By: Mr. Sensible

Will this be an old school defensive battle? The author thinks so.

Florida 24, Alabama 20

Three Keys for Florida Victory

1) Florida’s Defense
It is safe to say, Alabama hasn’t faced a tougher test than the one waiting this Saturday. Florida’s league leading defense is built in pressure, aggressiveness, and taking the ball away from the opponent. It is as hard to move the ball consistently against Florida as it is to score points – only nine times this season has the other team crossed the goalline against the Gators. Moreover, Florida is good as stuffing the run – only giving up 2.6 yards per attempt – which puts the onus on Alabama’s passing game even more. The Gators defensive backfield has produced 20 INTs this year and in a game against big, physical wide receivers of LSU (comparable to Alabama’s squad), Florida held them to 11 catches for 96 yards. That’s darn impressive. The loss of Carlos Dunlap on the defensive line due to suspension is noteworthy and he will be sorely missed. However, Florida possesses strength in scheme and quality depth which helps to cover for that loss and gives them a distinct advantage in this game.

2) Florida’s Coaching Staff
It is not a matter of Florida’s staff being better than Alabama’s as much as it is Florida’s staff has experience in these games and beyond and it all starts with the head coach, Urban Meyer.  It’s hard to describe Meyer without using the word “winner” in the report. Five double-digit win season, four conference titles,  two undefeated regular seasons, two BCS Championships, a number one overall NFL draft pick, a Heisman trophy quarterback, and 95 total wins over his nine year head coaching career. At Florida, he’s 56-9 overall and this may not even be the best team he’s fielded for the Gators. The supporting staff is excellent (don’t be surprised to see some of them plucked from the sidelines by season’s end) and they get maximum effort from highly-touted players. That’s not a small feat. It’s rare for Alabama’s Nick Saban to be equaled by the opposing sideline. Florida’s Meyer may just be better.

Only 2 more games of Hype, Will Vern's head explode? ...it just might.

3) Tim Tebow
Without going into too much hyperbole, Tebow is the x-factor, been there done it all, leader every team covets at the signal caller position. Even when it doesn’t seem possible for him to do something else, he finds ways to do it. Tebow’s won 34 times as a starter and lost only five times (four of those coming in his first year as starter). He’s thrown 84 TDs against 15 interceptions and rushed for a league record 56 TDs. Besides the insane stats, the leadership skills are undeniable and, maybe, unbeatable in big games like this one. Last year going into the fourth quarter, Florida was against the ropes and then Tebow made plays – with his arm no less – to bring them back to two fourth quarter scores against roughly the same Alabama team he’ll face Saturday. It’s hard to go against this guy with the big prizes are on the line.

Raise your hand if you think Alabama can knock Tebow out of the game. It took a blindside shot under the chin to do it before and it’s the only time we’ve seen this guy take a lick and not get up from it. I don’t think Alabama can be one dimensional on offense the way they were against Auburn and win this game; Florida’s too good at pass rush and pass defense for that. Alabama proved they can beat Auburn without a running game. Can they beat Florida without it? I don’t think so because opposing teams hoping to win against the Gators need balance. When it comes down to it, the best defense against Florida’s offense is to control the clock and keep the ball out of Tim Tebow’s hands. Finally, Florida’s offense isn’t as explosive – the scoring average is down 8 points and they haven’t been in the endzone as much – but they have actually gained more yards than last year’s squad. Additionally, the defense gives up 3 points less and 33 yards less per game this year. I’d say Florida is as good as 2008, just getting it done differently.

Final Thoughts
This is appointment football television for college fans. It’ll be an epic battle at every position and will come down to the wire. In the end, I believe Florida’s defense can limit Alabama’s endzone opportunities forcing field goals and the Gators offense can get to the endzone often enough to win the SEC Championship.

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.

Kiffin is ebullient. He’s angered opposing coaches and drawn the ire of SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer by sniping at rivals, and engaging in media-fueled battles with opposing coaches. His press conferences are events, because no one is really sure what Kiffin’s going to say — or have to apologize for — next.

Chizik’s Tigers have surpassed early expectations. Poll voters haven’t noticed, but Auburn is 4-0.

Kiffin’s Volunteers have struggled to match his abrasive bravado. Tennessee checks in at 2-2, or 3-1 if you count moral victories. At this point, polls are the last thing on their mind.

Chizik came to Auburn with a reputation as a defensive wizard. As defensive coordinator at Auburn and then Texas he presided over two straight undefeated seasons and one national title — or two if you count titles like cross-state rival Bama fans do.

Kiffin was the pick at Tennessee in large part because of his work with the offense at USC, where the Trojans were a perennial national contender.

Irony number one?

Chizik won his Texas national title while running the Longhorn defense against Kiffin’s Trojans.

Irony number two?

Despite Kiffin’s offensive reputation, Tennessee’s best chance on Saturday rests with its defense. The Volunteer offense remains stuck on start and has shown little sign of go. The Tennessee defense is talented and extremely effective.

Conversely, Chizik’s defensive rep is overshadowed by Auburn’s performance on offense. Questions abound for the Tiger defense, but the Auburn offense has rolled up more than 500 yards per game on average and is scoring a blistering 45 points per outing.

On Saturday something has to give.

Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Lane’s father, devised an outstanding plan to put the brakes on Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators in a 23-13 loss/moral victory at Florida.

The Mouth vs. The Surprise

Chances are the elder Kiffin will have a similar scheme to derail a resurgent Chris Todd and the high-scoring Tiger offense.

Kiffin’s task was made significantly more difficult with the loss of linebacker Nick Reveiz, whose 27 tackles are third on the team.

The problem for the Volunteers is that the Auburn offense seems capable of putting points on the board. Tennessee might be able to slow it down, but the chance of stopping it outright seems remote.

Auburn averages 526 yards and 45 points per game. The Tigers pick up an average of seven yards per play. Even if the Volunteer defense is able to cut that production in half, it will likely still be enough against a Tennessee offense that puts the “in” in inept.

The Volunteers are moderately effective at running the ball (nearly 200 yards per game), but to say Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton has struggled would be putting it kindly.

Crompton has thrown eight interceptions in just four games. A six-year old child could draw up the defensive gameplan against Tennessee.

Put eight men in the box to limit the run and put pressure on Crompton. Force him to make a mistake.

After West Virginia torched Auburn for two big plays early in a 41-30 Tiger win, that’s essentially the plan defensive coordinator Auburn Ted Roof employed. The result? Five Mountaineer interceptions and a Tiger win.

Auburn’s defense has issues. The Tigers allow a too-high 4.6 yards per play. Opponents average more than 150 yards rushing and more than 170 passing. Opponents score an average of 24 points per game.

That must improve for loftier season expectations to come to fruition. As it pertains to Saturday’s meeting, however, the Volunteers show no indication they are capable of taking advantage of the defensive questions the Tigers present.

Last season these two teams waged an epic battle on the floor of Jordan-Hare Stadium that resulted in 792 combined yards. Punting yards. Tennessee punted ten times for 399 yards, the Tigers nine for 393.

Given Auburn’s offensive prowess and the Tigers’ defensive questions, you may see another 800-yard effort — with no punts — on Saturday.

As the lights go down, you’ll also see a 5-0 Auburn team. The only question is whether poll voters will finally take notice.

By: Kevin Strickland

It seems like its been a long, long time since Auburn football was fun.

New offensive coordinator Gus Malzhan is well on the road to changing that dynamic. In his first two games with the Tigers, Malzhan has helped shred the team’s offensive record books, sent the scoreboard pinwheeling and put the Tigers at as solid a 2-0 as could have possibly been hoped for.

To say that Malzhan’s offense has so far exceeded expectations is like saying Kate Beckinsale is sort of pretty.

The evolution of that offense and the potential it brings to a Tiger team that has watched numerous seasons bog down with offensive ineffiency, adds a whole new dimension to fun at Jordan Hare Stadium.

How fun was Saturday night’s 49-24 demolition of Mississippi State?

It was mascot Aubie dancing with the band fun.

In the game’s final five minutes, fans were watching a play-by-play yardage total on the Jumbotron, urging the second team to gain a few more yards so Auburn could top 600 total on the night.

The Tigers didn’t quite get there, finishing with 589. Still, it was the second straight 500-plus yard outing for a Tiger offense that had difficulty gaining any yardage a year ago. Through two games, the Tigers amassed a school record 1145 yards.

Auburn didn’t break the 1100 yard mark as a team until the fourth game of 2008.

Ben Tate and Onterrio McCalebb both topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight time. It’s the first time in school history two backs have gone over 100 yards in consecutive games.

Tate finished with 157 yards and didn’t play a single snap in the first quarter. McCalebb added 115 on just 15 carries. Both Tate and McCalebb averaged more than seven yards per attempt.

Tate finished 2008 with 664 yards, even after rushing for 117 in the season opener. The Tiger senior has racked up 272 already in 2009.

Kodi Burns ran for three touchdowns and passed for another on a well executed run fake that drew the entire Mississippi State defense in.

Auburn put up 49 points — and should have had more — against a Mississippi State team traditionally known for its defense.

Auburn scored more than 40 points only once in the last three seasons — a 55-20 win over New Mexico State in 2007.

The combined total of 86 points through two games is the best since Auburn put 63 on Ball State and followed that with 37 against Western Kentucky in 2005.

Auburn’s two-game total margin of victory, 49 points, is the widest of any two consecutive games since Auburn blasted Washington State 40-14 and then hammered Mississippi State 34-0 in 2006.

Last season’s well-chronicled 5-7 debacle aside, Auburn won a lot of games over the last few years. The Tigers posted nine wins in 2005, eleven in 2006 and nine more in 2007.

So many of those were gut wrenching, close ball games where the Tigers relied on their defense to hold the opposition at bay while the offense did just enough to win. The record is littered with 23-17, 22-15, 17-3 type scores.

Former head coach Tommy Tuberville, despite a reputation as a riverboat gambler, grew increasingly conservative over the course of his ten year Auburn tenure.

The 2009 edition of the Tigers under new head coach Gene Chizik seemingly has no such conservative bent.

Case in point: Mississippi State blocked a second quarter punt to take a 17-14 lead with just 4:44 remaining in the first half.

In previous seasons, the Tigers might have been content to play it safe, run out the clock and plan for the second half.

No longer. Auburn roared 80 yards in just five plays, burning a mere 1:36 off the clock to retake the lead. McCalebb covered the final 48 yards on a charge around left end.

When the defense held Mississippi State to one first down on its ensuing possession, the Auburn coaching staff judiciously used its timeouts to preserve the clock.

Auburn got the ball back at its own 22 with just 1:29 remaining.

Sit on the ball and protect the lead? No thanks.

Todd hit Darvin Adams for 21 yards on a third and eight.

After a five yard bullrush by Tate, Todd and Adams connected again for 28 yards. A 20-yard Todd to Adams completion moved the ball to the Bulldog one with 21 seconds still remaining.

Burns plunged in from there for one of his three touchdowns on the night.

Instead of taking a 17-14 deficit and a basket of questions to the halftime lockerroom, the Tigers posted two scores in the final 4:44 and carried a truckload of confidence to the break.

The Bulldogs were never a factor after that.

Yes, it’s only Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State. Tech may struggle this season as evidenced by the 32-14 thrashing administered by Navy on Saturday. MSU may not win a single conference game and most observers peg the Bulldogs as the league’s worst team.

But the Auburn of the last five years didn’t beat the Louisiana Techs and Mississippi States as thoroughly as this Auburn team did. Those Auburn teams won more than their share of games.

It’s too early to begin building the Gene Chizik pedestal. It’s not time to start minting the Gene Chizik coins. Unless you live in Iowa where that was already done, that is.

It is time to recognize that if nothing else, Chizik and his staff have found a way to make football at Auburn fun again.

Now it’s time to see if they can make the Tigers relevant. The road to relevance starts with 2-0 West Virginia on Saturday.

I always thought I should be treated like a star.

By: Tiger Wench

The buzz of the audience quieted and then was silenced as he took a seat at the table.  The only sounds were the clicking of cameras and the rustle of cameramen jockeying for a better angle.  As he adjusted the microphone, and cleared his throat, grown men shifted nervously in their chairs, fingers poised over their laptop keyboards.  As he began to speak, the tension in the room was palpable.  Had a decision finally been reached?  What would it be?  Lives, careers, fates hung in the balance.  Stomachs clenched, foreheads beaded with sweat, nerves taut, the audience strained to hear the words they came for.  Just say it already, dammit…!!!

A Presidential press conference?  A statement on the economy by the Chairman of the Federal reserve?  A briefing on troop movements in Iraq?

Nope.

The announcement by an 18 year old kid on where he would be playing college football.

The 24-7 news cycle is a ravenous beast.  The public places tremendous pressure on the media to constantly provide instant, on demand, up-to-the minute content.  The problem is that there is only so much happening in the world at any given moment. 

Nowhere is this pressure felt more acutely than in the sports world.  It may be the offseason in college football, but the insatiable demand from fans for news has not stopped.  This forces the college sports media to make the most out of what they have – and right now, that’s recruiting news.

The media starts tracking these kids when they are sophomores and juniors.  They assign them rankings, dissect their stats, televise their games, review their films.  What seems to be overlooked is that these are high school kids.  Kids.  Even the guys considered to be the most talented of the bunch are nothing more at this point but little balls of potential.  Being a stud in high school sports – even at a powerhouse like Alabama’s Hoover High School or Evangel in Louisiana – is a far cry from being a stud in collegiate D-1A – or even D-1AA.  Few of these players come out of high school instantly ready to step on the field and perform.

But none of this matters.  As national Signing Day approaches, the media frenzy escalates, until every last burp, fart and whistle of every recruit is analyzed and scrutinized and assigned deep meaning.  Add in the internet message boards (this one included) and the premium information websites, and you have a perfect storm of epic proportions.  Where did he schedule an official visit?  Is he going to take an official visit?  What color shirt did he wear to school today?  Whose logo was on the sweatshirt he wore to the movies over the weekend?  Did his momma like the coach?  Did Coach stay for supper, or was he out the door in fifteen minutes?  OMG- i- heard- his- best- friend- was- going- to- go- to-State-U-but-his-girlfriend-is-going-to-U-State!!  OMG!! 

O!!!!!! M!!!!!!! G!!!!!!!!!

W??? T??? F???

Is it any wonder, then, that after two or more years of being fawned over by groups of grown-ups who should know better, of having their asses kissed and pampered and praised, of being told how awesome and gifted and special they are, that these kids choose to exploit the desperation of the coaches and media alike, and stage a ridiculous dog and pony show involving multiple baseball caps or football jerseys so as to get their fifteen minutes of fame?  All for announcing which institution of higher learning they have selected as the beneficiary of their awesome, godlike, football prowess?  To bring joy and rapture to one group of fanatics while simultaneously inflicting grief and despair on others?  All at the tender age of 18?

What a rush.

The sad thing is that for many, if not most, of these players, this will be the only fifteen minutes of fame they get.  What they don’t realize is that this is just the beginning of the end.  Some will wash out of summer camp.  Some will get injured.  Some will fail to meet the academic standards.  And when one or more of those things happen, the bright lights go away and the attention is directed to the next up and coming stud. 

We, the fans, gripe and complain about kids that show up on campus thinking that their fecal excretions do not contain odor.  We snicker that they will get knocked off that pedestal soon enough once they hit two-a-days.  Just wait until they take their first lick from an All-SEC lineman – that’ll bust their ego bubble.

The ego bubble built on our obsequious behavior.

The media gleefully report on the once highly touted freshmen who get arrested, who cheat, who fail to perform.  They solemnly editorialize about “failure to realize that there are consequences to actions” and that “the rules apply to everyone”.  That these players are maybe not that great, that they were overrated.

Ratings created, perpetuated, assigned and reported by the media.

We, the fans and the media, have created this monster of switching caps, last minute announcements, milking the moment, and even lying outright about being one of the chosen few.  It is our inability to maintain a rational, adult perspective that fosters this atmosphere of arrogance, ego, and unrealistic expectations in these unproven, untested, potential college athletes.  That would kind of make it our responsibility to put an end to it all, right?

As the 2009 National Signing Day approaches, let’s all make an effort to show some restraint.  Let’s congratulate these students on the college education they have earned through their talents, not deify them for what they might or might not do on Saturday afternoons.

I, for one, will promise to do just that.

Right after SportsCenter.