It is time to start making the man across from you wish he weren't across from you. It is time to start playing with fire and desire. No more second guessing. Time to start attacking the opponent like a wild man, a man possessed. They think we're soft. They think they can have easy revenge for 2010.

They think we're overrated and no longer know what we're doing. They are wrong. When you play Auburn you aren't playing football, you're playing Auburn football. We play mean. It is time to get mean!

War Damn Eagle! Beat South Carolina!

My fellow TET'ers I am stepping back from the proverbial ledge regarding this 2011 team. I've slung too much mud and had too many a cross word with my bretheren of The Plains. It's time for us to rejoice and recount some things we are grateful for with this team.

This is Auburn football. Not economics. Not politics. Not religion. It's Auburn football. It is why we come here and spend time lurking when we aren't supposed to at work. This is supposed to be fun. It's Auburn football /olivebranchextended

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Ready?!

I can hardly contain my excitement for the 2011 edition of the Auburn Tigers. It is unique from any other year for me, in that Auburn is going to have a lot of talent on the field, a lot more than in recent seasons' past. 2010 was AUsome for obvious reasons, but now we've all got to turn our attention to 2011 and beyond.

I am looking forward to seeing a lot of raw talent on our defense absolutely get after it week in and week out. Ted Roof will be working with a lot less experience on this side of the ball, but I love the athletic ability we'll be running out on the field. I am looking to Chris Davis to really make in impact this season as a tight covering corner. I thought he did an exceptional job last season as a true freshman. Angelo Blackson is another name I think we'll hear more than expected. Kid has got athletic ability for days. Of course there's also (as I like to call him) the Martian Manhunter, Craig Sanders. I'll use Clubber Lane as inspiration for my prediction of Sanders' season, "PAIN". Lots of it, for people not wearing the orange and blue of our Tigers.

The offense also has me psyched. Mike Dyer and O-Mac will get a lions share of the carries, but watch out for LaDarious Phillips out of Roanoke High School. Phillips will be like a dump truck with a foot ball in the cab. That kid is a train wreck waiting to happen on the football field, and much like Sanders on defense he'll be 'winning' most of his collisions. Short yardage back? Check.

As for the quarterback that is a gray area. I've heard that Moseley(sp) would start. I've heard that Trotter would start. Even heard rumblings of Favre being in town for a work out or two (jk, relax). Seriously, I think we'll be ok no matter who starts. Everyone kind of knows going in what our deal will be this year with the signal caller. We're pseudo re-building and we're replacing a once in a generation player so it comes with the territory. I look for Keihl Frazier to make an early impact by stepping into the role of the wildcat QB and having that role slowly expand over the course of the season. They (the coaches) want that kid to learn, and that's just what he'll do this year by playing a limited to moderate role in our offense. Maybe more depending on how he picks it up. Don't forget he ran a similar system to Malzahn's while in high school.

The receiving core is a bit thin this time around. I think we are in good hands with Emory Blake, but after I am sketchy on info. Will Demond Washington be a prime target? How will Trovon Reed perform in his first season of full action? Maybe you guys can chime in with who you think will step up big time for us this season catching the football.

Special teams will be better coverage wise this year I think, but there will be growing pains with Cody Parkey. He;s got some big shoes to fill in Wes Byrum. But you know what? We all thought the same about Byrum, and Vaughn, and I can't remember who was before him. But we always find a way to get a guy who can respond well to pressure situations. I have faith that the coaches have put us in a good position with Parkey.

Coming off a NC win, Auburn will have a bulls eye with them all season long. Everyone wants to knock off the defending champs so the road will be treacherous, but trial by fire will only make this extremely talented young group of men that much better. I can't wait.

So that's all I've got. I am super pumped. We've got some amazing talent to look forward to for 2011 and years to come. Rumored new pants stripes and maybe some blue pants this year. Crazy talk, I know. Whatever it is that your looking forward to this year, share it here. Let's move past all of the 'Debbie-Downer' talk and start getting amped for the best sport in America in the best conference in America!

War Damn Eagle, people! Here's to 2011!

Let Schafer stay with the big boys and continue to play CF for the remainder of the season. Even if he drops to Nate McCout's level, he will be a rookie struggling not a 'veteran' struggling.

And as for you Mr. Wren, could we get a big time superstar hitter to anchor this lineup? Please? I see solid baseball players up and down this Braves lineup, but we need a standout to anchor the lineup. I don't know what position you after, but as long it's someone great I'm down.

P.S. Fredi, lay off on the off days for awhile...

I've been racking my brain like a mad scientist for the past few days trying to conceive some solution to save the Toomer's Oaks. I'm not an agricultural expert, I'm not a botanist, heck I've never even planted flowers, despite all of that I have put hours into 'research' trying to find some nugget of information that will lend hope to this situation.

I know I've not uncovered any information Auburn's official Toomer's Task Force didn't already know. I know that I am so far in over my head on this that saying, "I'm in over my head" isn't even a fair representation.

What I do know is this: Auburn University should attack this issue with every possible resource it has at its disposal. Sit back and think about all of the Auburn University related merchandise you have purchased over the course of your lifetime. Shirt, hats, chairs, cups, stickers, pens, Christmas ornaments, artwork, snuggies(blushes), memorbilia, tickets, DVD's, books, tuition, etc. The list goes on and on. \

The University owes it to us; the fans, the current students,  the alumni, the parents who are sending their kids there to give them something better than they had.

I'm not saying that Auburn won't do this or isn't planning on this already. I just know that I will be very disappointed if all that is done is some soil sampling and soil replacing. I want a herculean effort to save these trees.

What do you all think? Should Auburn University pull out all the stops? Will Auburn University pull out all the stops?

What a season! SEC Champs, Heisman champ, and then the big one. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. I always thought I'd see one, but just not this way. It's been special. Really special for my family and I. It's hilarious to me (now) that I was so critical of this team in the early stages of the season. I think the Tigers proved who was wrong in a very convincing fashion. Haha.


This Championship was so special for my family, as I am sure it was for your families as well. My grandfather was a huge Auburn fan, and if he were here to see the reaction of the Auburn family I know he would be grinning ear to ear.

I'm not afraid to say I teared up when Byrum hit the FG. Such a release of emotion, tension, and frustration. I face all of my bammer friends with a child like smile. Like Christmas morning is here and I got JUST what I wanted. I don't have to tell them what they already know. They've been caught. And we weren't supposed to catch them this fast.

I hope all of you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves during the season, and here's to another fun ride for 2011.

War Eagle! National Champions!

The link is here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5786315

This is very disappointing news. I am confused by several things here: If this was submitted to the NCAA back in January as stated by MSU officials then why is this surfacing now and why is it significant? Apparently Auburn also knew about this, why was he (Newton) never held out of a game?

Then more disturbing news here: http://www.killerfrogs.com/msgboard/index.php?showtopic=125319&st=0

This is a TCU message board that claims that the tapes of the alleged conversations had just surfaced recently, whether that part is true or not is debatable, BUT the big tthing here is that this news was posted here and tweeted long before the news broke on ESPN or Fox Sports.

I don't know about all of you, but this discouraged me greatly when I awoke this morning. I want so badly to defend Cam and his family, but it seems everyday the situation looks more and more bleak. How long can excuses be made for the accusations? The situation has definitley been escalated over night. My biggest wish is that all of the info that is out there just be brought to the forefront, as of right now Auburn (and Newton) is being hit by haymaker after haymaker every day in the news. War Eagle friends, let's all try to sustain hope that this situation will resolve itself quickly.

War Eagle! Beat Georgia!

Auburn opened my eyes last night to something that I think most of you have known for a couple of weeks now. This team has heart for days. I guess it was about time I saw it. I'm sure I was being cursed under everyone's breath for being Johnny Nay-sayer. I'll admit, I have been critical on the Tigers. Too critical. That doesn't mean I didn't take any negatives away from this game, but I'm not exactly dwelling either. 

The defense once again left a little to be desired on the pass defense front, but overall maintained an acceptable level of play. Especially with their stingy 2nd half performance for the 3rd week in a row. If it weren't for a busted coverage at the Safety position, SC may not have scored at all in the second half. Also, we finally forced and made a team pay for turnovers. That was great to see.    

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The Auburn Tigers gutted out a very ugly contest Saturday night. It took the biggest comeback since 2002 for Big Blue to comeback. That, I guess, is a bright spot. Two years ago we did not have the offense to do it. 

There are a lot of things to work on before South Carolina comes rolling in next weekend. A match-up that, at this point, has me biting my nails to the quick. Clemson, I mean Clemson, absolutely thrashed us with the running game. Short passes also left us badly out of position and did their fair share of damage. Now, Clemson is a good football team, but we were supposed to be the 15th best team in the country. Who's pretending here?

Run blocking was marginal at best. Many times Dyer was trying to hit a hole, he ended up hitting a pile of catastrophe that was our o-line last night. Pass blocking was a little better, but then came this problem: Cam couldn't stop throwing it the other team. He has got to start looking defenders off or this is going to be a long year for him (on the bench, because Trotter will be playing). To his credit, he bounced back and made some plays in the second half, after he threw his second interception. 

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I am still hearing and seeing ESPN and Kirk Turdstreet breakdown, analyze, and crawl under the head coach's desk of USC (SoCal)?

This is a team that is on probation, not bowl eligible, and supposed to be in trouble. Yet the wankers over at ESPN just cannot LET THE TROJANS GO! Tell me I am not alone in this. Tell me this isn't some bizarro fantasy world where oppsites are true. There are plenty of good stories in college football this year. Why in the hell should we spend another 5 months listening to Herby swoon over the USC?!

I bet the douche bag still picks them to win the Rose Bowl.

Ok guys and girls, we've got one week to go before the excitement officially starts. But wy can't we start a warm up/pre pre pre game/ pump up talk right here?! I don't see why we can't. Let's all get ready for the upcoming season by sharing a favorite tailgate tradition, favorite story from AU Football, or link to your favorite video! I am so excited about what 2010 could possibly bring.

One of my all time favorite experiences at an Auburn football game is a tie between the 2007 Iron Bowl (my first) and last year's game against West Virginia. I love getting up early on Saturday's and popping open a very cold Old Milwaukee Light. It's simply the best way to get game day started.

Here's my fave video right here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/auburnathletics#p/u/28/XyW0hUNmwh4

War Eagle to you all and let's start getting ready for AUsome Auburn football!

In honor of my post last year I decided  to once again get your opinions on the schedule and get you guys to pick each game on the schedule as you see it right now. What are your trap games? What games are getting a little more hype than needed? Let us know what you think! Here is how I have it picked right now if I had to sit down and place bets on the season.

9/04/2010 -  Arkansas St.: The Tigers come out and win big in their home/season opener setting up a clash in Starkvegas for the following Thursday. Win. 1-0

9/09/2010 - Mississippi St.: This is a tough one for me to call. Dan the man Mullen will have his team ready to play. Mississippi St. will look at this game as a chance to send a message to the rest of the SEC. In the end I think the Tiger offense is too much for the Bulldogs. Auburn pulls away in the second half 38-17. Win. 2-0

9/18/2010 - Clemson: When it comes down to it, I think this game is garnering too much attention. With all due respect to the Orange and Purple tigers, Auburn should win this game. Auburn 34-10. Win. 3-0

9/25/2010 - South Carolina: Many people are high on SC this year. Spurrier has openly stated he has been tougher on his players through the spring and will continue to be. He has also gone back to calling all of the offensive plays just as he did in his Gator days. In the end I think the Spurrier runs out of magic. Auburn 27-17. Win. 4-0

10/02/2010 - Louisiana-Monroe: No fooling around here. Auburn handles the other Louisiana college and gets some much needed rest for the 1st stringers. Auburn going away 42-21 with on or two td's coming late on AU's backups. Win. 5-0

10/09/2010 - Kentucky: Obviously revenge is a factor here. But the wildcats prove to be a feisty protecting their home turf. Auburn wins a tight one 24-17. Win. 6-0

10/16/2010 - Arkansas: The plainsmen will once again be seeking revenge as the Razorbacks roll into Jordan-Hare looking to continue their success against AU. This will be a tight one, and its very tough to call from this far out. Wes Byrum kicks the game winning field goal with time expiring. Auburn wins 38-35. Win. 7-0

10/23/2010 - LSU: This is a matchup that has also gone sour for the Auburn Tigers. In the end I think LSU will have too many answers. Auburn gets nipped at home 31-20. Loss. 7-1

10/30/2010 - Mississippi: Houston Nutt will not have any answers for AU on this day. The Tigers get back on track and win semi-big in Oxford 31-10. Win. 8-1

11/06/2010 - Chattanooga: A typical homecoming showing with improved defense from years past as younger guys begin to show strong improvement. Tigers roll 56-17. Win. 9-1

11/13/2010 - Georgia: Lately Mark Richt and the Bulldogs have owned AU. This year that trend will change as Auburn handles UGA 31-10 to set up a Black Friday matchup for the ages. Win. 10-1

11/26/2010 - Alabama: The much anticipated sequel from last year's nail biter will live up to the hype. Alabama's record will be no worse than tied with AU's and is likely to be better. Newton and the Malzahn machine put up a much better showing and the Tigers get some old magic back to knock off the Ruby Elephants at home. Auburn stuns the Tide with a game ending drive of their own 31-24! Win. 11-1

Borrowing from Chris Bosh; this all seems a little 'Pie in the Sky' to me. It really does. But as I imagined each contest it became a little more plausible to me. Obviously a lot of things will have to go right for this scenario to play out. I also am not going to go beyond this point in my predictions. I have no clue who else will be represented in the SEC championship game. And I won't even strain my brain trying to imagine the BCS standings at this point.

I would love to hear what you guys think. What have I got wrong? Do I have anything right? Let me know and let everyone else know how YOU think the season will play out. Here's to an exciting 2010 season. War Damn Eagle!

So, I'm getting married on June 26th (I know, hold your applause) and my bride and I are getting custom coozies made. On one side will be our names, and on the other we would like an Auburn logo. Now, the logo we want is the one with the eagle flying through the capital A. Can anyone here point me in the right direction? We'd both be very very appreciative. Thanks in advance.

War Damn Eagle

The recent commitment from Reese Dismukes got me thinking. Thinking about how our recruiting has recently ventured into new territory both literally and figuratively. CGC and his staff seem to bring a much more passionate approach to the table than it seems Tubberville ever did. Maybe Tubbs was better and keeping that side of his recruiting under wraps, but I doubt it.

In about two months the Auburn Nation will begin to see the true impact of this staff's recruiting this summer when the entire 2010 class arrives on campus to begin preperation for the season. Auburn has got support coming in for basically every need they have. It certainly isn't the magic bullet into the heart of this program's problems, but it is a giant leap into the right direction. These coaches have done a great job so far of going after guys that can fill voids on offense, defense, and special teams rather than solely relying on ratings and stars to target players.

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Auburn football signee Shon Coleman is undergoing chemotherapy, according to a message posted by his mother on her Facebook page and later confirmed by Pete Cordelli, his athletic director at Olive Branch High School in Mississippi.

link to the story... http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2010/03/auburn_signee_shon_coleman_und.html

I'm sure a lot of you have seen this, just wanted to pass it along. What a tough situation all the way around. I'll certainly have him in my prayers and hoping that he can make a full recovery as quickly  as possible.

It feels good to be excited about AU football in March. Last year at this time there was a lot more worrying than anticipation going on. 2009 offered a lot of promise, but there were moments that left me not only frustrated but scratching my head (last drive against Kentucky anyone?) This year I want to see some things done differently. Although I give the team major kudos for what they accomplished last year, there is still major work to be done. Its a little early to discuss wins and losses I think, so I'm just going to focus on general x's and o's stuff. Here is my humble take on some things.

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Alright guys and gals of the Chizik Republic, spring practice has arrived and football is being played again on the Plains.

2009 brought great hope to the plains, and I am buzzing about this upcoming season. It may be early for some of you but I am fired up. What I am wanting to know is this:

Who do you think the 3 biggest names will be coming out of camp this spring? By that, I mean who will the staff be targeting early on to be the big playmakers this upcoming season.

I've got (in no particular order):

Mario Fannin: This guy is electric and has scoring potential each time he touches the football. If he can conitnue to work had on taking care of the football we could have very little (if any) drop off at the RB spot from Tate's absence. I know he's a Senior and a veteran of SEC play, but I think Fannin has the physical tools to certainly match, if not exceed Tate's Senior season.

Phillip Lutzenkirchen: No offense to Trott, but he mostly left a bland taste in my mouth. Lutz will have give us another downfield option to compliment Adams, Zachary, Reed?, and our other receivers.

Neil Caudle: Now I know what you all are thinking: What about Cam Newton? Well, this I'm not Newton Knockin'. I think Caudle will push Newton further than anyone thinks. Thus giving us a very strong QB race, and possibly some interesting  options come Fall.

Those are my picks (right now). Its fun to look out into the future and try and see what players you think will sneak up and surprise the fans and coaches alike.

On a completely different note. I'm worried about what Kodi Burns will be up to come August. I don't really see him fitting in perfectly anywhere right now, except as our 3rd/4th receiver. I did not like his wildcat package last season and I'm hoping that it will be more effective this year or phased out. But this situation does worry me. Burns is a talent and a hell of an awesome guy. I want him to do well. Toss in your thoughts on this as well.

Here's to a great spring, and an AUsome 2010 season! War Eagle!

I certainly don't want to be the guy who beats the 'new uniform' dead horse, but alas I'll start one more post about this. I've heard mumblings that Under Armour will attempt to release a new uniform that will compete or 'match' the Nike Pro Combat uni that Flroida, LSU, VT, and others wore. Do you think AU would get one of these 'upgrades'?

I also heard from a few posters on here and other AU sites this past season navy blue pants were considered? I'd just like to get you guys/gals opinions on this. I'm a fan of change but too much could be a bad thing. I also don't like the idea of pulling out a new uni in a big game. I don't like the gimmicky factor of it.

Anyway, just figured I'd float this out there, its the offseason and a little down before signing day so I figured I'd get some kind of discussion going.

Thanks and War Eagle!

Pretty shocking to me in a sense, but didn't really surprise once I got to thinking about it. Anyway, its on the ESPN homepage right now. I wonder what this does to Tennessee's recruiting? Maybe we can pick up some players that will be lost in Kiffin's departure. Well the off-season of college football has started off with a bang. What do you all think will be some names that come up for the Tennessee opening?

Well, everyone I'm sure is finding a way to get past the Kentucky loss. We deserved it, we played poorly, very poorly.  This loss, coupled with the loss to Arky, has raised some major questions/concerns with this Auburn team. Some are bigger than others, but they all affect the state of 2009 directly. Its hard to believe that after our quick start, we've stumbled so hard. Maybe its the youth of this team. Maybe its our depth (or lack there-of) catching up with us. Maybe its the injury bug (good luck getting that out of Chizik). I don't know exactly where to stand on us right now. I'm caught in between talking these problems off and saying we just stumbled unusually hard are going to get things turned around and hitting the panic button and settling on dreaming of the future. I'll let you guys/gals tell me where you all are at.

Do we lack depth that badly with our defense and special teams? Now I know what most of you are all thinking; that this is a stupid question. I agree, we lack experience in a lot of positions, but did Tubbs and crew really leave the shelves this empty?

What do we really have in Ted Roof? It has been difficult for me to read Ted Roof so far this year. His defensive play calling has been very dull and conservative the first 7 games. Is it only personnel issues that is holding this defense back or is Roof not cut out for the SEC ranks?

What happened to Malzahn's stellar offense? Again, I know we also have issues on the offensive side of the ball, but the drop in production the last 2 weeks is scary bad. From everything like the execution on field, down to the play calling, our offense has completely gone dormant the last two weeks. I see this as a major red flag. I do not need 500 yards of offense from Malzahn every week, thats unacceptable and ignorant to expect something like that. But with what happened last year I have to be very cautious with the way I perceive a coach's performance. Malzahn has already outperformed Franklin by far, but is this it? Is Malzahn's offense just slumping hard or is he in over his head?

What happened to our great halftime adjustments? Early in the season we came out of the locker room really rockin' and firing on all cylinders. Lately, we've looked like the Tubbs coached team of old. That is, we've failed miserably at adjusting to other teams' schemes and it seems we continue to get beat by the same thing over and over and over to the point where, as a fan, you begin to question if what you are seeing is actually real.

What happened to Chris Todd? I have been one of Todd's biggest fans here since he was named the starter. Last year I thought he was a waste of a roster spot and thought he should transfer. The first five games of this year he proved me dead damn wrong and I am thrilled about it. The last two weeks he has regressed into Todd of 2008 and you can immediatley notice its affects on the rest of the offense and the whole team for that matter. If Todd is hurt he needs to be taken off the field. I don't care if we have to appeal to the NCAA to get Daniel Cobb another year of eiligibility, I want a healthy quarterback that has a legitimate chance to make all of the throws. If he isn't hurt, the coaches really need to be pushing him to improve his pocket presence and moving thorugh his reads more fluidly and efficiently. The last two weeks he's looked very very average and this is not the fanbase to be playing for if you're a upper classmen QB making freshman mistakes. I really hope Todd can turn it around, he's a nice guy (I've met him twice) and I know no one wants to correct his mistakes more than he does.

Those are my issues I have right now with this team. I knew before hand that we weren't going to win the NC this year but after our quick start, we've fallen hard. I think the game versus LSU this weekend will be a very good barometer on how this team will fight through the end of the season.

War Eagle everyone and thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Step back for a moment, to June or May of this year and think of what you expected out of this AU team this year. Kodi Burns was going to be the quarterback and caudle would back him up and we were going to win 5-7 games and not look very impressive for the most part. 

No one knew to talk about players like Onterio McCalebb or Darvin Adams. Chris Todd might as well have transferred to UAB and try to get on as a graduate assistant. Our offense wasn't supposed to be averaing 40 points a game or moving the ball for over 500 yards in games against ANYONE.

Long story short, Auburn was going to struggle all year.

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Auburn may not have lit up the score board last night as they have in weeks past, but they put together a solid win on the road in a hostile environment.

The defense brokedown at some critical moments towards the end but it was overall a dominating performance by  a bunch that really needed it. Take away the play at the very end of the game and literally a couple of others and this game is 26-10 all the way.

The offense stuttered a bit for the first time this year, and it still put up a good yardage mark (459), but it stalled in the red zone time and time again. If the tigers had executed better here this game could have been a lot worse for Tennessee (kudos to M. Kiffin for having his guys in the right places).  Ben Tate had a strong solid performance, the kind of game you need from a Senior in a road game. McCalebb was able to show us some flashes of greatness once again, breaking for a few key first downs just when the Tigers needed them. Zachary had a TD reception and Darvin Adams didn't have a horrible night, he made a few  catches for us and made a heads play on a fumble by Tate that could have been a nightmare for us.

Special Teams did a lot better, they didn't have confusion on certain plays that we've seen in weeks past. We blocked an extra point (hell yea) and Wes Byrum had a great game going 3/4 on field goal attempts and hitting both of his PAT's.

Overall, it could have been a lot better or worse depending on how you look at it. Our defense broke a few times and allowed some big plays but overall you couldn't have asked for much more. Our offense couldn't quite finish many of their drives, but they moved the ball and ate up clock really well.  So once again kudos to the team for gutting out a tough win on the road and making their on breaks and not becoming overwhelmed by the moment of it all. War Eagle everybody have a great Sunday afternoon!

For some reason, this subject always comes up, when my family gets together for AU football games. We have it year in, year out no matter what, and we usually split right down the middle. Half for going for it and half that want to leave it alone, and one who wants us to wear white a lot (ala the Cowboys). I like it initially, but  I'm also apprehensive about it as well. I like the idea of a uniform shake up, nothing too crazy just something to breathe a little life into the look.

What do you guys think? I'm open to it but I think it would need to be handled carefully.

Chris Todd threw his first interception last night, at possibly the worst time in the game. It came when WVU was just waiting for yet another big play to put us away early. Chris Todd threw some 'lame ducks' last night. He threw off of his back foot several times. He gave us some nervous moments for sure.

But what he also did, along with the AU defense, was win the game for us last night. Todd threw for 4 tds and nearly 300 yards (maybe he did clear 300 my memory escapes me at the time). His touchdown passes were very difficult throws. He showed overall good pocket presence last night. He moved pretty well. He managed the game for us about as well as he could have. He gave us our biggest QB performance in years and right when we needed it. Overall, I was proud to call him my own. I think his performance last night went a long way to strengthening his faith from the AU nation.

I'm excited by this football team, and by our coaches. I hope we fix the mistakes form this week and show up for the Ball State game next week a polished, practiced, well prepared team.

War Eagle everybody, it looks like the wild times are just getting under way here on the Plains!

The 2009 Gus [Malzhan] Bus is real sweet, its the new Trooper [Taylor] version with sweet [Ted] Roof racks and new and improved [Tracy] Rocker panels for better stability. A real Chizik magnet for sure.

Ok, I immediatley apologize for the cheesy play on words. I've still got a little feel good (alcohol) left in me from last night. I just wanted to say how happy I've been with the new attitude this team has had in 2009. Last night was a perfect example of a game that a Tommy Tubberville AU team would've lost. Miss St. had a couple of good opportunities to take control of the momentum last night and really give us a run. But our offense never let them have any daylight, and that is a feature an Auburn team hasn't had in quite sometime.

After the punt block last night I was sure that we were in for a long night. But we just never stopped scoring points. I'm so glad that we are getting treated to this kind of performance from our Tigers. Our fans needed something to believe in this year, and so far the Chizik regime is delivering.

Ok, first off I've commented on this in a couple of other posts here but thy got a little buried in discussion and I wanted to ask this directly to the brotheren here at TET so here goes...

I thought that the whole package lacked steam against La. Tech. It looked (to me) a bit forced and a little south of the creative side. Now, do not get me wrong it worked and one could argue that it worked very well, but my problem is that we won't just be running it against La. Tech defenses. I think the harmony of our offense would be better suited to Burns just falling in line with the rest of the RB's and WR's.

To me, it wasn't any better than what the Todd led charge was coming up with. I like Burns on the field. I like having him doing different things. But I do not think of him as a Tebow caliber player that can just have his own specific package and only come on the field duing that specific package, much like Tebow was doing his freshman year. I think it makes our intentions too obvious and that it makes Kodi too much of a target on the field. I'm not sure that he's the caliber of game changer to support that for an entire season.

All of that said, he's still a hell of an athlete that can carry the ball really well for us. I like using him creatively but I think it should be pulled in a bit by the coaching staff. I'd like to see him catching some passes and running some sweeps but I'm not sold on his wildcat package. And also, I know I have no idea what the coaching staff knows of this package. It could expand to almost anything from here and we're not going to know about it until he does it on the field. And maybe thy don't feel totally comfortable letting him catch passes right now, maybe his hands aren't that great as a receiver, maybe he's a terrible route runner. I do not know these things.

So, tell me what you think of the package. Would you like for it to expand? To be slowly phased out as the season progresses and our offense begins to find its identity and click? Either or; or something totally different. I want to know what YOU think.

Thanks for reading and WAAAARRR EAGLE!!!

     Auburn has rightfully earned the nickname "Runningback U". Our strength at that position is as consistent as NCAA inquiries to that school to the North and West of here. Our list of talented backs runs deep: Bo Jackson(Heisman Trophy winner), Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, Rudi Johnson, Carl tewart, Kenny Irons, and Brandon Jacobs (though briefly). And those are just recent examples of a long line of great athletes at that position.

     If you are to look at our quarterbacks, however, the list is a bit shorter and less glamorous. Pat Sullivan obviously comes to mind as well as Jason Campbell for his terrific Senior season in 2004; while others include Dameyune Craig and Patrick Nix. With this in mind I've compiled a list of the past 13 seasons' passing stats and also the past 13 Davey O'Brien award winners to show how our Tigers have compared to the best at the quarterback position. I've also boldened some of the better seasons our on-field generals have had. (Sorry in advance for the awkward spacing.)

1996: Dameyune Craig - 2296 yards for 208.7 per game, 169/310 for 54.5%, 16 touchdowns, 10 interceptions

1997: Dameyune Craig - 3277 yards for 273.1 per game, 216/403 for 53.6%, 18 touchdowns, 13 interceptions

1998: Gabe Gross - 1222 yards for 135.8 per game, 88/197 for 44.7%, 7 touchdowns, 12 interceptions

         Ben Leard - 703 yards for 117.2 per game, 54/114 for 47.5%, 4 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

         Michael Bishop(Kansas State) - 2844 yards, 23 touchdowns, 4 interceptions

1999: Jeff Klein - 1038 yards for 129.8 per game, 85/169 for 50.3%, 6 touchdowns, 9 interceptions

         Ben Leard - 1423 yards for 203.3 per game, 111/157 for 70.7%, 12 touchdowns, 1 interception

2000: Ben Leard - 2552 yards for 196.3 per game, 221/356 for 62.1%, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions

         Chris Weinke(FLorida State) - 4441 yards, 33 touchdowns

2001: Daniel Cobb - 1236 yards for 154.5 per game, 95/168 for 56.5%, 8 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

         Jason Campbell - 1191 yards for 119.1 per game, 101/160 for 63.1%, 4 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

         Eric Crouch(Nebraska) - 1510 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 1129 yards rushing

2002: Daniel Cobb - 1175 yards for 146.9 per game, 80/150 for 53.3%, 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

         Jason Campbell - 1215 yards for 93.5 per game, 94/149 for 63.1%, 11 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

2003: Jason Campbell - 2267 yards for 174.4 per game, 181/293 for 61.8%, 10 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

         Josh Sullivan - 213 yards for 53.2 per game, 20/28 for 71.4%, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception

         Jason White(Oklahoma) - 3846 yards, 40 touchdowns

2004: Jason Campbell - 2700 yards for 207.7 per game, 188/270 for 69.6%, 20 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

         Brandon Cox - 357 yards for 51 per game, 22/34 for 64.7%, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions

         Jason White(Oklahoma) - 3205 yards, 35 touchdowns

2005: Brandon Cox - 2324 yards for 211.3 per game, 177/306 for 57.8%, 15 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

         Blake Field - 237 yards for 47.4 per game, 17/31 for 54.8%, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

         Vince Young(Texas) - 3036 yards passing, 26 touchowns passing, 1050 yards rushing, 12 touchdowns rushing

2006: Brandon Cox - 2198 yards for 169.1 per game, 163/271 for 60.1%, 14 touchdowns, 9 interceptions

         Blake Field - 47 yards for 9.4 per game, 8/9 for 88.9%, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception

         Troy Smith(Ohio State) - 2542 yards, 30 touchdowns

2007: Brandon Cox - 2080 yards for 160 per game, 188/316 for 59.5%, 9 touchdowns, 13 interceptions

         Kodi Burns - 145 yards for 14.5 per game, 10/26 for 38.5%, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception

         Blake Field - 92 yards for 11.5 per game, 6/11 for 54.5%, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions

         Tim Tebow(Florida) - 3286 yards passing, 32 touchdowns passing, 23 touchdowns rushing

2008: Kodi Burns - 1050 yards for 105 per game, 94/179 for 52.5%, 2 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

         Chris Todd - 903 yards for 129 per game, 86/156 for 55.1%, 5 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

         Neil Caudle - 32 yards for 16 per game, 4/5 for 80%, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

         Sam Bradford(Oklahoma) - 4721 yards, 50 touchdowns, 8 interceptions

     As you can see from the numbers, we haven't been in this discussion; not even close. Looking back on these stats frustrated me. I know we've had top notch backs toting the ball for us and doing a very good job at it. But I firmly believe we need a playmaker at this position. Will Kodi Burns deliver on potential that has been touted for the last 2-3 years? Will Caudle bring consistency and top-notch execution to the plains? Or will we have to wait on Tyrik Rollison and beyond to have a signal caller that can lead us to the promised land?

     I would like to hear the Auburn Nation's voice on this. This is an issue that has long gotten the better of me. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why we haven't had better recruiting at this position. This is not to down the quarterbacks we've had. I'm a huge Jason Campbell fan, I'm normally the only one in my "group" defending Brandon Cox, I remember as a kid pretending to be Patrick Nix in my backyard throwing touchdowns to the corner of the endzone. I have a lot of respect and admiration for the guys that have taken the snaps for us. But I often find myself wondering we can't get the Tim Tebows, Jason Whites, or Vince Youngs.

Thank You for reading, War Eagle

Just to get some discussion going, and talk some football, I've looked our schedule and made some picks shootin' straight from the hip. I picked so quickly I didn't even try to settle on a score for the games. It's only June, and things certainly can change dramatically between now and September. But I just want to know how YOU have the season mapped out in your head as of right now.

Here's mine:

9/05 La. Tech: Win

9/12 Miss. State: Win

9/19 West Va: Loss

9/26 Ball State: Win

10/03 @ Tennessee: Loss

10/10 @ Arkansas: Win

10/17 Kentucky: Win

10/24 @ LSU: Loss

10/31 Mississippi: Loss

11/07 Furman: Win

11/14 @ Georgia: Loss

11/28 Alabama: Win

Record: 8-5; I think we will win our bowl game as well.

That was how I picked them in about 30 seconds time, so certainly arguments can be made on almost all of these results, so I want to know what you think. How do you think the season will play out at this point in time?

1. Will the REAL Wes Byrum please stand up? With a more effective kicking game last year our record could have been dramatically different.

2. I want to see the offense run more smoothly; I'm not expecting 45 point games week in and week out but we're due for some serious polishing up on this side of the ball.

3. I want a QB to lead this team with toughness, intensity, and confidence.

4. I want my QB to be better protected this year. (yes, even you Ziemba)

5. I want our time of possession up from last year to prevent a weary defense later in the year.

6. I would like to see some intensity from Chizik on the sidelines this year. I don't want him biting people's heads off but I'd lke to see some fire there.

7. Could we please try to implement play action a little more? If I'm wrong I'm wrong but with our backs we should be able to utilize this offensive tool much more than we did last year.

8. More passing TD's.

9. Fewer nasty 3rd and long situations.

10. Toomer's Corner rolled a few more times. (Especially on Thanksgiving Weekend)

I know this is a bit long, perhaps selfish even; but these are just my 2 cents worth. What do you guys want to see? What do you expect?

...and I can barely wait. I'm looking forward to seeing a new attitude on the plains. I deeply believe that Coach Chizik can give this program something to rally behind and buy into this year. So what if we don't go 13-0. I don't need that this year. Truth is, I need something to buy into myself. The '04 season wet my appetite for national pride and glory. The years of decline since have given me severe hunger pains.

I'm a proud member of the AU fan base and I'm tired of our hopes coming up short every year. I would put our pride, traditions, and knowledge of the game up against any other school in the country. I want to see a coach lead our program with the same intensity and desire as us fans who pour ourselves into the game. I want to see proper adjustments, willingness to change, and the willingness to cut someone loose if they aren't doing their job up to par. I want to see a football team that is going towards something and not fading from 2004.

On Sunday mornings I want to wake up and see highlights of big plays from the Auburn vs Whoever game. I'm tired of seeing a USC/Ohio St./Texas/Notre Dame/etc. QB throw a 57 yard pass for a TD every week. I want Auburn in that group. I want people to talk about our offense like they do the USC's or Texas' of the college football world. I want to look at the scoreboard in the 4th quarter when its 3rd and 7 or 12 or whatever and believe that my offense can make a game changing play. We need playmakers. I like how Chizik has attacked his recruiting and that's gotten me very excited. I hope his efforts are fruitful and he establishes and maintains a rock solid recruiting campaign year after year.

I'm looking for a new attitude in 2009. I'm looking for something to buy into myself.