By: Kevin Strickland
Saturday’s showdown between first-year coaches Lane Kiffin of Tennessee and Gene Chizik of Auburn offers a variety of interesting subplots. As both replaced coaching legends whose stars had dimmed, and as each are tasked with re-establishing the proud traditions of their respective programs, this head-to-head matchup is inevitably a major benchmark in measuring the progress of each.
Come Sunday morning, Tiger fans will have more reason to boast while Volunteer supporters will be left scratching their heads and wondering when they’ll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The meeting between the Tigers and Volunteers is a study in contrasts. In everything from the demeanor of their head coaches to their respective strengths and weaknesses, the two teams are polar opposites.
Chizik is low key. He gives little to the media beyond standard coaching cliches and pat phrases. His press conferences are virtually interchangeable. He’s cautious, reserved and evokes a business only aura.
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Chizik and Auburn Get no Respect.
By: Kevin Strickland
Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik schlumped into his weekly press conference, flopped wearily into his chair, adjusted the microphone, and issued a resigned sigh.
He reached up, tugged at the knot of his tie and eyes bulging declared:
“No respect, I tell ya. We get no respect at all.
“When the polls came out on Sunday, I sent an email to one of the voters. Told him I was climbing up to the top of Samford Tower and was going to jump. They sent Brother Chette to talk to me. He says ‘Ready…Set…’
“No respect.
“I ran into Coach Dye when we went out to eat the other night. I asked him what he thought about the execution of our special teams. He says it sounds like a good idea to him.
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Still no love for the 4-0 Auburn Tigers
By: Kevin Strickland
The Auburn Tigers out-punched the Ball State Cardinals 54-30 Saturday night to move to 4-0 on the season. If history is any indicator, the hot start bodes well for Tiger fortunes.
Only 27 teams in Auburn history have started a season 4-0. Eight of those occurred after 1974.
Of the eight teams in the last 35 years that started 4-0, only two failed to win at least ten games. The 1994 Tigers reeled off nine before a closing with a tie and a loss. Auburn started 2000 with five consecutive wins before fading to 4-4 down the stretch.
Two of the eight finished the season without a loss.
Only one of the eight lost more than two games.
Three of the eight won the SEC West (one other would have but was on probation).
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By: Kevin Strickland
Could this be a magical season?
Auburn 41 – West Virginia 30.
This is Auburn football.
It’s not the Auburn football your grandfather remembers. It’s not the Auburn football your father remembers. In fact, it’s not even the Auburn football you remember unless you were born prior to Sept. 5, 2009.
Auburn fell behind 14-0 and trailed 21-10 to the visiting West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday night before rallying behind an opportunistic defense and a determined offense to fell WVU.
Auburn 41, West Virginia 30.
This is a different kind of Tiger football team.
No disrespect to former coach Tommy Tuberville, whose teams won their share of thrilling, emotional, nationally relevant games, but digging out of a hole when the opponent had momentum wasn’t one of their strong points.
Arkansas 27, Auburn 10
Georgia 35, Auburn 17
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