(Photo credit: Todd Van Emst)

It’s always fun getting a chance to catch up with Auburn’s recruiting czar Curtis Luper.

Namely because there might not be a person in Lee County with more knowledge/opinions about the NBA than Luper.

I like that, considering I’m a diehard Cleveland Cavaliers fan and follow the Association with passion. I don’t like that Luper thinks the Lakers will repeat this season because he said that last year and, well, he was right.

I talked with Luper on the record for about 15 minutes this afternoon with the heavy focus on Auburn’s upcoming recruiting ventures, including the returns of Tiger Prowl and Big Cat Weekend. Here’s a sneak peek of the Q&A, which will run in tomorrow’s Opelika-Auburn News.

(Why do Big Cat again?)
“Coach Chiz wants to make those events annual so if it warrants it being an annual event, we think it did so we’re going to do it again.“

(The theme still going to be less on football and more on fun?)
“That’s the uniqueness. As a staff, we sat down and said ‘How can we be different?‘ You know, we made it a social event. That’s what those guys like.“

(You know the last one was going to be as big as it was?)
“We really were fortunate in the quality of athlete that we were able to attract. It headed off well. We were surprised by the success and the quality of it and the response from players that were there, players that weren’t there, players this year that want to be there. We were, and are and continue to be surprised by the effectiveness of it all.“

(Any hesitation to keep the name?)
“No. None whatsoever. It is a Big Cat Weekend and it will continue to be a Big Cat Weekend.“

(And Tiger Prowl is back, too)
“It’s a lot more than just a limo. It was an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to the state of Alabama and to get to know the teachers, players, coaches, administrators in this state. Coach Chizik, coach (Phillip) Lolley and coach (Tracy) Rocker were the only ones that spent a significant amount of time in this state. The rest of us needed to get to know the state and I thought it really helped us to learn about the state and we’ll do it again this year with the same intent. Obviously, we’ll go out and see prospective student athletes but it’s still about the people. We love meeting the people, students and teachers and principals.“

(Alabama’s stacked roster in any way an advantage to Auburn’s recruiting endeavors?)
“We’ll find an advantage every way. We’ll find an advantage for us. But Auburn is a great sell. Coach Chizik is an easy sell for us and me in particular. This university can sell itself. I think the players saw the way our players played this year. I think that helped us in recruiting immensely and I think it’s overlooked. We played with a lot of stick-to-it-tiveness. People say we won some games that we shouldn’t have and we were in games we shouldn’t have been. I think that players can see the way we play, they get on campus and they see the interaction with our coaches and see that it is truly an Auburn family. I think those are the factors that really aided us in having a really quality class this year.“

For more, pick up a copy of the Opelika-Auburn News … or continue getting it for free on the Internet. It’s on your conscience.

Auburn vs. Northwestern in the 2010 Outback Bowl

By now you already know that Auburn accepted a bid to play in Tampa on New Year’s Day in the 2010 Outback Bowl.  Auburn will be going bowling again after missing last season’s festivities with its 5-7 record. Starting the season 5-0had most Auburn fans flying high.  However, they were quickly brought back to earth finishing the season 2-5 and  leading most fans to believe that there were definitely positives and negatives for Coach Gene Chizik’s first season. The combination of fan support and a strong showing in the Alabama game helped to convince Outback Bowl officials that Auburn was the 7-5 team they wanted.

Auburn’s opponent will be the 8-4 Northwestern Wildcats. The Wildcats come into the game riding a 3 game winning streak including wins over some pretty impressive opponents (Iowa and Wisconsin). In case you don’t know who or what Northwestern is, I present to you my cheat sheet to the Outback Bowl:

Northwestern University
2009 Overall Record: 8-4
Nickname: Wildcats
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Founded: 1851
Conference: Big Ten (Record 5-3, Tied 3rd Place)
Colors: Purple and White
Students: Approx: 18,208
Mascot: Willie the Wildcat

Athletics:

Coach: Pat Fitzgerald

Notable Players:
Mike Kafka, QB, Senior
Corey Wootten, DL, Senior
Sherrick McManis, CB, Senior

Rankings:

Total Offense: 57 (avg: 386 y/pg)
Scoring Offense: 76 (25.17 p/pg)
Total Defense: 43 (avg: 344 ya/pg)
Scoring Defense: 48 (23.3 pa/pg)

Schedule:

Northwestern’s football team has a history of futility; its all-time record is 468-614-44 (0.435) giving it the all-time record for Division I-A losses.^{[133][134][135]} Other dubious distinctions include being on the losing end of the greatest comeback in Division I-A history^[136] and holding the record for the longest losing streak in Division I-A, losing 34 consecutive games between 1979 and 1982.^[137][138] In 2004, Northwestern broke a 33-year losing streak (46 years at home) by defeating No. 7-ranked Ohio State 33-27.^[139] Although the team was invited to the 1996 Rose Bowl, 1997 Citrus Bowl, 2000 Alamo Bowl, 2003 Motor City Bowl, 2005 Sun Bowl, and 2008 Alamo Bowl, the last bowl game Northwestern won was the 1949 Rose Bowl.^[140] Following the sudden death of football coach Randy Walker in 2006,^[141]31-year old and former All-American Northwestern linebacker Pat Fitzgerald assumed the position becoming the youngest Division I FBS coach at the time.**

**Courtesy of Wikipedia

Outback Bowl Information
Date: January 1, 2010
Location: Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, FL
Time: 11 a.m. kickoff (ET)
Stadium Capacity: 65,657
Title Sponsor: Outback Steakhouse
Network: ESPN
Teams: Big Ten 3rd pick vs. SEC 3rd pick
Payout: $3.3 million (minimum) per team

Buy Auburn Outback Bowl Tickets: Here

Outback Bowl Events: Outback Bowl Official Website

Lets put Neil in, he can't be any worse. Right?...Right?!?

By: Kevin Strickland

In the aftermath of another abysmal, soul-wrecking performance, the now 5-3 Auburn Tigers are searching for silver linings in some very dark clouds.

Lets get this out of the way. There is almost nothing positive to take from the 31-10 thrashing delivered by LSU Saturday night. Search if you will, but there are no silver linings. There are no bronze linings. There are no linings of any color, only clouds. Menacing clouds.

If there’s any solace at all to be wrung from the shockingly bad display, it would be that career backup quarterback Neil Caudle came off the bench when the outcome was decided, played with enthusiasm and reckless abandon and made plays that neither starter Chris Todd or designated “wildcat” Kodi Burns have shown any recent capability of making.

If you’re looking for some small glimmer of hope, tailback Ben Tate still runs the ball like he’s on a mission. He picked up 76 yards on 18 carries — not nearly enough.

If you’re trying to find that needle of encouragement in a haystack of despair, Mario Fannin acts like it means something to him. Unfortunately, Fannin doesn’t get enough touches to make a major impact.

There’s no getting around the simple fact that Auburn is a bad football team. What’s worse is that the Tigers have steadily gotten worse as the season progressed.

The Bayou beatdown may have been the single worst effort by an Auburn football team in decades. It’s definitely in the conversation.

Another writer recently chastised those who characterized Auburn’s 5-0 start as a mirage, noting that a mirage, by definition, indicates seeing something that isn’t there.

After the collapse in the last three weeks, mirage may be the most fitting term. Caught up in the relief of a 5-0 start, it was easy for hopeful Tiger fans to see things that weren’t really there while looking past the things that were staring them directly in the face.

Yes, Auburn is a bad football team. The Tigers were incredibly fortunate to reel off five wins to start the season. In retrospect, Auburn could easily have lost to both Tennessee and West Virginia. Luck has run out.

Good football teams do not bog themselves down with sensless penalties. A week after a series of absurd penalties in the fourth quarter killed what would likely have been a game-clinching drive and later an attempt to tie, Auburn was flagged seven times for 64 yards against LSU. Three of those penalties, including two 15-yarders, came on LSU’s opening drive — a scoring march that put Auburn in a hole from which it never recovered.

Penalties are a matter of discipline — something this Auburn team is suddenly lacking, and something that can be laid squarely at the feet of the coaching staff.

Good football teams do not turn the ball over. Two fumbles and an interception were costly against LSU.

Good football teams do not outcoach themselves. Auburn’s first possession of the game showed promise.

Two scrambles by Todd and a designed run from Burns moved the chains.

Running back Ben Tate ripped off a nine-yard blast to near mid field. On second down and one, Burns came back on and launched an awkward laser that had zero chance of being caught by Mario Fannin.

On third and one, a slow-developing handoff to Tate was stuffed for no gain.

In the confusion over whether to go for the first or punt, the Tigers were flagged for a false start.

Auburn punted and confidence wilted.

After LSU scored on the penalty-aided drive, the Tiger offense again failed to convert a third and one.

Confidence gone.

Hey Auburn here is a suggestion: Maybe Mario should run the Wildcat.

Good football teams do not finish with less than 100 yards in a half. Auburn managed a mere 42 yards in the first two quarters, six of that coming on the last play of the half.

It may be too early to declare that offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s system will not translate to SEC play, but if you can’t write it in ink you can definitely jot it down it in pencil.

Back in early September, Chizik cautioned about putting too much stock into Auburn’s early effectiveness under Malzahn.

“Right now its effective simply because there are some new things off of it that we can do,” he said then. “After four or five weeks, now, you run out of things and you just got to execute better than the other guy.”

Change Chizik’s first name to Nostradamus. Week five opponent Tennessee slowed the Auburn offense drastically. Since then, it’s gone nowhere.

Auburn certainly isn’t executing better than the other guy.

You could make a compelling case that the five-win string aside, Auburn’s offense under Malzahn is even less effective than it was under the heckled Tony Franklin. His performance was considered so bad he was ejected from the program in mid-season and suffered the ignominy of the media snapping photos of him carting his belongings to his car after being summarily booted.

In Malzahn’s apparent desire to get as many hands on the ball as he can, his overcoaching seems to drown continuity. Auburn once estabilshed its reputation by handing the ball to its backs 30 or more times a game, relentlessly wearing out opposing defenses.

It worked for Carnell Williams, Rudi Johnson, James Joseph, Brent Fullwood, Kenny Irons, Bo Jackson and a host of other Tiger backs.

Tate wants to carry the team. It might not be a bad idea to let him. It is readily apparent that Todd is incapable of doing so.

Good football teams do not choke against the worst defenses in the SEC and allow the worst offenses in the SEC to gash them.

Arkansas was among the worst in the league on defense when the Hogs abused the Tiger offense and rendered it completely impotent.

LSU was statistically one of the worst offenses in the SEC when it passed and ran with abandon over the Tiger stopping unit.

Auburn is simply a bad football team. There’s no way to sugar coat it.

Depth may be a valid issue, but depth isn’t the problem on the first drive of the game. Depth doesn’t commit ridiculous penalties that kill drives or extend those of the opponent.

During the three-game losing streak the Tiger coaching staff seems to have no concept how to correct the issues that plague the team week after week.

The defensive schemes employed by coordinator Ted Roof are horrific. Receivers are given enormous cushions and are routinely wide open across the middle and on the corners.

Tackling fundamentals are poor and get worse week by week.

The Tennessee Volunteers under first year coach Lane Kiffin may not make a bowl, but you can see the team gradually improving. Each outing is slightly better than the last.

Same for Mississippi State and new head coach Dan Mullen.

On the same day Auburn was being made to look like chumps against an overrated LSU team, Kiffin’s Volunteers had a legitimate chance to knock off second-ranked Alabama and Mullen’s Bulldogs kept top-ranked Florida on the ropes for three quarters.

Both the Vols and Dogs acquitted themselves far better than the Tigers.

Chizik is precariously close to losing the team as evidenced by the expressions captured on the sidelines in the fourth quarter.

Chizik adopted “Do What We Do” as the team’s unofficial slogan. That was great when what the Tigers were doing was working.

What will Chizik do when doing what he does continues to fail? So far, he has no answer.

Good Morning Football: Auburn vs. the Piggies

By: Kevin Strickland

Will tomorrow’s early morning start be a wake-up call for the resurgent Auburn Tigers or will the Arkansas Razorbacks hit the snooze button on another SEC season?

All signs point to a high noon (well high elevenish at least) wild SEC West shootout. When the dust clears in the streets of Fayetteville tomorrow afternoon, one gunslinger will put a sixth notch on his pistol while the other crumples to a fatal 0-3 league sprawl.

Auburn will dodge the Mallet bullets, and utilize the Gatling gun, Gus Malzahn-directed offensive arsenal of Chris Todd, Ben Tate, Onterrio McCalebb, Darvin Adams, Mario Fannin, Tommy Trott and Terrell Zachary to shoot down the hopes of the ‘Hogs.

If you listen really closely right now you can hear the squealing. “What about Arkansas’ offense,” it goes. “We don’t just have Mallett, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, Jarius Wright and Michael Smith. We can score too!”

Yes, Hog fans, you do have those weapons. Arkansas has scored points in bunches this season.

Here’s the rub. Arkansas has only faced one SEC-level defense so far this season: Alabama. How did the Razorbacks fare against the Tide? Seven points.

Mallet threw 41 passes and completed only 16 for 191 yards. As a team Arkansas rushed for a meager 63 yards.

Nobody’s saying the Auburn defense is akin to the 17th Annual Crimson Tide “As Good as 1992″ defense. It’s probably not in the same neighborhood at this point.

Auburn is in the SEC, however. Despite some obvious flaws and some busted assignments, the Tiger stopping unit is better than any of the rest of the teams Arkansas has played to this point.

Texas A&M on whom the ‘Hogs dumped 47 points? The Aggies are 75th in the country in total defense despite having played only New Mexico State, Utah State and UAB before venturing to Arkansas.

Here’s another eye opener. Utah State punished A&M, racking up 521 total yards on the Aggies. USU rolled up 334 of those through the air. It makes Mallett’s highlight-filled day against A&M just a little less impressive.

Georgia’s 64th in the nation in total defense. Missouri State? Well, they’re 1-AA.

The other problem is that the Razorbacks are one-dimensional. Through four games, against highly suspect competition, the ‘Hogs have failed to establish any rushing game to speak of. As a team, Arkansas has a total of just over 500 yards.

The Hogs rushed for 155 total yards against Georgia, 63 against Alabama, and 163 against Texas A&M.

When you look at it like that, Arkansas’ offense isn’t quite as frightening.

If Auburn’s defense stops the run game and puts even limited pressure on Mallett, it could be a long afternoon for the Hogs. Conversely, if the Tigers opt not to pressure Mallett and give him ample time to stand in the pocket, he does have the capacity to pick the secondary apart.

As criticized as the Auburn defense has been, and the Tigers have suffered their share of slings and arrows, it is ranked higher than any defense (other than Alabama) Arkansas has faced this season. The Tigers weigh in at 53rd.

Auburn will contain Arkansas, not stop them completely.

The question then becomes how the Tiger offense will fare against the Arkansas defense.

That’s when the shooting starts.

The ‘Hogs are currently ranked 97th in total defense. Only one team on Auburn’s schedule to this point is ranked lower – Ball State, a team the Tigers torched for 54 points.

Arkansas has not stopped anyone this season. The ‘Hogs have barely slowed them down. Texas A&M racked up 484 yards. Georgia posted 530. Alabama rolled for 425.

None of those teams have the offensive firepower Auburn has shown through four games.

Auburn trucked Tennessee for 459 yards in a game that was significantly more lopsided than the final score reflected. Tennessee was in the top ten in the nation defensively at the time the Tigers plowed through the Vols.

Auburn enters Saturday’s showdown ranked second in the nation in scoring offense, behind Texas. The Tigers are fifth in total offense.

A balanced attack is at the core of Malzah’s offense. Auburn split almost dead even at Tennessee, rushing for 224 and passing for 235.

Malzahn has also shown he isn’t afraid to play to what the defense gives him. When West Virginia sold out to stop the run, Malzahn called on Todd who lit up the Mountaineers for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

If the Razorbacks stuff the box to deny Tate and McCalebb, Todd has proven he has the tools to move the ball through the air.

There’s also this to consider.

Arkansas native Malzahn spent one controversy-filled season on the Razorback sideline.

Hired by Houston Nutt to implement his innovative offense but never fully given the reins, Malzahn departed for Tulsa. The split was acrimonious, divided the fanbase and may have helped hasten Nutt’s own departure from Arkansas a year later. Nutt’s critics note it was the only ten-win season of his Arkansas tenure.

Malzahn returned to his old stomping grounds last season as a member of the Golden Hurricane staff.

His Conference USA Tulsa squad posted 23 points and more than 500 yards of offense but were unable to take down his former employers. Arkansas prevailed 30-23.

The Golden Hurricanes had the ball at the Arkansas seven late in the game when a failed fourth down attempt derailed their bid to tie.

Malzahn has many more weapons at his disposal as offensive coordinator at Auburn than he did at Tulsa. He’s shown he knows how to use them.

Against Auburn’s defense, the Razorbacks will score. Against Arkansas’ defense, Malzahn’s Tigers will score more.

When the guns stop blazing on Saturday, Auburn will holster its pistol, wipe its brow and take a long swig from the 6-0 flask.

Enjoy the moment. There are much bigger and badder hombres kicking up dust on the horizon.

Auburn and it's fans riding high at 5-0

By: Kevin Strickland

The Auburn Tigers knocked off the Tennessee Volunteers 26-22 on Saturday night in Knoxville, surviving a 16-point Volunteer fourth quarter. While the Tigers answered a number of nagging questions in Rocky Top, others persist.

First the good news.

Auburn is 5-0. With a game against Furman still to come, the Tigers are all but assured a bowl game, which at the beginning of the season was considered a reasonable goal for 2009. Given the current state of the SEC, expectations for an upper tier bowl are now not unreasonable.

Tiger head coach Gene Chizik notched his first road win as a head coach in one of the most hostile environments in the league and in the process extended Auburn’s winning streak over its longtime rival.

Chizik’s young team proved it can maintain focus and thrive away from the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

It will be almost impossible for poll voters to ignore Auburn now. The Tigers should crack the poll for the first time since a loss to Arkansas slammed Auburn from the rankings on October 11 a year ago.

Auburn’s offense acquitted itself well against a Monte Kiffin-directed Tennessee defense that had clamped down on the Florida Gators and was expected to provide a significant challenge to a resurgent Tiger offense.

Auburn moved the ball significantly better against Tennessee than did the nation’s number one team, Florida. The Tigers put up better numbers despite the efforts of more than 100,000 Volunteer fans in Knoxville. Florida had the luxury of taking down the Vols at home.

Auburn piled up 459 total yards on Rocky Top. Florida managed just 323.

Running back Ben Tate continued to chew up the opposition, rolling up 128 yards on 25 carries. On one highlight-reel quality hit, Tate lowered his shoulder and sent All American safety Eric Berry pinwheeling into a backward slide.

If that doesn’t give you pause, try to wrap your mind around this:

Tiger quarterback Chris Todd outperformed Florida Heisman Trophy winner (and presumed favorite unless you’re Lou Holtz and have an unhealthy obsession with all things Notre Dame) Tebow.

Todd was 19 of 32 passing for 218 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw an interception and wasn’t sacked. Against the Vols, Tebow threw for a meager 115 yards. He was sacked three times and was picked off once. Florida’s superman did rush for 105 yards on 24 attempts, but that’s not the role Todd is required to play.

Nobody’s cranking up a Todd for Heisman campaign yet, but the Auburn quarterback has numbers that rank near the top of the SEC in every significant category. Todd is second in the league in yards per game with an average of 246. He’s fourth in passing efficiency.

He is cool and efficient in running offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s game plan. Todd took his lumps against Tennessee as the Vols brought pressure and hit Todd often. He took the punishment and delivered despite the beating he suffered.

The special teams gaffes that plagued the Tigers in all four games were non-existent on Saturday. Onterrio McCalebb’s kickoff returns were electric.

His fourth-quarter return flipped field position and provided the Tigers momentum that should have finished off the Volunteers.

Auburn did no damage on punt returns but that includes damage to itself which has been a weekly occurrence. Fair catches ruled the day and while they limited field position with four coming inside the Tiger 20, there were no muffs or bobbles.

Wes Byrum continued solid place-kicking work, hitting four of five field goals.

Wes Byrum continues to be a foot above, helping Auburn win at Tennessee

Overall, it was a fairly thorough domination and a game Auburn never seemed in jeopardy of losing control over.

At the very least, the Tigers established themselves as a team that will require attention by the rest of the SEC.

Now for the bad. And it’s not all bad.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the game should not have been nearly as close as the final score reflected.

Auburn’s performance was much more dominant than it would appear on the surface. The Tigers wasted several opportunities to drive a stake through Tennessee’s heart. Auburn should have put Tennessee away and finished with a 10-15 point differential instead of the final four-point spread.

As the Tigers navigate a progressively more difficult October schedule, Auburn can’t afford to waste scoring opportunities.

McCalebb dropped a pass in the end zone that should have been caught for one touchdown.

Late in the game, leading 23-16, Auburn had the ball inside the Tennessee five. Malzahn seemed to abandon his traditional method of attack content to drain the clock and kick a field goal for a 26-16 advantage with 34 seconds remaining.

Those two series alone would have been enough to turn a 26-22 win into a more typical for 2009 37-13 type spanking.

As it turned out, the field goal on the last offensive series was needed as Tennessee covered 79 yards in the final 34 seconds to tack on a consolation touchdown on the last play of the game.

There were worse final 34 second spans on Saturday. Georgia suffered one when LSU’s Charles Scott broke loose for a game-winning score.

But the worst of all came when Ball State allowed a long game-winning pass for a score in the waning seconds against Toledo.

Auburn didn’t suffer the ignominy that either the Bulldogs or Cardinals did, but still, the ease with which the Volunteers motored down the field as time ticked down is a concern.

Auburn’s defense played relatively well most of the game. The Tigers did an excellent job of containing Tennessee’s rushing attack, holding the Vols to 163 yards on the ground, well below their season average.

Tennessee opened the game with a 41-yard rush but that first series ended with a missed field goal. Nine of the next ten Volunteer possessions finished with a punt.

The lone exception was a seven-play 70 yard touchdown march at the end of the first half.

If you’re being honest, however, you have to acknowledge that many of the punting situations were caused as much by Tennessee miscues as they were outstanding Tiger defensive efforts.

Volunteer receivers dropped pass after pass. Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton threw in front of, over, behind and in front of open receivers.

Frustration was high. Just prior to the Vols late first half drive, ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews noted chaos on the Tennessee sideline with coaches and players having to be physically separated.

Yet Auburn could not take full advantage of the turmoil.

Tennessee players know better than to ask Crompton to pass the salt at dinner because it’s likely to be intercepted before it gets there. Crompton had at least one pick in every game dating back to his first pee-wee effort. But he didn’t have one Saturday.

Instead, Crompton had one of his best days as a Vol.

The much maligned Tennessee quarterback played like Tom Brady in the fourth quarter against Auburn after playing like Marsha Brady for most of the last two years.

Auburn took a 23-6 lead with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and appeared to have the game well in hand.

Despite the desperation of the situation the light went on for the Volunteer offense.

Tennessee churned 62 yards in seven plays, burning less than two minutes off the clock. Crompton, who’d shown all the finesse of a brick layer through three quarters caught fire. He hit four of five passes including a 31 yarder for a touchdown that trimmed Auburn’s lead to 23-13.

After a defensive stop, Crompton went back to work. He was six of 12 on a 72-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. Four of the six completions gave Tennessee a first down, including an 18-yard completion on fourth and six.

From 23-6, Tennessee closed to 23-16.

McCalebb’s return and the Byrum field goal that ended Auburn’s next possession effectively slammed the door, but in the final threeTennessee drives, Crompton went from being a liability to at least window shopping the hero’s cape.

He padded his stats with 64 yards on three completions in the final 34 seconds. Of his 259 total passing yards, 181 of them came in the fourth quarter.

Part of the reason for Crompton’s success was Auburn failed to pressure him. The Tigers didn’t register a sack and Auburn defenders were credited with a mere five hurries, a number that is probably generous.

Auburn managed to survive a revitalized Crompton over the final ten minutes of the game, but his success has to buoy the confidence of the Ryan Mallets, Jevan Sneads and Greg McElroys waiting down the road.

That’s a worry for next week.

Auburn is 5-0. The Tigers will likely be ranked for the first time in a calendar year when the polls come out today. Auburn is a virtual lock for a bowl game and probably a win or two away from getting New Year’s Day consideration. The positives far outweigh the negatives.

By: Kevin Strickland

The former champion lay battered and bruised on the canvas, belted to the ground by a faster opponent with a chip on his shoulder.

Months of conditioning and reconditioning, a complete change in attitude and approach led him precisely where he was the last time he’d battled this challenger — flat on his back.

In the stands, his family covered their eyes and screamed “Stop the fight!”

Not this time.

The former champion got to his feet and waded back in. More blows rained down.

The former champion took each shot, staggered but didn’t fall. Instead he taunted his opponent. “You ain’t so bad. You ain’t so bad. I ain’t even breathing hard.”

The champ took punch after punch, daring the opponent to knock him out.

When the challenger failed to bring him down, the ex champ went on the attack and felled his opponent with a barrage of shots to the head.

Music swelled, his family rushed to the ring. “Are you all right?” he was asked.

“Never better,” he replied. “Never better.”

The script for the final fight scene in Rocky 3? Yes.

Also a fitting parallel to Auburn’s 41-30 win over West Virginia Saturday night.

Cast Auburn in the role of Balboa, the former heavyweight champion. After ascending to the top of the sport, Balboa grew less focused. His skills diminished.

Like Balboa, the Auburn Tigers reached the height of the game in 2004, but had been slowly slipping since.

If Auburn is Balboa, West Virginia takes on the role of Lang.

The first time Balboa and Lang clash, the challenger is an underdog despite Balboa’s lackluster performances. Lang stuns Balboa, breaking his will, knocking him out and destroying the champion in humiliating fashion.

The first time Auburn and West Virginia duel the Mountaineers humble the Tigers 34-17 with a second half offensive barrage that leaves Auburn broken and battered.

In the aftermath of the first Balboa-Lang fight, Rocky loses his beloved manager. He connects with an old friend who retools his training regimen, reshapes his approach and turns him into a different fighter.

When the clock hit zero in Morgantown a year ago, the career of respected Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was effectively over. The Tigers connected with former defensive coordinator Gene Chizik who retooled the Tigers, brought in a different offensive philosophy under new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and turned the Tigers into a different team.

As the climactic battle unfolded, Lang hammered Balboa early, dropping him to the canvas twice and leading his wife, Adrian, to cover her eyes and beg for the fight to end.

In the first quarter on Saturday night West Virginia punished Auburn with a long pass to set up one score and a breakaway run for another. Before the Tigers could blink, they were in a 14-0 hole. In the stands, fans who had braved nearly four inches of rain and an hour delay were distraught.

Balboa rallied, daring Lang to hit him again and again, taking his best shots. In the corner, his trainer urged him “Eye of the Tiger, Rock. Take it to him, eye of the tiger.”

Auburn refused to quit. The Tigers took shot after shot, but would not back down.

“You ain’t so bad. You ain’t so bad.”

When West Virginia had given Auburn all it had, the Tigers struck back.

Eye of the Tiger.

As Rocky began his comeback, Adrian leaped to her feet and began to chant “Rocky, Rocky, Rocky…”

As Auburn delivered the knockout blow, Tiger fans picked up the chant “It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger.”

Are you all right Auburn?

Never better. Never better.

By: Kevin Strickland

Since Gene Chizik’s controversial hiring in December, Tiger fans have intently watched his progress, looking for signs that the malaise that plagued the program in the second half of 2008 will evaporate under his leadership.

We’ve seen him assemble a staff, meet with the media, recruit, make personnel decisions, deal with staff issues, handle disciplinary matters, and manage practices.

What we haven’t seen is how that will all translate to the field.

In five short days, Chizik will finally get the chance to show what his Auburn team can do where it counts. Everything he’s done since arriving in Auburn in December built toward this moment.

In the end, Chizik will be judged on how well his team performs, in terms of intangibles like effort and intensity, yes, but primarily on wins and losses.

It really doesn’t matter how well he dresses. It makes no difference what kind of press conference he runs. Whether he’s a great disciplinarian or passes out ice cream cones for drug and gun possession is of little consequence. It won’t matter whether he recruits in a limo or on a four-wheeler.

He can be an Armani suit-wearing, GQ cover model who makes the press swoon, is considered a father figure by his players, and recruits in a Lear jet.

He can be a petulant mini-tyrant who snaps at the media, wears a rumpled jumpsuit, and drives around in a 1940 Ford.

Few will care if the job gets done.

All that matters is whether Gene Chizik can win at Auburn.

Since arriving in Auburn, Chizik has done many things right. Most of his decisions, to this point, seem considered and deliberate.

With kickoff just days away, here are the good, the bad, and the ugly from Chizik’s first nine months.

The Good

Chizik’s staff was decisive in naming a starting quarterback and established a clear hierarchy.

When former Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin toyed with the media a year ago, refusing to name a starter and then unveiling his co-starter surprise on the Jumbotron before the first game, even the most unaware observer knew there were major issues.

Franklin’s refusal to name a clear starter stunted the development of both quarterbacks. Chizik not only named a starter, but he also named his backup. There are no questions, and the rest of the team knows where to look for a leader.

The Bad

The starter is Chris Todd. Haven’t we seen this movie before? Yes, his shoulder has supposedly been healed by surgery. Yes, he’s supposed to have a solid grasp of the game. But Todd looked abysmal far more often than he looked competent a year ago.

His fundamentals were poor. His speed is timed on a calendar. You can’t pin that all on a shoulder injury.

The Ugly

Todd unseated both Kodi Burns, once thought to be the heir apparent, and Neil Caudle despite both quarterbacks having all spring and summer to work on their game. It only took Todd nine practices to do so. Burns has been taken out of the quarterback rotation altogether.

Where Auburn once thought it had six quarterbacks, the truth is the team may have none.

The Good

Chizik has not brought Auburn negative press with his public comments as Lane Kiffin did at Tennessee. He’s remained low-key and largely out of the public eye.

The Bad

Chizik never really says much of anything when he does speak. His public comments are typically cliché-riddled and provide little insight. His performance at SEC media days was universally panned as boring.

The Ugly

Too often Chizik professes not to know about specific situations about which he should have knowledge, particularly injury progress and player status. He occasionally provides vague answers that either contradict what players and assistant coaches have already said or simply don’t address the issue at hand.

He would be better served to simply refuse to discuss certain situations than to make coy or misleading comments. Those only open the door to speculation.

The Good

Chizik’s coaching staff made news with out of the box thinking in terms of recruiting. The limousine tour, initially panned, received grudging praise when it did bring positive attention to the school. The “Big Cat” weekend drew more attention to Auburn and helped bring a bevy of sought after recruits to campus.

The Bad

Despite the initial splash, Auburn’s recruiting efforts have yet to land a true difference maker—the kind of recruit who can start a snowball effect. In the aftermath of the recruiting events there was rampant speculation that one or more of the bigger targets would commit and help bring momentum. That never materialized.

The Ugly

Recruiting is no longer a February enterprise. Most major schools already have the vast majority of their recruiting classes committed and are waiting on a few of the bigger names to round out the class and give them an added boost at the finish line. Auburn currently has 14 commits on the Rivals board.

Six SEC programs—LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina—rank ahead of the Tigers. Those six have an average of 16.5 commits. If recruiting ended today, Auburn would be outside the top 25, its worst finish in more than a decade, and trailing every primary rival.

If none of the major targets remaining on the Tiger board come through, the picture could be even bleaker.

The Good

When running back Eric Smith was involved in a parking lot altercation and charged with assault, Chizik apparently took proactive steps. Smith was not at practice, and it is not known when, or if, he will be back with the team.

This punitive action directly contrasted events at Auburn’s chief rival Alabama, where coach Nick Saban praised Courtney Upshaw as a “fine young man” and allowed him to remain at practice after he assaulted a female acquaintance.

In the long term, the willingness to do what’s right for the player and the team far outweighs the all-consuming desire to win at any cost. In the end, turning out quality individuals with a respect for the rules of society is a far greater calling than winning a football game.

The Bad

Auburn players rarely make the news for off-field incidents. In the 10 years of previous coach Tommy Tuberville’s tenure, you could count the number of incidents like this on one hand.

It’s troubling for Smith to be in that situation and put his career at risk.

Chizik, although he clearly addressed the situation and has held Smith out of practice, allowed the rumor mill to percolate because he did not adequately explain his method of handling Smith’s arrest, including when or if he would be back with the team.

The Ugly

Information on Smith’s arrest leaked out slowly and led to much rampant (and much incorrect) speculation.

The Good

Chizik hired a quality staff, arguably as good as any in the SEC.

The Bad

No one on the staff has ever worked together, so there’s no way to tell how well the individual ingredients will mesh. It’s clichéd, but also true, that a staff is only as good as the man in charge, and even the most ardent Auburn fan must admit there are reservations about Chizik’s capabilities as a head coach.

The Ugly

No matter how good the new staff is, it doesn’t have a full hand. Published reports indicate as few as 75 scholarship players on the roster. The linebacking corps is so thin that walk-ons could man backup roles and see significant playing time. Even the best coaches have to have competent bodies.

The Good

Auburn starts its schedule with four straight home games, and all four are winnable. A 4-0 start could do wonders for the team psyche.

The Bad

All four games are also losable. Louisiana Tech is a capable team coached by Derek Dooley, promoted by some Auburn fans as a replacement for Tuberville.

There’s no way to speculate what kind of product Mississippi State will put on the field, but the Bulldogs haven’t been an easy mark for the Tigers in recent seasons. West Virginia is missing Pat White, but the Noel Devine who carved up the Auburn defense last season remains. Ball State went bowling a year ago and shouldn’t be overlooked. Auburn can’t overlook anyone at this point.

The Ugly

The Tigers must get off to a good start. If Auburn doesn’t start at least 3-1, the wheels could come off quickly. Three of the next four games are on the road. Chizik has never coached a road team to a victory.

Picking up his first career road win in Knoxville, Baton Rouge, or Fayetteville is a tall order. Throw in a home game against Kentucky between trips to Arkansas and Louisiana, and you’re looking at a four-game stretch that is truly make or break.

Auburn can’t afford to be 2-2 heading into a two-game road swing.

The season opener against Louisiana Tech is Saturday.

Before the month’s out we’ll have a much better idea if Chizik’s Auburn tenure will be good, bad, or ugly.

Chizik and his newly assembled staff

By: AuburnChopper1

This weekend marks the fourth weekend, and possibly the most important of Gene Chizik’s young tenure as Auburn University’s Head Football Coach.  It’s his first official visit weekend for recruits on campus. Listening to the talking heads on radio, television and in print, you just had to know that Coach Chizik would be a one year, or two year anomaly, and then Auburn would once again be moving on to supposedly newer, greener pastures.   I mean, come on now, a Head Coach that had only managed a meager 5 and 19 record at Big Twelve juggernaut, Iowa State?  Auburn’s fan base was split, and passionately debated the hire from a much maligned and scrutinized Athletic Director, Jay Jacobs, and his hiring process that had taken seemingly months, and not the few weeks that actually passed.   

Rumors were rampant, as racism, favoritism, past coaches, and every other back door, and scandalous issue you could possibly imagine found it’s way into mainstream discussion.   Again, the Auburn family found itself deeply divided, confused and frankly had no idea where to start when it came to deciding on whether or not to support this hire, or grab a pitchfork and torch on the way to pillaging the Athletics Facility.  A Fiery Tiger Walk from hell seemed all but inevitable.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed, and Auburn fans, alumni and other supporters decided to wait and see what Coach Chizik provided before taking him to task on a hiring process and future that was out of his control at the time.  Chizik, knowing his challenges, stood firm and acknowledged the aggressive scrutiny and faced it head on in interviews and other appearances.

First steps to calm past issues included the subsequent departure from long time, and deeply rooted agent, Jimmy Sexton.  Sexton seemingly was at the root of many of former Head Coach Tommy Tuberville’s off-season coaching waltzes that drove Auburn faithful mad.  Every year, it was someone else, some other school that ultimately had Tommy Tuberville coming or going.   

Next, Chizik worked with Auburn to structure a salary that would allow them to pay better salaries for better assistants.   Evidenced by the hiring of Gus Malzahn, a highly touted up and coming Offensive Coordinator.

Gus Malzahn is duly recognized for the successful usage and play-calling abilities while coaching Felix Jones, now of the Cowboys, and Darren McFadden of the Raiders, at Arkansas.  With formations such as the “Wild Hog”, Malzahn’s running attack terrorized the SEC for a season, and took a much overachieving Razorbacks squad to an SEC Championship berth against eventual National Champion Florida in 2006.

Malzahn, leaving a tumultuous situation under Houston Nutt, headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma.  In two years, and an recruit star average of 1.57, Malzahn took Tulsa to the top of the offensive scale putting up numbers that only Oklahoma and other national powers were able to strive for.   

Malzahn now comes to Auburn, with better players, talent level and supporting staff, including newly hired RB Coach Curtis Luper, formerly of Oklahoma State University.  Luper, known for his aggressive recruiting and experience in spread formation running game, has been nothing short of outstanding in that role thus far for Auburn.

Also coming from Oklahoma State, is Wide Receivers Coach, Trooper Taylor.  Coach Taylor, regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country by national recruiting authorities such as Rivals, and Scout, was being pursued by programs such as Tennessee, Florida and Mississippi State in the past few weeks and months.  In the end, Chizik, Malzahn and closer friend, Curtis Luper convinced Taylor that Auburn was building something special.

Also joining the staff is former Iowa State assistant, and former Utah assistant under Urban Meyer, Jay Boulware.  Jay will be coaching Special Teams under the new Chizik staff and is the only “hold-over” from Iowa State.

On the defensive side of the ball, while maybe not as sexy as some of the other names, Ted Roof comes to Auburn as Defensive Coordinator.  Some will argue that his Golden Gopher defense was not the top defense in the country, but at the same time don’t see the progression they made in the single year Roof was at the helm.  Minnesota’s Gopher Defense improved almost fifty positions in NCAA rankings this past season under the former Duke Head Coach’s tutelage.   They were better off for him being there, and Auburn should be glad to have him working along side, arguably one of the best defensive minds this decade, Coach Chizik.

As this coaching staff comes together during another hotly contested recruiting season, they’ve had to endure bowl games and dead periods, but in the less than five to ten days total of open recruiting days, the new staff has shown a dedication to the expansion of our recruiting base, not only in state borders, but in talent level as well.   Gene Chizik’s hands-on approach has impressed many recruits that either had de-committed, or at minimum showed a level of apprehension immediately following his hiring.   Some say that retaining recruits is not really an impressive feat, but in reality, with the unpopular response at the beginning, and charges of racism pumping from the national, and local radios, to only lose the few Auburn did was nothing short of phenomenal.   Some will recognize this some do not.  It’s all a matter of perspective.

Recruiting needs and priorities will change and get sorted out as the new staff prepares for the 2009 season, and also after evaluations of the current roster of talented players is mulled over as well.   Auburn fielded a young and talented team last year that suffered from a lack of consistent, and aggressive coaching.   Many players got caught up in political in-house scuffles between staff that either believed, or didn’t believe in the newer offensive and defensive philosophies that defined the 2008 football season.  With this new staff and new off-season, Auburn finds itself with a common philosophy and common goal among the staff.  They all understand, and have experience running the offense that Auburn will field in 2009.  That’s a major step in the right direction.

Recruits that would never look at Auburn in the past, are not only looking at Auburn now, but visiting as well.   Although former Auburn personnel spoke with number one WR Rueben Randle early in the process, it was apparent that we never stuck with it.  After only one visit from Curtis Luper, Randle arranged an official visit.   Same can be said about Tyrik Rollison, the number two dual threat QB in the nation.   Same can be said with the five star RB Bryce Brown.   Five Star DB Greg Reid is looking to set up a visit to Auburn.  All Greg Reid did was go out and intercept all world everything QB Matt Barkely, three times in last Sunday night’s Under-Armor HS All-Star game on ESPN, and win himself an MVP trophy at the same time. Suddenly recruits that were “Bama locks” are not so locked any more.  It’s true that Auburn might not pull many of these recruits, maybe none of them, but the sheer fact they’re coming, and that we’re in the discussion, is something Auburn hasn’t been a part of in years.   In the next year, many new recruits that may not have gotten that knock on the door, or letter, or phone call from the Plains will suddenly begin to get those memos with the AU on the header.

It is clearly evident that with the efforts being made by Luper, Trooper, Malzahn, Roof and Chizik himself, that they already have a larger, and more aggressive vision for Auburn, and that is something that Auburn desperately needed.

There is a long way to go, and the first game of the 2009 season is too far away to even begin thinking about, but one things for sure, it will be a different Auburn Tigers Football team that hits Pat Dye Field that day.   At this pace, hopefully it will be a different, but unified, and excited Auburn Family that hits Jordan-Hare’s seats as well.