So the meltdown begins....

This is I both love and hate the bunker (auburnsports.com's message board). Any loss and immediately it's "We stink. Put in Someone else". I sent this e-mail to some friends who were doom and glooming and told them basically to suck it up:

I think you all need to quit jumping ship. Don't bail on Auburn. Don't bail on Cox. This is Auburn football. Did you really think we were going 11-0 this year? No. Do I still think we split the road games? Yes. Whether that road is Ws against Arky and UGA then so be it. I'll examine the issues:

1.) Our line. We are playing two freshman on the line. One redshirt and One true. Plus, Ziemba the true freshman is playing our most important o-line position: Right Tackle (Cox's Blind Side). I heard it said once that whenever you start freshman no matter if its college or high school you are almost guaranteed to lose as many games as the freshman you start.

2.) Our defense. Yes, the played good the past two games but not good enough. Were were the fumbles and INTs against USF? No where. Groves is a maniac on the outside but when you run the spread it almost negates him because he's going to bite on the wrong guy 50% of the time.

3.) Special teams. We don't have a boomer on kickoffs. Byrum can't kick off yet because of his ankle. If we had pinned them deep towards the end of the game we probably wouldn't have gone to OT.

4.) The schedule. We knew who South Florida was going into the season. The were the real deal. This was a team hungry to beat us to prove themselves. They stepped up. We didn't. End of story.

5.) Brandon Cox. Cox is our QB. Deal with it. If you don't like it I'm sure John Parker Wilson would love a few more fans. Here's a reminder about Brandon Cox. He's undefeated against Alabama. He would have been undefeated against LSU if John Vaughn could remember how to kick FGs. He also single handidly won the Georgia game in Athens. Is he as good as Jason Campbell. No. Is he better than Kodi Burns, Neil Caudle, Blake Field? Much Much Better. If you ditch Brandon Cox now then YES you will lose 5 games. What's Kodi Burns going to do? Run around till someone gets open? Try to tuck it and run and end up a piece of some LSU d-lineman's stool? Yes he's mobile. So what. We don't run a mobile offense. Our strength is our interior lineman so we run it up the middle most of the time.

6. Auburn football is about heartbreak. That's what makes us Auburn fans. We know what it's like to win and lose and it makes us stronger. Who's giving you crap today? Here's a comeback to each one of them. Is it an Alabama fan? just hold up 5 fingers and say "Better hope 3 million a year is enough to beat us". Is it a Georgia fan? good game against South Carolina. Stafford really looked like the QB of the future. When you get beat by Blake Mitchell, the alcoholic fratboy of SEC Qbs, you lose most of our respect. Is it a Tennessee fan? Ask them, "when you close your eyes do you still have nightmares of Cal's kick return". I could go on and on.

We...Must...Protect...Our...Players...

It seems already that there is this feeling of uncertainty among the Auburn camp due to several key players being knocked out of fall practice before the temperatures have come back to double digits. I gotta be honest, I am as excited as ever about this season; however, the news of Tristan, Doolittle, Bosley (even though it turned out to be minor) and a possible injury with Carl Stewart are bringing feelings back that I never wanted to feel again...I'm talking about the feeling I used to get before I played a football game in High School my senior year. THAT was the year I was the starting punt returner...Let's just say my bad feelings before the game were accurate indicators of future happenings.

I say this because as a team, the LAST thing we need (especially considering the nature of our rebuilding certain key units) is negativity, a loss of confidence, or any reason to doubt ourselves. That's the one thing the makes Auburn so great as underdogs - confidence. We all know what an underrated team can do when chemistry and confidence are present. (SEE: AU 2004)

I really don't know why TT decided we were going to unleash the defenses on our quarterbacks this past week. Perhaps to put pressure on them to "make plays." Not the brightest of ideas; but it's amazing how out of a stupid decision can come great discoveries. Welcome Kodi Burns. I look forward to seeing how Dameyune Craig can do with a good defense in the TT era.

After reading and discussing with Ragan, I believe we have found someone who is going to be an All-American in 2 years in Lee Ziemba. Someone who is dominating a senior, All-American DE Quentin Groves in practice (so a source says) in one on one drills DURING HIS FIRST WEEK deserves some applause.

It's about that time. 17 days till cowbells will be sounding when Mississippi State gives a darn good game to LSU. But more importantly, 19 days and the Eagle will be flying...

War Eagle

Please Hurry September 1st

Know your Foe: Kansas State

Every Auburn fan should be an informed Auburn fan. That's why All Auburn, All the Time brings you "Know Your Foe" a breakdown of Auburn 2007 scheduled opponenents. Every Tuesday we'll bring you a all the good talking points so you can impress your friends and the beautiful babies at the tailgate. It's all the information you need to know before those crisp Autumn saturdays.

Team: Kansas State

Location: Manhattan, Kansas

Colors: Royal Purple, Silver

Founded: 1863

Full School Name: Kansas State University

Conference: Big XII (North)

Past Championships: Big 8 (1934); Big XII (2003); Big XII North (1998, 2000, 2003)

Famous Alums: Darren Sproles (Football; Chargers), Gary Spani (NFL Hall of Famer), Erin Brockovich (honestly), Earl Woods (Tiger’s Daddy), Kirstie Alley (Fat Actress)

Head Coach: Ron Prince

Game Breakers: WR Jordy Nelson, KR Justin McKinley

Key Matchups: It’s all going to come down the passing game. On both sides of the ball. Jordy Nelson will try to challenge a young and fairly inexperienced Auburn secondary. On the plus side, K-State is switching to a 3-4 from a 4-3. This allows Auburn to run the ball a little easier (LBs will have the duty of covering RBs mostly) and let’s swing passes and draws lead to big plays. The 3-4 also lets Auburn’s line pick up blitzes better. Wildcats QB Josh Freeman is overrated and is what I like to call a (Reggie)Baller. He’s good for some big games and big plays but can also completely lose a game for you.

On a side note: Reggie Ball. Most Georgia Tech fans agree that had he not been so successful against Auburn (twice) he would have easily been benched and GT might have had a better year.

For Auburn, their main concern is the K-State secondary. It’s experienced, tough, and will challenge Auburn to throw the ball. If Auburn can get into a good rhythm early then it will be a good day. However, if we can’t throw and it puts pressure on us the run the ball early it could be a long night.

Record against Auburn: 0-2 (’78 and ’79)

Why you can love them: K-State were the lovable losers of college football. They were consistently the worse football team in America and were the first team to amass 500 losses. Now they are a consistently good college football team. Going to Bowls in 11 out of the last 13 seasons. Plus they’re main color is purple. Snaps all around.

Why you should hate them: K-State fans are cocky. They’re brash. Success hasn’t made them humble and most don’t act like they’ve been there before. They’ve been known for cheap hits and some dirty play at times. Plus you should hate all Big XII teams and the undeserved respect the get.

Odd Auburn Connections: Both schools are land grant schools in college towns. That’s really about it.

AttitUde

The 2006 Auburn football season was one that many universities would have killed for. 11-2 record, beating our rival for the 5th straight time, being the lone team to be the National Champs, and beating a legitimate Big 12 opponent in the Cotton Bowl. But for some reason, it still was a season that most would agree should be put behind us. Why is this? Injuries? Part of the problem, but that isn't it. Lack of playmakers? Also part of the problem, but that's still not it. Attitude? I would say this encompasses our problem.

During this same season, the Ole Ball Coach, his future wife, and myself were able to take it easy for an hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in James Brown's organic gardening class. In this class, there were several athletes - one in particular who stood out though. Of course, at 6-2, 310 lbs, it's hard NOT to stand out. Throughout the semester we carried on a conversation here and there about the games throughout the season; but he saw minimal playing time as he backed up one of the toughest O-lineman to enter the NFL draft this year - Ben Grubbs. Now, as we begin talking about the 2007 season, it is his chance to shine.

I recently messaged Tyronne Green on the infamous Facebook, after I had read an excerpt from one of Tommy Tuberville's speeches. In his speech, he had described Tyronne as being someone who was inevitably going to "make a big name for himself." It was no surprise to Tyronne when I told him of the comments, as he let me know that they are expecting a lot of him this season. I digress. The reason I say all of this is to reveal why Tyronne Green stood out, and why he is going to be a force in Auburn football for the next few years. That reason? His will to win and an attitude that carries a love for football, and a love for AUBURN football. A person's will to win far outweighs his skill or lack thereof, and I believe that was something that may have been missing from last year's team - Excitement, fun, and a love for the game. These components make up exactly what successful teams have in their psyche. That is why I am confident that the man who is leading our offensive charge this season is a man that loves Auburn football, loves the game, and is excited about winning and succeeding. Guys like this can single-handedly make a unit strong, where once it was weak. We hope that this attitude of leadership - vocally, spiritually, and physically - will be contagious, spreading to every member of the Auburn family this season. If it spreads, watch out. It could be a special one.

War Eagle

Putting the "D" Back in Defense

The 2007 Defense should be able to dominate opponents this upcoming season. It all starts with the defensive line. The spring saw some shake-ups to put the best players on the field. I am very excited to see when Quentin Groves breaks the sack record. I say when because I am certain he will do it. Sen'Derrick Marks is another player I am very interested in watching. He is very talented and was moved from DT to DE in the spring to get him more playing time. Tray Blackmon is back as we all know and he should have a breakout sophomore season if he can just stay out of trouble. The loss of Patrick Trahan is one of the disappointments of the spring but all in all the LB corps seems to be in good shape. The front seven should be very good. The secondary, to some experts, seems to be the weakness of the defense yet again. I disagree. Auburn was 16th nationally last year in pass defense and should be up there again in 2007. I do think though that in order to beat Auburn teams are going to have to pass the ball. I think the front seven will be tough to run against so any huge success for opponents will have to come through the air. If the secondary is as good as I think they are going to be it could be a great season for Auburn. Last year our defense was put into bad situations in large part because of the injuries and inconsistent play of the offense. With a healthy offense those problems should go away. However, the special teams could put Auburn's defense on a short field if they are not able to punt the ball well. Look for the defense to adjust better to Will Muschamp's schemes this year. All in all, the Defense should once again be a dominant force on the field. Speed is the key to Auburn's defensive units and this year will have plenty of speed. If Auburn can tackle well and play fundamental football this season will be a success.

What? O What? Ohhhhh

The 2007 Auburn Offense should be able to produce more points than it did in 2006. Brandon Cox is healthy, the receivers have more experience, the tight end group is tops in the SEC if not the nation, a stellar slash and burn running game, and an offensive line that is talented but inexperienced. Look for Borges to be a lot more interesting in his play calling this year. Last year, due to the injuries of Brandon Cox, Borges was more conservative in his approach to play calling. With a healthy QB and great skill players, Borges can once again let his "Gulf Coast" offense out of the box.
If you look back to 2004 (which I will stop doing once the season begins) Auburn was effective on offense because no defense could match up with the arsenal of skill players we had on offense. Look for this year to be similar. I think we will use our tight ends a lot more than in years past. I also think that if our receivers prove to be physical types we will run a lot more pick plays and crossing routs over the middle. Play action will be another key to the passing game this year. Cox's health will enable Auburn to use play action to keep defenses guessing. Our fantastic group of RB's will allow play action to be effective. With Carl Stewart at the X back position he will be a threat to catch the ball every passing play, and the speed of Brad Lester and elusiveness of Ben Tate will work in Auburn's favor. Did I mention that Mario Fannin and Tristan Davis will also be getting carries?
Our WR corps should be much more effective as well. Rod Smith comes to mind. He will be our go-to-guy. I am interested to see how Tim Hawthorne plays this year. He has the potential to be a star. We have Montez Billings who has stepped up his play, and hopefully Prechae Rodriguez will be able to make some big grabs as well. Robert Dunn should be more productive this year, although I am still not sold on him as a rout runner and his hands seem to be iffy. The Offense should be able to put up more points, sustain longer drives, and use more trickery (or trickeration as ESPN now seems to think is a word) than we used in 2006.

There's a train comin'...

It seems that Auburn football has become a topic that is accompanied with eternal optimism around my househould; but why shouldn't it be? Tommy Tuberville has taken Auburn to the top of the college football ranks, and has given birth to an era where we are now disappointed with an 11-2 season. This phenomenon of consistently great ball teams has spoiled Auburn fans, and I believe it is time to get back to the basics of enjoying every game for what it is. Let's forget about National Championship hopes and set our sights on giving it all every game, and letting the chips fall as they may. Ole Ball Coach and myself have reminisced of the infamous 2004 season more in the past month than ever before. What was it about that season, other than 4 NFL first round draft picks, that put us at the top of the rankings? It was the fact that we didn't pay attention to them. We played football every week FOR that week. Consequently, a perfect season. Perfect.

2007 seems to be setting up in a similar fashion. Great quarterback who is finally healthy. A HOST of talented running backs. A tough defense, and a confident offensive coordinator...Yes there are questions on our O-line, and of course, special teams...HOWEVER, we had a great offensive line last year, and didn't have near the year we had expected. As for the kicking game, well, we really just need to put the ball in the endzone and we'll solve that problem.

Low expectations with a high level of talent are the perfect ingredients in the recipe of success. Something just feels right about this season. I can't explain it, but regardless of the record, it's gonna be a great year - a FUN year. There's a train coming, so get out of the way or you gonna get run over.

Good News, Bad News

The good news is Tray Blackmon is back on campus, enrolled in classes, and in good standing both with the University and with the coaching staff. I remain optimistic that Blackmon's days of trouble are behind him after taking a semester off to "take care of personal business." Lets face it, Blackmon has the potential to be one of the greatest defensive players in Auburn history. He had 16 tackles most of them solo and three fumble recoveries including the one in the Florida game. What Blackmon needs is a role model on the team, someone who can channel his energy into production. He was lost on the field last year and still managed to have impressive numbers because he has a radar for the ball. It is time to cut him lose and just let him play ball. He isn't called "little ball of hate" for nothing.

The bad news. Patrick Trahan is academically ineligible for the upcoming season. I have to say this hurts because he was the most improved player of the spring. He seemed to be everywhere the ball was in scrimmages. While he isn't going to make or break our defense this year, he certainly would have made a positive impact on a defense that last year was sometimes non existent. Gregg Smith too is ineligible for this season for the same reason. While he, in my opinion, is overrated and out of shape, it still is one less reserve available in a grueling away schedule.

With that said, I am so pumped about this season. I think if the ball bounces in our favor more times than not this season, it could be one of the more exciting season in recent Auburn history. We have a healthy QB, depth at RB, a host of WR's who in my opinion could be as productive as Obomanu, Aromashadu, Mix, and Taylor, and a stingy defense. The only question marks are at O Line and special teams. Summer practice will be the deciding factor in what type of team Auburn will put on the field on Sept. 1 against Kansas State. The focus on offense should be O Line development and chemistry, finding a back up QB, and developing the WR corps. Defensive focus should be on maintaining intensity and finding the right combination at LB. Finally the special teams needs to find replacements for three of the most successful kickers and returners in the SEC.

WAR EAGLE!