Chizik Looking Quite Bookish

by: jadennis

I was shocked when Chizik was hired.  It was the kind of thing that would ruin my day out of nowhere.  I would be going along through a day, doing fine, then remember we just hired Chizik, and I would get chest pains.

That lasted a few days.  Then I used my brain, and not my heart, because honestly, my heart had no business feeling at this point…it didn’t have anything to really go on.  I realized how many great hires had turned poopty over the years.  I remembered how many “who the hell is that” hires had turned golden.

Many have said how good of a hire Charlie Strong is for Louisville.  Many even wanted him to get a shot at Auburn.  Isn’t he Ron Zook?  I mean, Zook did a good job at Florida as an assistant coach.  Zook only looks like a failure of a head coach hire NOW that we know better.  We deem Strong a good head coach hire….thing is, as of NOW, we don’t know any better.

When Mike Bellotti named Chip Kelly offensive coordinator, and soon named him the head-coach-in-waiting….people thought, “who the hell is this guy?”.  He’d been at New Hampshire for the previous 13 years. Was he never good enough to get a better job than New Hampshire for 13 years?  And now he was worthy of being head coach in the Pac 10?  He must be in over his head right?  First year….10-3, #11 final AP ranking.

Anyway, I came to the conclusion that since I didn’t feel like I had enough information to just assume with any degree of certainty that Chizikhad a 90% or better chance of guaranteed failure, then I would take my ultimate decision about him step by step.  As he did and didn’t do certain things, I would begin shaping my opinion of his performance as the head coach of Auburn’s football program.

First off, I would not judge his ability based on Iowa State, as it was as different as Texas A&M and Alabama was for Gene Stallings (7 years at each school….27 wins at A&M, 70 wins at Alabama).   Secondly, I would not judge his ability based on what “coach speak” he shared with the media and how he looked in front of the camera….after all, it’s the media, and maybe he’s not an award winning orator (which is not what we hired him to be), or maybe he doesn’t like being candid with the media until they’ve earned his trust.  Who knows?  Who cares.

So to me, we are still just in the midst of the writing of the Chizik era at Auburn.  It hasn’t been concluded yet.  I assume this will be at least a 6 chapter book….two chapters per year, one is recruiting, one is on-field results. Chapter 1 was pretty good, as he added most of the top recruits that we had in our 2009 class (8 of the top 13).  Chapter 2 was encouraging, as we improved in a lot of areas over last year.  After all, it was the first year for all of these players and coaches to work together.  Chapter 3 is shaping up to be excellent, we can all see that on any recruiting service we choose to endorse.

However, it’s only chapter 3.  We can easily assume that we are no more than half way through, at best (assuming he’s here through the 2011 season).  The rest of the book on him is unwritten, and I will treat my opinion on him as such.  Does the book look pretty good so far?  I would say that it has gotten better by the chapter, and at this point, is an encouraging read.  Will it continue to get better?  I’ll just keep reading, and with every new page of information, I will continue to shape my opinion accordingly.  The final three chapters could be dreadful.  Or, it could turn out to be a 20 chapter novel that ends up being the best volume in the 25 volume set that is the Auburn Coaching library.

What kind of book reviewer, regardless of how much they dislike the cover design, stops and writes his entire review after only reading the first three chapters?

By: THS

You never accept losing.  You never proclaim moral victories.  You never make excuses.  You always take responsibility for your performance.

Auburn…

- But we’re going to break the rules.  I just can’t get upset with this team right now.  I did that enough after the LSU game.  Our guys have busted their butts all year.  It’s been a hell of a fight to turn the program back around.  I wish I could go on another diatribe about Chizik’s future, but this rollercoaster of a season has silenced any opinions.  Think about what we HAVE accomplished:

1.  Recruiting a top ten class (possible top five) and stockpiling talent from other states.
2.  Going to a bowl game.  7 wins and two close calls against Kentucky and Georgia.
3.  Last year, there was no feeling of optimism going into the Bama game.  It was like you could feel “36-0″ in the air.  This year, I have no doubt we will at least be competitive.
4.  All critics have been silenced.  Most predictions that were against Auburn have been debunked.  Chizik is not really a “5-19″ coach.
5.  Trooper and Luper’s “juvenile” ideas in recruiting are working.  It’s only going to get better with next year’s class.

- You really think we lost the Georgia game due to poor coaching?  What could they have done differently?  We simply don’t have the playmakers.  Fannin is a nobody.  Blame Rivals overrating him in high school; blame Tuberville’s staff for not developing him early in his career; or blame him for not focusing on improving his skills.  He just isn’t clutch.  He was never going to make that big catch, and you’re a fool if you thought he was.  That was an NFL/game changer catch, and Mario “This Year, I Break Out” Fannin was surely not going to make it.

- I actually was impressed with the adjustments Malzahn made.  We pitched the ball around a good bit.  The only criticism I had was not throwing the ball in the 5-10 yard frame.  We either went deep or dunked it to the flats.  That might not be Malzahn’s playcalling.  That might be Chris Todd.  God love him, but Chris Todd isn’t a championship caliber quarterback.  He’s doing more than he was predicted to.  At least remember that.

- The defense sucks.  It has continued to suck.  It will continue to suck.  You want proof it’s the players?  Go rewatch the tape.  We BLITZED tonight.  A lot.  I kept screaming about it every time we did it.  Did it ever work?  No.  It didn’t.  We were slow.  We didn’t time it.  We couldn’t shed blocks.  Is that Roof’s fault?  Yeah.  Some.  But it’s a lot easier to play defense when you have experienced playmakers that consistently get it done.  For example, Josh Bynes blew the hell out of that reverse they tried to run.  It’s too bad Josh Bynes also missed some easy tackles, missed a crucial interception, and missed his assignments throughout the entire game.

- My disposition changed about this coaching staff.  After the LSU game, I was very skeptical of their ability to take our team to the next level.  What happened last week gave me hope for the future.  So hope for the future I will.

- We play with heart, and when Gene Chizik speaks of “family,” I believe him.  I believe he has a knack for bringing his guys closer together.  I think this will pay off when it comes to keeping coaches around.  It’s already shown on the recruiting trail.

- About recruiting – have you noticed that guys are committing to us not because we’re a flash in the pan?  It’s not the trendy thing to do, and we haven’t done much to shock and awe the country.  They experience Auburn last summer, and that experience has led them to committing in November.  Michael Dyer and Trovon Reed are only the beginning.

- Blowing out Ole Miss showed me Chizik’s ability to keep his team focused and compete with a good football team.  I was hesitant to accept the WVU and Tennessee victories as legit high quality wins, but Ole Miss had a good defense.  Their offense had just started clicking against Arkansas.  We were able to win and look good doing it.

Notre Dame…

- I told you it’s time for a new coach.  Pitt is a good team.  And you lost.  Add another name to the list of teams with winning records that Charlie Weiss can’t defeat.

Georgia…

- I still think Mark Richt is on a downward spiral.  Georgia (much like Notre Dame) has recruited lights out over the past few years.  There’s no need to have a rebuilding year like this every few seasons.  The players aren’t being developed properly.

Alabama…

- Alright.  That was impressive.  I honestly thought the upset was going to happen.  I know it’s Miss St, and they are more talent depleted than we are.  However, Bama was coming off of a huge SEC West-clinching win against LSU, and Miss St has played tough in big time games.  31-3 and it wasn’t even that close.

LSU…

- Another example of why Les Miles won’t be around much longer.  You never give up.  I’m sorry you lost to the undefeated Bama team last weekend, but you blow out La Tech.  You convince your seniors/juniors that they need to perform well for the NFL draft.  You convince your young guys they need to impress voters so they can participate in the best bowl games available.  You convince your coaching staff that they need to gameplan and motivate so they can bring in better recruiting classes.

Texas…

- The undisputed, unanimous #1 team in the country.  40-0 at halftime against Baylor?  35-3 (if I remember correctly) at halftime against Oklahoma St?  This team is a force.  It’ll be tough for anyone to catch them.

Final thought…

- Please please PLEASE don’t get your hopes up.  We most likely won’t beat Bama.  However, I’m looking to see our team make a statement.  This has been a special year.  We were the misfits.  Supposedly, not one of our players could start for any other team.  That’s what Bama fans have told us.  That’s what Finebaum has preached.  That’s what the B’ham media has reported.  We’re a down in the dumps football team that didn’t have a chance from the start.  We’re a locomotive rushing straight for the landfill led by a “5-19″ loser of a coach.  They’ve been wrong since the start.  I think we come out a fight our asses off against Bama.  We won’t win.  They’ll probably pull away in the 4th quarter, but we’ll be competitive.

By: Harvey Birdman

To listen to OL Coach, Jeff Grimes, one would think the depth problems that seemingly have a stranglehold on the 09′ Tigers, is alive and well with this unit.  That could very well be from the standpoint of finding suitable backups to the apparent #1’s across the front.  However, from a sheer numbers perspective, this unit appears to be in a little better shape than some.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately from our opponent’s view, the caliber of this year’s O-line is judged by many based on the debacle that was the 2008 Auburn Football Tigers.  Not much seems to be expected from this bunch, but keep in mind a couple of key differences when gauging expectations.  The first is a new staff and obvious change from what had become the dreaded Nall-ball.

Next, one of Tony Franklin’s first priorities for the installation of his spread offense, was to have his linemen trim down considerably in order to to be more mobile and in addition, be able to consistently and uniformly raise up from their stances to stare at the sidelines like a pack of prarie dogs watching an approaching coyote.  Even though the new offense is another wide open version of the ever popular spread, the strategy has been to sit the guys back down at the training table and put away the groceries, early and often.  One need only look at the tackles, Lee Ziemba and Andrew McCain, to understand the new direction.  Standing at 6′8″ and 6′6″ respectively, both gentlemen tip the scales around 310 lbs. making them more the prototypical college tackles.

Ryan Pugh is back full time to his natural position of center, which is the position he was recruited out of high school to play…and a more natural playing weight of 290.  He will be flanked by last year’s starter, Byron Isom, and possibly the veteran, Mike Berry or one of the newcomers, John Sullen or Jorell Bostrom, who have both been getting good reps while Isom and Berry nurse nagging injuries.  For short yardage and goal line situations, the line should be bolstered by true freshman tight end, Phillip Schvontzenschtupel, who can fire off the edge with 265 lbs.

The first wave should look like:

Lee Ziemba 6′8″ 310

Byron Isom 6′3″ 291

Ryan Pugh 6′4″ 290

Mike Berry 6′3″ 311

Andrew McCain 6′6″ 310

As stated earlier, the numbers are there; however, Coach Grimes has acknowledged few if any reserves as being ready for prime time.  Running back-up at center in the recent scrimmage was veteran Bart Eddins, who should be ready at long last to step into the rotation.  Former tight end, Vance Smith, has made a change to the O-line and an apparent commitment to beef up and contribute to this unit.  Jared Cooper is in his 3rd year and like Eddins, should be at a point in his career where he’s pushing for playing time.  Both have the size and experience and hopefully, both are doing what it takes to step up and get in the rotation.  Much publicized FSU transfer, Aubrey Phillips at 6′5″ 330, remains sidelined with an undisclosed health issue and would most likely redshirt even if it resolves in the near future. 

The back up roles will most likely be played by:

Bart Eddins 6′4″ 297

Vance Smith 6′2″ 282

John Sullen 6′6″ 325

Jorell Bostrom 6′3″ 362

Jared Cooper 6′4″ 295

A.J. Greene 6′5″ 282

Darrell Roseman 6′4″ 289

I would expect a redshirt for Aubrey Phillips and true freshman Andre Harris at 6′3″ 325.  Hopefully, Coach Grimes has been busy poor-mouthing the backups in order to get them motivated for playing time.  The numbers and the size are there.  But, as long as the injury bug stays away from this unit, that won’t be a worry and the O-line should be one of the better groups in the conference.

Taint: The In Between Meat

by: AWK

The first ever calling of the taint has occurred.  I woke up this morning and walked outside wearing no pants, and coincidentally the weather was surprisingly cool…on my taint.  The air smelled of freshly cut grass and it reminded me of football season.  My taint began to tingle.  I decided to take a drive down a country road and think about things, with no pants of course.  The drive was taintastic and I knew the football season was right around the corner.   So in honor of Chris Todd, Nick Saban, Brett Favre, and all things taint, I now officially call the taint.  For those of you that don’t know, this means that football season has arrived.  So, for traditions sake, walk around with no pants on today…treat your taint to the open road…or just punch your significant other in the taint.  Remember guys, War Damn Eagle, and O N E Taint at a Time. You might wonder just what the taint is, and how it affects humanity….feel free to inquire and ask the taint master himself AWK in our forums.

A better comparison?

By: Chizad

When Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel had the audacity to compare Urban Meyer to Bear Bryant Almighty, it ruffled Paul Finebaum’s feathers. He found it his civic duty to write not  one, but two articles obsessing over how blasphemous and sacrilegious it was to make such a claim. He then used it as an opportunity to drive the inane conversations of the inbred callers on his show for weeks, who were of course equally outraged.

I’m taking a page from Finebaum’s book. I too am going to take an article that I have recently read in which the author compares a head coach of whom I’m not a fan with a beloved figure, and obsess over how ridiculously stupid I think the comparison is.

Ray Melick recently compared Nick Saban to Batman.

He concludes his internal debate by pointing out that Nick Saban can’t be Superman, because he’s pretty sure that Saban is human, unlike the man of steel. Therefore, he’s more like Batman. A regular human being who maximizes the opportunities he was given to still be a superhero.

Meanwhile, back at the Bat Cave, Bruce Feldman at ESPN has ranked Saban as the #1 villain in all of college football.

Bruce wrote:

In our recent ESPN The Magazine survey of college players, Saban was the runaway top answer to the question, “Who is the last coach you’d want to play for based on what you know?” In fact, Saban was named almost twice as often as any other coach. Apparently, word from some Tide players has circulated. “Guys never have anything good to say about him,” one SEC player said.

Whoops. That doesn’t sound too much like Batman.

I guess a more fitting comparison for Nick Saban would be the Joker. Public Enemy #1 amongst Batman villains.

I could totally see him stabbing someone in the neck with a quill at a press conference.

And while Melick hesitantly conceded that Saban is in fact a mere human being, most Bama fans are reluctant to do so.

If there’s a coach in this state who is optimizing the hand he’s dealt this year, it’s got to be Gene Chizik. Chizik inherited an unfavorable environment. Think of a 5-7 record last year as a Gotham City overrun by evil doers. He had to earn the respect of a resistant fanbase, much like how Batman was not immediately trusted by the people of Gotham. Batman has the awesome Batmobile, Chizik has awesome limos. Ok, now I’m stretching.

But while history has yet to be written on Chizik’s success at Auburn, most Auburn fans will agree that so far in his nine-month offseason, he’s done his share to save the day.

Besides, if Saban is the Joker, who else would be Batman? Lane Kiffin? Give me a break. Kiffin is a better fit for Jim Carrey’s whimsically maniacal portrayal of The Riddler.

Not only is Chizik inherently the good guy by simply being Auburn’s head coach, more importantly he has the chiseled chin that just looks right under that mask.

By: Harvey Birdman

Observations from my La-Z-Boy armchair on the linebackers.

It’s been said numerous times when analyzing this year’s version of the Auburn Tigers, that barring a rash of injuries, the first teamers should be able to line up with just about anybody.  Lack of depth seems to be the catch phrase for 2009 and no truer words were ever spoken in reference to the linebacking corp.  Following Spring practice and the fall camp reports, it appears the starters will be:

Josh Bynes 6′2″ 239

Craig Stevens 6′3″ 223

Eltoro Freeman 5′11″ 222

Bynes and Stevens have a wealth of experience and Freeman, an original signee and JUCO transfer, comes in with all the stars and hype anyone could ever want in a player.  Recent reports have him sidelined temporarily with a cast on his hand and hamstring problem.  However, if the reports on his play are to be believed, Freeman could wind up being the player Auburn thought it was getting in the “Little Ball of Hate”.

Last year, when Blackmon was hit with the latest in a long line of nagging injuries and off-field problems, Josh Bynes got his opportunity to step into the limelight.  After only a few games, it became apparent that his name was being called on virtually every play around the line of scrimmage.  The man was consistent and seemingly in on every play.  While we watched and waited for Blackmon to produce Superman, highlite reel plays…Josh Bynes was steadily making tackle after tackle.  And, at 240 lbs. he’s got the size in the middle that Auburn hasn’t had in…well, forever.

After these 3, things tend to get a bit sketchy.  Part time player in 08′, Spencer Pybus, came into camp bulked up to 215 but concussion problems have sidelined him the entire month and he may just now be ready to get back to practice. Pybus is a guy I truly believe could make a huge name for himself at Auburn if he remains healthy.  Unbelievably strong for his size, he’s that guy everyone overlooked out of high school and signed as an afterthought.  When you look at his stats from his senior year at 6A Northview, you realize this kid had 80 bwazzillion tackles and wonder why he wasn’t more highly recruited.  True freshman, Harris Gaston, at 6′1″ 219 has been getting multiple reps in the preseason.  He’s the type of player that while talented, you’d love to redshirt and let him grow and learn.  Auburn does not have that luxury.  They have also been trying 6′4″ 220 DE Dee Ford at LB due to the attrition problem but recent reports have him moving back to the end position.

Adam Herring was also counted on to step into a back up roll but injuries have made him a non-factor as well.  So, who does Auburn have to fall back on should the injury bug hit any of the above?

Wade Christopher 6′1″ 215

Watson Downs 6′ 219

Ashton Richardson 6′ 190

I think light contact until the Sept. 5th opener might just be in order.  Thoughts?

How will the D-Line Fair for 2009?

By: Harvey Birdman

I’ll start today with our D-linemen. On our Defensive line, I show the following payers who will obviously be in the rotation and some guys who will be backups and/or contribute. I see these 4 rotating on the interior.

Mike Blanc 6′4″ 288
Zack Clayton 6′3″ 281
Jake Ricks 6′4″ 292
Nick Fairley 6′5″ 293

Backup could come from

Derrick Lykes 6′2 284
Jamar Travis 6′0 308

Blanc, Ricks and Clayton all have a wealth of experience and I feel great about them.  Fairley comes in with good size and credentials but still an unknown with no SEC experience.  I hated losing Jomarcus Savage, which really left us thin in the numbers department.  Certainly, you’d like to have a couple more guys to plug in but if they’re still running a 4-3 (I’m making a big assumption there because I don’t know what Roof runs) you realistically need 4-5 guys ready to consistently go in and out of the game.  Lykes had a good spring and of course, Travis is a true freshman.  I can’t see Travis redshirting with the possibility of being in the rotation right off the bat if we get a couple of guys banged up.  We have decent size across the front but I still would like to have that 300+ lb. guy to stuff the middle.

The ends are a big strength with tons of talent coming back.  You definitely have to start with preseason All-American in many publications, Antonio Coleman.  To me, Coleman makes the huge, athletic plays while Michael Goggans is about as consistent as any end I’ve seen at Auburn.  I’m also ready for Antoine Carter to have a real breakout year.  He came to Auburn at about 225 and was unblockable, getting a lot of PT early.  He’s put on a lot of weight and I’m wondering if he might be better off in the 235-240 range.  As it looks right now, the ends go:

Antonio Coleman: 6′3 261
Michael Goggans 6′3″ 257
Antoine Carter 6′4″ 263
Cameron Henderson 6′5″ 230
Nosa Eguae 6′2 244

On another note, I haven’t heard squat about Gabe McKenzie this year.  He moved back to TE late last year but I thought he played very well at DE during his time there.  Anyone know if he’s still in the mix on either side of the ball?  He’s a beast of an athlete so I hope they find a place for him.

Auburn From Google Earth

Believe it or not, an Alabama fan will actually make the claim that Tuscaloosa is nicer and/or more aesthetically pleasing than Auburn. You can’t really blame them. I’m sure Pistons Fans think Detroit is a beautiful city as well.

To add to this confusion, the most vocal group of Alabama fans are the ones who have never actually stepped foot in the city, let alone attended college there. They have only heard folk tales from their gran-pappy about a magical land in which the rivers flow with houndstooth patterned water and Bear Bryant sits at the golden gates only allowing the most ardent of Alabama fans into his wondrous kingdom.

So allow me to put this “debate” to rest once and for all.

Exhibit A:

Tuscaloosa From Google Earth

See the images from Google Earth presented along the left side of this post.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Exhibit B:

Recently, the city of Auburn was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Top 10 best places to live in the United States.

Two weeks later, the city of Tuscaloosa recieved some national attention of its own.

The Associated Press ran a story about how living there can cause you to develop cancer from breathing the toxic fumes that emanate from the city.

So remember, recruits. You can spend the next four years of your life at one of the top 10 nicest cities in the United States, or get cancer.

By: Harvey Birdman

With the second of the three seasons of college football behind us (Recruiting, Spring Football and Football Season) it’s time to take stock in some of the things that came out in Spring Practice and where this program appears to be headed. Mind you, this is merely the observations and perceptions of this feeble minded author who is still waiting to coach his first college football game.  Most of the insight into the current state of the program comes from the Spring game itself.  Coach Chizik purposely kept a fairly tight lid on the actual practices leading up to the glorified scrimmage at JHS on April 18th.  Approximately 45,000 fans were treated to a short, but very entertaining show that featured a glimpse of the new offense under OC Gus Malzahn and served to answer some questions, but raise a few more.

The two most burning questions in my mind centered around the quarterback position and who might step forward as a playmaker on offense, something sorely lacking in 2008.  Injuries forced the quarterback race down to two in Kodi Burns and Neil Caudle.  I doubt very seriously that question number one was answered; however, if it were based on that one performance, our starter in 09′ would be Caudle.  For the first time in the few occasions I’ve had the opportunity to watch him perform, Caudle looked sharp and comfortable in the offense.  Granted, logic would tell you that they were running a base version of Coach Malzahn’s offense, but if his scheme does not require the QB to make numerous reads and go through countless progressions…in other words, break the huddle knowing what option one and option two will be and just distribute the ball….Neil Caudle might possibly be the man to run the show.  Maybe!  Unfortunately, Burns did nothing in my mind to show he had progressed any from 2008.  But again, it was just one game.

The issue of playmakers may have been answered through the size and intensity of Mario Fannin and the emergence of newcomer Onterio McCalebb.  Late in 2008, Fannin produced several highlite reel plays.  He came into this Spring several pounds bigger and apparently, stronger.  Keep in mind that it was in fact a Spring game and most of the scrimmage pitted the first strings against the seconds.  However, that didn’t take away from the fact that Mario Fannin obviously came to play and easily proved himself to be the leader of this offense.  Throughout the Spring, we heard reports that Onterio McCalebb consistently made eye opening plays, breaking several long runs.  The fans in attendance weren’t disappointed as he continued his good work, displaying quickness and true break away speed that has been missing from the backfield for some time.  Listed at 165, he certainly cannot stand the rigors of an every down back in the SEC, but that shouldn’t be an issue with the experienced Ben Tate carrying the bulk of the load at tailback.  It was hard to find any fault in Tate’s performance as well, with the senior to be looking fast and running with confidence.

It appears that Malzahn’s system and the receivers getting some actual coaching, will not require anybody to be Superman from the wide receiver spot.  Numerous times, the same plays were run in the scrimmage with the exact same pattern run by multiple receivers…each time with some success.  Auburn did not recruit a group of rejects at that position.  There’s plenty of talent there. They just need some direction and a system to thrive in.  Hopefully, this will be the one.  The starters across the front on offense have put the weight back on that Tony Franklin insisted they lose.  6′8″ Lee Ziemba is finally listed over 300 lbs. for the first time in his Auburn career.  Ryan Pugh, Mike Berry, Andrew McCain etc. are all big, physical and experienced.  They’ve been to war on the biggest stages college football has to offer.  The issue is finding 3-4 solid backups.  This could in fact, be a huge issue.

Defensively, not much needs to be said other than stressing my feelings from the earlier article.  The starters at every position are guys I’d gladly line up against anybody in the country.  Eltoro Freeman looks to be the instant impact player we all thought Trey Blackmon would be.  But, like the offensive line, a few key injuries could very possibly devestate this unit.  There’s a ton of “Potential” behind the starters, but very few proven performers.  Overall, I think this team is not in as bad a shape as some of the media “Experts” would have us believe.  But, I can’t let go of my glass-half-empty anxiety over what a few injuries might do to this team.  Until I see Jomarcus Savage or Andre Wadley or any number of DB’s get it done on Fall Saturdays, I’ll still be holding my breath.

So, Summer workouts begin soon and the team learns to develop and gel a little more under this new staff.  Meanwhile, the new staff is continuing it’s in-your-face style of recruiting.  As of yesterday, “Tiger Prowl”, the 7 member limo tour is officially underway.  A bit gimmicky?  A little cornball?  Maybe…maybe not.  But, their early assault on Mobile area schools yielded some very positive comments from top recruits.  This comes on the heels of the top two running backs in the nation raving about their visit to Teh Planes and vaulting Auburn to the top of their lists.  Will it net results come February 2010?  Time will tell.  However, while I may cast a wary eye towards an all-orange limo tour, I fully realize that I have an 18 year old daughter myself…which firmly establishes that I have no earthly idea what appeals to kids.  Not a clue!  Maybe this staff does. And somewhat of an analogy comes to mind when I think about the antics of Lane Kiffin in his short tenure at Tennessee.  I have heard more than a few comments from UT faithful who say, “Whether you agree or disagree with his tactics, Kiffin is doing everything possible to make people take notice of Tennessee again.”

I’d say a quick look at the final tally on UT’s recruiting class, shows he’s off to a damn good start.  In their own way, Chizik and his staff appear to be taking a similar approach in saying, “You may point and laugh now, but you WILL have to deal with us later.”  There are many who simply cannot bring themselves to jump on Gene Chizik’s bandwagon, if there even is such a thing.  The confusing selection for Auburn’s head coach still has some entrenched in their foxhole, awaiting the impending doom and end of Auburn Football as we know it.  Whether or not Mr. Chizik is assembling and directing a program that will make Auburn a player on the national scene again…only time will tell. But, whatever happens won’t be for lack of effort and innovation.  The next couple of years should be quite a ride.

By: Harvey Birdman

Will Coach Chizik impersonate Old Mother Hubbard?

In evaluating Gene Chizik after this upcoming season, regardless of what happens, I think we’re going to have to take a lot of other factors into account besides wins and losses.  CTT came in and lead a rag tag bunch to a 5-6 record and was just a few plays and a bone headed coaching decision from 8 wins and a bowl.  In my mind, it was one of the top coaching jobs of his entire tenure at Auburn.  That team was literally void of any real talent and experience.  One thing about his final few years that concerned me though, was a perceived change in his recruiting tactics.  I know it’s been hashed out time and time again; however, what I saw was a coach and staff that had become complacent, comfortable if you will.  There were few if any battles for the top rated talent.  Sunshine pumpers defended Tuberville’s knack for “Finding diamonds in the rough”.  The two star, 190 lb. linebacker who “Camped well” that will come in, redshirt and Yoxercise for a year had become the norm.

As last year grinded to a close, I argued several times that the problem could stem back to the failed Franklin experiment, but probably lay more at the feet of poor recruiting.  Other than Mario Fannin stepping up in a couple of games late, name ONE true playmaker on that squad.  Name one receiver that could beat anyone deep, much less catch the ball if he did.  Name any back besides Mario that gave you anything to make you believe he could take it to the house…ever.  Name one QB that could start for Troy.  The same guys are back and realistically, our hope rests on a new staff, a new system and possibly a new attitude.  Several signees coming in look to have potential to be studs but you don’t really have much if you’re counting on kids who haven’t even enrolled, much less played a down of SEC ball.

In looking at the roster, the departure of Kyle Coulahan, who never played a down, leaves Auburn with about 7-8 scholarship offensive linemen.  (That doesn’t include incoming freshmen). In typical Tuberville fashion, several defensive guys are now listed as O-linemen, including AJ Green.  Defensively, I’d go to war against anyone in the country with our starters.  After that….it’s a little scary!  Our defensive ends are solid and 2 deep with Coleman, Carter, Goggans Gabe McKenzie (If he’s on the team…and back playing defense) Once heralded Raven Gray is no longer listed on the roster.  Our guys in the middle are big, physical and experienced with Jake Ricks, Mike Blanc and Zach Clayton.  Name anyone besides a handful of redshirt freshmen behind them.

Linebackers…Josh Bynes, Craig Stevens and Eltoro Freeman look to be one hell of a unit but keep in mind, Freeman hasn’t played a down of SEC ball either and behind them….Spencer Pybus, Adam Herring and Dashaun Barnes?  Who else?  Only one of them has even part time playing experience.  Fortunately, our numbers are strong throughout the secondary.  But, the point of all this is, we’ve got to hope this staff finds some playmakers or implements a system that truly catches the league off guard.  We’ve got to have an injury free year for the most part because the numbers in the trenches and at linebacker just aren’t there.

Any way you slice it, Tuberville’s recruting has put this program in a very precarious situation.  I know this is a glass half empty analysis but facts are facts.  I’m as bad as anyone in breaking down an Auburn team going into any given year and drinking the kool-ade to the point that I’m wondering how an NFL team could beat them.  But, while this team has talent, they don’t have a lot of it and you have to have numbers to compete for titles in this league.  I also tend to think the SEC will be stronger overall this year with LSU, UT and Georgia  (All on our schedule) being improved..and let’s not forget Ole Miss, who suddenly is a legit playa in the West.  Of course, we can’t leave out the mighty CrimpsumTahd, who will most certainly secure the 279th Nayshunal Champeenship for the Crapstone…but I digress.

What we saw out of Chizik’s staff when they came in late, was what Tommy Tuberville and his guys should have been doing all along.  Instead, they quit going in the living rooms of top rated, high profile kids and held camps to find a good many of the players on our roster.  It told on him last season.  I was just as WTF as anyone when Gene Chizik was hired.  But, regardless of whether Chizik or Pete Carroll or Nick Saban or Bob Stoops was our coach, my expectations still would not be that high going in to 09′.  Let this new staff continue their ways for a year or two more on the recruting trail, then I’m talking BCS.  Right now, I want to get to a bowl.