SB Nation - Ben Tate

The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown - and It Smells Delicious

hmlee — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:35:18 -0000

Hello Rivalry readers!

If you've read this site before, you know me as the Northwestern writer. You probably also know that I am currently a law student at Northwestern. What you may not know, though, is that in addition to making my home in the windy city I am also a born and bred Chicagoan. Okay, okay, that's not that shocking. Now anyone who knows Chicago knows that we loooove our food. Perhaps it's the bitterly cold winters or just the midwestern sensibilities, but we here in Chicago love all things culinary at least as much as (and probably way more so) than any other city or region in the United States.

As a lifelong Chicagoan, I've always been amused by that peculularily Chicago tradition of betting food on sports games. You see, up here, our mayor likes to engage in friendly wagers with opposing mayors whenever a Chicago team makes it into the playoffs. The terms of the bets he makes are simple. The loser sends the winner a heaping pile of food unique to their region after the game or series is decided. Over the years, that's resulted in some quite amusing show downs complete with spreads fit for Mayor Dale - er, a king - and amusing televised posturing.

Sports, egoism, and food. What could be better?

Now, granted, I'm no city mayor. But I am an amateur sports blogger, and that's pretty close, right? To that end, I decided to see if I could rope another SB Nation blogger into such a bet. I tracked down Jay from the SBN blog for the Auburn Tigers, Track 'Em Tigers. I sent him an e-mail proposing that we wager regional goodies on the outcome of the Outback Bowl between Northwestern and Auburn. Fortunately for me, Jay loves food just as much as I do and was extremely excited about the prospect of such a tasty wager. Of course, he foolishly thinks he's going to be the one enjoying food this year, but I digress...

The terms of our bet and some friendly smack talk from Jay after the jump...

Law Buck takes a look at what the Big 10 faces come this bowl season...

Bama Hawkeye interviews the Alabama Blog, Roll Bama Roll, for their take on the Outback bowl...

So once Jay agreed to our bet, I faced the daunting task of attempting to choose some food that would represent Chicago adequatley enough for a bet. This is a lot harder than you may think. Yes, Chicago has a lot of food to choose from... but that's just it. We have a lot of food. How is one supposed to pick from all the culinary awesomeness that is the Windy City? Deep dish pizza... cheesecake... gigantic chocolate cookies... italian beef sandwiches... pickled hot peppers... It's almost too much! But, then via some sports inspiration, it hit me. The perfect thing to bet on a sports game?

The Chicago hot dog. Of course.

I am huge fan of the Chicago hot dog. Trust me, you do not want to engage me in an argument on the merits of the Chicago style hot dog vs. other so called "hot dogs" in the country. It will not be pretty. I even wrote a college entrance essay many years ago on these such hot dogs (seriously).

Luckily enough for me, there are apparently enough ex-pat Chicagoans home sick for Chicago food that there is a whole cottage industry just ready to ship packages of hot dogs with all required to turn them into Chicago style dogs at your command. One of the restaurants willing to ship such goodness? Portillos, a name that should be instantly familiar to any Chicagoan. Should the Auburn Tigers somehow manage to pull out a victory over my Northwestern Wildcats, I will be sending Jay a box containing everything he needs to enjoy a Chicago hot dog feast... namely:

10 specially packed all-beef hot dogs, 10 popy-seed buns, mustard, onions, tomatos, pickles, sweet relish, sport peppers, and celery salt. Of course, there will be no ketchup within a mile of this box of awesome.

Now, as I mentioned above, Jay somehow believes that Auburn will go out on the field and score him some that box of goodies. I was rather suprised by this confidence of his, but he was kind enough to talk to me and provide some enlightenment as to why he thinks the wrong kind of feline will be victorious come January 1st... Jay said,

"First off, Auburn players and fans are pumped up to be playing Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. Having played Wisconsin in bowl games twice in the past six years, the Wildcats are a welcome opponent. To Southerners, Northwestern is viewed as the Vanderbilt of the Big Ten - smart students, but not so much on the football field.

However, it's also widely acknowledged that we'll likely all work for a Northwestern grad before our careers are over. In fact, I can check that box. I worked for an NU MBA grad for several years and have to say he was awesome. I'm not sure how well he played football though.

This game is a dangerous one for Auburn. They are expected to win because of tradition and the tough SEC. Tiger fans are finding out that these purple Wildcats are a great football team. They certainly closed the season much better than Auburn. While my Tigers lost to Georgia and collected a "moral victory" over top-ranked Alabama, Northwestern was perhaps the hottest team in the Big 10 coming down the stretch.

Auburn will win a very close game because of running back Ben Tate. While Alabama's Mark Ingram got most of the attention, Tate quietly became one of the most dominant backs in the nation. Quarterback Chris Todd has solid senior leadership and rarely makes mistakes. On defense, Auburn is led by All-SEC defensive end Antonio Coleman. He's a sack master and loves to apply the pressure.

So, I like Auburn to win and deliver to me some of the finest hot dogs in all of Chicago and America. As I take each bite, I'll think of each and everyone of you. See you in Tampa!"

While I think Jay is completely and utterly wrong, I admire his confidence. At this point, you're probably all asking, "Hilary... what do YOU get if the entirely predictable result of a Northwestern victory happens?" (Okay so maybe I was the only one thinking that but uhm... still...) Well, you'll just have to mosey on over to Track 'Em Tigers to find out what I'll be feasting on come the new years....

Hot Dog Time In Auburn!

Jay Coulter — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:54:13 -0000

Thanks to Hilary (a.k.a. HMLEE) at the SB Nation blog, The Rivalry, Esq., this year's Outback Bowl will take on more meaning for me. As the Northwestern writer for the Big Ten site, she laid down a challenge this weekend that's hard to pass up. Hilary suggested a friendly wager on the game that involves one of my very favorite things - food.

The bet is simple. The winner receives a catered meal (by mail) from a famous local establishment chosen by the loser. The dish is to be something regional in flavor and well known among Auburn and Northwestern fans. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

So what do I offer up? That's been the million dollar question this weekend. The first major hurdle is finding an appropriate dish. After that, it's finding an establishment that's set-up to ship overnight. That narrows things quite a bit. Fortunately, I've come up with the perfect solution.

Should Northwestern upset our Tigers, I'm prepared to overnight to Hilary some of Alabama's best barbeque from my favorite place, Dreamland. Now I know it started in Tuscaloosa, but it has locations all over the state, so I really don't think of it as affiliated any longer with that school up the street.

Here's what she'll receive: 1 slab of ribs, 1 lb. of pork, 1 lb. of hickory smoked sausage, 1 quart of their legendary sauce and 1 bottle of dressing. Also included are wet naps, bibs and a loaf of Sunbeam bread. To finish it off, I'll throw in a gallon of the finest lemonade in the world from Auburn's very own Toomer's Drug Store.

Does that sound good or what?

What's in it for me? Can you say world famous Chicago hot dogs? Hilary has come up with the perfect meal - hot dogs from Portillo's. Here's what I'll be receiving should Chris Todd get it done through the air and Ben Tate on the ground: 10 of Portillo's beef hot dogs with all the fixings. It includes everything you need to create an authentic Portillo's style hot dog including, 10 hot dogs in a cryovac pouch, 10 poppy seed buns, mustard, relish, 1 fresh onion, 2 red ripe tomatoes, 2 whole kosher pickles, sport peppers & Portillo's hot dog seasoning.

I can hardly wait.

After talking with Hilary Saturday night, she seems fairly confident in her Wildcat's chances and even talked a little smack. "I like Northwestern's chances in this matchup," says the NU law student. "Oh sure I was surprised when they jumped Wisconsin for the Outback, but, unlike some of my esteemed colleagues, I don't think that's nearly as much of a problem as they do.

"Had Northwestern not jumped Wisconsin and instead found themselves in the Champs Sports Bowl they would be looking to a matchup vs. Miami right now. That potential matchup scares me much more than the current one. Sorry Auburn fans, but unlike Miami, you just don't have any wins on your roster that make me quake in my boots. Miami does. Further, Northwestern and Auburn are both spread offenses, so I feel confident that Coach Fitz can get the team prepared to face the Tigers.

"Finally, it should be noted that I also write on Wisconsin and given what Northwestern did to Wisconsin's normally solid defense, I have no desire to see the Badgers up against Auburn. Maybe Miami isn't any better, but I still like their chances more. For all these reasons, Northwestern is going to trounce Auburn in the Outback bowl and I will be ringing in this new year with my very own box of Alabama treats."

You have to give Hilary credit. While somewhat delusional in her love for Northwestern, she's certainly confident. I have a feeling that Antonio Coleman, Darvin Adams, Todd and Tate will hit a little harder and run a little faster than that weak, showboating school in Miami.

Do you smell hotdogs?

Fear-o-meter: the Auburn offense.

Rodger Sherman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:50:16 -0000

So, I told y'all about Auburn, the college, and Auburn's names, but I haven't told you much about Auburn's football team.

You might remember I used to do bi-weekly preview posts, one about the other team, and then one about how I expected Northwestern to play that team. Then, one week, I didn't do it, and we beat Iowa. So I didn't do it the next week, and we won again. Don't mess with success. So I'm doing it slightly differently.

I've constructed this: the fear-o-meter. As you can probably tell from the left side, I'm a big fan of o-meters, so, here's another one. I'll tell you how scared on a customized scale you should be of a varying aspect of our opponent's team and gameplan.

It goes from things you should be the least scared of to most scared of:

Chinchillas. Soft, furry, and adorable.
The Swine Flu, represented by the cover to Tony Yayo's mixtape of the same name.
Public speaking. Not really that scary, but the one thing people generally say they're scared of.
The Most Dangerous Game, represented by the poster to the film "Surviving the Game" starring Ice-T and Gary Busey. The Most Dangerous Game, of course, refers to either "game" as in "something you hunt", in which case the most dangerous game is man, or "game" as in "contest", in which case the most dangerous game is used to refer to one-on-one ten-beer, ten-cup beer pong, but probably should be used to refer to something more dangerous, like six-bullet Russian roulette.
Clowns. Yeesh.
Zombies. Self-explanatory.
Kidney stones, highly inaccurately represented by a picture of a kidney bean and a stone, because I really didn't want to google image search "kidney stone".
Flying sharks. The image is taken from the motivational poster.
The 2012 apocalypse. I was debating whether to put this or kidney stones, but they're both pretty bad.

Ignore the km/h markers and the red line pointing to zombies: I made this using Preview in about 13 minutes, so chill out. I'll tell you exactly how scared of each thing you should be.

First off, disclaimer time: to be honest, I don't know as much as I'd like to about Auburn as I'd like - I only got to watch a half of one of their games this year. I planned on watching a few of their archived games on ESPN360, but apparently I can't do that because I'm not on a college campus anymore, and don't get the service. So everything you read below is based on me doing a lot of reading, perusing stats, and watching highlight footage. But for the real scoop, you should probably ask an Auburn fan.

So now, on to diagnosing Auburn's offense, after the jump:

Quarterback: All things considered, Chris Todd had pretty good season, throwing 21 touchdowns to only six picks, picking up 8 yards an attempt for 2377 yards, pretty good considering where he's come from. You see, Todd has had a rather freaky career: he started out at Texas Tech, where he played well in limited mop-up action in their crazy spread offense but obviously wasn't going to be a part of the plan. He wanted to transfer to Auburn, but rather than spend a year not playing, he went to juco for a season, where he played at a school called Hutchinson, and quite frankly, he was very bad there: he went 104-212 with six touchdowns and eight picks. Not stellar numbers, especially considering the lower level of competition. Last season, he looked shaky again, starting the team's second game and four more after that, but only completing 55% of his passes and tossing six picks to five touchdowns, and went down with a shoulder injury that ended his season early.

This year he threw six picks again - the difference is he threw 21 touchdowns to go along with it.

But I wouldn't get freaked out by that stat. Todd isn't an astonishingly great quarterback as a 21-6 ratio would seem, and after a very strong early part of the season, he's looked suspect at best as Auburn got deeper into their conference schedule. Todd is definitely solid: when his receivers are open, he'll hit them. (See: 17-18 with four touchdowns against Furman, 19-26 with five against Ball State, 25-35 as a Texas Tech quarterback with their freaky all-out passing Michael Crabtree offense.) But when they're not, we've got issues (see: throwing more picks than touchdowns two years ago at a junior college.). Todd has shown the maturity this season by not forcing stupid passes - hence the only six picks - but against good defenses, he's shown a really tough time getting anything going. (See: the games Auburn has lost this year, where he's thrown five of his picks and been dragged down for 13 of his 18 sacks.) In those situations, he just sort of holds on to the ball, and sometimes heaves up a pass that has no chance of being received. There's a reason that just four weeks ago, people were talking of benching him. He doesn't have a particularly strong arm due to a career riddled with shoulder injuries, and he can't run with it (negative rushing yards on the year), but he's pretty accurate with the short stuff, and at times can use this to pick apart defenses, although the golden boy that emerged over the beginning of the season tailed off towards the end.

Fear-o-meter: Zombies.

Also playing a little bit of time at quarterback is the decently named Kodi Burns, who plays Auburn's version of the Wildcat. He was a starting QB last year, tossing two touchdowns and seven picks, but after that sorta bad season, he was converted to wide receiver, where he's been pretty sub-par at that too, with only four catches on the year. But he's looked alright running the Wildcat, throwing for two TD's and running for five more, but he doesn't throw much - he's 4-13 out of the set passing, but has ran the ball 51 times.

Fear-o-meter: Public Speaking.

Running back: Ben Tate is a fantastic running back, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. The senior ran for 1254 yards on 5.2 yards a carry with eight touchdowns, and that's not even telling the whole story. He's fast, strong, and long story short, was the second best running back on a team in the state of Alabama. There's only so many ways I can say "uh-oh" in a paragraph.

Fear-o-meter: Flying Sharks.

Onterrio McCalebb is Tate's change-of-pace backup, and he literally provides a change of pace, as he's probably speedier than Tate but isn't as good at finding holes up the gut as Tate. He got the ball 99 times - a decent amount for a backup - and turned that into 547 yards, 5.5 a carry. He ran for 114 and a touchdown against Mississippi State, and nearly outgained Tate against Georgia with 60 yards on the ground on only 11 carries while Tate had one of his worst games with 67 yards on 20. Basically, don't forget about McCalebb.

Fear-o-meter: Clowns.

Last but not least, Mario Fannin and his backup, Eric Smith. They're more in the vein of what we call "superbacks", but they actually have a vital effect on the game. They primarily block, but are the third options in Chris Todd's passing game as he loves to throw to guys these two out of the backfield, particularly on screens, and the pair racked up a combined 629 yards receiving, including 82 on this brilliantly edited youtube clip of a screen against West Virginia. Fannin also gets the ball a decent amount, rushing for 271 yards on 8.5 - 8.5! - yards per carry, while Smith added 99 of his own. Teams might overprepare for guys like Tate and wide receiver Darvin Adams, but these guys might slip under the radar and help Auburn's spread offense dink and dunk down the field a la NU.

Fear-o-meter: Clowns.

Wide Receiver: Basically, there's one guy to worry about. Darvin Adams is Chris Todd's first, second, and third options on most pass plays, and it shows, as nobody else on the team is close to his 855 yards and 10 touchdowns. By comparison, Terrell Zachary has 466 and five touchdowns, and four of those scores and 241 of the yards came on four passes. Adams is the team's only deep threat, but he's worth paying attention to as he will get open down field - the question is whether or not Todd hits him.

Fear-o-meter: Kidney Stones.

The rest of the unit, as noted, is rather slipshod. Lots of dropped passes, and not much production. Terrell Zachary has been able to get open for big plays, generally against inferior opponents, but he's not the type of guy worth double covering or anything. If you're wondering, Auburn's leaderboard for receiving yards goes like this: wide receiver, wide receiver, H-back, H-back, tight end, running back, wide receiver, tight end. Tommy Trott is a decent tight end, but he's a goal line threat and little more.

Fear-o-meter: Swine flu.

O-line: Haven't been great at giving Todd a lot of time, but Auburn's spread isn't necessarily predicated on that. They've been good at opening up holes for Tate and at giving Fannin room to run off of those screens, and it shows. All in all, a pretty decent o-line. They gave up only 1.5 sacks a game, and as noted, 13 of those came in their losses, when the failure was probably on any receiver to get open, causing Todd to hesitate and take too long. The line produced two all-SEC second teamers in left tackle Lee Ziemba and Ryan Pugh, and this is pretty much all I can say about them. For what it's worth, Ziemba is one of the few offensive linemen in the country to have recorded a reception, as Auburn runs a trick play in which he runs a screen route but unfortunately for Ziemba's stats, it went for -3 yards.

Fear-o-meter: Zombies.

Auburn's offense: It's a good one. You don't score 32.9 points a game in the SEC by accident. That being said, it's a stoppable one. Teams have shut down Chris Todd rather easily, and when they do that, regardless of how otherworldy Ben Tate is, they generally aren't going to win with a spread offense if they don't have any semblance of a passing game. (Theory in numbers: Todd has thrown under 200 yards five times this season. Four resulted in losses for the Tigers, and in those four losses, Tate averaged 107 yards on the ground, which isn't too bad. The fifth game was a 49-24 romp over Mississippi State that featured 390 yards on the ground.) (More theory in numbers: Darvin Adams recorded either a touchdown or 100 yards receiving in six of Auburn's seven wins, and failed to do either of those in four of their five losses.)

I look at this team and see a very good offense. But all things told, they're passing game, although it's worked well, seems just a few tweaks away from getting shut down completely. This is a team that lost five of their last seven games, and one of those wins was against Furman, and a major contributor in those losses was Chris Todd's inability to perform at the same level that he had at the beginning of the year, whether it be due to a nagging shoulder injury, not enough time being given from the line, or failure of his receivers besides Darvin Adams to do anything that could compel a defense not to focus their cover Adams with all they had. So although it's a unit with major scoring potential, and one that certainly causes a major threat, it's flawed.

Offensive fear-o-meter: Zombies.

So that's that. I'll have another one on the defense sometime, not necessarily soon, but sometime.

Gearing up for the Northwestern Wildcats!

Acid Reign — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:25:00 -0000

This highlight clip comes directly to you from the Northwestern Athletic Department. What a refreshingly modern approach to video! (As opposed to the SEC's antique model...)

War Eagle, everybody! It's time now for a look at Auburn's 2010 Outback opponent, the Northwestern Wildcats. Trying to imagine what will happen in this contest has NOT been easy. Auburn and Northwestern have never played each other in football. There are NO common opponents on the two teams' schedules. Both teams feature wide-open offenses that try to push the tempo. Auburn's spread attack has been more run oriented. Northwestern, without a feature back, has aired it out more. Both teams have tended to favor the 4-man rush on defense, and zone coverage. Both Auburn and Northwestern have had up and down periods, losing games they shouldn't have, and beating ranked teams. For those who are expecting a media-bandwagon "SEC is superior to the Big 10" post in this space, you are going to be disappointed. I think bowl history in the past ten years shows the two leagues to be remarkably even.

Northwestern began the season looking like a lower echelon Big-10 team. After blowing out Towson, the Wildcats struggled to a 27-24 win over Eastern Michigan. Losses on the road to Syracuse and Minnesota followed. The Wildcats appeared to be headed for a third road loss at Purdue, trailing 21-3 in the second quarter. The Wildcat D stepped up, forcing six turnovers. Northwestern would rally to beat Purdue 27-21, salvaging the season. A defensive win over Miami of Ohio followed, but then the Wildcats were shut down in East Lansing, falling to Michigan State 24-14. If you thought the 21-3 deficit was huge against Purdue, Northwestern fell behind 28-3 to Indiana at home. 26 unanswered points provided a miraculous 29-28 win over the Hoosiers. Northwestern appeared to be on the way to a major upset hosting Penn State. The Wildcats led 13-10 at the half, but quarterback Mike Kafka was hurt, the dam broke in the 4^th quarter, and Penn State won going away, 34-13. With a 5-4 record, and games left against Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, it looked like Northwestern was in dire trouble. In Iowa City, quarterback Mike Kafka was limited with a leg injury, and gave way to backup Dan Persa. Then Persa hurt his hand. Kafka limped back on the field, and led Northwestern to a stunning 17-10 upset of the BCS-bound Hawkeyes. In Campaign Illinois, again with Kafka hobbling, the Wildcats downed Illinois 21-16. A huge underdog in their home finale against Wisconsin, Northwestern led much of the day, behind a 326-yard passing effort by Kafka. In the end, it was the Wildcat defense turning the Badgers away again and again. Northwestern won it, 33-31. The Wildcats finished 8-4, 5-3 in the Big Ten.

Offensively, the Wildcats try to run a balanced spread attack. This year, with a young offensive line and a variety of backs, rushing totals have been down. Fireplug freshman Arby Fields is the team's leading rusher, with 294 yards. Quarterback Mike Kafka is close behind with 265. Many of the big Wildcat rushing plays have been on quarterback scrambles, which happens to be one of Auburn's defensive weaknesses. The Tigers have been plagued all year by 3^rd and long plays in which the quarterback pops through the middle for big yards. Auburn will have to contain Kafka, who should be 100% healthy after battling leg ailments in the latter half of the regular season. Northwestern's passing attack is dangerous, if Kafka gets time to throw. Senior H-back Zeke Markshausen has caught a whopping 79 passes, and lanky senior wideout Andrew Brewer has added 49 more. Five Northwestern receivers have at least 23 or more catches, and 8 receivers have ten or more catches. The Wildcats are averaging 266 passing yards per game, and 386 total yards per game. By comparison, Auburn is averaging 214 rushing, and 219 passing, for 433 total yards per game.

Defensively, Northwestern has a stout front seven that has weathered brutal Big-10 trench warfare well. A banged up patchwork Wildcat secondary has managed 15 interceptions. The bad news for Auburn is that all 4 starters should be healthy for the Outback Bowl. Lockdown senior corner Sherrick McManis has 4 interceptions and 7 pass breakups, and I'd expect to see him matched up on Auburn's Darvin Adams for much of the morning. Auburn's Chris Todd will have to be careful airing the ball out, as Northwestern's defensive backs all seem to play the ball well. Where Northwestern has had problems is against pounding running games, and against screens. On the line, the Wildcats look to senior defensive end Corey Wootton. Wootton suffered a major knee injury in last year's Alamo Bowl, and has battled a high ankle sprain all year. Despite that, he's still managed 6 tackles for loss and 4 quarterback hurries. All in all, a pretty salty Wildcat defense has tallied 62 tackles for loss and 27 sacks. By comparison, Auburn has 71 TFLs and 25 sacks. Defensively Northwestern gives up 344 yards and 23.3 points per game. Auburn gives up 354 yards per game and 26.9 points per game.

On special teams, Auburn has a few advantages, although a couple of glaring holes remain. Auburn has yet to locate a punt returner who doesn't drop the ball. While this has yet to cost the Tigers meaningful points off a turnover, it has seriously impacted field position. Auburn also has a porous kick coverage unit. Northwestern covers kicks and punts pretty decently, but their returns are only average. Auburn has struggled punting the football with only a 35.4 yard net, but Northwestern is worse, managing only 31.7. Both teams have good placekickers. Auburn's Wes Byrum only missed one field goal all year. Northwestern junior Stefan Demos has hit 18 of 23.

Unit matchups, after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Northwestern offensive line: Auburn enters this bowl with a veteran line anchored by senior All-SEC defensive end Antonio Coleman, who led the SEC in sacks despite ligament damage in his arm. Northwestern is young on the offensive line. The veteran is junior guard Keegan Grant. There are three sophomores: center Ben Burkett, guard Doug Bartels, and left tackle Al Netter. Right tackle Neal Deiters is a redshirt freshman. Auburn has a pair of bullrushing tackles in Jake Ricks and Mike Blanc. And Auburn can bring Nick Fairley off the bench for a breather. Coleman against Netter is a good matchup to watch, but a better matchup will be on the other side, where junior Antoine Carter takes on a freshman tackle. Carter spent the early part of the year injured, but came on against Ole Miss and beyond. The combination gives Auburn speed rushers on both edges, and creates protection problems. Auburn's biggest problem on the D-line has been quarterback contain, and the Wildcats have the guy to exploit it in Mike Kafka. On the other hand, Northwestern has given up 29 sacks. Auburn has 25 on the season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn linebackers vs. Northwestern runners: Auburn has absolutely been ravaged by injury in the linebacker corps. Juniors Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens have had to play every snap in most games, and have had difficulty holding up as Auburn played 11 games in a row without a break. After a week off, the pair STONED Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, holding the Tide great to 30 yards. Weakside linebacker has been a rotating cast. Sophomore Eltoro Freeman is perhaps Auburn's most talented linebacker, but injuries have held him back. He's trying to recover in time for the Outback Bowl, and is practicing. The only other scholarship linebacker available is true freshman Jonathan Evans. Northwestern runs the ball by committee. Quarterback Mike Kafka seems like the biggest threat, running the zone read with aplomb. The likely bowl starter at running back will be sophomore Scott Concannon, who averaged 3.6 yards per carry on the season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn corners vs. Northwestern receivers: Auburn's Walter McFadden, a senior, will likely spend the day matched up with Northwestern's Andrew Brewer. McFadden has handled a number of dangerous SEC wide receivers well, good for 4 interceptions and 8 pass breakups. Where Auburn may struggle is on the other side. Sophomore Neiko Thorpe has been suspect from time to time, although he does have 1 interception and 8 pass breakups. The battle between Thorpe and Northwestern junior Sidney Stewart will be interesting to watch. Both are tall and athletic. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. Northwestern secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn will need SERIOUS help here from the linebackers and corners. The Tigers start true freshman Darrin Bates at one safety, and sophomore JUCO Demond Washington at the other side. Washington has only started 3 games. Both guys have lots of speed and are hitters, but are short on experience. Redshirt freshman T'Sharvan Bell is first in off the bench in nickel situations. Northwestern has OPTIONS in the slot. As mentioned above, Zeke Markshausen is a mainstay. The Wildcats can go heavy with "superback" sophomore Drake Dunsmore, a 235-pounder with 38 catches. Northwestern is particularly good at running "clear-outs," where the corners are pinched in on slants and posts, and the slot guys go out and up. Quarterback Mike Kafka has the arm to make all of the throws. Huge Advantage: Northwestern.

Punting: Auburn senior Clinton Durst dropped two yards in his punting average this year, finishing at 40.7. In Durst's defense, special teams coordinator Jay Boulware has revealed upon occasion that Durst was instructed to kick the ball out of bounds rather than test our suspect coverage unit. Junior Stefan Demos has struggled likewise for Northwestern, averaging only 35.3 yards per punt. Coverage for the Wildcats has been shaky, giving up 9.9 yards per return. Auburn's been downright bad on coverage, giving up 13.8 yards. Northwestern's 6.6 yard per punt return average won't impress anyone. Auburn has gone through a merry-go-round of return men, and has probably dropped a dozen punts on the ground over the course of the season. The Tigers' 4.5 yard punt return average is among the worst in the nation. It's been a miracle that the punt teams' woes haven't resulted in a loss. This may be the game! Advantage: Northwestern.

Kickoffs: Auburn is slightly better on kickoff distance, averaging 62.0 yards to Northwestern's 59.9. Auburn coverage has been worse, giving up 23.6 yards per return, to Northwestern's 21.1. Auburn has kicked 5 balls out of bounds, to Northwestern's 1. Lately, we've cheered kickoffs out of bounds, because the other team usually does BETTER than the 40 on returns! Northwestern averages 20.4 yards on returns. Auburn averages 23.6. The thing to note about the Tiger kick return game is that they discovered sophomore Demond Washington's talents late. Washington wasn't used on returns till late in the season, and he's averaging 32.2 yards per return. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Placekicking: Auburn junior Wes Byrum has had a nearly flawless season, hitting on all of his 49 extra points, and 14 out of 15 field goals. Northwestern's Stefan Demos has a good year, too. Demos has hit on 31 of 32 extra point attempts, and 18 of 23 field goal attempts. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Northwestern defensive line: This is a strength vs. strength matchup. The Tiger line has held its own all year, and was only really beaten against Georgia and LSU. Auburn placed junior left tackle Lee Ziemba and junior center Ryan Pugh on some second-team All-SEC units. Auburn runs an array of traps, draws, and misdirection plays. Pulling guards Mike Berry and Byron Issom have been used almost like fullbacks, and have been very effective blocking on the corner. Despite playing in a spread offense, the Tigers have only given up 18 sacks this season. Where Auburn is weakest is handling the speed rush at right tackle. Senior Andrew McCain is a solid run blocker, but has trouble with speed off the edge. I look for Northwestern to at times move senior defensive end Corey Wootton to the right to try and get a mismatch. Wootton vs. Ziemba should be a good battle. Wootton vs. McCain worries me. Wootton is big, at 280, and fast. Wootton isn't the only capable lineman Northwestern has. Junior tackle Corbin Bryant and senior Adam Hahn are solid. Sophomore defensive end Vince Browne is tied for the lead on the team with 4 sacks. There is Wildcat depth in front four, too. Slight Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Northwestern linebackers: Auburn's backs have done well most of the year, and should benefit from weeks of rest. Running back Ben Tate made second-team All-SEC. H-back Mario Fannin was a blocking force and caught 39 balls. Backup H-back Eric Smith is a threat, too. Freshman tailback Onterrio McCalebb is a speed-demon. He's been battling ankle injuries in the last 8 weeks of the season, but should be healthy for the bowl. Juniors Nate Williams and Quentin Davie anchor the Wildcat defense. The pair combined for 160 tackles, including 14 for loss. Davie has been dangerous as a pass rusher too, with 4 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, and 4 forced fumbles. These are prototypical Big 10-sized linebackers at around 235-240, and they won't be bowled over easily! Advantage: Even.

Auburn receivers vs. Northwestern corners: For the Tigers, this is the Darvin Adams show. Left out of All-SEC balloting, Adams finished in the top five in the league in every category, including a spiffy 17.8 yards per catch average. Terrell Zachary holds down the number two spot, and is a threat on the end around. Zachary only has 24 catches on the year, but is averaging 19.4 yards per reception. Northwestern will counter with senior Sherrick McManus and sophomore Jordan Mabin. Mabin has only two passes defended on the season in 12 games, so look for Auburn to try to test him. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Northwestern safeties: Auburn will go with senior quarterback Chris Todd and a battle tested bunch. Blocking tight end Tommy Trott has been off and on as a receiver, and Chris Todd has struggled to get him the ball late in the season. The main receiving threat of the secondary receivers is Mario Fannin. That bubble screen to Fannin is probably our single most popular pass play, and I look for Northwestern to have the short zone dialed up for that. With a pair of seniors deep for Northwestern, Auburn may have trouble in the middle. Brad Phillips and Brendan Smith are solid, and sophomore Brian Peters are all among the leaders on the team in tackles. Advantage: Northwestern.

Auburn is not going to wow anyone on special teams, but they MUST minimize mistakes! When Northwestern has the ball, Auburn must really run to contain Kafka and the spread. If Auburn loses the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will be a long day of chasing Wildcat receivers. When Auburn has the ball, they have to continue to be multiple. If the Tigers have to rely on either the run or the pass too much, Northwestern has the scheme and players to shut it down. Chris Todd needs to have an accurate game in his Auburn finale, for the Tigers to win.

Prediction: With an El Nino pattern firmly in place, the gulf coast is seeing wave after wave of low pressure systems, mixed with waves of cold air from the northwest. It's been one of the wettest years on record, in the Southeast. Expect rain, for this year's Outback Bowl. Both teams will struggle with the conditions, and Auburn's running game is the difference in this one. Auburn wins, 27-20.

Oh, What Might Have Been!

Acid Reign — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:40:51 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

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Alabama escapes from Auburn, 26-21.

War Eagle, everybody. It's time now for the Acid Reign Report on the 2009 Iron Bowl. I'm of two minds about this game. Honestly, I think we should have won this game, but a few mistakes held us back. However, there is no questioning that Auburn put forth a superhuman effort. If Coach Gene Chizik and his staff can summon forth that sort energy in future Iron Bowls, we will do well!

In my keys to victory post 10 days ago, I said that the Tigers needed to chiefly do three things: run the ball, stop the run, and play turnover-free. There was a little bit of success running. Auburn stopped the run emphatically. Turnovers were costly. Both Chris Todd turnovers, a fumble and an interception, set up Bama field goal attempts. Leigh Tiffin honked one of those wide right, but the other was good, pulling Alabama within 1 point. Had we not had those turnovers, Wes Byrum might have been attempting a 54 yard field goal at the end to send it to overtime. I like Byrum's chances a lot better than a Hail Mary! Auburn also gave up avoiding kicking to Javier Arenas, and that cost Auburn. A 56 yard punt return set Alabama up at the Auburn 33, which resulted in another field goal. We'd have been better off punting it out of bounds for no gain, on that one!

The Tigers came out with a wide-open offensive game plan, utilizing all sorts of misdirection plays, reverses, double passes, and swinging gates. The scheme really slowed down the Alabama pursuit, and forced them to attack more than they wanted. When Alabama started crowding the line, that opened up the Auburn passing game. Unfortunately, the Tigers did not do a good job of taking advantage. Tommy Trott was doing such a good job blocking on the corner that Tide defenders were avoiding being in the same zip code with Trott. We tried several slant passes to Trott, and missed them all. We had a number of opportunities to get running backs loose on screens, but didn't pull the trigger till 3^rd down, when Bama was sitting back in zone coverage. We managed to burn Alabama's corner blitz package with an out and up for a 72 yard touchdown, but never tried it again. Alabama secondary members totaled 5.5 tackles for loss. There was opportunity to throw over them, but we could not do it.

Special teams had a few good plays, but were not very good, overall. There were multiple kickoffs out of bounds, multiple fumbled punts, short punts, and line drive punts. We let Javier Arenas get 3 returns, and he burned us for 102 yards on those. The few bright spots were a successful onside kick, 2 punts killed inside the 20 by Clinton Durst, and 99 kick return yards on 4 kickoffs.

For the first time all season, Auburn utilized a run-blitz package, and it paid dividends! Bama was forced to operate from the shotgun and try mostly short passes. When you've held Alabama to 73 rushing yards, with a first year linebacker and two first year safeties, you've done really well! With good pressure, Greg McElroy avoided the costly turnover, but he was forced into drive-killing bad throws. I'd say defensive coordinator Ted Roof called a brilliant defensive game plan, except for one play. On third and nine from the Auburn 33 in the second quarter, we went with a safety blitz and left a linebacker in man coverage with Colin Peek. That decision resulted in an easy Alabama TD pass. You just don't call safety blitzes on 3^rd and long! ESPECIALLY if you're going to hand an all-SEC tight end off to a linebacker to cover!

Unit Grades, after the jump.

Defensive Line: A. There is little to find fault with, here. Auburn had their best day of the season, up front! Antonio Coleman and Antoine Carter both proved that they could sacrifice personal glory and stats, to play great contain on the Alabama running game. When it was an obvious passing situation, Coleman took James Carpenter and Drew Davis to school a few times. The tackle-end twist worked well too, with Nick Fairley able to turn the corner on Bama tackles. Mike Blanc and Jake Ricks stoned the Bama line, and plugged the middle. Points off on one Jake Ricks offside penalty.

Linebackers: B+. This might have been the best game of the season for the linebackers. It certainly was, against teams with a pulse! True freshman Jonathan Evans stepped up and did not back down against Heisman Trophy candidate Mark Ingram. Bama ran it right at Evans and Evans responded with 8 solo tackles! Josh Bynes was a force, with ten total tackles. Points off on Craig Stevens vs. Bama's Preston Dial, Brad Smelley, and Colin Peek. Bama blockers mostly handled Stevens. Points off also on Josh Bynes letting Peek loose for a second quarter touchdown. Bynes should have never been put in that situation, though.

Secondary: B. Auburn did a good job in two deep zone, taking the long pass away from Alabama. The Tide did try to force a couple into coverage, and both Walter McFadden and Neiko Thorpe responded with pass breakups. Run support from the whole secondary was good, but not great. On Alabama's last drive, the safeties got played a bit. The big 17 yard catch and run on the screen to Trent Richardson was on the safeties. Bates barely hung on at the ten. The fullback on the game-winning touchdown was Washington's man. As you might expect, that was a difficult adjustment to ask of a first year player.

A note on the Auburn defense this season: When Gene Chizik first arrived in Auburn in 2002, he had a very talented defense to work with, including future pro stars Carlos Rogers, Carlos Dansby, Dontarrious Thomas, Reggie Torbor, Spencer Johnson, and Jay Ratliff. Still, it took awhile before those guys "got it." We were diced pretty badly, in the first half of the season, including giving up record rushing yards to Arkansas at home in a 38-17 loss. The light didn't really come on till late in the year, against Georgia, Bama, and Penn State. This year, Chizik and Roof have had to deal with a sub-par interior line, and a woefully thin back seven. Against Alabama, the light came on for this defense. There now seems to be some chemistry, and understanding of what the coaching staff wants. When the light came on in 2002, we were treated to some awesome defense for the next few years. For the 2009 Tiger defense, the light is now on again!

Punting: C+. If Clinton Durst had kicked every punt out of bounds for a 30 yard average, I'd have given the punting unit an A! Auburn did that early on, but in the second half they gave Javier Arenas some chances. Overall it was a solid performance. I hated giving up the 56 yard return, but we are hardly the only team Arenas has done that to! We ended up averaging a mediocre 40 yards per punt, with only a 31.6 yard net. Two punts killed inside the 20 helps this grade.

Punt Returns: D-. On five punts, dropped two on the ground. I pass this unit only because Auburn got both bobbles back. Priority one in the offseason is recruiting, priority two is finding and grooming a new quarterback. But I'd say that next on the list is finding a punt returner. This has been the worst year for Auburn punt returners EVER. We've had some bad years before, but nothing like this!

Kick Returns: C. Demond Washington averaged 24.8 yards on four returns. If that stat is compared to team averages this season, Washington would be tied for 3^rd in the SEC. Not bad, but against the last-place kick coverage team in the league, I had hoped for more.

Kickoffs: B. Morgan Hull kicked deep 3 times, and two of them went out of bounds. Against Javier Arenas, that's a favorable result. I'm surprised Bama didn't make us kick it again, on those! The two out of bounders gave Bama the ball at the 40. When we DID kick it to Arenas at the goal line, he returned it to the 46. Should have kicked all three out of bounds! The Tigers had a perfectly executed onside kick. It was brilliantly conceived, with the team acting lackadaisical, and not even lining up before Byrum suddenly just bunted that ball, and raced with it. It caught Alabama totally off-guard. That cat's out of the bag, I think. We won't be able to catch anyone else on that for at least five years!

Placekicking A+. Wes Byrum continued a near-perfect season by hitting all of his extra points. Byrum finishes the season having converted 14 of 15 field goals attempts, and 100% of his extra points. Magnificent!

Offensive Line: B+. It wouldn't be an Auburn football game without a Lee Ziemba false start. At least he got it over with in the first quarter. Ziemba had a pretty good day blocking on Lorenzo Washington and Brandon Deaderick, as did Andrew McCain. The two Tide ends combined for only 4 tackles, none for a loss. Auburn had less success dealing with Alabama blitzers. Eryk Anders was particularly elusive, racking up 3.5 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hurries. The Auburn line basically held their own, but didn't generate much push. Nearly all of Auburn's successful running plays were on trick plays to the outside. Pass protection was decent, most of the time.

Receivers: A. You can't ask for much more than these guys produced. They had great downfield blocking, no drops, and got a lot of separation on a very good Bama secondary. The greatest failure in this game was not utilizing these guys more. Both Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary looked FAST against the Bama secondary.

Running Backs: C. Ben Tate ran hard, as did Onterrio McCalebb, but that's about all you can say. Great catch early for a touchdown, by Eric Smith. Blocking was quite poor, in this one. The only times the backs slowed Tide defenders down was when Ben Tate picked up a holding call. Mario Fannin bobbled a screen pass away that had the potential to go for a long TD. This might have been the worst day by the backs all year. Bonus points for no fumbles. Still, we needed a LOT better production blocking.

Quarterback: C-. Auburn had a plan to exploit the Alabama defense. When it moved to phase two, and we had to hit some short passes, we couldn't. Chris Todd had some nice downfield throws to Darvin Adams, but none to any other outside receivers. Terrell Zachary can run down the field all alone, and Todd will never look his way. Todd completed a decent amount of screen passes, but these were usually on third and long, and ended up well short of the first down. Todd missed the slant to Tommy Trott three times way high, ending up with an interception on the last one. Todd missed the quick hitch three times. Todd had a sack-fumble. Sack-fumbles are somewhat excusable from the blind side, but Todd was hit from the front. Sometimes a QB just has to fall down and eat it. After the first quarter, Todd kept us in the game with the 72-yard pass to Adams, but did very little beyond that. A half dozen better throws would have given Auburn a double digit win over the Tide.

I hate losing to Alabama, make no mistake about it. At home, it's an even more bitter pill to swallow. This one is easier than the last two Iron Bowl losses in Jordan Hare, because we appear to be on an upswing with our program. This is a game a more experienced Auburn squad might have dominated. It also makes one wonder where we'd be if we had played like this against Arkansas, against Kentucky, against LSU. Carrying the momentum over will be a challenge for the returning players and coaching staff.

My hat's off to Alabama. They got a lot more than they bargained for on this road trip, but they didn't panic. They didn't turn the ball over, and they didn't give up. Perseverance gave the Tide their second perfect regular season in a row. I think the Tide folks also know that they'll need a LOT better performance in the SEC Championship game, if they are to defeat the Gators.

It will be an exciting bowl and off season, for Auburn, but we must temper our expectations with realism. As Pat Dye said last week, next year's team won't be much better than this one. Problems will have to be worked on, and newcomers brought in that will play immediately. Nowhere will Auburn be hit harder by graduation than on the defensive line. The loss of Antonio Coleman and Jake Ricks will be huge. The loss of Walter McFadden will be big, too. McFadden was a top-flight cover corner, AND a great leader. Auburn will be solid kicking the ball, but will have to find a new punter. Returns and coverage were an absolute mess this season, and should see a lot of work. The offensive line will have to replace a tackle, and the replacement of seniors Tommy Trott, Ben Tate, and Chris Todd will not be easy. The quarterback race will be critical. Unless Kodi Burns makes a dramatic comeback, we'll be starting a green QB, next fall. If we learned nothing this season, we know that Malzhan's offense is heavily tied to quarterback play.

War Eagle to all, and have a great finish to Thanksgiving Weekend!

The Iron Bowl Preview

outsidethesidelines — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:14 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Alabama's Mark Ingram (22) runs on a 14-yard touchdown as Auburn's Josh Bynes (17) and Sen Derrick Marks (94) fail to tackle him in the 2008 Iron Bowl. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

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No fancy introductions needed this week, you know exactly what this game is all about. Alabama comes in at 11-0 with their sights on a national championship, while 7-4 Auburn has proven to be a pleasant surprise in the debut campaign of Gene Chizik. Nothing more really needs to be said, so let's just straight into the match-ups.

Alabama Offense v. Auburn Defense

When the Alabama offense takes the field in Jordan-Hare Stadium, it will have the luxury of facing probably the worst defense it has faced all season in conference play. Auburn ranks dead last in the SEC in scoring defense, and even though they still have two games remaining, they have already allowed more points this year than any other defense in the history of Auburn football. First year defensive coordinator Ted Roof has probably done as well as reasonably could be expected with the group he inherited, but the issues for this defense run deep in terms of both top-end talent and quality depth. Specifically, there is almost no top-end talent on this unit, and absolutely no depth whatsoever. You do the math. The end result has been about what you would expect given those two harsh realities.

At the point of attack, Auburn's defensive line is led by senior Antonio Coleman, arguably one of the most underrated players in the conference. Coleman is great off the edge -- see the 7.5 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss -- and he will play on Sunday. Opposite Coleman you generally find a rotation between Antonio Carter and Michael Goggans. Carter is good off the edge, but struggles against the run have kept him from being a full-time starter, and while Goggans is bigger than Carter and brings a better force against the run, Auburn loses some of its pass rushing ability off the edge with him in the game. Coleman is the clear breadwinner here, and he's the one that makes the unit go. Thanks to his efforts, Auburn is fairly respectable seventh in the conference in sacks, which is about as good as they are in any defensive metric. It's not a great pass rush by any stretch, but it's at least respectable.

The real issue for Auburn is an inability to stop the run, and a lot of that is the result of a lack of run-stuffers on the defensive line. Coleman isn't particularly good against the run, and the same goes for Antonio Carter. Playing inside they have Mike Blanc and Jake Ricks, and while they are decent players, both are a bit undersized and they tend to get swallowed up by good offensive lines. And when you mix that with the fact that there is no quality depth on the line, it just gets ugly in the running game. Auburn is 88th in the country in run defense, and it's not hard to see why.

The real train wreck of the Auburn defense, however, is at linebacker, where everything that could have gone wrong for the Tigers has gone wrong. They came into the year with no depth at the position, and it hasn't gotten any easier since. Josh Bynes is the leader of this group, and while he's an outstanding physical specimen, he has struggled this year with injuries and adjusting to a new scheme. He hasn't made the plays behind the line like he did a year ago, and even though he has still been the strength of the linebacker corps, he has been a disappointment this year. Meanwhile, Eltoro Freeman was a five-star JUCO recruit that Auburn was hoping to be an instant impact player, but he has really struggled this year and only has a couple of good games to date. At any rate, he's not likely to play in this game after suffering a concussion and a leg injury against Georgia. Craig Stevens has quietly had a solid year, but he effectively rounds out the depth chart. Aside from him, all you have left is Jonathon Evans... he backs up all three position, but he's really undersized and probably only an average player even on his best day. After Evans, it's nothing but the walk-ons.

The train wreck doesn't look to fix itself by Saturday, either. Again, Freeman is seemingly unlikely to play against the Tide, and with him out Bynes will likely have to move over to middle linebacker. With him there, Stevens and Evans will get the start opposite him, and either they will literally play every snap or Auburn will be forced to give walk-ons some meaningful playing time.

The situation in the defensive backfield really isn't a lot better. Cornerback Aairon Savage suffered a season-ending injury prior to the opener and Harry Adams was kicked off the team in late October. The attrition has left Auburn only three cornerbacks on scholarship. With that in mind, Walt McFadden and Neiko Thorpe will get the start for Auburn, and D'Antoine Hood will see a good bit of time too. McFadden is a pretty good player in his own right, and while Thorpe has shown some good things, he's still a young guy who has made a lot of mistakes as well.

At safety, things really aren't much better. Mike McNeil looked to be a star this year but he hasn't played a snap in 2009 thanks to a broken leg suffered this Spring, and starting opposite McNeil was Zac Ethridge. Unfortunately, though, Ethridge suffered a season-ending neck injury against Ole Miss, and that has forced Auburn to search the bench looking for starters. Demond Washington and Darren Bates, both first-year players, will start at safety thanks to the attrition, and while both have shown some good things at times, they have also had their rough spots as well.

All in all, this is just a bad unit. They rush the passer relatively well, but they cannot stop the run and they have no depth whatsoever. The depth situation is so bad that the likes of Ball State and Furman put up 30+ points when the second and third team defenses went into the game, so that should tell you all you need to know. Those guys have given their all, but just being brutally honest it's probably the worst Auburn defense I've seen in my lifetime.

Offensively for Alabama, this is really where you have to win the game. We've got a Heisman Trophy candidate at tailback and a strong rotation behind him, so there is no reason why we shouldn't gut these guys and move the ball up and down the field. Likewise, they don't match up with us particularly well at the skill positions either. What more can you say? Even LSU and Georgia put up 30+ against these guys, and frankly if we don't do the same we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Alabama Defense v. Auburn Offense

The real show for the 2009 Auburn Tigers has been on the offensive side of the ball, and it is there that Auburn has gotten the job done. And if you look at this group from the outset, what makes it so difficult is that they don't fit conventionally into any one category. The only thing I can compare it to was the Houston offense we faced in 2007 with Art Briles... the Cougars pretty much did whatever Briles felt like doing at the time, and that is effectively what we have with Auburn and Malzahn. There is not really a rhyme or reason to the flow of the structure of the offense. And the hell of it is that, despite the success, if you look at Auburn in terms of pure talent on the offensive side of the ball, and it's not an overly impressive group.

The offensive line is a solid group, but not a spectacular one by any stretch. Left tackle Lee Ziemba has a great frame and very good athletic ability, but he has been plagued by false starts all year long. Ryan Pugh at center is easily the dirtiest player in all of college football -- don't be surprised to him at least try to take one of our guys out again this year (he went after Luther Davis last year) -- but when he's not trying to end careers he's a fine center. The guards, though, are somewhat cogs. Neither Mike Berry or Byron Isom are bad players, but neither are really difference-makers either. Likewise, Andrew McCain at right tackle is below average. A legitimate run of injuries would kill this group simply because there is no depth whatsoever, but they've been relatively fortunate on the injury front.

Quarterback Chris Todd has surprised everyone by his solid play this year, but even so I don't think anyone would really dub Todd a high-end player. He doesn't have very good mobility, and that limits the dual-threat options that Malzahn would surely like to employ, and he has one of the weakest arms in the SEC even after having shoulder surgery this past offseason. His strengths are his decision-making ability and his accuracy, but even those have gone incognito at times this year. As a whole he has put up a strong season statistically, but credit for that likely goes more to Malzahn for putting him in good situations than it does any inherent ability on Todd's part.

The backfield does have its fair share of talent. Ben Tate is no Mark Ingram -- despite what he might like to tell you -- but he's a fine player in his own right. He's a senior with a lot of raw talent, and he'll play on Sunday. Likewise, Onterrio McCalebb is a highly-talented player, and honestly the only reason we didn't pursue him out of high school was because he had poor academics (he had to do a tour of duty at Hargrave before qualifying). When healthy, those two form quite the potent 1-2 punch.

On the outside at receiver has really been the issue. Darvin Adams has stepped up and became a legitimate playmaker -- and he may in fact be the breakout player of the SEC -- but aside from Adams it just hasn't developed. Terrell Zachery and Mario Fannin have shown flashes of brilliance, but they've also had stretches where they have gone almost completely incognito as well. Likewise, tight end Tommy Trott has really never been able to live up to the recruiting hype that he had coming out of Montgomery in 2005, and he doesn't give them the threat that they would like.

Again, if you look at this offense on paper, it's nothing particularly impressive. They've got a fairly decent line and a good rotation at tailback, but they've got issues at quarterback and at wide receiver, and there is no depth. Based on that, you would probably think that Auburn would normally be an average-at-best offense, but that hasn't been the case. All the credit in the world goes to Malzahn, and he has done nothing short of a fabulous job down on the Plains. There is no question whatsoever that he is the SEC Assistant Coach of the Year. He has taken an average-at-best group with no depth and made them one of the most prolific offenses in the country.

Defensively, Alabama has its work cut out this week. Auburn is confusing as hell on offense, and the end result for much of the year has been that they have generated a ton of big plays via defensive confusion and busted assignments. I'm sure we've devoted a much larger chunk of time than normal to assignment work this week just because of that. Our defensive players will have to be fully aware of their assignments at all times, otherwise Auburn will generate some easy big plays at our expense. More so than just about anyone else, Auburn pushes you to the edge of in terms of forcing you to play disciplined football, and they have largely struggled when opposing defenses have played sound, assignment-based football.

At the very least, this is a unit that gives you a lot of legitimate challenges, and it's a dangerous group. The Auburn offense of a year ago was worst than anything Mike Shula ever put on the field, but Malzahn has legitimately transformed them into one of the best offenses in the country, and they will give us some problems this Saturday. They are probably the best offense we've seen since Arkansas left town, and unlike last year this group will definitely score some points on us.

Putting It All Together

All in all, Alabama is clearly the better team in this game. Regardless of how you look at it -- high-end talent, quality depth, position match-ups, etc. -- Alabama is the better of the two teams. There are a lot of reasons as to why we are a 10-point favorite going on the road.

On the other hand, though, this game is far from a breeze. Last year in his column I wrote that because of Auburn's complete and total lack of an offense, Alabama would have to create a path to victory for them to win. This year, though, that's far from the case. Auburn has an explosive offense that can legitimately score a lot of points, and that can clearly put this game in jeopardy. We're favorites for a reason, but this game isn't the open and shut case that it was a year ago.

And for Auburn, that is really how they win they likely look to win this game. Offensively, they are clearly going against a very good unit, but we've struggled with spread teams in the past and they have to hope to score some points offensively. Defensively, they look to have a hard time stopping us, but we've been our own worst enemy at times and we may very well do that come Friday. And that's Auburn's hope. Hope that they have some success offensively, and that their defense plays well enough / our offense shoots itself in the foot enough to squeak out a narrow victory.

At the least, a blowout like we saw last year should not be expected. Any Alabama fan legitimately expecting a repeat of 36-0 is likely fooling themselves. As I mentioned yesterday, blowouts in this rivalry are quite rare, and it would be a major surprise to see something like that happen again this year. On the other hand, though, it's not like Alabama necessarily needs it. We control our own destiny at this point, and we don't need style points. We just need to win and stay healthy doing so, and as long as you do that the exact margin of victory is irrelevant.

For Alabama, a hot start would be nice. We have been slow starters all season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, and you have to hope that changes this weekend. Whenever you face a team with no depth, a hot start practically breaks their back from the outset because they don't have the depth needed to mount a comeback down the stretch. If Alabama can do that, victory is almost assured from the very beginning. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to do that all year, and I really don't see any reason that would definitively lead me to believe this week would be any different.

All in all, we're the better team here, and we should get the win. We should be able to score enough points on their weak defense to keep them at bay, and our defense should give them some hard times offensively. But Auburn is like the other SEC teams we've faced this year. They have their own set of strengths and they present their own unique set of problems for you, and you must respond accordingly. If we move the football like we should on offense, don't shoot ourselves in the foot, and play sound, disciplined, assignment-based football on defense, we should win this game. If not...

Hope for the best.

The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 13

Law Buckeye — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:51:30 -0000

Welcome to our Thanksgiving holiday edition of the OPC. Turkey, cranberry sauce, and corn muffins won't be the only things you stuff your face with over the next several days. This weekend is positively jammed packed with college games. Loosen your belt, sink into a soft recliner, and load up on these historic, hot button matchups.

Before we get started, one quick note. This week, and next week will be the final editions of our regular season predictions. After the championship games on December 5th, we'll crown a season winner. But don't fret. The following week we'll start anew, with The Obligatory Predictions Competition Bowl Edition. You'll have the chance to pick all 35 bowls at once, in a winner take all format. So if you didn't wipe the floor with your season picks, consider this a second chance.

Remember to get your picks in by 11:00 a.m. Friday!

1. ILLINOIS at No. 5 CINCINNATI, 12:00 p.m. EST (11/27), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts CINCINNATI by 17

This game is a referendum on one coach's ability to create a successful offensive gameplan…and one coach's inability to draw any cohesiveness from his offensive squad. Hot Seat Coach in this game: Zook!

LAW BUCKEYE predicts CINCINNATI by 14

Yes, there's a small part of me that thinks the Illini might get a landmark upset that salvages their shipwrecked season. I thought the same thing before Illinois met Missouri in St. Louis for the season opener in 2008. Not even close. The Illini will overplay the pass, allowing Cincinnati to showcase its ability to run. Tony Pike struggles early, but rebounds to slice and dice the 89th worse defense in the FBS. My bet is this game is bad enough by 2:30 p.m. that you'll be ready to turn the dial to:

2. No. 2 ALABAMA at AUBURN, 2:30 p.m. EST (11/27), CBS

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts ALABAMA by 14

A lack of good offensives in the SEC plus a stingy ‘Bama D equals 10 ppg allowed. ‘Bama hasn’t seen an offense like Auburn’s, but I doubt that these NFL-caliber defenders will lose sleep over Chizik’s misdirection.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts ALABAMA by 7

It's easy to forget in the wake of last year's 36-0 Alabama win, that the modern Iron Bowl has belonged to Auburn. Prior to being embarassed last year, the Tigers had seized the in-state showdown six years in a row. I like the physical chemistry of this matchup: Alabama's brute force against Auburn's speedy spread. The nation's No. 1 (Alabama's Mark Ingram) and No. 3 (Auburn's Ben Tate) rushers will be on display Saturday in a game that I suspect will lock up early. Alabama pushes and pulls its way to Atlanta with a perfect record.

3. FLORIDA STATE at No. 1 FLORIDA, 3:30 p.m. EST (11/28), CBS

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts FLORIDA by 17

FSU hasn’t stopped anyone all year. Their defense is like the Maginot Line of college football: Easily circumvented, lacking interior strength, and no organization. Hot Seat Coach in this game: Bowden! Coach Leaving: Andrews!

LAW BUCKEYE predicts FLORIDA by 14

Florida doesn't have a sizzling deep threat this year, making its offense about as fun to watch as a stripper in a turtleneck, but who needs big plays when you've got a defense that all but guarantees you'll win the battle of field position. Bobby Bowden has all but said the Seminoles can't compete. If he doesn't believe, why should I?

4. GEORGIA at No. 7 GEORGIA TECH, 8:00 p.m. EST (11/28), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts GEORGIA TECH by 17

GT has that magical knack for winning close games. I love the triple option like a brother and I love the toughness Paul Johnson installed. Dead Coach Walking: Willie Martinez!

LAW BUCKEYE predicts GEORGIA TECH by 10

Not only has Paul Johnson's vaunted triple-option attack survived its second run through conference play, the offense has flourished as the Yellow Jackets have learned to execute. The uniqueness of the Tech attack is another headache for Mark Richt, who already has to worry about his team's problems turning the ball over, failing to force turnovers, and piling up penalty yards. Georgia looks confused and disoriented as they fall to their rivals in Atlanta for the first time in a decade.

5. NOTRE DAME at STANFORD, 8:00 p.m. EST (11/28), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts STANFORD by 7

White Wonder Toby Gerhart is foaming at the mouth in anticipation of smacking heads with the Irish defenders. Something to know about Stanford - Not only can they smashmouth, they can play action and go down the field, as witnessed in the USC depantsing. I know it'll be fun for Jimmy Clausen to be back in the home state, but ND has failed to take advantage of endgame opportunities all year. Dead Coach Limping: Chuck Weis!

LAW BUCKEYE predicts STANFORD by 7

I know what you're thinking: who cares about this game? Charlie Weis is done. Stanford can't win the Pac 10. Neither team is ranked. I'd like to suggest this game is the week's toughest to pick. How will the Irish play for their interred leader? Will they come out strong, showing the flash in a pan offensive brilliance they displayed at times this season, taking advantage of a Cardinal squad that was rattled by California last week? Or will they sink softly into the earth, making Tuesday's meeting between Weis and (Athletic Director) Jack Swarbrick merely precatory? Will this be for the Irish what the 2007 Capital One Bowl was for Michigan? I think the Irish play hard, but their defense can't overcome the sound and fury of Stanford's rush attack. Stanford drops the other shoe.

Iron Bowl Thoughts... Right Now

WarDamnZach — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:00:19 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

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With a couple of days to go, I have some serious waffling going on in my mind. On the one hand, it appears that Bama is a well oiled machine, and will roll over the Tigers. On the flip side of that, Auburn is coming into this Iron Bowl with "no chance" to win. The last time I can remember that it was 1989. Nothing will compare to that game and the atmosphere in Jordan-Hare will not be that electric again, especially in this 2009 matchup.

Here are my thoughts as of this moment… ask me ten minutes from now and I am sure they will have changed, at least slightly. First and foremost is that Chris Todd will have to have a career day. I mean a Tre Smith type of career day, one he will be remembered for. He will have to make the perfect passes over the middle, and be able to complete the deep ball. The Alabama secondary is not all that, but neither is Todd’s deep ball. Terrell Zachery and Darvin Adams will have to make the plays.

Auburn will not be able to pound the ball up the middle. Onterio McCallebb is still nursing the high ankle sprain and Ben Tate could not get free on Georgia’s defense and for sure will not be able to do it on the Tide. The play action will be just for show, as the Tide will be to stout up front. I also have a feeling that the Alabama blitz will be on every play. That is assuming that they will have to blitz to get pressure on Todd. That brings me to my next point.

The offensive line is going to have to give Chris the time to go through his reads. The line is also going to need to keep its composure and discipline. No penalties. None. When they get one it always seems to be at a drive killing moment. So in my mind they cannot have any. No false starts, no holds, no nothing. Personally, I think the screen pass could be the Tigers best weapon on Friday. Again that is assuming that the Tide blitzes on every play.

Offensively Auburn should be able to move the ball. I think that Gus will have some tricks up his sleeve and Auburn will score on some sort of BIG play. Alabama seems to give up plenty of yards, but locks down when they have to. If Auburn can make it through the game with no turnovers, the game can stay relatively close.

Defensively Auburn is just plain weak. No Eltoro at the Linebacker spot will hurt us, but with the previous bye week, Josh Bynes, Craig Stevens and Adam Herring should be well rested. The defensive line will have to get pressure on Greg McElroy. He is the weak link to the machine that is the Alabama offense. If Auburn can rattle him he has been known to make the bad decision, and kill a drive. Auburn will have to cause a least two turnovers to win, maybe one will have to be a score as well. Mark Ingram does not fumble, so the turnovers will have to be off of McElroy.

Speaking of Ingram, I am thinking he is going to make is Heisman push against the Tigers. Saban is not only going to want to blow Auburn out at home, but get Alabama their first Heisman winner in the process. Auburn’s line is going to have to "get big" and plug up the holes. Ted Roof is not going to be able to keep a LB or Safety spying on Ingram. While in the past, I have thought that the secondary of Auburn was okay, watching Neiko Thorpe get beat deep on damn near every play against UGA is a major problem. Walt McFadden is going to have to line up with Julio Jones, because Thorpe will get beat like a dog… again. So Marquis Maze will be the go to guy for Alabama, especially lined up against Neiko. Lastly, Bynes or Stevens will have to be out in coverage against Colin Peek, the Tight End of the Tide. Neither of these guys is very good in coverage, so they will have to step up huge. Peek is one of McElroy’s favorite targets.

Special teams will have to be just that… Special. No turnovers! On the cover teams, they are going to have to play better then they have all year. Javier Arenas is amazing; I would not punt it to him under any circumstances. Clinton Durst is going to have to earn his scholarship this week. I hope he has been practicing his directional punts. Wes Byrum has had a good year, if he can make some big kicks against Bama it could be a great year. If Auburn can have a clean special teams game, it will go a long way to allowing the Tigers to pull the upset.

So as you can see, Auburn will have to have a near perfect game to hang with the Tide. They are for real, but in my view they are still the "luckiest team in America." Sometimes luck has to be on your side to remain undefeated. It is well documented that the Alabama offense struggles in the red zone. If Auburn can just hold on and keep them out of the endzone, Chris Todd and the offense could just pull out the upset. Auburn is playing for pride and bowl position… All the pressure is on Alabama, if they win "they were supposed to." If they lose, "they are finished when it comes to the National Championship."

Auburn could really mess up the SEC in the BCS with a huge win in Jordan-Hare. With a win over Bama and then Bama winning against Florida neither will be in the National Championship game, and it would be quite a remarkable feat for the Tigers to keep the Tide out of the big one.

Can Auburn do it? Damn right. Should we as Auburn fans expect it? No way. Should we scream our collective heads off in attempt up pump up the players? Count on it.

War Damn Eagle

How to Win The Iron Bowl.

Acid Reign — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:12 -0000

Bama's last visit to the Plains didn't go so well!

War Eagle, everybody! Like the Auburn football team, I've taken a few days off from college football. For the team, it was all about the fatigue. Auburn has played 11 straight weeks in a row. Only Vanderbilt has it worse. The Commodores will have played 12 in a row, when this season ends. They'll be rewarded by a 2-10 season, most likely. For me, the time off has helped me purge the taint of a bad weekend all around. Auburn's loss was painful, but I salute the effort of a fatigued, undermanned squad. I can't say the same for my Dallas Cowboys. When the first frost hits, the Cowboys' collection of superstars and veteran free agents pack it in. Who would you rather have pulling the strings: Bobby Lowder, or Jerry Jones? Things could be worse, Tiger fans!

After some well deserved rest, it's time to gear up for a visit by the Alabama Crimson Tide. Many Auburn folks I've talked to this week are already conceding a Tide win. I say that it doesn't have to be that way! Auburn can play with anyone, when they are executing well. The Tigers can beat Bama, if they run the ball, stop the run, and don't turn the ball over. The Iron Bowl last year was a tight game, till Auburn handed Alabama the ball 3 straight possessions in the 3^rd quarter. We can't do that, this year at home!

Keys to Auburn victory, after the jump!

Auburn needs to effectively rotate defensive linemen. There was a Zach Clayton sighting in the Georgia game, and here's hoping he's healthy for the Iron Bowl. We need to rotate both the tackles and ends, and keep them fresh for Bama's 4^th quarter push. If we have Antonio Coleman and Antoine Carter playing every snap of the first three quarters, we won't be able to stop Bama in the 4^th with the game on the line.

At linebacker, Auburn SORELY needs Eltoro Freeman back. It's no coincidence that Georgia outscored Auburn 31-10 after Freeman left due to injury. With Freeman, Auburn stopped the run. Without him, Georgia moved the chains. Craig Stevens, and Josh Bynes need to have career games. Auburn's linebackers must attack, and shut down Bama's running game.

Rotation in the secondary will be important, too. Safeties WILL have to come up and make tackles, in this one. Bama gets a lot of successful blocks out of their receivers, tight ends, and fullbacks. While I applaud the efforts of young Darren Bates and Demond Washington, we need meaningful snaps out of Mike Slade and T'Sharvan Bell, too. Neiko Thorpe MUST keep his man in front, this game. Alabama WILL try a few play-action bombs at Thorpe, and he's GOT to be ready! If Bama tight end Colin Peek returns for this game, I wouldn't be surprised to see Alabama throw some passes in the flat to him. Auburn safeties will have their hands full trying to cover Peek. Walter McFadden must continue his excellent play. Last season in the Iron Bowl, McFadden limited Julio Jones to 3 catches for 36 yards. If Jones is held to 36 or fewer yards this year, Auburn has a great chance.

Clinton Durst needs to have a great game in this one. His numbers may not be helped, but he should avoid punting the football where Javier Arenas can get it. Arenas is averaging over 13 yards per return. A 35-yard kick out of bounds is an improvement over letting Arenas possibly break the game open. Likewise, this might be the one game where I'll approve of the squib kickoff strategy. On returns, we've got to find some way to keep Demond Washington fresh for these. Did you know that Bama is dead last in the SEC, in kickoff coverage? Bama averages 38.6 net yards per kickoff, which is even worse than Auburn's 39.7.

Auburn's offensive line will have a tough task in this Iron Bowl. Bama has three HUGE defensive linemen, and big backups as well. All three linemen nearly DEMAND a double team block, then Bama usually sends an outside linebacker (Eryk Anders, Cory Reamer) as a rush-end. You don't know till the snap which side that end is coming from. The double team on Terrence Cody is probably inevitable, with the other guard pulling, for Auburn. I'd expect Alabama to attack Andrew McCain, who's been very vulnerable to the speed rush this season. On passing downs, McCain MUST get that first step back with the correct foot, and get his shoulders turned. On run downs, he's got to get his head across. Auburn must get the front four blocked, to get the running game going. Bama is number one in the league in run defense, giving up only 2.4 yards per carry. Please! No false starts or illegal shifts! Lastly, if we've got 3^rd and 1 or 4^th and 1, we've GOT to STOP trying to pull linemen!

Guess which Bama player leads the team in tackles for loss? Would you believe that it's Javier Arenas? Nick Saban LOVES him some corner blitz! Arenas is tied for 3^rd in the SEC, with 10.5 tackles for loss. How do they DO that? Well, safety Mark Barron slides over when Arenas blitzes. Barron has 7 pass breakups and 4 picks, which ties him for the lead in the SEC in passes defended. Justin Woodall, the other safety isn't bad either. Auburn needs some sort of "automatic" check when Arenas slides down the line just before the snap, both the receivers AND Todd. Bama always tips it, a second or two before the snap, AFTER you've meercatted to the sideline and changed the play. Auburn needs a two man route and quick throw underneath, to defeat that Arenas corner blitz. No one blends coverages like Alabama. Auburn's going to HAVE to be patient, and rely on crisp throws under the coverage. The Tide defends from the inside-out. To attack that, you've got to throw successfully to the outside. Auburn's greatest offensive failure in last year's Iron Bowl was only TRYING two passes to the sideline. Bama will bait quarterbacks into trying deep balls. Chris Todd must choose his times carefully.

For Auburn backs, it's really simple, this game. Eric Smith and Mario Fannin have to block like they've never blocked before, and Ben Tate and Onterrio McCalebb have to run like there's no tomorrow. Extra hard fought yards move the chains, and are the difference against really good defenses like Alabama. There won't be big holes and lanes. The backs are going to have to create. Above all else, Auburn must hold onto the ball no matter what! A deep interception is kind of like a punt. But even a single fumble in Auburn's own end of the field could lose the game.

Chris Todd, this is it. This is your big chance! Todd has had an amazing story this season, coming back from the brink to lead this team. It's been an up and down year, but now Todd can cement his legacy. If Auburn beats the Tide, Todd will go down as a legend. Todd needs crisp, accurate throws, and must avoid throwing into coverage. We'll certainly need that 5^th year senior maturity and leadership, in this tough ball game.

In other strategy notes, I'm not sure we need to run the Wildcat at all. Alabama has a series of defensive packages for it, including a two deep zone that still manages to overload the sweep side of the formation. A counter might work against that, but a Kodi Burns lob ball against that zone could be disaster. One thing I'd like to see occasionally is a flipped offensive line, and a Todd half roll to the right. With Ziemba out front, and McCain somewhat protected by the motion, Todd can do some damage throwing to the right, especially on the wide side of the field. I'm not sure about the hurry-up offense, in this one. I think it backfired, last week. We got tired on the line faster than Georgia got tired on defense, it looked like. Bama's not really a team you can wear down, defensively. We need to run some reverses to Fannin, Zachary, and McCalebb. Bama will not likely be vulnerable like some teams, but we need those plays to keep the Tide defense honest. Defensively, we've got to use more run blitzes. We're not going to be able to sit back in cover-two all day with Josh Bynes dropping in the middle. Bama will run it till we stop 'em.

It's soon to be Iron Bowl week, folks! I'm fired up already! I'm looking forward to a great week of analysis and fever pitch!

This Auburn Team Is Special

Jay Coulter — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:23 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

The Chris Todd story is one of the best in college football this year.

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The look on Auburn running back Ben Tate's face said it all as the clock hit zero in Sanford Stadium Saturday night. He left everything he had on the soggy turf in North Georgia. As has been the case on too many occasions this year, giving everything was not enough. This senior class will never know the joy of beating Georgia.

Auburn turned in what may be its best effort of the year in Saturday's 31-24 loss to rival Georgia. It was far from its best game, but you can't argue with the effort. Georgia's Mark Richt would likely have at least two more wins, maybe more if he could get the same get up and go from his star-studded roster.

The 60 minute session in Athens was a case study of Auburn's season. Gus Malzahn's offense showed flashes of brilliance, but like so many other Saturdays it was not sustainable. All of the fears about the Tiger defense came home to roost. Even with the Dawg's A.J. Green out for most of the game with injury, Georgia exposed the Auburn secondary for what it is - a patchwork unit with many guys who have no business playing deep into November.

Saturday's loss hurt. In some small way that's progress. Last season's losses brought anger. This year they bring hope. Chizik started the season with a skeptical and divided Auburn Nation. In 11 short weeks he's brought the family back together. Most were outraged over his hire - count me among them. Today I'm sold. Chizik was the right hire and he's my coach.

This team will go down as one my favorite. They'll not be remembered for greatness and will hardly leave a mark in the record books. In all my many years of following Auburn football, few teams have cared and tried as hard as this one. These players have endured a coaching change, the hiring of an unpopular coach and a prolonged quarterback battle. It would have been hard to blame them if they simply threw up the white flag and went to the house. In fact, many of them did.

The ones who stayed will leave a legacy. No, this senior class will never walk out of Sanford Stadium with hedges in hand, but they will be remembered for much more. They've put Auburn football back on the path to redemption. There are enough storylines from these players to make a dozen Lifetime movies.

I'll say it again, is there a better story in all of football than that of quarterback Chris Todd? A year ago he was loathed by most fans and his name was interchangeable with embattled former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. Smart money said he would do what he's always done, look for greener grass and move on. Now, with one regular season game left, you hate to see the senior leave.

How special was the touchdown catch by Kodi Burns in the first quarter? He's hardly the heralded player fans thought he would be, but it's hard not to love him. He may not be big on skills, but his heart more than makes up for it. His selfless actions back in August when he lost the staring quarterback job to Todd set the stage for this team overachieving.

Now we turn our attention to the big one, the Iron Bowl. There's no kidding ourselves. This is a tall order Auburn is facing. If you didn't have a dog in the hunt, you would give the Tigers no chance. This is one good Alabama football team, especially on defense. On paper, they are better at virtually every position on both sides of the ball.

With that said, don't throw in the towel just yet. Auburn will have two things going in its favor - fresh legs and big hearts. That may or may not be enough in two weeks. Regardless, this team has brought a lot of joy to fans over the past three month. Auburn football is fun again. There's hope in the air.

I already can't wait until next year.