman.

7. Boise State (9-0) - The Broncos bullied yet another WAC opponent on the blue turf as they spanked Utah State 49-14. The combined record for their remaining opponents is a putrid 12-16, but includes a road game against Nevada (#1 Rushing Offense; #2 Rushing Defense). If Boise gets through that challenge, it sets up some potentially interesting problems for the BCS: who gets the automatic bid - Boise or Utah; do you take an undefeated BSU or undefeated Utah as an at-large, too; or do you cop-out and take a 2-loss Ohio State team?

8. Utah (10-0) - Despite being outgained 416-275 at home, the Utes escaped with a last-minute TD to win after TCU missed two field goals in the 4th quarter. Utah managed just 45 rushing yards, while TCU RB Aaron Brown rushed for 106 yards. Home field seems crucial in the Mountain West as TCU beat BYU in Ft. Worth, and Utah beats TCU in Salt Lake. FYI: The upcoming Holy War with BYU (9-1) will take place in Salt Lake City.

9. Penn State (9-1) - Tragic finish to the Iowa game, if you're a Nittany Lions fan. After three quarters, the Lions led by 9 points, but managed only 33 yards of offense in the final quarter. PSU had an 11:44 advantage in TOP, but a late interception gave Iowa an opportunity to drive for the winning field goal. After four Hawkeye losses by a combined 12 points, Iowa finally had fortune on their side. This loss virtually eliminates Penn State from the BCS title game, but Pasadena is still within their control.

10. Ball State (9-0) - Welcome to the Power 10, Cardinals. As the fifth undefeated team, the Fightin' Dave Lettermans have had an easy time so far against a less-than-difficult schedule (previous opponents combined record of 29-56). Junior QB Nate Davis is an NFL prospect who ranks in the top-ten in QB efficiency, and Junior RB MiQuale Lewis averages 123 rushing yds/game. Combine the two, and Ball State features the #11 offense in the country. However, the real test will come in the last two games of the season against Central Michigan and Western Michigan (combined 15-4 record). Ball State needs help to reach the BCS. They would likely need both Utah and Boise State to lose in order for the Cards to receive an automatic BCS bid. It is unlikely a BCS bowl would consider them for an at-large invitation.

Dave's Power 10

1. Penn State (9-0) - After getting the week off to watch previous #1 Texas fall in Lubbock, the Nittany Lions travel to Iowa City for the final road test of their regular season. Iowa is 4-1 at home this year, having only lost to Northwestern in a close game where the Hawkeyes led 17-3 late in the second quarter. Four costly Iowa turnovers kept Northwestern alive until a fourth quarter touchdown sealed the loss. Keep an eye on this game. Penn State's top-ranked defense needs to limit Iowa opportunities in order to allow the offense to score points.

2. Alabama (9-0) - Playing Tennessee and Arkansas St. can only help your defensive statistics (#2 Rushing; #4 Total; #6 Scoring). Now comes the game every Bayou Bengal fan has been salivating for since Saban's return to the SEC. LSU needs to establish Charles Scott and the running game if they hope to have any chance of beating Bama. Without a running game, the Tide will smother LSU and play ball-control with Glen Coffee (99 yds/game). Can there be magic in Tiger Stadium at 2:30 CST?

3. Texas Tech (9-0) - Fantastic game by the Red Raiders against a visibly unfocused Texas squad. Graham Harrell (#1 Total Offense with 402 yds/game) and Michael Crabtree (8 rec, 102 yds/game) continue to impress, and now have a signature victory on their resumes. The bad news is that it doesn't get any easier this week with Oklahoma State's offensive juggernaut (#7 Total Offense with 512 yds/game) visiting Lubbock. The good news is that this game should prove easier than next week's matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners (#3 Total Offense with 538 yds/game).

4. Florida (7-1) - The mission was clear: destroy Georgia and restore Gator dominance in the rivalry. Mission accomplished. In fact, it's apparently carried over to the entire SEC. Since Florida's loss to Ole Miss on Sept. 27, no team has come within 30 points of the Gators. The last month has showcased a punishing display of football from Florida, and they look poised to collide with Alabama in the SEC Championship game.

5. Southern California (7-1) - Playing any team from Washington this year is equivalent to scrimmaging Dean Road Elementary. The Trojans have actually outscored the two Apple State teams 125-0! Since losing to Oregon State on September 25, USC has allowed only 20 total points in 5 games, including 3 shutouts. Really?! That's the level of competition in the PAC-10 this year? This is quickly turning into a Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 power relationship.

6. Oklahoma (8-1) - ESPN tried desperately to market the OU-Nebraska game as a legitimate way to spend your Saturday evening in front of the TV. But once the Sooners hung a Tecmo-like 35 points on the Huskers IN THE FIRST QUARTER, I stopped checking in. We should get another yawner this week as Texas A&M's feeble defense (427 yds/game; 32 pts/game) tries to withstand the inevitable beat-down.

7. Texas (8-1) - Valiant comeback against Texas Tech, but it seemed fitting that the Red Raiders pulled that game out in the end. The Longhorns appeared sluggish and out-of-sorts throughout the game, including Heisman candidate Colt McCoy. Despite the loss, Texas retains hope of a BCS birth since the difficult part of the schedule has passed. Once OU, Texas Tech and Okie State finish beating each other up, UT could reemerge at the top of the heap.

8. Oklahoma State (8-1) - The Fightin' T. Boone Pickens recovered from the close loss to Texas by overwhelming Iowa State 59-17. If the Cowboys can put up a solid, 4-quarter effort against Texas Tech, they could pull off the upset. It will a matchup of gunslingers in Lubbock as Graham Harrell faces off against OSU QB Zac Robinson (#2 nationally in Pass Efficiency). With the high-profile aerial display expected this weekend, don't forget about Okie State RB Kendall Hunter (136 yds/game), a lightning fast runner who should balance the Cowboy attack. If Tech can't contain Hunter, I predict an OSU upset.

9. Boise State (8-0) - The Broncos currently sit at #10 in the BCS polls, with no real threat to lose another game this season. The only possible challenge will come from Fresno State in the season finale. That game will be played on the blue turf in Boise where the Broncos have won 44 straight games.

10. Utah (9-0) - BIG game against TCU this Thursday night as the Utes attempt to legitimize their lofty ranking. The Horned Frogs have already handled previous Mountain West contender BYU 32-7, and boast the #1 rushing defense. The game is in Salt Lake City, and will be only the fourth ever matchup for a ranked Utah team against another ranked opponent. The last one came in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl as #4 Utah beat #19 Pittsburgh.

Players, Not Plays

Folks, there's a talent shortage on the Plains right now. Do I think there a lot of players with amazing potential on the Auburn roster at this very moment? Yes. Are they at the point of realizing that potential? Not so much. Why is that? I think it goes back to recruiting. A wise man once said, "players, not plays." For all those people out there who think it's schemes and coaches who make the difference between a winning and losing team, you're skipping over the most important part of any successful football program. Sure, coaches provide the necessary discipline and focus, and many are excellent teachers that help players become better over the course of their playing careers. However, a coach ultimately relies on the talent of his players to win games. A coach can have the most brilliant gameplan imaginable, but the if the players can't execute, then it really doesn't matter.



Auburn is missing on those 3, 4, and 5-star recruits that are supposed to become the stars of any football team. To be honest, 5-star recruits really shouldn't be part of this conversation. Auburn has never been heavy on 5-star players. Tommy Tuberville has signed just 5 such players since 2003 (Brandon Jacobs in '03, Tray Blackmon '05, Greg Smith '06, Raven Gray '08, and Jermaine Johnson '08). Contrast that with schools like USC, which seems to sign 5 or 6 in each class. Jacobs played just 1 season at Auburn, settling at third string on the running back depth chart behind Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown. Tray Blackmon is a fantastic linebacker, but he's been hurt or in the doghouse most of his career. The jury is still out on whether Smith, Gray or Johnson will become superstars. The backbone of the Auburn program lies in those 3 and 4-star recruits.



Rating high school football players is certainly an inexact science. It's difficult to forecast the development of a 17 or 18 year old player. There are just too many unknown variables: how they respond to new coaches; living away from home; injuries; and the pressure of being a full-time college student. These are things you can't forecast when watching film of a kid's high school games. There will always be highly-rated kids who never pan out, and there will always be college stars that were overlooked as high school players. The problem with Auburn, however, is that they're missing at a higher rate than normal.



Juniors and seniors are the backbone of any college program. These are the players with the most experience, the most skill development, and the most able to take leadership roles on the team. For Auburn, because of redshirts and prep-schools, those juniors and seniors come from the 2003 through 2006 recruiting classes. I have included 2003, because there is still one player from that class starting for Auburn: DT Tez Doolittle. Hard to believe that Doolittle was recruited as a running back. Doolittle was a 4-star recruit. Despite an increase in four-star players signed in the classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007, the 2008 football team appears to be short on playmakers. Here's a breakdown of Auburn's most recent recruiting classes, based on the ratings given by Rivals.com:

2003

Four-star: 6

Three-star: 17

Two-star: 3

2004

Four-star: 4

Three-star: 10

Two-star: 12

2005

Four-star: 7

Three-star: 10

Two-star: 3

2006

Four-star: 14

Three-star: 7

Two-star: 3

2007

Four-star: 13

Three-star: 12

Two-star: 2

2008

Four-star: 4

Three-star: 16

Two-star: 7

2009 (Projected)

Four-star: 8

Three-star: 17

Two-star: 0

The 13-0 season in 2004 was expected to produce a windfall of fantastic players for the Auburn program. However, despite the increase in 4-star players in '05-'06-'07, the results have not produced a team capable of competing in 2008. The four-star numbers have started to decline in 2008 and 2009, and Auburn is back to signing more three-star players. However, that may not be a bad thing. Auburn's run of success from '04-'06 was built on mostly three-star players. Perhaps those four-star players will start producing in 2009. I guess my point is that the recruting boost from Auburn's 2004 SEC Championship team has not returned dividends in 2008, which is the year that those players were expected to carry the team.

Who the heck is Tennessee-Martin?

Auburn will take a much needed break from SEC action this weekend to play its homecoming game against the University of Tennessee at Martin. Who?

The University of Tennessee at Martin is located in the northwest corner of Tennessee. UTM has approximately 7,000 students. The University began as a Baptist junior college in 1900, but became part of the state university system after experiencing financial difficulties.

The university mascot was changed from "Pacers" to "Skyhawks" in 1995. The reasoning behind the "Skyhawks" moniker: (1) The first educational institution on the site of UT Martin was Hall-Moody Bible Institute. The school's athletic teams were called "sky pilots", a frontier term for preachers in that day, but perhaps the students were thinking of the glamorous flying aces of World War I; (2) During World War II, UT Junior College contracted with the Naval War Training Service to help train pilots, who completed their flight training at an airport located on the current site of Westview High School; and (3) Red-tail hawks are indigenous to the West Tennessee region. Prior to being known as "Pacers" the university's teams were called "Volunteers." The name was changed in 1971, largely due to fact that, on account of the former junior college status of the school, the teams were often referred to as the "Baby Vols." Notable alums include Pat Summitt (head coach, women's basketball, Tennessee), Leonard Hamilton (head coach, men's basketball, Florida State), and Jerry Reese (general manager, New York Giants).

The Tennessee at Martin football team has moved up to No. 20 in both The Sports Network Poll and the FCS Coaches Poll. Both polls were released Monday afternoon. The Skyhawks, 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference, debut in both polls last week after claiming a 31-30 victory over Jacksonville State on Oct. 23. The Skyhawks were No. 24 in The Sports Network Poll and No. 23 in the Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA) Coaches Poll.

You might think the photos above are of Auburn players. You'd be wrong. The Skyhawks' colors are orange and navy blue, and they wear jerseys identical to Auburn. UT Martin's uniforms are provided by Russell Athletic, and the jerseys are undoubtedly old stock from the company's prior affiliation with Auburn. The team's helmets are also virtually identical, except for the UTM logo on the side of the helmet. This Saturday's game will look more like A-Day than Homecoming.