Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t need no stinkin’ Heisman campaign. I like this for two reasons: 1. It shows tremendous character. 2. It’s smart. Louisville won’t sneak up on anyone in 2013. They won’t be the marauding bandits they were in 2012. For the Cardinals to have a successful followup to their 2012 coming out party, they will need to maintain focus and remain united. Hype and media attention will come with or without any campaign so long as Bridgewater and the rest of the Louisville football team keep winning big games. 

And of course Johnny Manziel can throw to his receivers while blindfolded. Are you even surprised? Think about that next time you bounce a pass to one of your buddies at a tailgate this year. Seriously though,  what is this good for? Are the Aggies making preparations to play a Harbaugh brother in the Super Bowl?  

Brandon Marcello , of AL.com, outlines why Trovon Reed is poised to lead at the flanker position. I want to jump on the Trovon Reed bandwagon badly, but I’ve been thrown off it too much to try anymore. He does still possess a ton of upside, but I am wary of whether or not that will ever come to fruition. Hopefully Gus Malzahn’s return can reinvigorate Reed and drive him to play to his potential. One positive thing to remember is that way back in 2010, Trovon Reed actually beat out Kodi Burns for the wildcat quarterback spot but only appeared briefly in one game before suffering a season ending injury. He’s proven himself before. Can he step up and go the distance in 2013 for the Tigers? 

 Interesting bit of info on Michigan’s footballs this spring. ‘Made in USA’  ’Not in Ohio’  Hoke’s recent comments directed toward Notre Dame’s decision to back out of its series with the Wolverines and now this make it seem like this Michigan team might be getting a little too much swagger for its own good. Hoke denied any knowledge of the balls’ existence, but I am skeptical at the very least. Just remember Mr. Hoke. Your actions are writing checks that will have to be cashed by your players. More often than not in college football, robust trash-talk is rewarded with humiliating defeat. I hope you know what game you are playing. While we’re on the OSU/Michigan thing…

Maurice Clarett sets his sights on 2016 U.S. Olympic Rugby Team. It is astounding to me how much mileage he’s squeezed out of his breakout freshman season at Ohio State. Forget football, he’s just attempting to participate in anything remotely similar to football. Rugby, American Gladiators, Office Linebacker, tackle golf – I mean the possibilities are endless. What’s next? Is he going to “run” for office? America loves feeding on a ‘what could have been’ story but this is one tragedy I’d rather overlook. Kudos to him for staying active, but I can’t even fake interest in this. It’s like the plot to a movie written by Chuck Norris for the Lifetime channel. Blegh! P.S. – Dear M. Dyer, there’s at least one athlete attempting to make the U.S. rugby team that you are younger than, stronger than, faster than, and equally as decorated as. Just thought you should know…

Bring on the freaks! Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports recently released his list of “The 20 craziest athletes in college football – Freaks List.” A confounding title to say the least. Are they these the craziest athletes or the freakiest? Auburn’s very own Jay Prosch made the list coming in at number 20. The list was topped by none other than Mr. Should He Sit Or Play? himself, Jadaveon Clowney. You might remember him as the guy who ran through a Michigan RB like a Optimus Prime through a building last season. When asked about being on the receiving end of the hit, Michigan RB Vincent Smith said, “What hit? Jadaveon Clowney? You mean I played football last year?”

PAWL, when’s that farming school in west Georgia gonna git hammered for the $cam Newton mess? That’s right. Just when college football radio was appearing to be the product of an advancement civilization of beings possessing reasoning and intellectual thought processes, Paul Finebaum returns. He has moved his show to the ESPN network of radio stations and I couldn’t think of a more appropriate pair of misfits to carry out each other’s buffoonery. It may be only a month, it may take years, but one day Joe Schad will sit at the SportsCenter desk commenting on a “huge breaking story” involving college football (probably Auburn) and for window dressing he’ll have quotes from Legend and I-Man from that afternoon’s edition of the Finebaum Show. I know it is all still sinking in, but I think I’d rather be invaded by North Korea. 

Can Auburn handle LSU up front like 2010?

     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for another Auburn opponent preview. On September 21^st, Auburn gears up for its first road trip of the season, to face LSU in Baton Rouge. At first glance, LSU is a team gutted by graduation and early entries to the NFL. The Tigers lost 11 underclassmen off last year’s roster, and only return 2 defensive starters. Add in new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, and some off the field problems, and LSU looks vulnerable in week four.

     However, recent history is against Auburn in this one. Not since the infamous “Cigar Game” in 1999 has Auburn won in Baton Rouge. The game has not even been competitive in Death Valley since Tommy Tuberville left Auburn. One of the keys has been the quarterback position. Auburn took rookie Jason Campbell in there in 2001 and lost 27-14 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. A dysfunctional offense in 2003 did no better, in a 31-7 blowout. Brandon Cox got only his second road start in 2005, and if Auburn would have had any semblance of a passing game in that one, history would not remember 5 missed field goals and an overtime loss. With veteran Cox in 2007, Auburn held a lead for much of the game, but a 17 point 4^th quarter meltdown left the visiting Tigers with a 30-24 loss. In 2009, Chris Todd’s arm was ailing, and Auburn took a 31-10 beating. In 2011, Clint Moseley was given his first start ever, and it was an exceptionally ugly game for the Tigers, a 45-10 loss. Can Auburn go into Baton Rouge and win with the current crop of QBs on the Plains?

     If you’ve ever wanted to know what a “trap game” is, LSU’s opener is exactly that. They play former BCS-buster TCU in Arlington, Texas in a made for TV evening matchup. LSU will be tested early in the Jerry Dome. Following the opener, LSU has moribund UAB at home, followed by bowl team Kent State, before playing Auburn. LSU follows the Tiger battle with Georgia in Athens, MSU in Starkville, Florida at home, Ole Miss in Oxford, Furman for homecoming, then an off week. Following the break, LSU has Alabama in Tuscaloosa, then Texas A&M at home. LSU finishes the regular season with a black Friday matchup with Arkansas in Baton Rouge. I don’t think I’d trade schedules with them!

     It’s another year, and another round of questions about the LSU offense. It seems each year that LSU is seen as a team with strong defense and special teams, and an average at best offense. That will need to change this year, with a lot of new faces on the opposite side of the ball. LSU does have the advantage of 9 returning starters on offense, including starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger. What’s odd about this year’s offense is a thinning tailback situation. The past few years, it’s seemed like LSU had a bottomless stable of great backs. With the multiple arrests and suspension of formerly likely starter Jeremy Hill, LSU has only three scholarship guys right now, Alfred Blue, Kenny Hilliard, and Terrance Magee. That’s a pretty good trio, though. LSU worked extensively on the passing game this past spring, with mixed results in the spring game. There were a lot of big plays down the field on the reserves, there was clearly work still to be done on the screen game.

     The only returning starters on the defense are senior linebacker Lamin Barrow, and senior safety Craig Loston. However, a number of the new starters on defense have contributed significant minutes in the past, starting with junior tackle Anthony Johnson, who was for all intents and purposes a third tackle starter in 2012. Regardless of who winds up starting, LSU does have the talent to be strong in the front seven, and will try to force Auburn to pass. LSU’s last look at a Gus Malzhan-style offense was last New Year’s Eve in Atlanta, against Clemson. Tajh Boyd had a big day throwing the ball in the Clemson upset win, but LSU shut down the run, holding Clemson to just 99 yards on the ground. Auburn will have to have some success throwing the ball to have a chance in this one.

     LSU seems to always field brutally effective special teams units, and this year may be as well, although a good number of newer players should be on the field this time. Gone are the spectacular legs of Brad Wing and Drew Allemon, though. Can LSU continue to be special in the kicking game with a couple of walk-on starters replacing those two? Junior kicker James Hairston was the kickoff man last season, and he was effective there. Heir-apparent sophomore punter Jamie Keehn did have 12 punts last season, for a 43.7 yard average.

 Unit matchups, after the jump!

 Auburn defensive line vs. LSU offensive line: Auburn will likely go with a tackle rotation of Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson and Jeffery Whitaker. Dee Ford, Kenneth Carter and Nosa Eguae will be the primary ends. The Tigers have depth beyond those six guys, but none except Ford have distinguished themselves, either. Last season against LSU, Auburn’s D-line had its best game of the season. LSU returns four starters on a re-shuffled offensive line, but the starting lineup might not be settled till fall, as a number of younger guys seemed to make a move during spring on this unit. Right now, the starting lineup from left to right is junion La’el Collins, senior Josh Williford, junior Elliot Porter, sophomore Trai Turner, and sophomore Vadal Alexander. Advantage: Even.

Auburn linebackers vs. LSU backs: Auburn’s starting linebackers coming out of spring drills are sophomores Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy. Neither has a huge amount of game experience, and it’s a concern going into the season. While we touched on LSU’s depth issues above, returnees are all talented. In addition, 270-pound senior fullback J. C. Copeland will be a load for Auburn to handle up front. Advantage: LSU.

Auburn corners vs. LSU receivers: Auburn is surprisingly deep at corner, and will need good play from starters Chris Davis and Jonathan Mincy to slow LSU down. From all indications this spring, Auburn corners are tackling well. LSU is explosive at wide receiver, with veteran juniors Odell Beckham Jr, and Jarvis Landry. Senior Kadron Boone provides depth. Advantage: Even.

Auburn safeties vs. LSU secondary receivers and quarterback: I’m lumping “star” Justin Garrett in with the safeties, because I’ve done that in earlier previews, and LSU will likely try to pass more this season. This may be another game where one will see both stars on the field, Garrett and Robensen Therezie. Both have the speed to stay with wide receivers, and Therezie does have a cornerback background. Junior free safety Jermaine Whitehead has really come on this spring, so the real question is who will play strong safety. Right now, converted corner Joshua Holsey is atop the Auburn depth chart there, but senior Demetruce McNeal will return this fall and likely make a serious run. LSU’s returning backs and tight ends were not much of a factor catching the ball last season, but that may change with a new coordinator. Leading returning receiver out of the backfield is Alfred Blue, with 7 catches. Starting tight end Travis Dickson had 6 catches last season. Senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger gives LSU a veteran signal-caller in this game. He was inconsistent at times last season, and word from this year’s spring game is that his accuracy is still “streaky.” Advantage: Even.

Punting: Auburn returns senior punter Steven Clark, who hit the ball well again this spring. Clark tends toward towering balls that can’t be returned. Clark had 70 punts for a 39.8 yard average, but only 5 were returned, for a total of 4 yards. LSU will likely go with sophomore Jamie Keehn, who had 12 punts for a 43.7 yard average. He killed 3 of those punts inside the 20. LSU’s coverage team was excellent, giving up only 3.5 yards per return. Auburn still hadn’t settled on a return man at the end of spring, while LSU returns veteran Odell Beckham Jr, who took two punts to the house last season. Advantage: Even.

Kickoffs: Auburn didn’t score enough to generate many kickoffs in 2012, but when they did, Cody Parkey nailed 33 of 48 of them for touchbacks. LSU’s James Hairston hit touchbacks on 27 of 79 kickoffs. When Parkey wasn’t putting the kickoff in the stands, Auburn gave up only 16.6 yards per return. LSU gave up 18.1. LSU does not have a kickoff returner coming back who averaged over 20 yards per return. Auburn’s Quan Bray averaged 20.2, and Tre Mason averaged 26.3. Advantage: Auburn.

Place kicking: Auburn’s Cody Parkey was 11 of 14 on field goal attempts, and perfect on his extra points last season. We’ll have to see how junior James Hairston does this fall in his new role. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. LSU defensive line: Auburn’s starting A-Day unit of sophomore Greg Robinson, redshirt freshman Alex Kozan, junior Reese Dismukes, junior Chad Slade, and sophomore Patrick Miller looked dominant. In addition, the 2^nd line did well against the starting D-line. LSU rebuilds up front this season. Projected starters at tackle are juniors Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson. Depth behind those two might come from true freshmen this fall. Starting ends should be juniors Jordan Allen and Jermauria Rascoe. Sophomore Danielle Hunter is the depth there. Johnson’s clearly the star on LSU’s line, but Auburn counters with Dismukes. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. LSU linebackers: Auburn finished spring with a trio of dangerous running backs, and more are on the way this fall in the incoming class. Junior Tre Mason is a 1000 yard incumbent, JUCO transfer Cameron Artis-Payne wowed the A-Day crowd with his power and agility, and junior Corey Grant is a threat on the outside. In addition, the Tigers will have bruising senior H-back Jay Prosch paving the way. LSU returns starting will linebacker Lamin Barrow, who had 104 total tackles last season. Likely strong side starter is senior Tahj Jones, and in the middle is junior D. J. Welter. Sophomore Kwon Alexander is the most talented of the backups, and will likely see a lot of playing time. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn receivers vs. LSU corners: Auburn’s starters on the outside post-spring are juniors Jaylon Denson and Trovon Reed, neither of who have done much previously on the field. Backups Sammie Coates and Ricardo Lewis should add an explosive dimension when they sub in. LSU does return veteran Jalen Mills on one side. He played extensively last season, starting several games and contributing 57 tackles and 7 passes defended. Penciled in on the other side is sophomore Jalen Collins, who had 30 tackles last season and 8 passes defended. He’s green, but he’s agile and fast. Advantage: LSU.

Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. LSU safeties: Auburn has some matchup nightmares as secondary receivers, starting with C. J. Uzomah and Quan Bray. Few safeties can keep up with either in a foot race. If a team puts extra corners in to shut that down, Auburn will run over them. Put in beefier safeties, and those guys will be wide open. The real question is who’ll pull the trigger for the Auburn offense. The QB competition is said to be neck and neck between junior Khiel Frazier and sophomore Jonathan Wallace. Neither distinguished himself on A-Day. The race will become five-headed for a while when the newcomers arrive this fall. Senior strong safety Craig Loston has been through the wars, and he does a great job. He’ll be joined by junior Ronald Martin, who played in all 13 games last season and contributed 35 tackles. Advantage: LSU.

     Auburn’s first road game is a tough matchup. Auburn must win up front to have any chance in this game. LSU puts a lot of new starters on the field on defense, but it won’t matter if the Auburn offense doesn’t execute well. LSU’s talented enough to win a club fight. The defense must stop the run and force some bad throws from Mettenberger.

     Looking at the Auburn roster, quarterback Khiel Frazier’s only road start was last season at Mississippi State, and Jonathan Wallace’s only one was against Alabama in the 49-0 debacle. Neither looked good in those games, and the job may fall to an incoming guy, who’ll have never seen the road in the SEC. It’s a tall order for any new quarterback to win in Baton Rouge, and realistically it’s hard to pick a win in this game.

Prediction: It’s more of the same in this series, as the home-standing LSU Tigers take advantage of visitor mistakes. LSU wins, 27-10.

                                                             PUNT, BAMA, PUNT

In 1972, Alabama was 10-0 and heading toward a sure National Championship. Then on December 2nd of that year something went terribly wrong. They showed up at Legion Field to play the then 8-1 Auburn Tigers.

With the nickname of the “Amazins” the Tigers had astounded everyone by giving up an average of only 13.5 points per game, despite LSU hanging 35 on them in their only loss of the season in Baton Rouge.

Alabama dominated the first 3 quarters of the game and looked unbeatable. Auburn, down 16-3, could only manage one Gardner Jett field goal and looked like they were headed for a second loss of the season and a second tier bowl game.

Then as the headline in the Birmingham News said, “Lightning Strikes Twice”.

After holding Alabama on 3rd down and with less than 10 minutes left in the game, Greg Gantt lined up to punt.

Then “IT” happened.

I can find no better way to describe what happened next than the text of legendary play by play man Gary Sanders’ call of the play.

“Johnny Simmons is going back as a single safety, Mitchell and Langner on the…uh…line of scrimmage coming from either side to try to block the kick. Auburn trying to go after it, here’s the snap, they got it! Blocked kick! Ball’s back to the 25, picked up on the bounce at the 25 yard line, and in for a touchdown is David Langner”

Now, with 90 seconds left on the clock, the second lightning strike in the words of Sanders.

“Greg Gantt standing on his own 30, Auburn will try to block it. Auburn going after it, here’s the good snap…it is blocked! It is blocked! It’s caught on the run! It’s caught on the run! And he’s gonna score! David Langner! David Langner has scored, and Auburn has tied the game!” Roger Mitchell has blocked the kick and it is tied 16-16.” Note: Sanders mistakenly gave credit for blocking the kick to Mitchell instead of Newton. Mitchell actually did block the extra point that proved to be the final margin of victory.Gardner Jett kicked the extra point and won the game 17-16. I have a friend who uses that number as the combination to locks and entry passwords.

Alabama had time to come back but one of the heroes of the game, Langner, intercepted his second pass of the game with 55 seconds remaining. Only the “Camback” from 2010 rivals this as the greatest win against Alabama. Ironic isn’t it that the two greatest comeback wins over Alabama were orchestrated at the hands of a Newton.

Bill Newton blocked both punts and was obviously the other hero. Newton, whose wife Sarah, is on the Board of Trustees representing District 7, says fans never want to stop talking about that day. I am certainly one of them.

Auburn denied Alabama their shot at the National Title and went on to pound Colorado, 24-3 in the Gator Bowl.

I was not fortunate enough to be at the game but I remember the call like it was yesterday with Gusty Yearout, the AU color man, screaming like a maniac in the background. It still brings goose bumps and tears today. Somewhere I have a 45 rpm record of the last portion of the radio broadcast but could not dig it up. Actually you can download it or a ringtone on www.puntbamapunt.com. Hmmm, a ringtone for Auburn-Alabama game week. Sounds right.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one.

What does the average Alabama football player get on his SAT score? Drool.

Two Auburn fans have been walking in the woods for eight hours when they stop and one turns to the other and says, “I’m cutting the next Christmas tree we find, lights or no lights.

This has been a hard mentality to sell for Auburn Head Coach, John Pawlowski

Auburn opened and closed its 2013 SEC Championship tournament run on a blistering afternoon in Hoover, Alabama by falling 6-3 to the Crimson Tide. Auburn started out strong plating 3 runs and chasing Alabama’s starter early in the ball game. However, Alabama chipped away at the lead until finally tying the game  in a climactic 6th inning that saw Alabama send 7 men to the plate and score only 1 run. The death blow came in the bottom of the 8th when Alabama’s offense came alive and Auburn’s defense wilted in the heat. The Crimson Tide took a swift 6-3 advantage and never looked back. Auburn quietly exited 1-2-3 in the 9th. 

Once again, Auburn baseball is back to square one and looking for answers. One has to wonder what this means for the future of John Pawlowski and the program overall going forward. 

The Auburn Baseball Team is set to play a big game today when they take on Alabama in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover.

As our Senior Editor, Jay Coulter said , “The stakes are pretty high.” A possible NCAA Regional is riding on the game for both teams and with it, at least one coach’s job could be on the line.

In addition, the winner moves on – the loser goes home. And then there’s that other thing … beating your arch rival.

Neither fan base wants to ever lose to the other –  in anything. So it’s a big game, the biggest for both programs all year.

But for Auburn it may be even bigger. As Track ‘em Tigers member Buddy Ro commented here yesterday, ” There are rare opportunities for AU baseball to set the tone of the year for Auburn athletics …

“This game is much bigger than AU baseball.”

After disappointing bottom dweller seasons in the other two major sports, the baseball team carries the weight of redemption for the 2012-2013 athletic year.

While playing in Hoover should be a plus for Alabama, (it will almost be like a home game). the Tide will be facing one of the hottest teams in the league when they go against the Tigers.

Auburn enters the game riding a wave of momentum, having won their last three series against No.18 Ole Miss, No.19 Florida on the road, and No.11 Arkansas at home.

For the most part, the pitching has been there for Auburn all year. It’s the hitting and especially timely hitting that has sparked the remarkable turnaround.

If the Tigers can keep the hot bats going … they will win, keep their NCAA Regional hopes alive, and more importantly finish the Auburn Athletic year on a winning note.

Go Tigers, Beat Bama!

——————————–

Editor’s Note:
Auburn will send the SEC Pitcher of the Week, Conner Kendrick (5-3) to the mound and Bama will counter with the guy they believe to be their best hurler, Justin Kamplain (1-0). First pitch will be 30 minutes after the end of the first game (probably around 12:30).

The new 12-team SEC Tournament begins today at 9:30 a.m. when No. 6 seed Ole Miss plays No. 11 Kentucky in the first game

Auburn will face Alabama thirty minutes after the first game ends. The two have met four times this year with a split outcome (2-2). The last meeting saw Bama take a 2-0 win at Auburn despite the Tigers only giving up 2 hits.

The pressure will be on as the two rivals are playing to get into the 8-team double elimination second round.

The winner will face No. 2 LSU on Wednesday while the loser goes home and waits to see if they are selected for a NCAA Regional.

SEC Tournament Match Ups:

Tuesday (single elimination)

Game 1: No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Kentucky, 9:30 a.m.
Game 2: No. 7 Alabama vs. No. 10 Auburn
Game 3: No. 8 Florida vs. No. 9 Texas A&M, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 5 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Missouri

Wednesday (double elimination)

Game 5: No. 3 Arkansas vs. Game 1 Winner, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: No. 2 LSU vs. Game 2 Winner
Game 7: No. 1 Vanderbilt vs. Game 3 Winner, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 South Carolina vs. Game 4 Winner

Thursday (double elimination)

Game 9: Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Loser, 9:30 a.m.
Game 10: Game 7 Loser vs. Game 8 Loser
Game 11: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 4:30 p.m.
Game 12: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner

Friday (double elimination)

Game 13: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser, 3:00 p.m.
Game 14: Game 10 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser

Saturday (single elimination)

Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 11 Winner, noon
Game 16: Game 14 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner

Sunday (Championship game)

Game 17:
Game 15 Winner vs. Game 16 Winner, 3:30 p.m.

Give Auburn baseball coach John Pawlowski credit. In March, he was deader than a gathering of the Jay Jacobs Fan Club.

After starting out 1-8 in SEC play, most believed Pawlowski was destined to bring home Auburn’s third consecutive last place SEC finish in the Big Three sports. It was only a matter of time before former would be inserted into his title.

Now I know college baseball has never caught the imaginations of most Auburn people. Anytime we write a story about it, you can hear the crickets coming from the comments section. But by damned, this team and coaching staff has earned a little ink today.

If you’ve been too busy following football recruiting or cutting the grass, or just taking the trash out, then you’ve missed quite the comeback on the Plains.

Don’t look now, but Auburn is one of the hottest teams in college baseball. Winners of their last three series, two of which were against ranked teams, Auburn has gone 12-9 to close out the regular season.

Auburn dispatched of No. 11 Arkansas 11-6 Saturday afternoon, winning yet another series and finally giving Auburn fans something to cheer for the first time in more than a year.

Talk of a new baseball coach has turned to NCAA Regional play. How fitting that Auburn’s road starts with Alabama on Tuesday in Hoover.

In a win or go home matchup, tenth-seeded Auburn (33-22, 13-17) faces seven-seed Alabama (32-24, 14-14) in a mid-afternoon contest. The Tide lost two of three over the weekend to top-ranked Vanderbilt in Nashville.

The big question is whether Auburn has done enough to punch its ticket for post-season play. Pawlowski is cautious in his assessment.

“We didn’t start off good, but we certainly finished the conference pretty well,” he said. “I think we put ourselves in a very good position, but we have a lot more work to do.”

Both Baseball America and SEBaseball.com have the Tigers bracketed to go. However, a Tuesday loss could make the selection committee forget about Auburn as the week progresses and more conference tournaments are played.

A win over Alabama likely gets the job done.

Auburn catcher Blake Austin says there’s no doubt Auburn’s earned a trip.

“Oh, yeah,” Austin said. “We played three regional teams in a row, top-15 teams. We’re swinging the bats like a regional team, I think. Offensively, it’s like another gear hit since Ole Miss. Pitching has been there all year.”

The bigger question is, has Pawlowski done enough to save his job?

Again, it likely comes down to Tuesday against arch-rival Alabama. It seems unlikely Pawlowski survives if his team fails to earn a regional birth. So yeah, the stakes are pretty high tomorrow.

Count me among those pulling for him. 

Hawaii returning to its rainbow roots. According to legend, the team adopted the nickname after a rainbow appeared over the field in which Hawaii rallied to upset Oregon St. It’s a good thing more teams don’t use this logic. There’s no telling how many Goodyear Blimps, Suns, Stars, Moons, Dome Ceilings, and Cirrus Cloud mascots we’d have in college football.

UNC didn’t play in the post-season, issues ACC championship rings anyway. I’m sure school officials in Tuscaloosa are scrambling to find SEC championships to claim and issue rings for after this move by Tar Heels head coach Larry Fedora. In a way, I admire it. It’s refreshing to see someone else pull something like this and see the outrage when our in-state rival did it on a much larger scale. The proof of hypocrisy is nice. I also like that this flies in the face of the NCAA. After all, there’s not much money to be made in rules enforcement. 

Johnny Manziel ripped on twitter by ESPN reporter for trip to Pebble Beach golf course. Darren Rovell responded to a picture posted by Manziel from the famed golf course by calling into question how a college athlete could afford $500 greens fees. Mr. Rovell, weren’t you taught in journalism school to never become part of the story? Unless you had some pertinent information you should have left the situation alone instead of going on Twitter as a grown man and trolling a college student. I applaud you, Darren Rovell, for providing an honest look at how irresponsible a “credible” journalist can be. 

Charlie Weis came to the defense of Bob Stoops regarding his comments last week about the SEC heavily benefiting from “propaganda.” With Weis just one year removed from being in the SEC it doesn’t make much sense to  me for Weis to jump in this fight. Stoops’ comments were a little outrageous to begin with, and I’m sure he would have taken any other coach coming to his aid other than Weis. 

Former Auburn offensive coordinator, Scot Loeffler, gave a summary of how his Virginia Tech offense was shaping up for 2013. I am firmly convinced that Lefty is much better than what he got to show in his short stay on the Plains. I mean, Tom Brady works with this guy, I’m not buying that he’s as lost as Auburn’s offense seemed to be last season. Look for Loeffler to rebound at Virginia Tech.

Current Auburn offensive coordinator, Rhett Lashlee, believes Tigers offense can succeed in 2013 with freshmen. There’s no question, the talent is there for this team to be a handful for almost any opponent offensively. Confidence and consistency will be the key factors determining whether or not that shows this fall.

Ellis Johnson feels good about his 2013 Tiger defense. Johnson feels like the Tigers have the best chance at a significant turnaround than any of his previous 1^st year defenses. The biggest thing I take away from his comments (as well as Lashlee’s) is that the coaches are beginning to show a little confidence. That is important for the morale of this football team, but it is also completely logical that Auburn will be the opposite of its 2012 self. Auburn was not at all good last season and I think this new coaching staff is going to provide a strong testament to just how weak our coaching was following the 2010 championship run. Again, I’m not predicting a 10 win season, but I look for serious improvements on both sides of the ball in 2013. Those sleeping on this team do so at their own peril.

Auburn, Dr. Gogue stand behind Jay Jacobs. Jacobs says he’s up to the task of turning around Auburn athletics. Although it was nice to see some heat applied to the seat of the AD, I think it is far past the time for statements and press conferences. It’s time to start producing results. In fact, it is past time to start producing results. The current state of the athletic department has been creeping up for quite a while. It may be too little too late for Jay Jacobs.

You wanted the animal Grantham! Now you got him!

Will Muschamp doesn’t think UGA’s winning streak against his Gators will be a long one. Todd Grantham has other ideas. I refuse to take sides on this. If I ran into one of these guys on the street, I’d tell them how right I thought they were about the other one being wrong and then run and hide in hopes that I didn’t actually run into the other one. Just look at them. There’s some serious crazy brewing behind those eyes. Gary Busey would avoid these two. I can’t wait for the post game handshake at this year’s ‘World’s Biggest Cocktail Party’. 

The Tigers must put more pressure on Tyler Russell this year.

     War Eagle, everybody! It’s time now for another Auburn opponent preview. In week three, on September 14^th, the Mississippi State Bulldogs visit Auburn at Jordan Hare Stadium. SEC action begins for the Tigers, and it’s an important game for both teams. The winner will be off and running in the league, and the loser will face questions of whether they can compete in a very tough SEC Western Division this season.

     Last season was a tale of two different teams for the Bulldogs. They started the season with seven straight wins, and headed to Tuscaloosa to try and stake a claim to being in the upper echelon of the league. Mississippi State then lost five of their last six games, most of them by blowout scores. This year’s team returns 12 starters on the offense and defense, but there are some holes to fill where stars departed.

     If last year’s team was covered up early by a soft schedule, this year’s edition will have no such worries. The Bulldogs open in Houston against Oklahoma State, and will find out quickly if their reloading efforts have been enough. The Bulldogs then tune up the next week with Alcorn State, before heading to Auburn. This year’s squad could be better than last year’s, and still leave Auburn with a 1-2 record. And it doesn’t get much easier from there. The Bulldogs do follow the Tigers with four straight home games, against Troy, LSU, Bowling Green, and Kentucky. Then come road trips to South Carolina and Texas A&M. The Bulldogs finish up with Alabama at home, Arkansas in Little Rock, and Ole Miss at home. The Bulldogs will likely be favored only against Kentucky in the SEC, and possibly Arkansas and Ole Miss. Oklahoma State will be very tough, and Troy has had good success against MSU in the past. While head coach Dan Mullen talks of taking the next step and becoming an elite SEC team, reality is that the Bulldogs will need a few upsets to return to a bowl game this season.

     Mississippi State’s offense is what has given them a chance to win most games since Dan Mullen arrived in Starkville 5 years ago. This year’s edition will have a veteran offensive line, and an experienced senior quarterback in Tyler Russell. However, the Bulldogs must break in a new receiver corps, as they lost veterans Chad Bumphis, Arceto Clark and Chris Smith. Running back LaDarius Perkins is a speedy home-run-hitting back, and he’ll be joined by bulked-up sophomore Josh Robinson.

     There are more questions on the defensive side of the ball, where the Bulldogs lost both starting tackles, most of the secondary, and top tackling linebacker Cameron Lawrence. That defense gave up over 30 points against Tennessee, Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss and Northwestern last season. This produced some assistant coach shuffling, and Mullen brought in Geoff Collins to run the defense. While most folks point towards shoring up the secondary as the top priority, I think producing a stout front seven rotation is more important. The Bulldogs have talent up front, but it is young, and the Bulldog line tended to wear down late in games down the stretch last season.

     The Bulldogs were decent on special teams last season, and expect to be again this season. Punter Baker Swedenburg is one of the better punters in the league, and his high kicks resulted in only 6 TOTAL punt return yards against the Bulldogs last season. Sophomore Jameon Lewis gives the Bulldogs a breakaway threat in the return game. The Bulldogs return sophomore kicker Devon Bell, and they hope he improves on his 14 out of 21 freshman field goal kicking performance.

Unit Matchups, after the jump!

Auburn defensive line vs. Mississippi State offensive line: Auburn will likely go with a tackle rotation of Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson and Jeffery Whitaker. Dee Ford, Kenneth Carter and Nosa Eguae will be the primary ends. The Tigers have depth beyond those six guys, but none except Ford have distinguished themselves, either. Most of these guys played against Mississippi State last season, and did not fare very well, as the Bulldogs gashed Auburn on the ground, and Tyler Russell had all day in the pocket to complete 20 of 29 throws. The Bulldogs return four starters on the offensive line, junior tackle Blaine Causell, junior center Dillon Day, senior guard Gabe Jackson and senior tackle Charles Siddoway. Sophomore Justin Malone won the starting right guard job in spring drills, and he’s a big 320 pound bruiser. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Auburn linebackers vs. Mississippi State backs: Auburn’s starting linebackers coming out of spring drills are sophomores Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy. Neither has a huge amount of game experience, and it’s a concern going into the season. It’s unlikely that any of Auburn’s linebackers have the speed to chase down senior running back LaDarius Perkins, but they must be able to square up and handle him when he comes through the line. Backup Josh Robinson is a stocky, 5′ 9” 225 sophomore who’ll pound the middle. The Bulldog offense utilizes wide receiver handoffs from time to time, much like Auburn’s. Look for the speedy Jameon Lewis to be featured here. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Auburn corners vs. Mississippi State receivers: Auburn is surprisingly deep at corner, and will need good play from starters Chris Davis and Jonathan Mincy to slow Mississippi State down. From all indications this spring, Auburn corners are tackling well. The starting MSU wide receivers coming out of spring are sophomore Joe Morrow, and juniors Jameon Lewis and Robert Johnson. These three combined for 32 catches last season in reserve roles, but will have to step up this season. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn safeties vs. Mississippi State secondary receivers and quarterback: I’m lumping “star” Justin Garrett in with the safeties, because Mississippi State will likely use a number of three and four receiver sets. This may be another game where one will see both stars on the field, Garrett and Robensen Therezie. Both have the speed to stay with wide receivers, and Therezie does have a cornerback background. Junior free safety Jermaine Whitehead has really come on this spring, so the real question is who will play strong safety. Right now, converted corner Joshua Holsey is atop the Auburn depth chart there, but senior Demetruce McNeal will return this fall and likely make a serious run. Mississippi State has junior tight ends Malcomb Johnson and Brandon Hill, who combined for 15 catches last season. Running back LaDarius Perkins was a threat catching the ball last season, and bears watching. Likely the biggest receiving threat from the slot will be the speedy Jameon Lewis. He’ll be a tough matchup for a safety or a star. Senior quarterback Tyler Russell returns for the Bulldogs, and his task over the summer is to try and gell with the new starting receivers. Russell protected the ball pretty well last season with only 10 interceptions, but he’d like to improve on his 58.6 pass completion percentage. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Punting: Auburn returns senior punter Steven Clark, who hit the ball well again this spring. Clark tends toward towering balls that can’t be returned. Clark had 70 punts for a 39.8 yard average, but only 5 were returned, for a total of 4 yards. Mississippi State’s Baker Swedenburg had similar return numbers, with 57 punts and only 6 yards on 13 returns. Swedenburg wins the distance battle, with a 41.1 yard average. Advantage: Mississippi State.

Kickoffs: Auburn didn’t score enough to generate many kickoffs in 2012, but when they did, Cody Parkey nailed 33 of 48 of them for touchbacks. The Bulldogs’ Devon Bell hit 13 touchbacks on 64 kickoffs. When Parkey wasn’t putting the kickoff in the stands, Auburn gave up only 16.6 yards per return. Mississippi State gave up 20.2. Advantage: Auburn.

Place kicking: Auburn’s Cody Parkey was 11 of 14 on field goal attempts, and perfect on his extra points. Devon Bell hit 14 of 21 field goal attempts, including only 6 of 10 from 30-39 yards. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn offensive line vs. Mississippi State defensive line: Auburn’s starting A-Day unit of sophomore Greg Robinson, redshirt freshman Alex Kozan, junior Reese Dismukes, junior Chad Slade, and sophomore Patrick Miller looked dominant. In addition, the 2^nd line did well against the starting D-line. Tapped to start at tackle for the Bulldogs are junior P. J. Jones and sophomore Kaleb Eulls. Junior Denico Autry was a beast at defensive end towards the end of last season, and he’ll be joined by junior Preston Smith at the other end spot. There’s young talent behind those guys, but it’s unproven. Advantage: Auburn.

Auburn backs vs. Mississippi State linebackers: Auburn finished spring with a trio of dangerous running backs, and more are on the way this fall in the incoming class. Junior Tre Mason is a 1000 yard incumbent, JUCO transfer Cameron Artis-Payne wowed the A-Day crowd with his power and agility, and junior Corey Grant is a threat on the outside. In addition, the Tigers will have bruising senior H-back Jay Prosch paving the way. Benardrick McKinney and Deontae Skinner return at linebacker for the Bulldogs, and they’ll be joined by junior Matt Wells. That’s 178 returning tackles in the starting linebacker corps. Advantage: Even.

Auburn receivers vs. Mississippi State corners: Auburn’s starters on the outside post-spring are juniors Jaylon Denson and Trovon Reed, neither of who have done much previously on the field. Backups Sammie Coates and Ricardo Lewis should add an explosive dimension when they sub in. Post spring corner starters for the Bulldogs are juniors Jamerson Love and JUCO transfer Justin Cox. It’s green against green here, but I like Auburn’s talent. Advantage: Auburn.

 Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Mississippi State safeties: Auburn has some matchup nightmares as secondary receivers, starting with C. J. Uzomah and Quan Bray. Few safeties can keep up with either in a foot race. If a team puts extra corners in to shut that down, Auburn will run over them. Put in beefier safeties, and those guys will be wide open. The real question is who’ll pull the trigger for the Auburn offense. The QB competition is said to be neck and neck between junior Khiel Frazier and sophomore Jonathan Wallace. Neither distinguished himself on A-Day. The race will become five-headed for a while when the newcomers arrive this fall. Senior free safety Nickoe Whitley returns for the Bulldogs, and he had 3 picks and 3 pass breakups last season to go with his 88 total tackles. Junior Jay Hughes has been tapped as the starting strong safety. He had 31 tackles off the bench, but no passes defended. Advantage: Auburn.

     Expect a high scoring game in this contest, as both teams feature powerful offensive lines, difficult to defend offenses, and dangerous skill players. While the offenses look capable, the defenses are unproven. Auburn has a bit of a special teams edge. It’s difficult to pick against a veteran senior starter at quarterback vs. Auburn’s questions there.

     However, I think this game is really important for a lot of Auburn’s returning players from last season. The second half of last year’s game in Starkville is really where the season started going bad. Before that, it was high expectations. Afterwards was doubt, as the Bulldogs pretty much had their way in the second half. The Tigers should be sky-high to try and redeem themselves this year at home.

Prediction: With a raucous home crowd behind them, the Tigers overcome all obstacles. Both teams score seemingly at will, but in the end the Tigers prevail, 41-27.