In case you have not been keeping up.  Tickets have tripled.... not sure why.  I have to assume that it is because of the closeness to the game.  If you held out on tickets no way I would try to buy them now.  Waiting until gameday is the only option.  Go check out Stubhub, ebay, or your broker of choice.  It is insane.

Just thought I would pass along the info.  War Eagle and these last 10 days are going to take forever.

Auburn Family -A Call to Arms- (via WarEagleSoulWest)

WAR EAGLE, Fly down the field

Ever to conquer never to yield

War Eagle fearless and True

Fight on you Orange and Blue

GO GO GO

On to vic'ty strike up the band

Give em Hell

Give em Hell 

Stand up and yell

War Eagle win for Auburn

Power of Dixieland

Ever to conquer never to yield

War Eagle fearless and True

Fight on you Orange and Blue

GO GO GO

On to vic'ty strike up the band

Give em Hell

Give em Hell 

Stand up and yell

War Eagle win for Auburn

Power of Dixieland

Beat the Mutts

Cam Newton on The Jungle with Jim Rome.  This kid is a class act, and is open to answer any question asked.  I sure am glad he is a Auburn Man

http://tvider.com/view/40584

Gotta get more words in

War Eagle Fly Down the field

Ever to conquer Never to yield

War Eagle Fearless and True

Fight on you Orange and Blue

Go Go Go

On to vic'try strike up the band

Give em Hell Give em Hell

Stand up and Yell... HEY

War Eagle win for Auburn 

Power of Dixieland

As most of expected, Cam Newton was named the starting QB.

Click here for story.

Discuss

War Damn Eagle

Tiger Prowl version 2.0 hit the pavement Monday in Mobile and will be in Birmingham on Wednesday. While I think what Chizik and the boys are doing is fantastic, I am even more impressed that Auburn has turned it into a multi-use road trip. Tigers Unlimited is there along with Coach Barbee of the Basketball team. Why do I bring this up, you say?

Team building of course. Coach Barbee and the basketball team can use all the help they can get on the recruiting front. Tigers Unlimited needs to collect more money from other sources so our rights to acquire season tickets do not keep climbing. But most importantly is team building within the Auburn Family. Having Troop and Lupe talking to the fans as well as sharing their experiences on the recruiting trail with Barbee can prove to be invaluable. Not to mentions showing Barbee the "hot spots" in the state.

Another underestimated (in my opinion) pro to the Tiger Prowl version 1.0 was the bonding of the coaches. Do you remember the first video of the coaches stepping out of the white limo last year? Having Trooper and Luper standing with Roof and Malzahn, looked quite awkward. It was like they did not know what to say to each other. You do not see that now. Personally I think that having the new staff all being in a limo for hours on end allowed them to talk about themselves and ball in a relaxed setting with little to no pressure.  I can only imagine that 2.0 will only enhance the experience of the coaching staffs. And they will have a bit more room if they are on the bus. 

Hopefully 2.0 has the same impact of the earlier version, which will land us in the top 10 of the recruiting next season as well.

If the bus makes it to your city, you need to check it out.  It looks quite cool and like a good time.

War Damn Eagle

Well I will keep this short and sweet mainly due to the fact that Acid broke it down very well.  Another reason is that almost every post is about this same thing, and our loyal members of TET all have brains and can see it all for themselves. 

First and foremost, most people either did not notice or did not care but the larger AU on the helmet really bothers me.  We should not be going down the same road as most other schools.  The small AU is classic.  It is the same logo that Sullivan, Beasley, Lil Train, Bo, Fullwood, Rocker, both Campbells, Rogers, Caddy, Ronnie and others have worn.  It is fine, do not let Under Armor try and change things.  The tweaks to jerseys are not a big deal.  The helmet or total jersey redesign or color changes are another story.

To the players.  If Cam Newton is not the starter I will be shocked.  But Trotter did an outstanding job.  He made the right reads and has a much stronger arm than I thought.  He had good pocket presence and had good footwork moving around the backfield.  I still think that Cam is the starter.  I think that the coaches know but they are just buying time for him to learn the playbook.  I feel sorry for Caudle.  It appears that he cannot get over the injury and turnover bugs.

Mario Fannin is the starting tailback, but we will see plenty of McCalebb and Dyer.  Fannin will not be able to stand up to the constant beating that a full time tailback takes.  I have a weird feeling that Dyer will be the featured back later in the season.

Televised spring games are dumb.  Don’t get me wrong I was pumped when I found out that ESPNU was going to have the game on live.  But now that it has happened, I think it was nothing but a huge letdown.  The only thing it allowed me to do was see the game (this season).  With a young child I could not make the trip… but watching it on TV was hard to do.  The coaches showed us nothing.  We would have been better off leaving most of the starters off the field all together.  Let the walk ons and third teamers have all the fun. 

Just my take and War Damn Eagle.

At least it is a new to me video.  Enjoy!  War Eagle.  Maybe this can get you fired up for A-Day.  Also if you are reading this as I am posting it, go to ESPNU and watch the second half and OTs of the Outback Bowl.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=790197515708

At least it is a new to me video.  Enjoy!  War Eagle.  Maybe this can get you fired up for A-Day.  Also if you are reading this as I am posting it, go to ESPNU and watch the second half and OTs of the Outback Bowl.

Ole Paul is up to it again, although this time he is speaking favorably about the Tigers.  He says that Auburn will go 9-3 in the regular season, and he could be right.  Although his choices of loses is interesting to me.  Only time will tell the tale of the 2010 version of Auburn.

With A-Day this weekend, do you think that the Coaches will name Newton the starter on Monday?  It is obvious that he is getting the hardest look.  He gets more reps in practice, and they are with the first team.  Why not just come out and say it.  The last thing we need is another 2008, with everyone guessing.  At least last season they came out and named Todd the starter fairly early.  Please just name the starter.  I find it hard to believe that the coaches do not already know.  Lets not have the same issue that UGA is going through at the moment.  Read it here.

I will not be in attendance at this years A-Day.  Last year was a traffic nightmare and I planned on meeting too many folks in the promised land.  So I did not get to hang out with the TET crew.  Is there a get together planned this year?  If not, feel free to use this post as a starting point.  

War Damn Eagle

Happy Birthday Jay!  I sure hope that you enjoy your day.  To make it 75 words lets all sing along to a familiar tune

War Eagle fly down the field

Ever to conqur never to yeild

War Eagle fearless and true

Fight on you Orange and Blue

GO GO GO

On to vict'ry strike up the band

Give em hell, give em hell

Stand up and Yell, HEY

War Eagle win for Auburn

Power of Dixieland.

We all know about the Auburn vs UCLA debacle, and some might say that is the only thing that Jay Jacobs has done wrong in his short tenure as Athletic Director.  But with the news of Bama playing Texas Tech to open the 2012 season, it just shows you that these matchups cannot be passed up on.

Bama opened with Clemson and followed that up with opening with Virginia Tech.  Both were marquis matchups and literally propelled the Tide onto the national stage again.  Will Auburn ever have the ability to pull this sort of thing again?  The Tigers have only done it twice (well technically three times).  The USC home and home, and the Kansas State game in 2007.

Auburn needs to stop all this cupcaking and get onboard with playing the best teams and getting the national exposure.  You would think that Auburn officials would have learned something from the 2004 team.   In my opinion it does not have to be on opening weekend, but it sure helps.  Playing West Virginia in a home and home, and Clemson the same way is great, but that opening weekend is the key. 

So lets get those minds churning football fans.  Who should Auburn target to play.  Who should the CFA kickoff game be in 2012 (since Bama vs TT is in Dallas).  Auburn vs Oregon?  Cal?  How about Notre Dame?  They are all about neutral site games.

What are your thoughts?

 War Damn Eagle

Auburn heads into spring practice on Wednesday and I have to tell you I feel better than I did one year ago.  Last year no one had any idea who was going to be the Quarterback, but I would have bet my house on the fact that it would not be Chris Todd.  As well all know he was the starter and played well most of the season.  Good thing I did not place that bet.

This season, I would imagine everyone (including me) assumes that Cam Newton is the man to run the show.  Everyone else is playing for the number two spot.  The biggest question mark is whether Tyrik Rollison is going to be with the team or not.  I am guessing not.  Cam has talent there is little doubt about that, but can he master the Gus Bus?  Having the veteran offensive line should make the new QB feel secure though.

The running back position should be fine as well.  Losing Ben Tate is a big deal, but with all the backs that Auburn has, some one will surely step up.  The preseason leader is Mario Fannin, but I like him at the H Back position.  If he moves to running back, we have to assume that Lutzenkirchen and/or one of the WRs will fill that H Back spot.  Also with his move to running back, he needs to work on holding on to the ball.  Too many fumbles from Mario last season.

We have plenty of playmakers at Wide Receiver as well.  Maybe Emory Blake and DeAngelo Benton will be better prepared this season.  Neither one could run a crisp route last season.  With Adams and Zachery getting most of the looks last season, expect at least one of them to be blanketed most of the season.  Unfortunately, I don’t see Kodi seeing too much WR playing time.  He was not much more than a warm body in the receiving department last season.  Cam Newton is able to move, so the wildcat (with Kodi) should not be needed as much.

The thing that I am most interested in seeing is what Ted Roof does with the defense.  Our defense was decimated by injuries last season.  Most of those guys will be back and ready in the spring.  The move of Bates to Linebacker is a good one in my opinion.  Put the talent on the field and let them make plays.  Auburn gave up a ton of yards and points last season.  Roof will have to get that under control if he wants to keep his job on the Plains. 

How do you feel coming into the start of Spring Practice?

War Damn Eagle

There is a ESPN Tourney Challenge group for us if you care to play.  It is totally free, just sign up.  There is no illegal betting or anything, it is not a pool, it is just for braggin' rights.  Hope to see you all in.

Group name is: TrackemTigers

Password is: trackemtigers

I was at home yesterday because workers were at the house, so I got to watch a bit of ESPN.  Of course the talking heads did not talk about Ben Tate at all.  But at least they had his info scrolling on the ticker.  I was pretty impressed. His stats are below:

Speed 4.43 - finished 3^rd behind Spiller and Best

Broad Jump 10’4" – Tops among RBs

Vertical 40.5" – Second behind Hardesty

Bench Press 26 reps - Tops among RBs

Cones – 6.91 finished 6^th (about average and still ahead of Gerhart)

Shuttle 4.12 second among RBs behind McCluster

For some reason no one talked about him.  I don’t get it.  They are still calling him a late second to more than likely a third rounder.  Oh well.  Fight on Ben, and War Eagle

Nothing like looking in the Sports Pages for Auburn Football news and finding not one thing… I love the off season.  Read the blogs and you get crap like Saban has more friends than God and who will lead Auburn in rushing next season.  Really?  I know that in the off season is difficult to find material, but in my view of things writers would be better off not writing at all.  I know that they are earning a salary and have to post something but give me a break.  When Finebaum  is writing decent things about Auburn, you know something is up.  I have to say decent because I am trying to take a positive look at his article. 

We at TET are not paid and I know that Jay, Acid, and WEA do their very best to post something worth while.  Even if it is about our troubles on the basketball court or baseball diamond.  I am of the other side… if I don’t really have anything decent to post, I don’t.  Sort of like this piece… (laughing). 

I will throw some info nuggets in.  Looking at Auburns schedule in 2010 the Tigers have a good shot at 10 wins (with a bowl win).  For those who do not know the schedule is listed below.  And yes I am aware that Auburn has no starting QB yet.

Arkansas St  @Miss St  Clemson  South Carolina  LA Monroe  @Kentucky  Arkansas  LSU  @Ole Miss  Chattanooga  Georgia  @Alabama

Barring major injuries or some other catastrophe it looks like three sure wins, five likely wins, three coin flippers and a loss.  Like West Virginia was last season, the Clemson game will be a season maker.  Win that game and the Tigers should be bowl eligible.  A better Arkansas squad and a resurgent LSU team back to back will be tough, as will the usual UGA and more than likely preseason number one Alabama.   

So really, do you think it is interesting that Saban has more friends than God, and that some writers are asking the fans who will lead Auburn in X category next season?  I don’t… check back with me just prior to spring practice. 

War Damn Eagle

This is from scout and you can read it directly from their site here.  I thought it was a good read, and I actually learned a bit about some of the lower ranked classes.   It is interesing the way that teams recruit... it is not always about getting the highest ranked folks.  It is all about filling the "needed" areas.

East 

1. Florida | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... NFL players. Yeeeeeeeesh. Everything worked for the terrific Florida class as Urban Meyer's health concerns didn't turn out to be  a problem in any way. The Gators got 13 players (but it's probably over 15) that would be the crown jewel in the class of roughly 110 other programs including Mack Brown, a lightning fast back who might finally be the one to give Meyer the feature-back he's been searching for. Chris Dunkley, Adrian Coxson, and Solomon Patton might have started, or at least would've seen time, at wide receiver last year and should be key parts of this year's team, offensive tackles Chaz Green and Ian Silberman will be starting at the next level if they can effectively add 20 pounds of muscle, and Sharrif Floyd out of Philadelphia and Dominique Easley from New York City might be the nation's two best defensive line prospects. And then there's the secondary. Matt Elam and Jonathan Dowling are tall, talented safeties, and Jaylen Watkins, Joshua Shaw and Cody Riggs are special corner prospects. 

2. Tennessee | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... The passing game. The defense was hardly ignored in Derek Dooley's first class with three excellent linemen in JUCO transfer DT John Brown and ends Jacques Smith, and Corey Miller all good enough to see time right away. JUCO transfer Dave Clark needs to play a big role this year at one corner, while JaWaun James might be the SEC's best recruit for the O line. Before leaving, Lane Kiffin made a big deal out of securing the quarterbacks, and Dooley kept them around with Tyler Bray, a very big, very talented passer to go along with Nash Nance and JUCO transfer Matt Simms. Simms will be expected to compete for the starting job this offseason. Four terrific receivers were signed with Da'Rick Rogers, Justin Hunter, and Matt Milton all with next level skills. 
  
3. Georgia | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... The lines. After signing a ton of skill players last season, Georgia needed the building blocks this year. The team's best recruit was Alec Ogletree, a guided missile of a linebacker who was the key to the defensive haul several months ago. Up front, head coach Mark Richt inked Brent Benedict out of Jacksonville, one of the nation's top tackle recruits, and also got the very promising Kenarious Gates. On the defensive side, Garrison Smith spurned Alabama, Florida State, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC to be the leader of the Dawg line in the near future. T.J. Stripling will be a terror on the end after hitting the weighs and adding at least 25 pounds, while Michael Thornton is a ready-made tackle who's good enough to see time right away. 

4. South Carolina | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Marcus Lattimore. Steve Spurrier focused mostly on the secondary with five defensive back prospects signed who need to develop quickly. There isn't a star of the lot, but Victor Hampton with his tremendous speed comes close. The passing game got a little help with QB Connor Shaw and a few decent receivers including Ace Sanders, a 5-7 speedster, but the entire class, and especially the offense, revolves around Lattimore, Scout.com's No. 1 ranked back. The 6-0, 207 pounder picked the Gamecocks over Auburn, Florida State, and Georgia, among others, and he'll be the centerpiece of the Spurrier offense very, very soon. 

5. Kentucky | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... The running game. Last year Rich Brooks made sure the future of the passing game was set by bringing in three quarterbacks, five wide receivers and two tight ends. The future became the present with so many issues at quarterback last season. this year, new head man Joker Phillips made sure the running game was secure with four very good prospects led by Brandon Gainer out of Miami and Raymond Sanders out of Georgia. In an interesting move, Phillips also loaded up on tight ends bringing in four with Alex Smith a big blocker and Tyler Brause like a big receiver. Don't dismiss the big signing of Joe Mansour, one of the nation's top punting prospects. 

6. Vanderbilt | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. The Commodores got a little bit of everything for both sides of the ball and came up with some good defensive back prospects, led by corners Andre Hall and Karl Butler, and some intriguing receivers with 6-5 Chris Boyd and lightning-fast Jonathan Krause leading the way. But the need was the defensive front and that's where the stars are with tackles Vince Taylor, Kyle Woestmann, and Jared Morse leading the way. Thomas Ryan and James Kittredge might be needed right away on the end.

West 

1. Auburn | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Skill stars. The class went big on defense coming up with a whale of a group for the line led by tackles Jeffrey Whitaker and Kenneth Carter, and coming up with a key signing getting end Corey Lemonier out of Florida. LB LaDarius Owens will be an All-SEC performer before he's done, and enough good defensive backs were brought in to secure the secondary for the next few years. As good as the defensive class is, the stars signed on offense should make a bigger impact as offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has his players to work with. Cameron Newton is a 6-6, 245-pound quarterback with a live arm, Trovon Reed and Antonio Goodwin are special receiver prospects, and Michael Dyer could've gone anywhere as, arguably, the nation's top running back recruit. If he wasn't No.1, he was in everyone's top five. Throw in all the help on the line, including JUCO transfer tackle Roszell Gayden and top guard Eric Mack, and the Tiger offense should be fantastic.

2. Alabama | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive backs. How good is Nick Saban and his staff when it comes to recruiting? The Tide didn't have a ton of needs with so many great classes brought in over the last few years, and the monster class that capitalizes on the national title is supposed to come in next year, but that doesn't mean that several top players available this season didn't want to come wear the Crimson uniform. Phillip Sims is by far the most talented quarterback prospect the Tide has had in several years, and the receiving corps will be loaded with DeAndrew White, Ronald Carswell, Blake Sims and Keiwone Malone would all be No. 1 targets at just about anywhere else. The defensive backfield is amazing with the best class in America led by top corner prospect Demarcus Milliner and big-time safety Jarrick Williams. Johnavon Fulton has NFL corner speed and JUCO transfer Dequan Menzie could see time immediately. 

3. LSU | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive lineman. The secondary got an infusion of talent with Eric Reid and Tharold Simon giving the Tigers two very big, very NFL-looking safeties, and Tyrann Mathieu has good size and could be a strong corner in time. RB Spencer Ware could be the star of the running game in the near future and Kadron Boone was a great get to be the team's No. 1 WR soon. The biggest stars are at linebacker, led by Justin Maclin, but the biggest part of the class is on the line with Ego Ferguson one of the nation's top tackle prospects and Jordan Allen and Travis Dickson a dangerous end pair. 

4. Ole Miss | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. With the early loss of Jevan Snead, Ole Miss needed options at quarterback and it got a small, athletic playmaker in JUCO transfer Randall Mackey. Vincent Sanders is a freshman receiver too good to keep out of the mix early on, while the defense got a big boost in the secondary with JUCO transfer Damien Jackson a big, intimidating safety and Tony Grimes a terrific corner prospect. The defensive line should be terrific with an outstanding mix of talents led by JUCO transfer Wayne Dorsey, a very tall, very quick pass rusher who would've been a key get for places like Tennessee, Auburn, Michigan, and Florida State. Carlton Martin and Bryon Bennett are the future at defensive tackle, while Carlos Thomas and Delvin Jones will eventually be the team's star pass rushers with speed, size, and a world of upside for the outside.

5. Arkansas | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Talent. Last season Bobby Petrino's class was heavy on live bodies to create more competition and to build better depth, especially on the defensive line. This year's class was about upgrading the overall talent level with the main focus on receiver. Marquel Wade and Julian Horton should thrive in Petrino's system, while QB Jacoby Walker will get a few years to groom to be ready to be in the mix by 2012. Calvin Barnett is the 305-pound defensive tackle prospect to work the line around, Brad Hefley will end up being the leader of the linebacking corps, and Eric Bennett is a nice looking corner.

6. Mississippi State | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Running back. Dan Mullen got the receivers for his offense last year, and this year he worked on the ground game with 6-8, 330-pound Damien Robinson one of the nation's top offensive tackle recruits to go along with four running backs to try to replace Anthony Davis. Matthew Wells is the best of the lot, but JUCO transfer Vick Ballard might make the most immediate impact with a physical style and good quickness. Nick Griffin and Jay Hughes could've been toting the rock at several other big name schools. Defensively, 6-7, 370-pound James Carmon and 6-4, 330-pound Jeffrey Howie are massive JUCO transfers brought in to clog things up right away, while Kaleb Eulls, an end, is one of the best players in the class

With National Signing Day upon us I thought I would give you a quick rundown of my thoughts regarding Auburn’s possible class.  First and foremost…War Eagle, Coaches and staff, you guys have done a remarkable job.  Never before has Auburn been talked about this much on a national scale when it comes to recruiting.  Tuberville had some good years, but nothing like this.  It is awesome to hear that some of the best players in the nation are considering Auburn, much less becoming a Tiger.  I think that we will end up in the top 5 in recruiting, Auburn could be better but we will need a little help with a sleeper.

Auburn has seemed to have a sleeper in the last few recruiting classes.  Last year was DeAngelo Benton.  I do not know one person or publication that saw that one coming.  It was a great surprise and hopefully we have another one in store today.

Jeffery Whitiker was a huge pick up for the Tigers on Monday.  He is the real deal and could see immediate playing time.  Bryan Jones would be a great addition as well, but I see him going to Arkansas.  Shon Coleman is just "out there" no one knows what he is going to do.  He was an Auburn lock after visiting two weeks ago.  He then went to vist Bama and Miami.  Latest news is that he is a Bama commit now.  I will only give Auburn a 30% chance on landing big Shon, although we need him more than any of the other teams.  He is a great prospect for the offensive line… and we all know Auburn needs future help there.  DJ Howard is more than likely going to end up at Kentucky since they are still recruiting him as a RB.  Auburn has listed him as an ATH, which screams defensive back or linebacker.  DJ has said on many occasions he wants to play running back. 

Auburn appears to be set at the running back position, especially if the Tigers can land Marcus Lattimore.  We will know tonight, as he plans to announce his plans at a press conference and his church.  I personally think that he is going to end up at S Carolina.  Why?  I have no idea… Auburn is running back U.  I can only guess it is for immediate playing time, and it is his home state.  That seems to be a huge factor to kids theses days.

Land all of these guys and Auburn could be in the top 3, but that is a long shot.  I say we get our fair share and a sleeper and that keeps us in the top 5.  A great class no doubt, now to see if they all turn into players.  Stay Tuned.

War Damn Eagle

**side note** Last year I was here all day updating the latest news on NSD.  Not to be this season, unfortunately life/work has taken me away from the computer.  Please feel free to comment and post updated news as it breaks.

Going a bit out of character for me.  Please don’t think that I have gone soft, or whatever.  It is the week before National Signing Day and everyone else has that info covered.  This piece has nothing to do with Auburn, but it is worth putting it out there for you chat about at the water cooler… maybe.

With the Senior Bowl approaching I have to wonder what the hell is Tim Tebow doing there?  What good can possibly come out of him playing in this game?  I am normally all for "stars" playing in exhibition games.   Examples being Peyton Manning playing in pre season games, and the rest of the starters doing the same.  Baseball stars playing in the All Star Game unless injured.  It should be an honor to play for the fans that shell out big bucks to see you play.

The issue here for me is that the Senior Bowl is nothing but an NFL scouting game.  The rules on offense and defense are ridiculous and it is not real football.  Now back to my point and Tebow… what good can he gain by playing?  We all (as well as the NFL scouts) have seen him play for the last 3.5 to 4 years.  He has been on ESPN non stop, and any highlight he could possibly have has been shown a couple of hundred times.  Is he going to make a throw in the Senior Bowl that is going to change a NFL scouts mind about whether he can play quarterback or not?  Not a chance.  Whether he can play QB or not will be determined in camp for XYZ team that either drafts him or picks him up as a Free Agent.

Now if he was going to play tight end or line up in the slot as a wide receiver it would be a great decision to play.  Personally, I think that is where he could ultimately end up if he is going to have a productive pro career.  Not saying that he cannot play QB, because I think he could.  But he will have to win a spot on a roster as a QB, or come in due to injury.  I do not see Tebow being a clip board guy.  He has too much going for him. 

Please Tim, for all of us who have hated on you, and were ready for you to leave college football; don’t get hurt playing in this game it is not worth it.  The Senior Bowl is stupid and I would imagine that most College Football Fans do not watch it.  It is nothing but a numbers game… height, weight, speed, vertical, etc.  They do not have a number for heart or leadership, and everyone knows that you have that.   You will get drafted, some team will "take a chance" on you.   Why put yourself in danger?  It is just not worth it.

War Damn Eagle

Well we are to that time again.  The season is over and everyone is looking toward National Signing Day.  Most teams have locked up a few 5 stars and holding their breaths for a couple more to cross the fax line on the big day.  Auburn is in pretty good shape if the commits that they have hold strong.  Most talking heads believe they will.  The Tigers are still in the running for a couple of guys which could put us in the Top 3 in recruiting this season.  Marcus Lattimore, Eric Mack, Bryan Jones and Jeffery Whittaker are a few big timers that are still on the fence. 

Personally, I think that if we can just hold the guys that have committed Auburn will be in a place that we have not seen in a while.  It is obvious that our coaching staff has changed the mindset of Auburn Fans.  Never before have Auburn fans thought that a number one player in the nation at a certain position want to come to the Plains.  Tuberville would not even really target these players, because he viewed it as a waste of time.  He and his staff were a great judge of talent, but ESPN, Scout and Rivals are not wrong all the time.  Sure there are some bust… see Mitch Mustain, but 5 stars is 5 stars.

My thought on CJ Mosley is that he was going to Bama the whole time.  I just cannot understand why he would not want to come to Auburn and be a star.  He is going to be in a crowded LB spot at Alabama.  I guess in his case it is the loyalty to Bama, not the playing time.  Auburn missed out on a good one in Mosley.

War Eagle everyone, and bring on National Signing Day.  I wonder if we have another surprise this season.  It seems like we always pull one out in the end.

War Damn Eagle

It is no secret that I was and still am a fan of Tommy Tuberville.  I can be a fan of him and not feel good about how he left Auburn.  I can also be a fan and forgive him for leaving our Tigers in a hell of a mess, as far as the players left and recruiting woes that haunted us.  I can also admit that I would have liked him to be in the race for the Athletic Director position should it become available in the near future at Auburn.  What I will not admit is that I would feel the same way if he gets back into coaching. 

I can hear you all now… he is still young enough, he still has the fire burning in his gut, he can still build a winning program.  That might be true, but he will lose his "Auburn Man" status with me if he gets employed elsewhere.  Is that a fair statement… probably not, but it is how I feel.  He did enough for Auburn as a program to have his name someplace on Jordan-Hare (some might feel that it belongs on the bathrooms though).  I feel the same way about Steve Spurrier at Florida.  I will use him as the example.  He will go into the College Football Hall of Fame as a Gator.  But he has lost his Gator status (although he played there) because he has been at South Carolina.  Again this is just my opinion, but it is how I feel.   

His name is showing up on the Red Raider radar.  Personally, I don’t see Texas Tech hiring Tuberville.  I think that Tony Franklin and the 2008 season doomed him in a spread offense type team.  He would have to bring in one hell of an offensive mind to run the offense.  And Tuberville would have to step back and let that person run it his own way.  Can Tommy do that?  I can not see it happening.  Tommy is the CEO of his program and he has never made any bones about that.  He would also have to allow the offensive coordinator the ability to hire his own staff.  That would also be against Tuberville’s nature.

Lastly, if Texas Tech would look at the recruiting that Tuberville did after he and his staff became tenured in the State of Alabama, they will see that he would have rather been duck hunting then improving his team.  That is the cardinal sin in college football.

The main thing that would make Tuberville a good choice is that he has shown that he can recruit "under the radar" players.  Tuberville has always seemed to be a great judge of talent.  He can also coach those players so they can compete with the "main" team in the state (see Alabama).  Whether it was him or his staff is debatable, but again he is the CEO.  Texas Tech will need that sort of coach because the Red Raiders have to play Texas every season. 

What say you?

War Damn Eagle

I still have the in-laws in town so forgive me if this post is off a bit. They have that effect on me.

I would like to talk a bit about the coaching things going on in the SEC. Lets start with Urban. What is he thinking? If he has something seriously wrong with his heart he needs to get that taken care of. It is obviously bad enough that a doctor told him to "step away." In my opinion the whole thing is just odd. The presser was weird, and very cryptic. I am sure there will be more after the Sugar Bowl.

With said... what about Saban coming out with his statement about not taking the "open Florida position?" It seems that he is trying to dominate the media, or maybe that is just me being anti-Saban.

If Urban steps down (which I think he will) what is the line on Dan Mullen? What about Kyle Whittingham (which would be my pick)?

Speaking of coaches... what is Mike Leach thinking? Punishment for players doing something wrong is obviously fine... but to punish a player for having a concussion? First Maggini and now Leach? Who is next?

I am liking what we have going on here in Auburn. Chizik seems to have Auburn in a good place. Although Auburn has some issues with players’ grades and a couple of off the field issues, every program has that. At least they are not huge issues, and the coaches are keeping their noses clean. Hopefully the Tigers can pull in more recruits and put us in a better place. Is anyone a bit worried about the lack of big name offensive lineman in the class? That is the one position that Auburn needs help now, not later... now.

My quick thoughts on the game Friday. Auburn better not overlook the Wildcats. They can score. Auburn is typically not very good in early games, and this one is really early for the Central Time Zone folks. It is also hard to stay focused on a football game when there are so many appearances and "fun" things going on. I am not so much worried about the offense, but the defense is going to have to step up from the start. It took the Georgia offense almost and entire half, but they finally got going. But the defense was there from the start. Auburn will need to play well, or Northwestern could sneak up and win this one. I will be yelling like a crazy man from my living room, and hope that all that those in attendance do the same.

War Damn Eagle and Happy New Year

With respect to Scarbinsky I will cite him here, although I had already started this piece before he posted it this morning. 

What the hell is Charles Barkley thinking?  Normally I like him, he is great for television and it is fun to listen to him and have people know he is from Auburn.  He and Shaq are the two best athletes to watch on TV.  Anyways back to my point.  For him to come out and say that he thinks that Auburn should have gone with Turner Gill is beyond me. 

How can you fault Chizik after what he has done in Auburn in about 365 days.  He has the fan base abuzz with recruiting.  We have never seen the top tier talent have Auburn on their radar… much less in the verbal commitment category.

Do you think that Turner Gill would have been able to pull in the assistant coaches that Chizik did?  I can answer that… No Freaking Way.  Well I don’t guess I can say that… we will never know, but I cannot believe at this point in time that any Auburn Alumni or Fan can complain about Chizik.  If things are not remarkably better for Auburn in three or four years, we can start wondering, but today all Auburn should be proud of our coaches.

What about the fact that Auburn was supposed to be a sub .500 team and we are 7-5 and heading to a New Years Day Bowl?  No coach has had a winning season in their debut other than Bowden (except we were on probation so no Bowl).  Auburn was only a few plays away from being a possible 9-3 team.  That is remarkable with the lack of depth the Tigers had this season.  

Let us not forget that Chizik and his staff are doing all of this while Alabama is at a place that they have not been since the Bear walked the sidelines.  They are a powerhouse once again.  Let us not forget that the 2009 team was supposed to be the rebuilding season.  They should be even better in 2010. 

I for one am proud of Auburn and its staff for doing what they are doing.  They are going after recruits like we have never seen before.  If we can actually get them on campus and keep them there, we will be just fine.  Even against the "Alabama Machine" as Barkley calls it.

Normally I love you Charles, but in this case you need to take your racial blinders off.

War Damn Eagle

Not much to report since all the news is about Alabama heading to the National Championship Game.

It is fitting that seven Bama players are All SEC Members.  The only first team Tiger is Antonio Coleman.  He earned it playing through injuries all season and still becoming a sack machine.  Ben Tate, Ryan Pugh, Walt McFadden, and Lee Ziemba all made second team. I thought that Darren Bates might have a chance for Freshman of the Year, but Warren Norman was fantastic for Vandy.

The SEC is getting love in Vegas.  The only two teams that are not favored are Tennessee and LSU.  Both are slight dogs.  Auburn is an eight point favorite over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.  I would expect that number to lower as the game draws nearer.  Northwestern is not a bad team.  I watched some of their game against Iowa.  They have a pretty potent offense… but the defense is not all that.  The total score could be in the 60s. 

WEA posted the question about if Auburn Fans would be pulling for Bama.  That is a tough question.  I am typically for the SEC, no matter what.  I am sure that I will be this time as well, but damn it is so hard.  It is becoming extra hard this year because I have really seen the "closet" Bama fans come out of the woodwork.  I am not a huge Facebooker, but I have an account with a few friends.  After the Bama game, every status update was about Alabama.  Now I think that is great for them, but where I have to wonder what is up is when most of them say something to the effect of, "…The Auburn Gators," or "… I bet Auburn is crying now…"  I don’t get it.  Let Auburn be Auburn and Alabama be Alabama.  Why do the two have to interact with each other at this point in the season.  Bama fans should be happy, as should Auburn fans.  We got what we wanted, a New Years Day Bowl.  Let just leave it at that.

Speaking of the Outback.  I sure hope that the Tigers sell out their allotment of tickets.  Auburn lobbied for the invite, and we as fans should really step it up.  I wish I could go, but it is not in the cards this season.  Tampa is a cool place, if you have not been there before you should check it out.  Ebor City is the bar scene down there and it can get crazy (at least a few years back).  If you do go, cheer like hell.  You can bet that I will be doing it from home.

Finally… while Mark Ingram has been my front runner for the Heisman, I think that the Auburn game hurt his chances.  Colt McCoy was my second place, but the Nebraska game hurt him.  In my view, Toby Gerhart should win it although he has been out of the spotlight most of the season.  He has carried Stanford all season.  We shall see how it all pans out.

Well, it looks like WEA is taking the crown this season, Jay made a vailant effort to comeback, but like Auburn a few times this season... time just ran out.  Enjoy the games Saturday!!!

Alabama at Florida (Atlanta)

WarDamnZach – Florida 24-20

Jay Coulter – Florida 31-26

Acid Reign – Florida 30-17

War Eagle Atlanta – Alabama 24-21

Season Standings:

War Eagle Atlanta 80-15

Jay Coulter 78-17

WarDamnZach 76-19

Acid Reign 74-21

With all the "moral victory" talk and "Bowl" talk I thought I would throw my two copper pieces in about Auburn this season. I do not believe in moral victories, a win is a win and a loss is a loss.  What I do believe in is a fan base believing in what a coach and a program are doing. No one really gave this Tiger team a chance in the Iron Bowl, but the staff got the players prepared and ready to fight. That shows me that Chizik and the boys have that never give up attitude, and that was not the case last season. In my view, Auburn has a lot of great things going for them as a program.

Gene Chizik was not my first choice as a coach for "my" Auburn Tigers. I could not tell you who my first choice was, but Chizik was not it.  Some members of his staff on the other hand were my first choice. Gus Malzahn has been great for Auburn, Trooper Taylor as well. Curtis Luper has been a surprise for me. I thought that Eddie Gran should be retained, but I guess it is good that he was not. No chance of dissention in the ranks. Ted Roof took a lot of heat from me and others, but he did a lot with very little. It will be a great thing that our young players got serious playing time this season. They will be veterans next season, although they might only be sophomores. 

As far as the bowl situation, it really should not matter to the fans where Auburn ends up. The players will have the ability to practice for another month because they are bowl eligible. That is huge, especially for the younger guys… and for next years starting QB. I have no idea who it is yet, but it will not be Chris Todd, so someone is getting extra practice time. Auburn and its players will also get the goodies that go with going to a bowl game. Besides the extra practice time, I think the best thing about going bowling this season is it is a reward for a team that came together and overcame their short roster and coaching changes. I think that there are too many bowls… I bet I have said that at least 100 times, but this Auburn team deserves one this season. 

Being selfish, I was hoping that Auburn got to play Georgia Tech in the Chic-fil-A Bowl so I could attend, but I think that it will be UGA and Clemson playing in that game. I though that would have pushed Auburn into Shreveport to play Texas A&M, but somehow Tennessee got out of playing the Outback. Just goes to show you that no one really has a clue when it comes to bowls.   Too bad it is a 10am kickoff.

If you have not read AubTigerMans fan post you should.  It just goes to show you that playing with the heart of a champion can bring everyone closer together.  Auburn fans are the best, and I am proud to be one.

War Damn Eagle

I will have to say that I am shocked over this, but here is the story...

http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2009/12/auburn_set_to_play_in_outback.html

Sorry for the lateness… I am still whipped from all the turkey and pies.  Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday, now it is time to pull the shocker.  

Alabama at Auburn

WarDamnZach – Auburn 24-23

Jay Coulter – Alabama 28-22

Acid Reign – Auburn 27-13

War Eagle Atlanta – Alabama 17-13

Arkansas at LSU

WarDamnZach – LSU 31-27

Jay Coulter – LSU 24-20

Acid Reign – Arkansas 34-31

War Eagle Atlanta – LSU 31-28

Clemson at S Carolina

WarDamnZach – Clemson 28-20

Jay Coulter – Clemson 35-14

Acid Reign – Clemson 30-17

War Eagle Atlanta – Clemson 24-23

 Ole Miss at Miss St

WarDamnZach – Ole Miss 27-17

Jay Coulter – Ole Miss 35-31

Acid Reign – Ole Miss 31-20

War Eagle Atlanta – Ole Miss 34-28

Florida State at Florida

WarDamnZach – Florida 45-14

Jay Coulter – Florida 42-30

Acid Reign – Florida 45-6

War Eagle Atlanta – Florida 41-17

Tennessee at Kentucky

WarDamnZach – Tennessee 17-13

Jay Coulter – Tennessee 24-21

Acid Reign – Tennessee 16-14

War Eagle Atlanta – Kentucky 24-21

Georgia at Georgia Tech

WarDamnZach – Georgia Tech 34-21

Jay Coulter – Georgia Tech 31-17

Acid Reign – Georgia Tech 31-24

War Eagle Atlanta – Georgia Tech 38-21

Season Standings:

War Eagle Atlanta 77-11

Jay Coulter 74-14

WarDamnZach 73-15

Acid Reign 72-16

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  

Here are the picks for the weekend… No Auburn, and no good games, minus the Ole Miss vs. LSU game.

LSU at Ole Miss

WarDamnZach – LSU 21-20

Jay Coulter – Ole Miss 27-24

Acid Reign – LSU 27-10

War Eagle Atlanta – LSU 27-21

Miss State at Arkansas

WarDamnZach – Arkansas 42-21

Jay Coulter – Arkansas 35-32

Acid Reign – Arkansas 45-34

War Eagle Atlanta – Arkansas 34-33

Chattanooga at Alabama

WarDamnZach – Alabama 48-0

Jay Coulter – Alabama 56-7

Acid Reign – Alabama 59-0

War Eagle Atlanta – Alabama 44-6

Vandy at Tennessee

WarDamnZach – Tennessee 27-17

Jay Coulter – Tennessee 24-14

Acid Reign – Tennessee 31-14

War Eagle Atlanta – Tennessee 24-13

Florida Int at Florida

WarDamnZach – Florida 45-3

Jay Coulter – Florida 42-0

Acid Reign – Florida 52-6

War Eagle Atlanta – Florida 51-9

Kentucky at Georgia

WarDamnZach – Georgia 24-17

Jay Coulter – Georgia 28-24

Acid Reign – Georgia 35-13

War Eagle Atlanta – Kentucky 24-21

Season Standings:

War Eagle Atlanta 72-10

WarDamnZach 69-13

Jay Coulter 69-13

Acid Reign 68-14

Tune is to almost any game over the course of a season and you are almost guaranteed to see a few touchdowns, a turnover or two and one other thing… a timeout for a head/neck injury.  Is it that the players are bigger, faster, and stronger, or are the protective gear manufacturers behind the times?  Or possibly both?  I know that football is a contact sport, it has always been such, but it seems to me that things are getting out of hand. 

I conceded that players want to wear as few pads as possible so they can be less restricted.  If you look at the skilled positions in the NFL you will notice that few wear thigh or knee pads at all, most wear watered down versions of shoulder pads as well.  While this is a problem in its own right, this is not an option in the college ranks.  Pads are mandatory, and the most important piece is the helmet. 

The helmet has gone through a few changes over the years when it comes to football.  In the beginning there were no helmets at all that was followed by the leather helmet in 1893.  The leather helmet was made stronger are harder thru the 1940s.  In 1950s the traditional plastic helmet was born with the single bar facemask.  It has looked close to the same since then, with the added tweaks here and there.  In the early 2000s a "new" helmet was established by Riddell that some players choose to wear, it is supposed to be lighter and stronger.  Though that has yet to be determined.  So is the helmet protection enough?  Should there be some sort of tethering device which would keep the head from snapping back in such a violent manner?  If there was would anyone wear it?   

Look back in the 60s and 70s at some of the bigger hitters in the NFL.  Most wore that foam padded bolster which was affixed to the top of their shoulder pads to keep the neck from snapping back so far.  Auburn players Karlos Dansby and Donterrious Thomas both wore a new age look to them at Auburn, and Eltoro Freeman wears one today.  Should that be added in as a mandatory piece of equipment?      

Some can argue that the medical staffs are just working on the side of caution when it comes to head/neck injuries.  I agree with that… in every head/neck situation everyone should be a careful as possible.  But it seems to me that these injuries are happening at an alarming rate.  Please do not add another subjective penalty into the referees’ repertories; they are already having enough trouble getting calls correct.       

I am not saying that taking the time to evaluate the situation of any injury is a bad thing.  I also am not naive enough to think that we can eliminate injuries in sports all together, but it seems to me that players and teams could/should band together and see if manufacturers can come up with better options.  Players are too big and strong now.  The forces in which they hit each other are incredible nowadays. 

Maybe it is just the fact that I am getting older, but losing to UGA was not as big a deal to me as it could have been.  All I could think about was Baccari Rambo laying on the field for what seemed like 20 minutes, and watching Eltoro Freeman stagger off the field with an obvious concussion.  This after watching a couple of weeks before, Zac Ethridge lay on top of an Ole Miss Player.   

If it is affecting me as a fan, what does it do to the players on the field? 

War Damn Eagle

Here are the picks for the weekend… Acid is working (I think).  He will add his later (I think) :)

Auburn at Georgia

WarDamnZach – Auburn 31-28

Jay Coulter – Auburn 28-23

Acid Reign – Auburn 37-27

War Eagle Atlanta – Auburn 31-28

LA Tech at LSU

WarDamnZach – LSU 30-10

Jay Coulter – LSU 31-7

Acid Reign – LSU 31-10

War Eagle Atlanta – LSU 36-14

Troy at Arkansas

WarDamnZach – Arkansas 40-21

Jay Coulter – Arkansas 28-21

Acid Reign – Arkansas 45-24

War Eagle Atlanta – Arkansas 41-21

Alabama at Miss State

WarDamnZach – Alabama 23-17

Jay Coulter – Alabama 24-17

Acid Reign – Alabama 38-10

War Eagle Atlanta – Alabama 24-17

Tennessee at Ole Miss

WarDamnZach – Tennessee 24-20

Jay Coulter – Ole Miss 35-28

Acid Reign – Tennessee 31-17

War Eagle Atlanta – Ole Miss 24-20

Florida at S. Carolina

WarDamnZach – Florida 31-17

Jay Coulter – Florida 28-7

Acid Reign – Florida 31-13

War Eagle Atlanta – Florida 42-17

Kentucky at Vandy

WarDamnZach – Kentucky 23-17

Jay Coulter – Kentucky 21-17

Acid Reign – Kentucky 19-10

War Eagle Atlanta – Kentucky 28-21

Season Standings:

War Eagle Atlanta 66-9

WarDamnZach 64-11

Jay Coulter 64-11

Acid Reign 63-12