Give Lindy's the prize for being first. The preseason college football magazine is now on store shelves and the Birmingham-based publisher gets bragging rights for 2012. Let's hope they don't have a lot to brag about in the prediction department.

The sports annual has Auburn picked fifth in the SEC Western Division behind LSU, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M. Overall, Auburn is picked ninth in the conference.

Summing up Auburn's chances, the publication writes, "(Auburn) could go 8-5 again, but not talented enough to compete with LSU and Alabama in the West."

Ouch.

Lindy's picks LSU to win the national championship, followed by USC, Alabama, Oklahoma and Oregon. Georgia is ranked sixth. Auburn comes in at number 31.

On a positive note, the magazine has tight-end Phillip Lutzenkirchen listed as a second-team All-American.

Luckily, Lindy's has never been known for being the most accurate in the prognosticating area.

Time will tell...

There should be no feeling sorry for former Auburn All-American Nick Fairley. It's a shame to see a young person who has the world by its tail, self destruct. That's exactly what he's done this off-season.

Maybe it's the money or the fame or both, but Fairley is clearly out of control on a personal level. His DUI arrest over the weekend coupled with the marijuana charge a few months back are strong indicators his life is in chaos.

He most likely will face suspension from the NFL. If he stays on this path it will cost him contract money and maybe his career. We've seen this happen time and again with players who can't handle the off-field responsibilities of an NFL player.

Judging from the smile on his face in the mug shot photo, Fairley still doesn't get it. Let's hope there's someone strong in his life that can intervene and make a difference. Most times that person doesn't exist...

It came as no surprise that Auburn failed to qualify for an NCAA Regional in baseball. Quite frankly, they didn't deserve it. When you are swept by Alabama and Georgia, two of the worst teams in the SEC, there's no arguing the point.

Auburn finishes the season with a 31-28 record. Too bad there's no NIT tournament. This performance clearly puts Auburn coach John Pawlowski on the hot seat heading into next year.

I'm not sure he deserves another year, but clearly athletic director Jay Jacobs believes in him. In four seasons on the Plains, Pawlowski stands 134-91 overall and a disappointing 58-62 in SEC games.

When you compare this performance with former coach Steve Renfroe, who was fired after leading Auburn to three regional appearances in four years, it leaves you scratching your head.

Until next time...

College football Armageddon is here. Forget the realignment moves of a year ago. Things are about to get really crazy. After more than 125 years of play, the sport is on the verge of its most radical makeover.

Last week's announcement of the SEC and Big 12 forming a bowl partnership to pit its champions against each other following the 2014 season is a game changer for the sport.

Never mind that the conference champions will likely never play a game against one another. Since the BCS era began in 1998, the two conferences have appeared in 12 of the last 14 BCS Championship Games. With a four-team playoff coming, there's virtually no chance that either champion will appear in the yet to be announced bowl.

What the game does is establish direct bowl tie-ins for the now four major conferences. With the Big 10 and Pac 12 tied to the Rose Bowl, we suddenly have a clear line between the haves and have-nots.

The big losers are the ACC and Big East - not to mention Notre Dame. Where do they go? Watching Maryland face Connecticut in the Orange Bowl just doesn't have the appeal of a once beaten Auburn facing a one-loss Texas team.

If Florida State was simply kicking the tires last week when it floated the idea of moving to the Big 12, today they are probably in route to conference headquarters in Dallas wearing 10 gallon hats.

With the Big East in shambles and the football schools in the ACC in panic mode, the SEC may again be in expansion mode. The same goes for the other three major conferences.

The idea of four 16-team super conferences is more likely now than ever before. The driver in this is money - big whopping dollars. Some have speculated that the new deal the SEC is negotiating with its media partners could approach $20 billion. Throw in another two teams and that number goes much higher.

Should the ACC and Big East dismantle in the near future, where would the SEC turn for its final two slots? The early money is on Virginia and Virginia Tech. Florida and South Carolina will likely make it impossible for Florida State or Clemson to make the jump to the SEC. The same goes for Georgia with Georgia Tech.

In the coming months, maybe even the coming days, we are going to see a land grab by these conferences not seen since the days of the Gold Rush. The stakes couldn't be higher for these programs that currently reside in the ACC and Big East.

If I'm sitting in my office in Atlanta or Clemson today, I'm a little panicked. In short order a lot of programs are going to be in the big show or not. Our sport is changing forever.

Count me among those who see it as a positive. I once loved the bowl system, now I hate it. It's outdated and antiquated. Creating four super conferences with championships at the end of the season, followed by a four-team playoff is the best possible scenario for now.

Like the NCAA Tournament, we'll see it expand over time. Within 10 years we'll be at eight teams. The days of strength of schedule and computer rankings will be behind us. The best regular season in all of sports will have an equally compelling post season.

It can't get here fast enough for me.

Oh what the hell. It's May and let's face it, there's not a whole lot going on in the sports world. Let's start today by discussing breast feeding and the latest cover of Time Magazine. By now, you've probably seen the picture of the five-year-old boy nursing his hot mother on the front of the magazine.

It's wrong on some many fronts. Yet deep down you have to admire the marketing genius of such a cover. It certainly grabs your attention in the checkout line at the local Publix.

You have to feel sorry for the kid. I mean, he's getting down on his mom's boob for the entire world to see. What will his buddies say at Kindergarten? What will his buddies say when he's in high school and this little gem pops up on the internet? Poor kid.

Moving on...

The Southeast has always been regarded as college football country. It's widely assumed to be the case today. However, things have gotten so bad at the University of Tennessee that the Volunteer state may be changing.

For the first time ever, the Tennessee Titans have sold more season tickets than UT. Now it's easy to blame Derek Dooley for this happening; but truthfully, this has been years in the making.

I've always wondered what impact an NFL team in Alabama would have on the state. We'll never know. Nashville is three times the size of Birmingham. With just four million people in Alabama, the NFL opportunity passed long ago...

With the recent news that both LSU and Arkansas are expanding their football stadiums, I wonder if Auburn officials regret pouring $92 million into the new Auburn Arena? Tony Barbee's first two seasons have been largely a bust. With more off-season troubles, you have to wonder how long attendance will remain high for the new venue.

Regardless, Auburn needs to move fast to upgrade Jordan-Hare Stadium. It's now middle of the pack at best among SEC schools. Here's an idea. Add additional seating and sky boxes in the north end-zone. Then lower ticket prices and pack the place out. There's no victory in having the highest ticket prices in the conference...

Did you hear the good news? The USFL is back and it's looking to Birmingham once again. According to an AP story last week, the league is looking to make a return next spring and open with eight teams. As is the case with all second rate leagues, they have their eyes on Legion Field.

What is the obsession with spring football and Birmingham? Just in my lifetime, I've seen the World Football League, the USFL, The World Football League again and the XFL. How long does it take to figure out the business model doesn't work? ...

There's realignment talk again among the conferences, this time the focus is on Florida State and Clemson. Reports slipped out over the weekend that FSU would be willing to listen to what Big 12 officials have to offer. Clemson has almost been mentioned in published reports.

Evidently both schools are upset with the new television deal negotiated by the ACC last week. While FSU president Eric Barron tried to put the talk to rest, those close to board of trustees chairman Andy Haggard say he's committed to speaking with Big 12 officials.

It's hard to feel sorry for Florida State. Back in the early 1990's there was a window open for them to make application to the SEC. Bobby Bowden didn't want to play an SEC schedule, so they chose the easier ACC. Now they are faced with a schedule that includes Syracuse and Boston College among others.

The Big 12 is not much better. I can't see Doak-Campbell Stadium selling out regularly for Kansas and Iowa State.

Until next time...

Outside of the coaches and players, nothing makes college football better than the personalities who entertain us through our televisions and radios. I'm talking about the people who talk the game on the way home from work and wake us up on those cool fall mornings.

Whether you love'em or hate'em they define the game we watch. For the third consecutive year, I give you my Top 10 College Football Media Personalities. You're bound to agree with me on some and almost certainly disagree on others.

Here we go:

1. Kirk Herbstreit (ESPN) - For the second consecutive year, he holds down our top spot. There's no arguing he's the biggest media figure in the game today. Whether he's making his point on College GameDay or calling the biggest game of the week on ABC, Herbstreit is everywhere. For better or worse, his opinion matters.

2. Chris Fowler (ESPN) - As the quarterback of College GameDay, Fowler is as smooth as they come on a studio show. Regardless of the location, he's always in control, giving viewers the best sports program on television.

3. Rece Davis (ESPN) - As Fowler's backup, Davis is quickly making a name of his own. He single handily makes the midnight program, GameDay Final a must for fans. Despite being an Alabama graduate, he's as fair as they come. His weekly BCS Countdown show doesn't shy away from the issues with the bowl system.

4. Tony Barnhart (CBS) - It was great having Barnhart all to ourselves while he was at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but he's even better now that the rest of the nation has discovered him. A throwback to the old days of reporting, Barnhart never makes a mistakes. That says a lot in today's environment.

5. Bill King (Sirius/XM Radio) - King hosts the best year-round college football show on radio. It's the perfect mix of news and recruiting. With his folksy voice, King tells it like it is without alienating those who disagree.

6. Tim Brando (CBS) - Who says you can't redeem yourself? Last year, Brando was on our list of most disgusting figures in college football. See what happens when you stop appearing on the Paul Finebaum Radio Show? Since beginning his television simulcast earlier this year, Brando has moderated his views and is actually enjoyable to listen to in the mornings.

7. Gary Danielson (CBS) - Perhaps the most loved Yankee in the Deep South. Danielson has been outspoken in support of the SEC since joining CBS. He's hands-down the best analyst in all of college football.

8. Desmond Howard (ESPN) - When Howard was made the fourth member of the GameDay crew he was absolutely terrible. With a few seasons under his belt, he's now come into his own. His sense of humor has added been a nice bonus to the top rated show.

9. Jack Arute (Sirius/XM Radio) - When you've had enough NBA talk on the Worldwide Leader, switch over to Arute during the lunch hour. He has some of the best guests in the game. His hate for Paul Finebaum is legendary. Try to catch him on a day when he's trashing Paul's show. Everything he says about it is true.

10. Colin Cowherd (ESPN) - Cowherd gets the final spot because he's one of the few national radio guys who promote college football. Regardless of what's happening in the NFL, who always takes time during the week to talk about our game. His show has forced other programs to give more time to college football.

The calendar says the week officially ends on Sunday. Pardon Jason Dufner if he chooses to call yesterday only the beginning. This Saturday, the former Auburn golf star will marry his longtime girlfriend, Amanda in Auburn.

Yesterday in New Orleans, Dufner edged out golf legend Ernie Els on the second hole of a playoff at the Zurich Classic to claim his first PGA tour title.

Now that's how you start a week to remember.

Until yesterday, Dufner's career was fit more for a bridesmaid than a groom. He's stood at the altar of golf's biggest events, only to see someone else go home with the prize.

There was the Master's earlier this month where he led going into the weekend, only to fade down the stretch. Then there was last year's PGA Championship where he gave away four strokes on the final five holes, bringing back memories of Greg Norman at Augusta.

That's all in the past for now. After 164 tour starts, Dufner now has his trophy and $1.2 million in prize money. It's safe to assume that Amanda can quit her day job.

While Phil Mickelson and others have been destined for glory from the start, Dufner's road has been quite different. He didn't pick up the clubs until he was 14 when his family relocated from Washington D.C. to Ft. Lauderdale.

As many Auburn football stars have done, Dufner headed to the Plains after three years at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Unlike the others, Dufner did it the old fashion way, he walked-on.

When his collegiate playing career was over, Dufner would finish with three tournament wins and an honorable mention All-American selection in 1997. He earned his degree in economics in 2000.

Few would argue with his college success, but nothing pointed to a career on the tour. He earned his PGA tour card first in 2004. From there it was a series of close calls that kept him away from the big dance and on the Nationwide tour for the next five years.

In 2009, he returned to the PGA Tour and this time made the most of it. That season he posted six top 10 finishes including a third place showing at the Canadian Open and a runner-up finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

With yesterday's win, more will be expected of the 35 year-old Auburn man.

"I am really, really excited and to get the monkey off my back is a great feeling," said Dufner.

While Saturday will be another day of celebration, don't look for the happy couple to take time off soaking up the sun in the Caribbean. It's back to work for the world's ninth-ranked golfer.

He'll be playing the next three weekends in a row, including The Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Who says the SEC only plays football?

Gene Chizik runs the most vanilla spring practice this side of the Mississippi. A-Day should be sponsored by Ambien. Those looking to glean anything about the team better have an insider. Somebody was venting the other day about ESPN not carrying the spring game. My response: Why would they?

That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Limited information and a snoozer of a spring game is part of Chizik's process. Remember, he gave Cam Newton one series during his only A-Day appearance.

However, this year Chizik may have tipped his hat. Look closely and you begin to understand why he brought in Scot Loeffler as offensive coordinator.

Clearly, Chizik questioned the viability of the spread offense in the SEC. Sure it works when the talent level is deep on both sides of the ball. When it's not, you lose to LSU by 35; Georgia by 38 and Alabama by 24 points.

A few more seasons like that and you're back at Iowa State.

While that may be the long-term reason for Loeffler's arrival, there's a more pressing need for Loeffler's talents now. It starts and ends at the quarterback position.

Contrary to Chizik and Loeffler saying the quarterback race is wide-open, both know there's only one viable option at the position and that's Kiehl Frazier.

Clint Moseley can get you some wins, but he's not taking you to the top of the SEC West. Zeke Pike may be the answer two years from now, but you've got to get there first.

While Gus Malzahn is a brilliant X's and O's guy, Loeffler is known for his one-on-one work with quarterbacks. It's the reason Tommy, as Loeffler calls him, returns to workout with him during the off-season.

I'm of course talking about Tom Brady.

Loeffler made headlines this week by saying that he'd wait on naming a starting quarterback.

"I don't see any relevance in that (naming a starter) unless we have an established guy that has started for two or three years," he said. "Then there's some value to it, but that's not our situation right now."

Coach, with all due respect, we know coach-speak when we see it.

While Chizik may be a defensive genius, he's smart enough to know that beating Arkansas, LSU and Georgia at home will depend on a mobile quarterback who can throw the football.

Frazier has the first part down. Loeffler is being paid a lot of money to make sure the second part comes along quickly. There's no denying Chizik had Frazier in mind when he chose to pluck Loeffler away from Temple.

He knows he must compete consistently with Alabama and LSU. But most importantly, it starts with this season.

He's putting all his offensive chips on these two individuals. This will be the storyline of the 2012 season. It likely will be the storyline for the next three years and ultimately define Chizik at Auburn going forward.

I like his chances.

Auburn needed Saturday like Bobby Petrino needed that motorcycle wreck. Petrino got his punishment because he had it coming. Auburn celebrated Saturday morning because it too deserved it.

Since Auburn fans filed out of Jordan-Hare Stadium following its national championship celebration in January 2011, there hasn't been a lot to smile about on the Plains. Four deviant, self-absorbed bit players chose to commit armed robbery. A certified moron destroyed the trees at Toomer's.

HBO did a hatchet job on Auburn for an alleged pay-for-play scheme that resulted in nothing but bad press. On the field, things may have felt worse. Despite eight wins a year ago, blowout losses to Arkansas, LSU, Georgia and Alabama made last season feel significantly worse.

The mood on Saturday was considerably brighter. Like the first day of baseball season, hope is again in the air. Auburn folks gathered to celebrate the past and look to the future.

Despite the downturn in the Auburn economy, there's no arguing recovery is on the way. Saturday was a day to take stock of the future. Gene Chizik has put together the three best recruiting classes in school history.

The payoff is coming. You can see it with your own eyes.

The upgrade at the defensive coordinator position is enormous. The hiring of teacher-first Scott Loeffler as offensive coordinator can already be felt in the play of Kiehl Frazier.

On a week where we listened to sickening testimony from Auburn's former star running back about the life he and his former teammates lived off the field, it felt good to celebrate the men who did things right while at Auburn.

It felt good to watch the young kids who struggled so mightily last year, look so much more confident this year. Many of them looked physically changed, but word is the biggest change has come from the neck up.

No one will ever taken 2010 from the Auburn people, but what we are witnessing now is the bloom of sustained growth.

It won't be easy. Alabama is at the top of its game. With a morally corrupt, but exceptionally good football coach, things will only get tougher. Arkansas has the talent and money to compete even without Petrino. Les Miles may win 12 games next season or four. You never know what you'll get from that program.

Auburn is not headed to the BCS Championship next year. It probably won't play in Atlanta in early December. However, there's a feeling again at Auburn. It's not your standard feeling of hope.

It's a feeling that Auburn is again on the cusp of something special. Look around the campus. Look around the program. Auburn didn't get the respect it deserved following 2010. The good news is Chizik didn't stop to notice.

His goal is not to just beat Alabama. Tommy Tuberville figured that out. Chizik has bigger plans. On Saturday, we saw the first sprouts.

It sure feels good to be an Auburn Tiger again.

Good Monday to you. It's hard to believe, but we are in our sixth year here at Track'em Tigers. I have to say, in all of our years together, I've never seen Auburn Athletics more quiet. I suppose that's a good thing.

There's no comparison to a year ago, when Auburn was hot off a national championship, Cam Newton was ramping up to be the top pick in the NFL Draft, a fool named Updyke had poisoned our trees and four thug football players had been arrested on armed robbery charges. Sometimes no news is good news...

Speaking of trees, I had a chance to check out Toomer's Corner this past week. I'm not an arborist, but man those trees are a sight to behold. There's new growth all over both trees. The experts say it's way too early to determine if they'll make it, but they look darn healthy to me.

If they continue getting stronger, I don't see a reason why Harvey Updyke can't be hung from one of them this summer following his trial. I'm not suggesting they kill him; just let him hang there for a few days and let Auburn fans show their appreciation...

By now, you've probably read the story about the Alabama vanity license plates and the fine Auburn person working for the Alabama Motor Vehicle Division who mischievously inserted the letters CAM onto more than 1,000 vehicles across the state. Count me among those who absolutely love it!

How many redneck, illiterate, Alabama fans are riding around our great state today oblivious to the meaning behind their tags. This is just another reason why Nick Saban really should take some of that salary and invest in a literacy program for his people.

If you come across any Bammer fans with these plates, how about taking a quick picture of the vehicle and share it with us...

Speaking of Saint Nick, Alabama fans are taking pride today in knowing their coach is the highest paid in college football. Feeling all gitty about his new raise last week, Saban said he plans to retire from Alabama. His contract runs through 2019.

What's the over/under on him surviving that long before the NCAA hammer drops? I say it won't even be close. Where there's smoke, there's...

It's never too early to talk about recruiting. According to 247 Sports.com, Auburn currently ranks 12^th nationally in the race for the 2013 class. The Tigers have six commitments - 2 three-stars and 4 four-stars. Texas A&M sits first among SEC schools at number three.

Michigan tops the poll. What does it all mean? Absolutely nothing. It's just a good way to sell monthly memberships to websites. I can't say I blame them...

Speaking of Texas A&M, the move to the SEC is already a profitable one. For the first time since the mid 1990's, the school has sold out of season football tickets. Auburn will not make its appearance in College Station until the 2013 season...

Since Gene Chizik's arrival at Auburn, the annual A-Day event has been less than eventful. To put it mildly, it's been downright agonizing to watch. With a host of players sitting out spring practice, the game is almost guaranteed to be a snoozer.

The real event will be before the game when the three Heisman statues will be unveiled. Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton will all be there. If you love Auburn and its history, then it's a must see event. Who knows if the three of them will ever be all together again.

The bases to the statues are set and ready to go outside the east stands of Jordan-Hare. Looking at them last week, I quickly realized these things are much bigger than I thought. It should be a great event...

And finally, just a reminder that the greatest non-football sporting even in the world starts this week in Augusta. I'm of course talking about the Master's. A young friend of mine asked me this weekend who I was pulling for this weekend. I told him Phil Mickelson. His reply, "Of course you are. All of you old guys like Mickelson."

So be it. I turn 43 on Friday. I'll take that as a gift any year.

Culture shock. There's no better way to sum it up. That's what Auburn's still young football team has encountered during its first weekend of spring practice. If Cam Newton or Nick Fairley walked into the joint today, they'd hardly recognize the place.

The offense has changed. So has the defense. Even the players look different from last season. The only thing left from the national championship season is the banner hanging behind the goal post on the practice field. I guess season-ending blowout losses to Georgia and Alabama cause these things.

While the names of the new coaches have grabbed the headlines, it's the physical appearance of the new look Tigers that will have the most impact come September. Some players are bigger and some significantly smaller.

It's apparent that strength coach Kevin Yoxall's little slice of hell has been open 24/7 this off-season. Junior defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker has gone from 325 pounds in January, to a svelte 303 pounds on Friday morning.

Whitaker says he feels the difference on the field.

"It's a lot different," Whitaker said. "I smile when I sprint now. I didn't ever used to smile when I sprinted. The second wind is the most important thing. A great shout out to Coach Yox and the great job he does with us. It's going to help me play a lot better, be more explosive later in games and not be as tired. It's going to be great."

The transformation is not just on defense. Quarterback Kiehl Frazier has put on 15 pounds and looks even more toned and muscular than a year ago. Freshman receiver Sammie Coates has put on 25 pounds and swears he's faster.

"I ran a 4.29 the last time we ran it here," Coates said. "Before I came out of high school I ran a 4.3."

Real practice starts this morning when the team puts on the pads for the first time. Just because both sides of the ball will be learning new philosophies, it doesn't mean practice will be any easier.

"We always plan on having very physical practice and always have," Chizik said. Our plan is for this to be a very physical spring practice. Our plan is to start Monday."

Whitaker says the team is excited.

"There is a lot of energy, a lot of talk amongst teammates," he said. "I think everybody is enthused for Monday to come. It's going to be early in the morning. I think everybody is ready to fly around and hit people and at the same time take care of your teammates."

Like many people this weekend, I sat at a bar Saturday night with a group of friends solving the world's problems. After we cleaned up the economy and picked our new president, the topic turned to Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs.

The group was all Auburn people. One thing we've learned in recent months is that Alabama fans can't hold their liquor. So we stay away from those sorts.

One of my buddies asked a simple question. Why, despite Auburn's recent football national championship and the surprise success of Gene Chizik, do many people still dislike Jay Jacobs?

As the conversation moved around the table, the general consensus was that yes, many do dislike him, some with more passion than others. Now this was obviously not a scientific poll and the demographic skewed heavily toward white males in their forties.

Shouldn't Jacobs be among the most beloved to ever sit in that chair? This is a guy who went against the wishes of his fanbase and hired a football coach who managed to do in two years what Pat Dye never accomplished and that's win a national title.

He secured financing and oversaw construction of arguably the nicest basketball arena in the SEC. While the jury is still out on Tony Barbee, most believe the hire was the right one. The swimming, tennis and track teams have all had success on Jacobs watch.

It's hard to argue with his record.

Continue reading this post »

I'm going to shamelessly steal today. Over the weekend, Stephanie Petersen of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer published her bucket list of sporting venues and events she'd like to attend before she dies. It's something I've given thought to over the years, but never sat down and formalized.

For most of my working life, I've traveled for a living. I've tried to make the most of these trips by attending as many sporting events as I could during my off-time. I've been to games at Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, The Staples Center, AT&T Park in San Francisco, Angel Stadium, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Coors Field, Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix and many more.

I've traveled to every SEC stadium but Fayetteville; and now you can add College Station, Texas and Columbia, Missouri. I've stood on the blue turf at Boise State. Throw in the venues in Atlanta, plus the Olympic Games and I guess I've seen a lot.

I've been lucky. But there are still more places I'd like to go before I die. Below is my top 10 list (in order) of places and events I'd like to see. I hope you'll share your list with us.

(1) Lambeau Field - While the college game is my passion, there's something special about Lambeau and the community of Green Bay. It's a throwback to simpler times and a place that ranks high on most every fan's list.

(2) The Masters - I'm a little over three hours to the gate of Augusta National, yet I've never had the opportunity. It's not the easiest ticket, but I'll find a way.

(3) Saturday at Notre Dame - I don't particularly love the Irish, but I do love the tradition surrounding them. I've been to South Bend on several occasions, but never during the season. I'm thinking Notre Dame vs. Southern Cal.

(4) The Rose Bowl - Same story as above. I've been to Pasadena and stood outside the stadium, but never been there on New Year's Day. Who cares if it's the Pac 12 vs. Big 10; it's still the most special bowl of all. Who knows, Auburn may sneak in one day.

(5) The Daytona 500 - My wife calls me a redneck in a white starched shirt. That's never more apparent than in late February each year when the big one is run at Daytona. If you've never been to a NASCAR race, then go this year. It's nothing like watching on television. Hearing those engines rev-up at the green flag is one of the great experiences in life.

(6) Yankee Stadium - I hate the Yankees, but how can you not want to visit the cathedral of baseball? Who cares if it's a replica of the old historic one? I'll go during the Yankees-Red Sox series and pull for the Sox.

(7) Camden Yards - The first of the new modern baseball stadiums, there's something awfully cool about the place. I watched Nolan Ryan throw a one-hitter against the Orioles more than 20 years ago at the old Memorial Stadium. What a dump. I need to come full-circle.

(8) Cowboy Stadium (Jerry's World) - Billed as the Mecca of all sporting venues, Cowboy Stadium has become an attraction all to itself. With the Cotton Bowl played there annually, this should be easy to check off the list.

(9) Autzen Stadium - Most sportscasters call Oregon's home field the loudest stadium in America. This is interesting considering the place holds only 54,000 fans. Throw in the cool looking field and uniforms and I can see why it's so popular.

(10) Wimbledon - Who cares if the Americans stink and you can't pronounce most of the players' names. Sitting at center court watching the best in the world play on grass sounds pretty good. The strawberries and cream sound better.

If you were in attendance at Auburn Arena on Saturday, you were probably there out of boredom more than anything else. Watching two mediocre basketball teams close out a disappointing regular season typically doesn't bring out a crowd. On this day it nearly filled the arena.

For those fans that stayed until the end, it was a day they'll never forget. The big story wasn't Auburn's dominating 67-52 win over LSU. This day belonged to senior walk-on forward Jake Drum.

In pregame festivities, Auburn coach Tony Barbee honored the team's four seniors and their families by presenting them framed jerseys at mid-court. This year's group includes Adrian Forbes, Kenny Gabriel, Tom Neysmith and Drum.

Unless you are a regular at the Arena, chances are you've never heard of Drum. Apparently the Auburn Media Relations Department had trouble identifying him; he was the only senior left off the cover of the game program. Nice work Chuck Gallina.

Drum personifies everything there is to love about college athletics. At 6-5 and 253 pounds, he looks more like a football player than someone that can shoot the roundball. Turns out, he's also a walk-on wide receiver for Gene Chizik's team.

Who says the youth of today have no work ethic?

The Hoover, Ala native has averaged just over one point a game during his four-year run. Drum's biggest night came against Alabama A&M as a freshman when he grabbed five points in just over five minutes of play.

With Frankie Sullivan and Gabriel putting the game out of reach for LSU with three minutes left, the Auburn student section began screaming in unison, Jake! Jake! Jake! The packed student section was not about to let Barbee exit without putting one of their own in the game.

If this brings visions of the movie Rudy, then you are tracking with me. With just over a minute remaining, Barbee relented. Despite 22 points from Sullivan and 14 points from Gabriel, the day's loudest cheer was reserved for Drum taking the court.

He didn't disappoint.

Drum immediately forced an LSU turnover and then hussled down the court and was fouled as he drove to the basket with the ball. Two shots.

Just like in the movies, he made both shots. Auburn Arena erupted again - this time, even louder. The walk-on who looks more like a regular student than a player was having the ride of his life and he took every fan there with him.

When time expired, Drum headed straight to the student section where he was mobbed by his people. There wasn't a soul in the building who didn't have goose bumps.

On a cool, overcast day where I wrestled with whether to get off the couch, I witnessed one of the most special days in Auburn history. It was unscripted and completely awesome.

In just a little over a minute of play, Jake Drum showed everyone what it's like to be an Auburn Tiger.

Thanks for the memories Jake.

One thing is certain. Despite coming on late down the stretch to grab another top 10 recruiting class in 2012, Auburn coaches have no intention of falling behind this year. Auburn put together a solid Junior Day over the weekend and walked away with its fourth commitment for 2013.

Four-star wide receiver Earnest Robinson from Pinson, Ala, got the day off to a fast start when he chose Auburn over Alabama, Florida State, Miami, LSU and Oregon. Robinson (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) credited Auburn assistant Trooper Taylor with getting him to commit.

"I really love Troop, says Robinson. "He's like my family, like my dad. He'll take care of me and be on me hard about my education." Robinson says giving the news to Taylor and fellow assistant Tommy Thigpen was special.

"He (Taylor) was jumping around crazy," he said. "Coach Thigpen picked me up. It was great."

Robinson is Auburn's fourth commitment for the 2013 class joining linebacker Trey Johnson, punter Jimmy Hutchinson and defensive lineman Dee Liner.

The Robinson commitment wasn't the only news of the day. Auburn made huge gains with four-star running back Trevor Dye (Elberton, Ga), four-star quarterback Jeremy Johnson (Montgomery) and three-star tight-end Standish Dobard (New Orleans).

Before I came to Auburn, it wasn't in my top five," said Dobard. "Now, they're definitely in my top two (along with Georgia).

"I like the offensive coordinator and tight end coach and how their offensive coordinator is bringing new things around the tight end. He's revolving the offense around the tight end. I like that," he said.

Dobard is also considering Georgia, LSU, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Texas Tech and Colorado.

Continue reading this post »

The sky must be falling. The end must be near. Count me among those who like Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany's proposal for a playoff. The plan he floated a few weeks back is gaining traction among NCAA presidents. It's not perfect and not without controversy, but it makes the most sense.

Here's how it works: The top four teams in the final BCS poll would be pulled away from the bowl games. They would face each other in 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 semifinal games on the campuses of the higher ranked teams.

The winners would advance to play in a championship game that would rotate around to various big-city venues, not just cities that have BCS bowl games. The bowl system would be preserved and continue to play out concurrently with the new playoff format.

What I like best is having the semifinals played on college campuses. Imagine a semifinal game at the Big House in late December with snow on the ground or a seasonally warm December day at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The championship game should then be moved to Saturday night and given the coverage it deserves. During this year's Super Bowl, more than 111 million viewers tuned in to the game. The BCS Championship drew only 24 million viewers on a Monday night. The Final Four Championship Game drew 20 million viewers - also on a Monday night.

College football can do better. We may be getting closer.

The talk and speculation leading up to the hiring of new Auburn assistant coach Willie Martinez had the feel of a defensive coordinator search. Never have so many stories been written about the hiring of a position coach. Then again, after last season you can understand the heightened interest by Auburn fans.

What do we know about Martinez? If you talk to our Georgia friends, they'll tell you he played a major role in the decline of the Bulldog program beginning in 2005 when he took over as defensive coordinator. If you look at his numbers, they tell you something completely different.

In his first season as coordinator in 2005, Georgia ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense. The next season, Martinez's unit ranked eighth nationally in total defense. In 2007, his defense ranked 14^th nationally.

It's safe to say he's qualified to coach the Auburn defensive backs.

One thing is apparent: He and Auburn defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder are attached at the hip. They will be working together for the fifth time dating back to their high school coaching days in Boca Raton, Florida.

Tony Barbee got his biggest win since coming to Auburn when his Tigers beat No. 23 Miss State 65-55 on Saturday night. It snapped a three-game losing streak and was Auburn's first win over a ranked opponent in three years. The win moves the men to 14-12 overall, 4-8 in the SEC.

Imagine the pressure Gene Chizik would have been under had his second team endured similar results. While there's guarded optimism that Barbee is beginning to turn things around, if the sport was football, there would be panic in the streets.

While Barbee will never have close to the support the football team enjoys, he can also sleep easy knowing Auburn will give him time to right the ship. Football coaches in the SEC have no such luxury.

Here's a Monday quiz for you: Name me all the football teams in the Big East. How about the Big 12? Don't feel bad; there are few among us who probably can these days. In less than a year, college football realignment has completely changed the look of the sport. Now it appears those changes may hit closer to home.

Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity made a startling comment last week that if true, could have far reaching ramifications on the SEC. With member schools seemingly against going to a nine-game conference football schedule, McGarity fears rivalries like Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee may become causalities of the new look SEC.

The issues are numerous. The SEC's upcoming season schedule is a one-year deal. Beyond it lies more than a few obstacles to saving the South's Oldest Rivalry. With Texas A&M and Missouri joining the SEC, the conference is moving to a 6-2 format, meaning each school plays six teams from its division and two from the other - one permanent and one rotating.

McGarity rightly points out that there are only two true cross-divisional rivalries - Auburn/Georgia and Alabama/Tennessee. His fear is that other member institutions may prefer moving to a rotating schedule when playing outside the division. This season Auburn faces Vanderbilt (rotating) and Georgia (permanent) from the East.

SEC presidents and athletic directors are set to meet the week of the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament, devoting an entire day to scheduling for 2013 and beyond.

"I think if you ask Alabama and Tennessee, like us and Auburn, we'd like to retain the (permanent cross-divisional) games," says McGarity. "But does that work? What do the other 10 schools think? Those four schools like having those games but there's no other East-West match-up that has that piece of history to it. So I don't (know) where that fits in."

The ACC announced a few weeks back that it was moving to a nine-game conference schedule now that Pittsburgh and Syracuse have joined. The chances of the SEC following suit are slim.

The reasons most cited by SEC schools for not favoring a nine-game schedule are to save out-of-conference rivalries like Georgia-Georgia Tech, Florida-Florida State and South Carolina-Clemson. McGarity says a nine-game conference schedule along with state-rival Georgia Tech could make things tough on the field.

"Nine games, and Georgia Tech, that makes 10 games, he said. "If you ever wanted to schedule Clemson or Ohio State, like we have, then that only leaves one guarantee game. That's a pretty tough schedule. Fans would love it. But I don't know if your coaches or players (would). That's strapping it up 11 of 12 weeks there. You have to have some time where some players play who never get a chance to be on the field."

Something lost in McGarity's concern over a nine-game conference schedule is whether these ACC schools will continue rivalries with their SEC foes. They too are facing similar issues to the SEC.

There was a time when the thought of Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee going away seemed impossible. It was bad enough when Tennessee and Florida vanished from the yearly Auburn schedule back in 1992.

But Georgia? That's sacred. It will never happen. Right?

I'm not sure anymore.

We chuckled when the Oklahoma-Nebraska series went away. We wondered aloud how the Big 12 let it happen. We said it could never happen in the SEC.

Suddenly, here we are today. It's not farfetched to envision Auburn-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee, Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson all vanishing off the college football landscape in the near future.

And for what? So the SEC could add Texas A&M and Missouri and the ACC could welcome Syracuse and Pittsburgh? That's a lot of sacrifice for four mediocre programs. Then again, it's not about the schools as much as it is the television markets.

Call me old school, but things were so much better when there were just 10 of us in the SEC.

Call him the comeback kid. Against the odds, Gene Chizik looks to have landed his third consecutive top 10 recruiting class. It may have taken three days beyond signing day to get there, but Auburn coaches have done the seemingly impossible.

With the signing of five-star offensive linemen Jordan Diamond on Friday, Auburn jumped significantly in all of the recruiting services rankings. Scout.com moved Auburn up five spots to number nine in its 2012 recruiting round-up. 247 Sports.com moved the Tigers from No. 17 to No. 13.

Auburn may not be finished yet. They remain in the running for Washington D.C, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Denver prep offensive lineman Alex Kozan. Diggs is said to leaning toward Ohio State, but Maryland and Auburn remain possibilities. As we go to press, Kozan is still considering Iowa and Auburn.

For those who remain skeptical about the recruiting services and their rankings, this article will give you more ammunition. I'm just saying...

Watching the spectacle of the Super Bowl last night, it makes you wonder why the BCS can't put on a similar show. Holding the game on a Monday night is plain stupid. Why not showcase college football and have the championship on a Saturday night? It's the sport's traditional day to play and fans would have the next day off. Seems so simple.

While Auburn has yet to officially release its 2012 football schedule, we have a good idea of how it will shake out. According to FB Schedules.com, the slate looks like this:

(Sept. 1) Clemson (Georgia Dome); (Sept. 8) at Miss State; (Sept. 15) Louisiana-Monroe; (Sept. 22) LSU; (Sept. 29) OPEN DATE; (Oct. 6) Arkansas; (Oct. 13) at Ole Miss; (Oct. 20) at Vanderbilt; (Oct. 27) Texas A&M; (Nov. 3) New Mexico St.; (Nov. 10) Georgia; (Nov. 17) Alabama A&M; (Nov. 24) at Alabama.

I don't know the people behind the website, Never to Yield Foundation.com. What I do know is that in recent weeks, they've pinned some of the best articles ever written about Auburn and its standing in this state.

If you haven't already, check out their story entitled, The Cult of Updyke. It's been posted on our Fanshots page for several days. When in mixed company, you often hear Alabama fans say alleged Toomer's Tree killer Harvey Updyke is the exception to the Alabama fan base.

The dirty little secret is that most (not all) feel exactly the way Updyke does and that's why he's treated like a rock star at Alabama sporting events. It's a very telling article and one I agree with completely.

Vigor defensive lineman Darius Philon learned a valuable life lesson last week. When you hang around trash, bad things happen. We've all heard the story by now. Alabama coach Nick Saban yanked his offer to Philon on Wednesday morning and left the talented lineman sitting broken hearted at his signing ceremony.

This is not the first time Saban has pulled this stunt. It's been well documented in the past. In fact, it happened last month with Georgia prep running back Justin Taylor. I'd like to say I feel sorry for Philon, but he should have known better. You can bet he was warned.

There's no arguing Saban's success. There's also no arguing he cares only about himself. He's never left a job on good terms and the same will likely be said when he leaves Tuscaloosa.

Montgomery Advertiser columnist Josh Moon nailed it when he wrote last week, "For years, Saban has treated college football like a cutthroat business. He's skirted recruiting rules, danced around scholarship limitations and been surrounded by more career ending injuries to third-string players than any coach in the history of organized athletics.

"Honestly, taking the high road from Saban is the easiest win Gene Chizik will ever get. It's like winning a Good Ideas for Space Exploration Contest over Newt Gingrich."

As legendary college football analyst Beeno Cook said recently, "He's (Saban) a great coach, but I wouldn't be his Bridge partner." Amen.

In the end, Philon signed with Arkansas, a place he's never visited. Despite all the publicity surrounding the snubbing, you can bet there will be more kids who find themselves in the same boat next year. When you play with fire...

This time of year is when you start to feel it. By Wednesday you know it's over. I'm of course talking about college football. With only one football game - college or pro - left on the docket, Wednesday's National Signing Day is the biggest day of the year until early September.

Like Auburn's regular season, this week's big event is expected to be more mundane than exceptional. The Tigers won't be laying claim to a top five class; and for the first time since the Tuberville era, Auburn has swung and missed more than it has hit it out of the park.

At least that's what the pundits say.

When I think of pundits these days, I immediately think of ESPN's Todd McShay. Who can forget the star quarterback of the Swampscott (MA.) High School football team screaming on every ESPN platform last year about how Cam Newton would never make it in the NFL as a quarterback?

Hey Todd: Cam says Aloha!

The same can be said for recruiting analysis, political analysis and every other ass out there. When it comes to judging future returns, you cannot simply assign a star next to someone's name and determine their future.

I say this not because Auburn is expected to "only" have a top 20 class, but because history says I'm right. Of the 25 players expected to sign with Auburn on Wednesday, only half will ever make an impact on the football field.

Coaches will soon learn that some peaked during their senior seasons of high school. Other less recruited players will blossom and grow into more than anyone expected. It's why players like the Dallas Cowboy's Demarcus Ware ended up at Troy despite being able to see Jordan-Hare Stadium from his high school practice field.

Some will not adjust to the bright lights of college football. Many will not be able to balance school and practice. And yes, some will do stupid things like commit armed robbery.

Go back a few years and you can bet Florida fans were feeling pretty heady when Cam Newton signed and was quickly anointed Tim Tebow's successor. In the long run, things worked out fine for Newton, but not so much for the Gators.

For these reasons I won't fret over Wednesday one way or the other. I remember Enterprise's Alan Evans heading to Auburn in 1982 as the nation's top running back. Once on campus he was introduced to a guy named Bo and a short time later, the toast of college football recruiting was playing in Chattanooga.

I remember as a college freshman in 1987, a quarterback named Billy Ray. He was the top player in the country and Alabama had him. He was billed as the second coming of Stabler and Namath - combined. Ray ended up wasting away at Duke. His coach never beat Auburn and left for Kentucky in shame.

Pat Dye has said repeatedly over the years that there are more than enough good players to go around and the biggest factor remains coaching. He reiterated it again last week speaking to Phillip Marshall at Auburn Undercover.

"Ain't no question about it," Dye said. "We've had two good years back to back. We'll have a good one this year. We are going to sign some good football players. When you put four or five of them together and take the top seven or eight out of each class, that's all you have to have to have a good solid football team."

Don't get me wrong. National Signing Day is fun for all fans. It's a day to celebrate the future. We take it seriously here at Track'em Tigers. KoolBell will be with you from sun up to late afternoon reporting all the news. It's one of our busiest days of the year here at TET.

Enjoy the day, but don't get too high or low. Focus on the seven or eight who'll make a difference in Auburn's program. That's the toughest part - finding those who have a head to match their talented bodies.

See you Wednesday.

He's buddies with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. He was born in Barberton, Ohio, home of legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler. If lineage is an indicator of success, then Auburn has found its man in Scot Loeffler.

The man hired to run Auburn's offense will not get the headlines that new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder got a few weeks back, but the choice by Gene Chizik may be every bit as brilliant.

Former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is certain Auburn found the right man.

"I'm delighted for Scot and think that he is a great fit for Auburn," Carr said. "He's a bright guy that has a great passion for the game. Not only is he an outstanding coach, but a great recruiter. He's a great teacher, and there's not a quarterback out there that wouldn't enjoy playing for him."

This off-season Loeffler's name has been mentioned with almost every vacant offensive coordinator position in America. A few weeks back he was linked to Nick Saban and the opening at Alabama. Loeffler is so valued by Brady that he continues to work with the Super Bowl quarterback every off-season on mechanics.

There are two questions being asked today: What kind of offense will Loeffler run and what took Chizik so long to pull the trigger on the Temple offensive coordinator?

There's no easy answer to the first question. Last season at Temple, his offense ran the ball more than 70 percent of the time. What's not clear is whether that was by design or necessity.

What we do know is that he moved the Owl offense from 82^nd nationally in points scored to 39^th in one season. Temple went from being ranked 77^th in rushing to 7^th in 2011. His offense ranked 33^rd in pass efficiency and 63^rd in total offense. The bad news: Temple ranked 116^th in passing.

Conventional wisdom says Auburn will run more of a hybrid offense, with a lean toward more of a pro-style attack. Chizik may have tipped his hand with the signing of Illinois fullback transfer Jay Prosch.

We may never know what took Chizik so long to come to a decision. One thing is certain; the wait has had an effect on this year's recruiting class.

Sources say four-star wide receiver Ricardo Louis decommitted from Auburn on Wednesday after Chizik couldn't give him a definitive answer on who he was hiring. Florida State used the vacancy to its advantage, swaying the Miami prep star to commit to the Seminoles.

Chizik is known to be a thorough evaluator, whether recruiting players or coaches. Something tells me he's completely comfortable with the timeline on this hire. Loeffler looks to be worth the wait.

Sources say that in the end, it came down to four candidates: Loeffler; Baylor co-offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery; Rutgers offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti; and Jacksonville head coach Kerwin Bell.

With National Signing Day a little more than a week away, 247 Sports.com has Auburn's class ranked 20^th nationally.

The top five teams in the 247 Sports.com recruiting rankings look like this: (1) Alabama (2) Texas (3) Ohio State (4) Florida State (5) Michigan.

The top five teams in the SEC look this way: (1) Alabama (2) Florida (3) Georgia (4) Texas A&M (5) LSU.

Loeffler is expected to hit the ground running today.

A short while ago, Auburn coach Gene Chizik tapped Temple offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler to run Auburn's offense. Prior to this year, he served two seasons as Florida's quarterbacks coach. In 2009, while coaching Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, the Gator offense led the nation in pass efficiency.

Loeffler, 37, played quarterback at Michigan from 1993-96, and was the Wolverines' quarterback coach from 2002-2007. He was Central Michigan's quarterbacks' coach from 2000-01. He also spent a season on the staff of the Detroit Lions.

"Scot is a rising star who has worked with some very good quarterbacks, and has achieved a tremendous amount of success," Gene Chizik said in a statement.

"He is a tireless worker, is an outstanding recruiter and knows the rigors of competing in this conference. We're very excited to have Scot join our staff and we welcome him to the Auburn family."

When you think about Auburn's football history over the past half century, one word comes to mind - fortunate. There are inherent advantages to being the "state university," whether you are talking academics or football. When your state school goes on a run, you better have an answer. If you don't, then you become Miss State.

Auburn has always answered.

Auburn people have been fortunate to have the right person running its football program at critical times in its battle with cross-state rival Alabama.

Whether it was Shug Jordan averaging nearly eight wins a season (against a 10 game schedule) during Bear Bryant's heyday or Terry Bowden going 11-0 a year after Alabama won the national championship in 1992, the program has always found a way to respond.

Over the past five years, Alabama has raised the stakes. Again, Auburn has found a way to hold serve. The result is three consecutive national titles for the state with no professional sports.

What makes Auburn the most successful land grant football program in the country? There's no question money and leadership top the list. But more importantly, it has been the head football coach roaming the sidelines.

Where would this program be today had Jordan not kept Auburn relevant during the run of arguably the greatest college coach of all time? Shug was more than just a name on a stadium. He won titles in a time when SEC teams refused to play on Auburn's campus.

Jordan spent his career playing most of his conference home games in Birmingham, Columbus and Atlanta. It's amazing the Iron Bowl is considered the top rivalry in America when you consider Auburn played the vast majority of the contests on the road at Alabama's home stadium, whether it be Legion Field or Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Not until the end of Jordan's career did the majority of SEC programs finally agree to play games at Auburn, and for once, level the playing field for the Tigers. This is not ancient history. We are talking as recently as 35 years ago.

Where would Auburn be today without Pat Dye arriving in December 1980? If you didn't live it, it's hard to put into words how downtrodden Auburn people were before his arrival. Alabama and Georgia had won the previous three national championships and many wondered whether Auburn had the money or desire to pick itself up off the mat.

They had lost nine straight to Alabama and Bryant was at the apex of his career. If Jordan held serve for 25 years, then Dye kicked the door down and took firm control of the state for more than a decade.

It was a staggering turn of events for the state of Alabama. Beginning with Auburn's win in 1982, the program has dominated for the past 30 years, going 17-13 against Alabama from 1982 to 2011.

Now Auburn faces another crossroads - another defining moment. As disappointing as it was to watch Alabama claim the national championship last week, think how much worse it would have been had 2010 never happened.

Like Jordan, Dye and Bowden before him, Gene Chizik seems to be the right man at the right time for this Auburn program. Many haters in the state will try to brand him as a one hit wonder - somebody that never could have won without Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. Despite the obvious ignorance of such statement, it's one Chizik will hear until his team returns to the top of the SEC.

The hiring of new defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder sends a strong message to Tuscaloosa. Auburn has no intention of surrendering the state to Bama. Tuscaloosa is riding high. There's no arguing Nick Saban's success. But don't let their excitement cloud the truth.

The Auburn program has never been better. Not in its 100+ year existence has there been a group of athletes like the ones on campus today. Auburn's coaching staff is as good as any in America.

Alabama has raised the stakes - again. Auburn has always answered. History proves it.

We are all fortunate.

As we all gather around the television tonight to pull for LSU, be sure to check in with us and share your thoughts on the BCS Championship game. Also weigh-in on the job Gene Chizik is doing on College GameDay. You've got to love his yellow tie. Nice touch coach!

I have many close Alabama friends. I know more than a dozen who are in New Orleans right now. Why do so many of them feel obligated to ask who I'm pulling for tonight? In their heart of hearts, do they honestly believe I could even remotely pull for Alabama?

Let's review: Their fanbase has poisoned our trees; they've spent a year trying to ruin Cam Newton and takeaway Auburn's national title; and they continue to recruit in ways that would make the Corleone's proud.

Yeah, I want Alabama to bring home the state's third consecutive national title in the same way I want another colonoscopy. You should feel the same way. If not, then get some help.

While many in our state are gearing up for tonight's BCS National Championship Game, the same can't be said for the rest of the country. Maybe it's SEC fatigue or the fact that Alabama and LSU have already met once this season; but from a national standpoint, build up for tonight's contest has been lacking to say the least.

The same can be said for the entire bowl season. Not in my lifetime have I seen stadiums more empty for the big bowl games. Fans are subjected to two weeks of horrible contests that drip nightly like Chinese water torture and then the New Year's games are all played at the same time. When will this lunacy stop?

Word came down late last night that Auburn tight-end Phillip Lutzenkirchen is returning for his senior season. Most thought that he would return, but you never know when a player will have a Darvin Adams moment and throw everything away. Auburn will be much improved just having him on the field.

The wait continues on Auburn's search for new offensive and defensive coordinators. The latest name to surface is Houston co-offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. He was the play caller for Houston's offense this season and is a former All-American quarterback at Texas Tech.

Other names that have surfaced on the offensive side of the ball include: Kerwin Bell (Jacksonville U. head coach); Scott Loeffler (Temple offensive coordinator); and Blake Anderson (North Carolina offensive coordinator).

Bell is an interesting candidate. The former Florida quarterback was a fellow walk-on with Chizik at Gainesville and they remain close friends today. Bell finished 6-4 this season, but claimed the Pioneer League title in 2008. As head coach, he calls all of the offensive plays for the Dolphins.

On the defensive side, the hot rumored name is Ron Zook, the former Florida and Illinois head coach. As with all of these names, they are just rumors. Other mentioned candidates include: Ron Cooper (LSU secondary coach); and Randy Shannon (former Miami head coach).

While Auburn running back Michael Dyer's fate has been decided, the debate continues to rage. Kudos to Gene Chizik for making the decision to part ways with his star. While there are a million rumors floating around about his crime, what we do know is it had nothing to do with grades.

All-SEC running backs don't leave programs because of bad grades. Chizik needed to send a clear message to his young and talent-laden team that there's a right way and wrong way to do things. For all his immense talent and accomplishments, his downside far outweighed what he did on Saturday afternoons.

Auburn will be better off in the long run. Can the same be said for Michael Dyer?

It's beginning to look like Auburn is the Bermuda Triangle of basketball coaching jobs. While it's too early to write off Tony Barbee, the opening act has been deeply disappointing. Auburn was pounded in its SEC opener Saturday at Vanderbilt 65-35. It was the Tigers lowest point total since 1951 when there was no shot clock.

"For whatever reason, the guys who were supposed to be catalysts and difference-makers on this team, they're making a difference in the wrong way," Barbee said. "They're making a difference in us losing because they're not producing anything."

With a $92 million arena to pay for, you can bet Barbee's leash is much shorter than what previous Auburn coaches have faced. While I'm not suggesting his job's in jeopardy yet, he better turn things around in a hurry. Judging from the last two games, that doesn't seem likely now.

Good Thursday to you. As this story goes to post, there are reports out saying that Auburn running back Michael Dyer has requested a transfer to Arkansas State. Auburn Undercover senior writer Phillip Marshall reported the story early last evening.

Since his report, there have been others disputing the story, most notably, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reporter Joel Erickson. Speaking with Auburn and Arkansas State officials on Wednesday, Erickson said both school officials dismissed the story.

"Both an Auburn spokesman and an Arkansas State spokesman said Wednesday afternoon that they had not heard anything about Dyer, who was suspended indefinitely by the Tigers last month for a violation of team rules, filing transfer paperwork at Arkansas State," writes Erickson.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter Matt Harris tweeted that the rumor about Dyer filing paperwork is "bunk."

I tend to believe Marshall. First off, he's the best Auburn beat writer in the business - maybe all time. If he writes it, he believes it. It also appears that Chizik has written off Dyer completely. I'm not sure it's Dyer wanting the transfer as much as Chizik saying to him, you need to go.

Regardless of what you hear, Gus Malzahn and Chizik remain close. Malzahn is not taking Auburn's star running back on the way out the door unless Chizik wants it to happen. I believe he's washed his hands of the young man.

You've got to love message boards. You love them not for the 90 percent of fans who are sane, but the 10 percent who are borderline crazy. Despite being a year removed from a national title and winning 30 games in three years, some Auburn fans are convinced the sky is falling.

Why?

A few in the Auburn community are panicked over Gene Chizik not hiring new coordinators within days of their openings. It was widely speculated that an announcement would come earlier this week.

Now that it hasn't, some are suggesting that Chizik is having trouble finding qualified, interested candidates. Seriously? I suggest they turn off Paul Finebaum.

Let's remind these naysayers that the Penn State job has been vacant for more than a month. Bad example? How about the Florida offensive coordinator position? I don't see Florida fans waving the white flag because Will Muschamp hasn't found a successor for Charlie Weis. What about up the road in Tuscaloosa? Let me guess, Nick Saban is just too damn busy?

Give Chizik credit. That man can keep a secret better than most anyone in the game. I've been shaking the bushes all week and I've spoken to no one who has definitive knowledge of where either search is headed. I'm guessing both positions will be filled by next Monday.

For many of you, recruiting season is every bit as entertaining as the regular season. Your time is upon us again. We'll get more into recruiting in the days ahead, but first let me give you a status report.

247 Sports.com ranks Auburn as the 16^th best class. Rivals.com has the Tigers sitting at 12^th nationally. Auburn currently has 16 commitments. Among them are 10 four-star recruits and 6 three-star athletes. Auburn has no five-star commitments at this time - according to Rivals.

The top five classes looks like this ( per Rivals.com): 1. Texas 2. Alabama 3. Michigan 4. LSU 5. Florida.

The SEC rankings look this (national ranking in parenthesis):

1. Alabama (2)
2. LSU (4)
3. Florida (5)
4. Texas A&M (9)
5. Auburn (12)
6. Tennessee (14)
7. South Carolina (19)
8. Georgia (20)
9. Vanderbilt (22)
10. Arkansas (28)
11. Miss State (31)
12. Missouri (38)
13. Ole Miss (42)
14. Kentucky (NR)

Every now and then during the holidays, through all the lights and commercialism, we come across the perfect Christmas story that reminds us why the season is so special. This one involves a little boy's belief in the improbable and Auburn's Cam Newton.

If this one doesn't warm your heart, then you are likely dead. A special thanks to Auburn graduate Chris Humphries for allowing us to reprint his story that originally appeared on his blog, The Road Less Traveled.

Over the last few days, his article has become a Facebook and Twitter sensation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Many people who do not live in the South or who did not grow up in the State of Alabama may not get the significance of the following story but so many of us who live, or have lived here, will understand completely. Auburn University and our football team is a way of life for many of us.

As a child, I grew up watching Auburn establish itself as a football powerhouse with such greats as Bo Jackson. I went on to graduate from Auburn Univerity in 1996 and I continue to bleed Orange and Blue.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to get some tickets to see the Carolina Panthers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The big problem was that it was on Christmas Eve and with so many things going on, I wasn't sure that I could pull it off. I knew my 10 year old, Parker, would love to see the Panthers play because his favorite football player, Cam Newton, is their starting quarterback.

You see, last college football season, Parker got to see Auburn University do something that I had never gotten the opportunity to see them do, win a National Championship. Cam Newton, as everyone knows, played a huge role in that National Championship.

We actually had a choice of where we wanted to sit so I told Parker he could decide where we would sit. We could sit in the club level on about the 40 yard line and see every play that Cam made. Or, we could sit in section 118 on the 4th row, in the corner of the endzone on the visiting side.

I told him he "might" get the chance to see Cam score a touchdown and get an opportunity to "maybe" get a football from Cam. In my mind I knew the chances of him getting said football were about a million to one.

Obviously, the optimistic mind of a 10 year old prevailed and he chose to sit in the endzone and get the "chance" to see Cam score and get a ball! Even before the game started, he told me several times that he felt like he was dreaming and that he couldn't believe we were actually going to see Cam play in an NFL game. He thanked me on several occasions for his Christmas present.

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