McElroy Holds Key to Tide's Title Hopes

Greg McElroy throws pass against Tennessee

Before the 2009 college football season kicked off, I posed five questions concerning Alabama and Auburn, and I offered answers for my queries.

Now that we have reached the final month of the season, I want to revisit those questions and answers and see if I had a clue as to what I was talking about as well as give my updated thoughts.

Let’s begin with …

ALABAMA

1. How will Greg McElroy perform at QB?

Then: McElroy, a junior, replaces John Parker Wilson, a three-year starter. He has played in only eight games in his college career, but has completed 16-of-20 passes (80 percent) for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role the past two seasons. And he did star in his one season as a starter for national high school power Southlake Carroll High School in Texas after taking over for Chase Daniel, the 2004 National High School Player of the Year who went on to star at Missouri. McElroy’s numbers were an eye-popping: 4,687 yards passing with 56 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. I don’t think the Crimson Tide will miss Wilson at all. McElroy is going to be sensational.

Now: Through the first five games of the season, McElroy looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate, but in the Tide’s past three games he has looked like a first-year starter. He did not throw a touchdown pass in any of those games and averaged only 119.7 yards passing per game. It’s a good thing for him that sophomore running back Mark Ingram (1,004 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns, including eight rushing) has emerged as a Heisman candidate and the Tide’s defense has been rock solid. McElroy’s overall passing numbers aren’t bad (1,445 yards, nine TDs, 59.9 percent completion rate, only three interceptions), but if he can’t regain his early season form, Alabama’s hopes for a national title might vanish like its passing attack.

2. How long before the revamped offensive line jells?

Then: Tackle Andre Smith (Cincinnati Bengals) and center Antoine Caldwell (Houston Texans) have taken their acts to the NFL, although Smith, the No. 6 overall pick, is sidelined with a broken foot after a long contract holdout. Senior left guard Mike Johnson and senior right tackle Drew Davis are back, but it will take some time for the line to play as a unit. Expect Virginia Tech to exploit some of the Tide’s weaknesses on the offensive front, but after two exhibition games against Florida International and North Texas (OK, they are regular season games, but they just amount to paid wins for the Tide), the line should be together for the SEC opener against Arkansas on Sept. 26.

Now: Alabama’s offensive line has been solid. The 6-foot-6, 303-pound Johnson and 6-7, 300-pound Davis are All-SEC candidates. Sophomore William Vlachos has played remarkably well as Caldwell’s replacement at center and 6-5, 300-pound junior James Carpenter has been more than adequate as Smith’s replacement at left tackle. They have allowed the fewest sacks (eight) in the SEC and cleared the way for the Tide to average 410.0 yards total offense per game.

3. Who will be the Tide’s other go-to receiver?

Then: The Tide needs somebody to step up, so defensive backs don’t gang up on sophomore sensation Julio Jones. Mike McCoy and Marquis Maze have great speed, but can they make the tough catch in a clutch situation? Perhaps, the Tide will have to rely more on 6-foot-6 senior tight end Colin Peek in the passing game.

Now: None of the Tide’s receivers is having a particularly great season, including Jones. He leads the team with 20 receptions for 229 yards, but has caught only one TD pass. Peek has 19 catches for 213 yards with one TD reception, but missed the Tennessee game two weeks ago after injuring his leg during pregame warmups. None of the other receivers have more than 15 catches. Ingram has been a good receiver out of the backfield with 19 catches for 186 yards and a team-leading three TD receptions. You can trace the receivers’ production to the lack of production from McElroy in recent weeks.

4. Will the defense allow more than two touchdowns in any game?

Then: There’s talk that this Tide team will rival the 1992 group that completely shut down opponents and paved the way for the Tide’s last national championship. Junior Rolando McClain and sophomore Dont'a Hightower could be two of the best linebackers to ever play at Alabama before they are finished. Senior nose guard Terrence Cody and senior cornerback Javier Arenas (also a dangerous punt returner) are as good at their positions as anyone in the nation. In other words, the Tide’s defense will have to take the field in the shadows of their end zone a few times a game for anybody to cross the goal line more than twice in any game. And even if opponents do take over in the red zone, they will have to settle for field goals more often than not.

Now: The Tide’s defense has been even better than advertised, giving up only eight touchdowns, ranking first in the SEC in rushing defense (64.6 yards per game) and second in overall defense (240.6 yards per game). Senior linebacker Cory Reamer has done an admirable job, replacing Hightower, who went down with a season-ending knee injury against Arkansas. Sophomore lineman Marcell Dareus (pictured right sacking Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton) has emerged as a dominant force, leading the team with 4.5 sacks.

5. Will Coach Nick Saban have back-to-back 10-win seasons?

Then: Saban is the only current Football Bowl Subdivision coach to coach for at least 10 years and not suffer a losing season, but he has never had consecutive 10-win seasons. After guiding LSU to the national championship with a 13-1 record in 2003, the following season the Tigers finished 9-3. Last year, in his second season at Alabama, Saban led the Tide to a 12-2 record (the two losses coming in the Tide’s final two games against Florida in the SEC Championship Game and against Utah in the Sugar Bowl). After beating Virginia Tech – I predict 20-10 – to open the season, the Tide will roll through the regular season 11-1 (the only blemish coming Oct. 10 at Ole Miss), giving Saban back-to-back 10-win seasons. Also look for the Tide to win the SEC West, but lose to Florida (again) in the SEC Championship Game.

Now: The only thing that will keep Saban from winning 10 games is a total collapse and that’s not going to happen. The third-ranked Tide (8-0) even won at Ole Miss and now I look for them to run the table, including a victory over Florida in the SEC Championship Game and over Texas in the BCS Championship Game.

AUBURN

(AP Photo/Todd J. Van Emst)

1. Will Gene Chizik prove he’s the right man for the job?

Then: Chizik distinguished himself as Auburn’s defensive coordinator from 2002-04, including the Tigers’ 13-0 season, but he was a surprising choice to replace Tommy Tuberville, considering he was 5-19 in two seasons as head coach at Iowa State. He had a 10-game losing streak when Auburn handed him the head coaching reins on the Plains. The expectations are low at Auburn this year, so Chizik might get a pass on this season. But if the Tigers get blown out regularly by the top SEC teams on their schedule, then one of those ridiculous www.firecoach(fill in the blank).com websites might show up on the Internet.

Now: Chizik has proven a capable head coach and last week righted the ship with an upset of Ole Miss after a three-game losing streak threatened to wreck the Tigers’ season. At 6-3, he already has won more games at Auburn than he did at Iowa State. The real test will come in recruiting. Will he be able to attract the players who will make Auburn a contender in the SEC West and a contender for the SEC Championship?

2. Can the Tigers rediscover the pass?

Then: New offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was brought in to restore some balance – i.e., a passing game – to the Tigers’ offense. The Tigers finished 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game (165.4 yards) in 2008 and had the fewest touchdown passes (7) in the league. Senior Chris Todd won the quarterback battle over Kodi Burns in preseason camp, but he has a largely untested receiving corps to work with, especially with senior Montez Billings suspended for the first four games for academic reasons. So the Tigers will have to rely heavily on the run again. At least that should make running backs Ben Tate, Eric Smith and Onterio McCalebb happy.

Now: Todd put up big numbers early against lesser competition, but went three games without throwing a touchdown pass and had some (including me) clamoring for him to be benched in favor of backup Neil Caudle. He played well against Ole Miss last week, completing 12-of-22 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, but he still ranks sixth in the SEC in passing efficiency. In other words, the running game, led by Tate (1,067 yards, six TDs rushing), is carrying the Tigers again.

3. How will Kodi Burns adjust to wide receiver?

Then: Burns was the Tigers’ starting quarterback for most of last season, but after losing out to Todd for the job in preseason camp, he was switched to wide receiver. Chances are Burns will see more time in the backfield in the “Wildcat” formation, running the ball out of the shotgun than he will catching passes.

Now: Burns has been a non-factor most of the season, including in the “Wildcat” formation. He has only three receptions for 18 yards and has rushed for only 144 yards and four TDs. He has thrown for 75 yards and two TDs.

4. Will Antonio Coleman wish he had jumped to the NFL?

Then: Coleman, a defensive end, passed up a chance to go the NFL to return to Auburn for his senior season. A wise move the scouts said. Another season in college will help him develop physically and improve his overall game, thereby improving his stock. He might have been a late-round choice in the 2009 draft, but could go in the first three rounds with a solid senior season. Plus, Coleman has 14.5 career sacks and needs one more to move into the top 10 in Auburn history.

Now: Coleman had a sluggish start and a few weeks ago had a meeting with Chizik after he went back-to-back games without any tackles or sacks. But he regained his form the past two games. He recorded five tackles against Ole Miss, tying career highs with four tackles for loss (minus 15 yards) including two sacks (minus 11 yards). He also had four quarterback hurries, forced a fumble and blocked a PAT that was returned for a defensive two-point conversion. He leads the SEC with 11 tackles for losses and ranks third with 5.5 sacks. If he continues his stellar play against Georgia and Alabama, in Auburn’s bowl game, in a likely Senior Bowl appearance and in the NFL combine, his draft stock undoubtedly will rise.

5. Will Auburn win enough games to qualify for a bowl game?

Then: After finishing 5-7 last year, leading to Tuberville’s departure, the Tigers open this season with four consecutive home games – against Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, West Virginia and Ball State. If they can sweep those, then yes the Tigers will go bowling. But if they split those, then Auburn will be hard-pressed to win four more games on its schedule, especially on the road at Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia and even at home against Ole Miss and Alabama. Figure another 5-7 finish.

Now: A 5-0 start and the victory over Ole Miss mean the Tigers are bowl eligible, and at 6-3 have exceeded my expectations. Now let’s see if they can add a few more wins to their resume to make Chizik’s first season even more successful.

Todd Bounces Back in Auburn Win

Chris Todd throws pass against Ole Miss (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)

I was wrong.

There, I said it, but don’t tell my wife.

Before Auburn played Ole Miss, I wrote that the Tigers should bench starting quarterback Chris Todd in favor of backup Neil Caudle if they stood any chance of upsetting the Rebels.

Well, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn stood by their man and he delivered. Todd wasn’t great, but effective, completing 12-of-22 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers’ stirring 33-20 Southeastern Conference victory that snapped their three-game losing streak.

Senior running back Ben Tate had another big day, rushing for 144 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown jaunt, as Auburn’s offense came back to life against the nation’s ninth-ranked defense.

Auburn’s defense, which had been a sieve during the losing streak, twice came up big in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. Ole Miss started two drives inside Auburn territory in the period, but didn’t score either time. Defensive end Antonio Coleman had his best game of the season with five tackles, two sacks and four quarterback hurries. Defensive back Walter McFadden alertly picked off a tipped pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter during a 21-point outburst in the first seven minutes of the period that gave Auburn a commanding 31-7 lead.

All-in-all, it was a very satisfying win for the Tigers (6-3, 3-3 SEC) as they became bowl eligible.

Moving forward, the Tigers should have an easy time with Furman in their upcoming homecoming game and then comes games against their two biggest rivals, at Georgia on Nov. 14 and at home against Alabama on Nov. 27.

Auburn already has exceeded my expectations and an upset against either Georgia or Alabama would make Chizik’s first season an even more remarkable success.

*****

Magic City Classic

A&M's Thomas Harris runs in for a TD. (Photo by Linda Stelter/Birmingham News)

Perhaps, it was the economy or maybe the NASCAR race that was being held in nearby Talladega on the same weekend or it could have been the rain. Whatever it was, attendance at the Magic City Classic was down more than 13,000 from the record crowd of 69,113 at the 2008 game.

A crowd of only 55,322 watched the Alabama A&M Bulldogs win their fifth consecutive game in the 68th Classic, defeating the rival Alabama State Hornets 21-7 Saturday at Legion Field.

A&M freshman quarterback Deaunte Mason and wide receiver Thomas Harris connected on TD passes of 57 and 22 yards to spark the victory as the Bulldogs improved to 35-30-3 in the series.

Despite the falloff in attendance, the atmosphere at Legion Field was still electric as thousands of tailgaters gathered outside without going inside the stadium for the game. And celebrities such as Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey and Brian McKnight were in town to add to the festivities.

*****

Briefly …

Troy coach Larry Blakeney earned his 150^th career win Saturday as the Trojans (6-2, 5-0) routed Louisiana-Monroe 42-21 to solidify their hold on first place in the Sun Belt Conference. Senior quarterback Levi Brown had another big game for Troy, throwing for 378 yards and four touchdowns … Joshua Harris completed 14-of-21 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns to lead Tuskegee to a 40-6 win over Lane College Saturday as the Golden Tigers (7-2, 7-1 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) moved within one win of earning their fourth consecutive SIAC title. Coach Willie Slater's four-year career record at Tuskegee is now 39-5. … Top-ranked Division II North Alabama (10-0, 7-0) defeated Arkansas-Monticello 27-13 Saturday to secure the Gulf South Conference championship in Terry Bowden's first season as head coach of the Lions … Finally, UAB quarterback Joseph Webb continues to astound. He had 304 yards total offense, while throwing for two touchdowns, rushing for a touchdown and catching a touchdown pass in the Blazers’ 38-33 win at UTEP.

Sticking with Todd Spells Auburn Defeat

Auburn backup quarterback Neil Caudle (pictured left) has spent all week saying all the right things about how he supports starter Chris Todd, about waiting his turn, about how there’s no
quarterback controvery on the Plains.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Head coach Gene Chizik defended Todd somewhat, saying he isn't solely responsible for the Tigers’ suddenly moribund offense. So, that’s why Chizik is sticking with the ineffective Todd (8-of-14 for 47 yards last week in a 31-10 loss at LSU).

“Let me tell you something, Chris Todd is a quarterback, that when it is third-and-7 and he has five guys in his lap, that's not Chris Todd, that's different people.” Chizik said in his weekly news conference. “It’s just like when in the first five games and we were throwing for this many yards, yeah he threw a nice ball, but last time we checked there were guys protecting for him or a receiver went up and caught a great ball.”

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

The fact of the matter is if Auburn (5-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) has any chance of snapping its three-game losing streak and upsetting Ole Miss (5-2, 2-2) Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, they should forget all the niceties and insert Caudle as the starting quarterback.

He could be the spark to jump-start Auburn’s offense that has scored only 47 points and averaged only 103.0 yards passing during its losing streak.

Yes, it was in mop-up duty against LSU reserves, but Caudle did lead Auburn to its only touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter against LSU. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 34 yards and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen.


So, why not let Caudle start? Is it because they are afraid to throw him out there against an Ole Miss defense that is ranked ninth in nation in total defense and is allowing only 13.6 points per game? Or are they just content to see another insufferable performance by Todd (pictured right)?

Of course, it might not make any difference who starts at quarterback for Auburn if the Tigers’ defense doesn’t keep the other team’s quarterback from looking like he’s All-SEC.

Last week, LSU sophomore Jordan Jefferson had a career game against Auburn, completing 21-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Two weeks before that, Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett torched the Tigers for 274 yards and two touchdowns.

Ole Miss’ suddenly rejuvenated quarterback Jevan Snead should continue to trend, especially with explosive wide receiver-running back Dexter McCluster roaming free. McCluster racked up a career-high 260 yards total offense and a touchdown in the Rebels’ 30-17 victory against Arkansas last week.

Quarterback controversy or not, look for the Tigers’ losing streak to reach four games … Ole Miss 31, Auburn 16.

Observations on Tide, Tigers, Trojans and Blazers

With all four of Alabama’s Football Bowl Subdivision teams on television Saturday – plus some other games of interest – my remote got a workout. It was still smoking Sunday morning from all the channel surfing.

I want to share with you what I learned from my channel flipping.

* Alabama's massive nose tackle Terrence “Mount” Cody might not have great leaping ability, but when he gets penetration with a big push on a field goal attempt he doesn’t have to. That’s how he was able to block two field goal attempts in the fourth quarter to preserve the Crimson Tide’s narrow 12-10 victory against the Tennessee Volunteers and the Tide's perfect season.

* Vols place-kicker Daniel Lincoln made it easy for Cody by not getting any lift on either kick.

* Despite allowing a late fourth-quarter touchdown, Alabama’s defense is still the best in the land.

* Alabama sophomore running back Mark Ingram finally lost his first fumble in 322 career touches to set up Tennessee’s touchdown and he was held below 100 yards rushing (OK, he rushed for 99 yards), but he still deserves serious consideration for the Heisman Trophy.

* If Alabama is going to win the national championship, at some point quarterback Greg McElroy has to deliver in the passing game, something he hasn’t done the past three games. He threw for only 120 yards against the Vols and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the third consecutive game.

* Place-kicker Leigh Tiffin, who accounted for all of Alabama’s points against Tennessee with four field goals, might be the Tide’s most indispensable player right now. He has kicked 11 field goals in the past three games.

* Alabama’s open date is coming at a good time. The Tide is mentally and physically tired after five consecutive Southeastern Conference victories in as many weeks.

* Auburn could use an open date to regroup because the Tigers’ 2009 season is beginning to resemble their 2008 season when they started 4-1, but lost six of their final seven games to finish 5-7. They have lost three consecutive games since starting this season 5-0.

* Auburn’s offense, which was so explosive early in the season, has become a bust during their losing streak. The Tigers managed a grand total of 203 yards in their 31-10 loss at LSU Saturday night.

* Auburn should make a change at quarterback right now. Install Neil Caudle as the starter for the ineffective Chris Todd. Perhaps, that will rejuvenate the Tigers heading into their home game against Ole Miss on Saturday.

* The Sun Belt Conference should rename its offensive player of the week award the Levi Brown Award for the Troy Trojans’ senior quarterback. Brown has been named the conference’s offensive player of the week three of the past four weeks and undoubtedly will make it four of five after throwing for a school-record 469 yards and a touchdown in Troy’s 50-26 victory against North Texas. He completed 27-of-44 passes without an interception.

* UAB is an embarrassment to football. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to what Blazers head coach Neil Callaway said after UAB lost 27-7 at Marshall, while being penalized 15 times for 135 yards. “For us to have however many penalties we had is embarrassing,” Callaway said.

* UAB senior quarterback Joseph Webb should petition the NCAA for an immediate transfer to Auburn. The Tigers could use someone like Webb, who accounted for 329 yards total offense (129 rushing, 200 passing) and a touchdown in the loss to Marshall.

Auburn's Dream Season Becoming Nightmare

Auburn quarterback Chris Todd (12) is sacked by Arkansas safety Jerico Nelson during the fourth quarter of their game on Oct. 10. (AP Photo/April L Brown)

A funny thing has happened to the Auburn Tigers on their way to a dream season in Gene Chizik’s first year as head coach.

It’s starting to resemble the nightmare of 2008 that led to Coach Tommy Tuberville’s departure.

Following a lopsided 44-23 loss at Arkansas, Auburn was upset at home by Kentucky 21-14 last week, their first loss to the Wildcats since 1966.

Suddenly, the Tigers (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) are at a crossroads. Will they fade down the stretch as they did in 2008 when they lost six of their final seven games to finish 5-7 after a 4-1 start or will they regroup from their first two losses this season and finish strong?

The schedule says Auburn will struggle to find victories in their final five games, beginning Saturday night at LSU. Auburn is an eight-point underdog and LSU is coming off a bye week following its loss to Florida two weeks ago.

LSU (5-1, 3-1) also is looking to kick-start its season for the homestretch as it tries to overtake Alabama for first place in the SEC West. With that in mind, I don’t see Auburn pulling off an upset at LSU, which would be the Tigers’ third consecutive loss.

Then comes the final four-game stretch against Ole Miss, Furman, Georgia and Alabama. The only road game in that span is at Georgia on Nov. 14 and there’s an open date before the Crimson Tide arrives on the Plains on Nov. 27, but if Kentucky can win at Auburn, then certainly Ole Miss and Alabama can.

Chizik understands what the Tigers are up against. In his weekly media conference, he discussed the LSU game and Auburn’s upcoming schedule.

"(The LSU game) will be huge, but every game is huge,” Chizik said. “October is a stretch for us where the schedule gets difficult, not only because of who we are playing, but when you look at games seven, eight and nine is when you see a lot of upsets occur. At this time of the year there are no more surprises, everyone knows what you are doing. There is no newness to anything. There is no first conference game or away game. At this point it becomes who can execute better, especially on the road. In my opinion this is the time when you see a lot of crazy things happen, because a team doesn't execute right. It is really hard to be good every week. So for us in particular, this game and the whole month itself is huge. If we want to be good throughout this month we will have to execute better."

If Auburn is going to right the ship, they have to regain their offensive magic. The Tigers scored only one offensive touchdown against Kentucky and was flagged for eight penalties in the fourth quarter, killing any kind of momentum they might have generated.

Quarterback Chris Todd also has to get back on track. He completed only 10-of-24 passes for 80 yards and threw an interception against Kentucky.

Chizik has not lost faith in Todd. "We think he's made really good decisions overall,” Chizik said on his weekly Tiger Talk call-in show Thursday night. “Everybody is looking at him, and they're going to see the ones he didn't hit. I can show a lot he has hit. He'll continue to get better.''

Perhaps, Todd will get better. Just don’t look for it to happen Saturday night in Death Valley at LSU, which has the best defense Auburn has faced this season.

The Tigers’ losing streak will reach three games … LSU 24, Auburn 10.

Dominating 'D' makes Bama best in SEC

The 2009 Southeastern Conference football season has reached the midpoint, so let’s assess the first half and take a brief look ahead to the second half.

Best team: Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC). Is there any doubt after the Crimson Tide’s dominating defensive performance against Ole Miss? The Rebels had only 19 yards and one first down on 22 plays in the first half as Alabama posted a 22-3 win.

Runner-up: Florida (5-0, 3-0). The Gators’ 13-3 victory at LSU Saturday night was impressive, but that’s been their only real test so far.

Worst team: Vanderbilt (2-4, 0-3). Losing to Army in overtime shows how low the Commodores have sunk.

Runner-up: Mississippi State (2-4, 1-2). The Bulldogs have shown signs of life under new coach Dan Mullen and they did beat Vanderbilt.

Biggest surprise: Auburn (5-1, 2-1). The Tigers were thrashed 44-23 by Arkansas on Saturday, but no one could have imagined they would start the season 5-0.

Runner-up: South Carolina (5-1, 2-1). A narrow 41-37 loss at Georgia is the only thing keeping the Gamecocks from being undefeated.

Biggest disappointment: Ole Miss (3-2, 1-2). This was supposed to be the season Ole Miss returned to national glory, but the Rebels are nothing more than pretenders again.

Runner-up: Georgia (3-3, 2-2). Giving up 45 points in a loss at Tennessee shows just how far the Bulldogs have fallen this season.

Best coaching job: Gene Chizik, Auburn. He has proven he was the right man to replace Tommy Tuberville, the debacle at Arkansas notwithstanding.

Runner-up: Nick Saban, Alabama. Week in and week out nobody in the nation does a better job of getting his team ready to play than Saban.

Worst coaching job: Houston Nutt, Ole Miss. Blame Nutt for the struggles of junior quarterback Jevan Snead and the Rebels’ demise.

Runner-up: Mark Richt, Georgia. Sure Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are in the NFL, but he got blown out by Lane Kiffin and the Vols.

Best player: Tim Tebow, Florida quarterback. Just go ahead and give him his second Heisman Trophy.

Runner-up: Rolando McClain, Alabama linebacker (top photo). Since the loss of fellow linebacker Dont’a Hightower to a season-ending knee injury 2 ½ weeks ago, McClain has elevated his game even more and been the most dominant defensive player in the nation.

Best game: Georgia 52, Arkansas 41. The teams combined for more than 1,000 yards total offense in a classic shootout. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett set school records for passing yards (408) and touchdowns (5), but Georgia prevailed behind quarterback Joe Cox’s 375-yard, five-touchdown passing performance.

Five games worth watching in the second half: South Carolina at Alabama, Saturday; Arkansas at Florida, Saturday; LSU at Alabama, Nov. 7; Florida at South Carolina, Nov. 14; Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 28.

Bold prediction: The SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Florida will decide the national championship because the winner will beat whoever it meets in the BCS title game.

Auburn's luck about to change

Today’s lucky number as far as the Auburn Tigers are concerned is 5.

The Gene Chizik Era at Auburn has begun with five consecutive victories, which is as many victories as Chizik had in two seasons as head coach at Iowa State, where he was 5-19.

The five victories match the number of victories the Tigers had in 2008 when they finished 5-7, leading to Coach Tommy Tuberville’s departure and Chizik’s arrival.

The 5-0 start also has vaulted Auburn to a No. 17 ranking in the Associated Press poll.

Now, the question is whether their impressive start means the Tigers are suddenly contenders in the rugged Southeastern Conference West Division.

From this vantage point, the answer is not yet.

The Tigers are 2-0 in the SEC, but both of their victories came against non-contenders Mississippi State and Tennessee, although the latter was on the road in Knoxville.

I still don’t think the Tigers are in the same class with SEC West heavyweights Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss.

I might change my mind if the Tigers can win at Arkansas on Saturday, but I doubt if Auburn will.


The Tigers have plenty of offensive firepower to win another road game, although I thought quarterback Chris Todd was shaky at Tennessee last Saturday.

What concerns me is Auburn’s defense, particularly its pass defense going against Arkansas sophomore quarterback Ryan Mallett. Mallett is tied for eighth nationally with 11 touchdown passes and has led the Razorbacks to the top passing offense in the SEC.

Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn and those numbers would have been better if Tennessee’s receivers didn’t have a sudden case of slippery fingers and dropped a bunch of passes.

In order for the Tigers keep Mallet from picking them apart, they had better come up a pass rush, something they didn’t do against Crompton. The Tigers had no sacks and didn’t have an interception though Crompton attempted 43 passes. Auburn's senior defensive end Antonio Coleman, the team's best pass rusher, has only 2.5 sacks in five games.

Auburn also has to adjust to playing in the daytime. Their first five games were at night, but the game at Arkansas kicks off at 11 a.m. CST.

"This is uncharted territory for us," Chizik said. "All of our games have been night games so far and it will be interesting. For early games we get up, eat, then play, but it shouldn't really affect us. This does create a new series of things that we will encounter, especially with such a young team. Not only is this an SEC road game, it is also an 11 o’clock game, but that shouldn't matter."
No, it shouldn’t matter, but it will. And I suspect by mid-afternoon Saturday, Auburn’s unlucky number will be 1 – as in the first loss of the Gene Chizik Era.

Let’s make it Arkansas 38, Auburn 31.

Alabama is nation's best ... after 1 month

The calendar is about to flip to October, so what better time to assess what we have learned after the first month of the college football season and a few things we still don’t know.

What we have learned …

• Alabama is the best team in the nation, not Florida or Texas.


• Auburn is a very good home team.


• Nick Saban is worth all the millions the Crimson Tide has invested in him.


• Gene Chizik is a better head coach than anyone gave him credit for.


• Terry Bowden could become a hot name in coaching circles again after his 5-0 start at North Alabama.


• Gus Malzahn is truly an offensive genius.

• The motor of Auburn assistant head coach Trooper Taylor never stops running.

• Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy should be part of the Heisman Trophy conversation.


• Chris Todd definitely was the right choice to be Auburn’s quarterback, even before throwing nine touchdown passes in the past two games.


• Jacksonville State quarterback Ryan Perrilloux would be among the top five quarterbacks for the 2010 NFL draft if not for off-the-field issues.


• Alabama’s stable of running backs – Mark Ingram, Roy Upchurch, Trent Richardson and Terry Grant – is the best in the nation.


• Auburn’s dynamic duo of senior Ben Tate and freshman Onterio McCalebb is just a notch below the Tide’s foursome.


• Tide sophomore receiver Julio Jones is a man among boys.


• Auburn’s receiving corps with wide outs Darvin Adams, Mario Fannin and Terrell Zachery and tight ends Tommy Trott and Philip Lutzenkirchen is a pleasant surprise.


• Alabama’s defense is the best in the nation, just ask Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.


• The loss of linebacker Dont’a Hightower to a season-ending knee injury is a major blow for the Tide.


• Auburn’s defense still needs plenty of work, despite forcing 12 turnovers in four games.


• Troy is again the class of the Sun Belt Conference.


• UAB continues to fade into oblivion.


• The non-FBS schools in the state are pretty good – Jacksonville State (2-2 with losses to Georgia Tech and Florida State), Samford (2-2), North Alabama (5-0), Alabama A&M (3-1), Alabama State (3-1), North Alabama (5-0), Tuskegee (4-1), Miles (3-2), West Alabama (3-2), Birmingham-Southern (2-1), Huntingdon (3-1) and South Alabama (2-0).

Five things we still don't know ...

• Will anybody left on the schedule (including Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn) challenge Alabama?


• Will Auburn prove a capable road team, beginning Saturday night at Tennessee?


• Can anyone slow down Auburn’s offense?


• Can anyone penetrate Alabama’s defense (even without Hightower)?


• Will Bowden lead UNA to a Division II national championship?

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images)

Is it time to pull plug on UAB football?

Before the UAB-Troy football game last Saturday, The Birmingham News ran a story asking the question: Who’s No. 3 in State?

Obviously, Alabama and Auburn are the top two college football programs in the state, while UAB and Troy are trying their hardest to be taken seriously at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.

Troy has a much longer and richer football history. The Trojans are celebrating their 100th season this fall. Most of that was spent at the small-college level before they made the jump to NCAA Division I-A status, now FBS, in 2001. They are members of the Sun Belt Conference.

UAB didn’t have a football program until 1991 and made the move to FBS in 1996. The Blazers are members of Conference USA.

After the Trojans’ 27-14 spanking of the Blazers on Saturday, the more legitimate question might be:

Is it time to pull the plug on the UAB football program?

As I wrote before the season started, the Blazers did little in their first 18 years to make themselves relevant. They created a buzz several years ago when quarterback Darrell Hackney was throwing passes to wide receiver Roddy White (Atlanta Falcons), but the buzz has been silent the past three years.

With current coach Neil Callaway in his third season, UAB desperately needed a good 2009 season to renew interest in the program, but after a rousing 44-24 victory against Rice to kick off the season, the Blazers have fallen flat. They lost at home to double-digit underdog SMU 35-33 in their second game and last week fell at Troy, which came in 0-2.

Now, UAB might not win another game until November. Their next five games are at Texas A&M on Saturday, at home against Southern Miss, at No. 4 Ole Miss, at Marshall and at UTEP. It’s conceivable the Blazers could win at Marshall or UTEP, but I doubt it because frankly they are not a good road team.

In other words, UAB is facing a 1-7 start and staring at its fifth consecutive losing season. And their shrinking fan base – the Blazers drew fewer than 20,000 spectators to their first two home games – probably will shrink some more.

UAB is still a part of the University of Alabama System, which includes the Crimson Tide, and is governed by the UA System Board of Trustees. With their schools in financial straits because of state budget cuts, the board could decide to save some money by axing football at UAB. The Blazers do not have a self-sustaining program as The Birmingham News story pointed out.

A friend of mine who is a UAB supporter, booster and friend of Gene Bartow, the former UAB basketball coach and athletic director who started the football program, told me he has heard some talk to that effect.

So, UAB football might not be around to celebrate its 20th birthday in two years.

At this point, I don’t think it will be missed.

Small-college football a refreshing pastime

In between watching Alabama’s waltz against North Texas and Auburn’s stirring comeback against West Virginia on television Saturday, I took in the Miles College-Samford game.

Now, I truly love big-time college football, especially the Southeastern Conference. I attended Alabama in the 1970s when Paul “Bear” Bryant was still stalking the Crimson Tide’s sideline in his famous houndstooth hat and I was familiar with Auburn and its legendary coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan.

I also loved the NFL. My mother would let me leave church early so I could be at home in time to watch the noon kickoff of the NFL game on TV. I became a big fan of the Baltimore Colts because of Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore and John Mackey and cried when they were upset in Super Bowl III by Joe Namath and the New York Jets.

I didn’t really care for what I thought was small-time football, you know, something besides the NFL, SEC, Pac-10, Big Ten, Southwest Conference and Big Eight. For those of you too young to remember, the SWC and Big Eight were forerunners of the Big 12. The ACC was – and still is to a major degree – a basketball league. And there was also that independent college power from South Bend, Ind., we in Alabama loathed. That would be Notre Dame for those of you who wonder why NBC elects to show games of such a woebegone program.

In recent years, I have gotten a chance to attend a few small-college games and have come to appreciate football at that level. The players work and play just as hard as they do at bigger schools and some fans are just as rabid, but the atmosphere is totally different. It’s more of a pastime. You have few fans yelling at the coaches and calling them idiots for their play-calling. Boos are usually reserved for the refs after what the faithful think is a bad call. And while the adults are watching the game, you have some children beyond the end zone playing their own game, caring little about what’s happening on the field with the college guys.

To some extent, it harkens back to the days of yesteryear when college football still hadn’t sold its soul to money. Greed is rampant among the major schools.

From the billions of dollars the various TV networks throw at major programs and their conferences to broadcast games, to the millions the colleges pay their coaches, to the millions spent on stadium expansions (and the extorting of alumni and boosters to pay for it through the sale of skyboxes), to the millions made in merchandising of products (jerseys, caps, shirts, etc.), to the rising costs of tickets (and making fans attend at sometimes unreasonable hours because of TV), money rules in college football – regardless of any argument pandering college presidents and the NCAA might make.

Despite all that, I still enjoy the Alabamas and Auburns of the college football world, but I also have discovered there’s something refreshing about small-college football.

The Miles-Samford game was one of just two games this season that will feature two head coaches who are both members of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Samford’s Pat Sullivan was inducted in 1991, while Miles’ Billy Joe was named to the Hall of Fame in 2007. Sullivan won the 1971 Heisman Trophy as a quarterback at Auburn. Joe, in his second season at Miles, ranks second in all-time wins (239) at historically black colleges and universities behind Grambling State legend Eddie Robinson (408). Most of Joe’s wins came in 11 seasons at Florida A&M (86) and 13 seasons at Central State in Ohio (120).

Samford is where Florida State coach Bobby Bowden got his start when the school was known as Howard College and it’s also where his son, Terry Bowden, coached for six years before going to Auburn. Samford is a member of the Southern Conference, which includes Appalachian State, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) powerhouse that upset Michigan two years ago.

Miles doesn’t have as rich a football tradition, but for many years it was known as one of the top academic black colleges in the nation. It plays in the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) that includes Tuskegee, the 2007 national black champion.

The game was entertaining even if the outcome was predictable. Samford rallied from a 12-3 halftime deficit to beat Miles 31-12.

The genteel Joe was magnanimous in defeat. “No question it was great to be part of game in which both institutions stress academics,” Joe said, “and it was a great contest.”

And I left richer for having been there.

Chizik remains cool as expectations soar

I am beginning to warm up to this Gene Chizik guy.

Sure, I wondered what Auburn was doing when they hired him (and his 5-19 record at Iowa State) to replace Tommy Tuberville, but the way he has run the football program since taking over has been downright impressive.

Two decisions stand out. He brought in Gus Malzahn do be offensive coordinator and promised he wouldn’t interfere. Wise decision. After two games in Malzahn’s fast-paced spread attack that relies heavily on misdirection, the Tigers are averaging 572.5 yards total offense and 43.0 points.

Then, Chizik thwarted any quarterback controversy in fall camp by emphatically deciding Chris Todd would be the starter and Kodi Burns would move to wide receiver. But instead of letting Burns stew, he made him the “Wildcat” quarterback and last week Burns rewarded Chizik’s faithfulness by accounting for four touchdowns in Auburn’s 49-24 rout of Mississippi State in the Tigers’ Southeastern Conference opener.

But what I really like is Chizik’s even-handed temperament. Instead of getting caught up in the euphoria of Auburn’s rousing victories against a couple of lightweights – Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State – Chizik has remained calm, cool and collected. He simply pointed to the Tigers’ next game, which is Saturday night at home against West Virginia.

“We're not satisfied with the way we're playing, but satisfied being 2-0,”' Chizik said during the SEC coaches teleconference on Wednesday. “I think it's going to be a great measuring stick, by the end of the day, to see who we are.”

That was in line with what he said a day earlier when answering a question about fan’s expectations during Auburn’s weekly media conference.

“Here's how I feel about our fans here at Auburn," Chizik said. "Number one, we've got the greatest fans in the world, and they do their job as good as it gets. And I want them to be excited about the future. It's going to be very bright … We're not ready to buy stock in Auburn football yet. It's just not where we're at. We're just so far from that ... we have not arrived.”

A victory over West Virginia wouldn’t mean the Tigers have arrived, but it might land Auburn a spot in the Top 25.

In the only previous meeting between the two schools, the Mountaineers whipped the Tigers 34-17 last year in Morgantown. I expect Auburn to get a measure of revenge with a hard-earned 31-24 victory.

While Chizik was trying to temper expectations, Alabama coach Nick Saban was busy answering questions about the health of his players, notably sophomore wide receiver Julio Jones (bruised kneecap) and senior running back Roy Upchurch (high ankle sprain). During his weekly radio on Thursday, Saban listed them as questionable, but sounded as if they wouldn’t play Saturday when the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide hosts North Texas.

"They haven't been able to practice enough probably to prepare," Saban said. "I don't think either guy is out of the realm of being able to play and will be back very soon after this game if they can't play in this game."

The Tide won’t need either against the not-so Mean Green. The only question is which newcomer will shine. Last week, it was freshman running back Trent Richardson, who rushed 15 times for 118 yards and two second-half touchdowns in the Tide’s 40-14 victory against Florida International.

So, Jones and Upchurch can just rest up and get ready for Alabama’s SEC opener next week against Arkansas. They should have plenty of company on the sidelines from other frontline players by halftime as the Tide rolls to an easy 45-10 victory, allowing Saban to give fans a chance to get excited about some of the talented reserves they have been waiting to see in action.

(Photo by Cliff Williams/Opelika-Auburn News)

In Gus, Auburn trusts

It’s still early and the competition is nowhere close to being among the elite of college football, but still the Auburn Tigers’ offense has been crazy good in their first two games.

How good? Well, Auburn has surpassed 500 yards of total offense in back-to-back games for the first time since 1970.

The Tigers’ 589 yards in their 49-24 blowout of Mississippi State Saturday night eclipsed the 556 they chalked up in their season-opening 37-13 rout of Louisiana Tech.

"It was pretty amazing," said Auburn “Wildcat” quarterback Kodi Burns after the Tigers’ runaway victory against Mississippi State. "It was fun."

Fun for Burns because he accounted for four touchdowns, three rushing and one passing.

Fun because Auburn is averaging 572.5 yards total offense and 43.0 points.

Fun because Gene Chizik had the good sense to hire Gus Malzahn as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator for his inaugural season as Auburn’s head coach.

In Gus, they trust.

“It’s very innovative, and it’s fun to watch,” Chizik said of the warp-speed spread attack Malzahn brought to Auburn from Tulsa. “From a defensive background, it’s problematic in a lot of ways.”

No kidding. You don’t know what the creative Malzahn might draw up on the board – reverses, options, slants, screens, draws and other stuff you wouldn’t believe anybody would try. Every possession is treated like a two-minute drill in Malzahn’s hurry up, no huddle system with an array of formations designed for deception.

The Tigers aren’t pass-happy in Malzahn’s spread offense. Against Mississippi State, the Tigers ran for 390 yards. Ben Tate, despite sitting out the first quarter because of -- um -- a coach’s decision, ran for a career-high 157 yards and a touchdown and Onterio McCalebb added 114 yards and a score. It marked the first time in Auburn history two players rushed for more than 100 yards in consecutive games.

Chizik isn’t surprised. "You hear so much about the passing, but what caught my eye is how (Malzahn) brings a physical edge to everything he does," Chizik said. "This is a rushing offense. It comes at you directly -- whether it's a run or a pass. That's who we are."

Malzahn expected Auburn to run the ball effectively. “We knew that our front five, we knew that they were a solid offensive line, and we knew we had some backs who could be change of pace,” Malzahn said. “And so far they’ve really bought in to what we’re doing.”

Plus, Malzahn keeps some tricks up his sleeves just so things don’t get dull. “Yeah, we try to tell our guys, that’s part of our offense,” Malzahn said of the trickery. “Not a lot of people think of trick plays and all that, but we work on them every day. That’s part of what we do, and our guys are starting to get a little used to that.”

Auburn fans no doubt are already getting used to the Tigers running up big numbers in Malzahn’s system.

Talk about fun.

Auburn once again Running Back U

Who knew when Auburn hired Gene Chizik as its head football coach he would bringing Carnell “Cadillac” Williams and Ronnie Brown back to the Plains with him?

OK, Williams and Brown are still in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins, respectively, but the guys who piled up the rushing yards in Auburn’s season-opening 37-13 victory against Louisiana Tech surely resembled that fabled running back duo, who were wreaking havoc when Auburn went 13-0 in 2004, Chizik’s final season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator.

Now that Chizik has returned he has senior Ben Tate (No. 44) and freshman Onterio McCalebb (No. 23) impersonating Williams and Brown. The 5-foot-11, 218-pound Tate is Brown because he’s a powerful runner with shifty feet. And the 5-10, 165-pound McCalebb would be Williams, a slasher with great elusiveness, although McCalebb is faster.

Chizik understandably likes his new dynamic duo and the problems they pose for defenses with their different running styles.

“When you have two backs that are very different it affects the momentum of the game, with the physicality of one back and the speed of the other one,” Chizik said. “There are guys with great vision that make great cuts. One guy may be a tackle-to-tackle guy and the other a perimeter guy, so you have the defense running all over the place and they get a little tired which lets you get more physical up front with the downhill backs. So it definitely puts pressure on a defense.”

The Tate-McCalebb combination certainly created problems for Louisiana Tech. Tate ran 20 times for 117 yards, becoming the 13th running back in school history to surpass 2,000 career yards rushing (2,076) in the process. He’s now 12th on the Tigers’ all-time list.

McCalebb was even better, rushing 22 times for 148 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Auburn freshman to rush for 100 yards in a season opener since Bo Jackson had 123 yards rushing against Wake Forest in 1982.

You know you have done something fabulous when you’re mentioned in the same sentence with Bo.

McCalebb's total was also the seventh most in school history for a freshman. Five of his 22 carries went for at least 10 yards, as he averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The freshman from Fort Meade, Fla., and Hargrave Military Academy also added 49 yards on two kickoff returns, giving him 197 all-purpose yards, making him an easy choice for Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.

Evidently, McCalebb benefitted from enrolling at Auburn in January and taking part in spring practice. Chizik said as much himself.

“I think that any time you bring a guy in in January, the comfort level when they come back in the fall is night and day,” Chizik said. “Onterrio is one of those guys where he is just a football player. He is tailback or a wide out or whatever we want him to be. He needs to stay humble because he has certainly not arrived either. He had a good football game and he needs to get better every week just like everyone else. But I'm proud of him because he went in there and he played like we expected him to play."

McCalebb and Tate became the first pair of Auburn backs to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Tate (111) and Mario Fannin (103) turned the trick against New Mexico State in 2007.

Perhaps the school that brought you Bo, Cadillac, Brown, Joe Cribbs, James Brooks, William Andrews, Lionel James, Stephen Davis, Rudi Johnson and Tucker Frederickson is back to being Running Back U.

Chizik certainly sounded that way. “We've only played one game but we want to be a physical offense and run the football,” he said.

His predecessor Tommy Tuberville would be proud. Remember it was Tuberville who shelved the spread offense and fired offensive coordinator Tony Franklin a few games into the 2008 season, just after he had brought in Franklin, the spread guru, a few months earlier to install the offense.

Listening to Chizik, I guess senior quarterback Chris Todd can forget about throwing the ball 35-40 times a game, especially with Tate and McCalebb around.

Smash-mouth football once again rules at Auburn.

By the way, Auburn plays host to Mississippi State in the SEC opener for both schools Saturday night. In their final game against Mississippi State – during that undefeated 2004 season with Chizik there – Williams ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns and Brown ran for 147 yards, averaging 9.8 yards per carry on 15 attempts, in a 43-14 Auburn blowout.

Don’t be surprised if Tate and McCalebb run roughshod over the Bulldogs, too.

(Top photo by Chris Pow)

McElroy ready to lead Tide

Finally, it’s time for kickoff. And the debates about whether Alabama can win a national championship and whether Auburn can stay out of last place in the SEC West can intensify – if that’s possible.

Both schools enter the 2009 college football season with some intriguing questions and I am here to provide the answers as No. 5 Alabama prepares to take on No. 7 Virginia Tech Saturday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, while Auburn plays host to Louisiana Tech.

Let’s begin this top-five question and answer session with …

ALABAMA



1. How will Greg McElroy perform at QB?
McElroy, a junior, replaces John Parker Wilson, a three-year starter. He has played in only eight games in his college career, but has completed 16-of-20 passes (80 percent) for 196 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role the past two seasons. And he did star in his one season as a starter for national high school power Southlake Carroll High School in Texas after taking over for Chase Daniel, the 2004 National High School Player of the Year who went on to star at Missouri. McElroy’s numbers were an eye-popping: 4,687 yards passing with 56 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. I don’t think the Crimson Tide will miss Wilson at all. McElroy is going to be sensational.

2. How long before the revamped offensive line jells?
Tackle Andre Smith (Cincinnati Bengals) and center Antoine Caldwell (Houston Texans) have taken their acts to the NFL, although Smith, the No. 6 overall pick, is sidelined with a broken foot after a long contract holdout. Senior left guard Mike Johnson and senior right tackle Drew Davis are back, but it will take some time for the line to play as a unit. Expect Virginia Tech to exploit some of the Tide’s weaknesses on the offensive front, after two exhibition games against Florida International and North Texas (OK, they are regular season games, but they just amount to paid wins for the Tide), the line should be together for the SEC opener against Arkansas on Sept. 26.

3. Who will be the Tide’s other go-to receiver?
The Tide needs somebody to step up, so defensive backs don’t gang up on sophomore sensation Julio Jones, Mike McCoy and Marquis Maze have great speed, but can they make the tough catch in a clutch situation? Perhaps, the Tide will have to rely more on 6-foot-6 senior tight end Colin Peek in the passing game.

4. Will the defense allow more than two touchdowns in any game?
There’s talk that this Tide team will rival the 1992 group that completely shut down opponents and paved the way for the Tide’s last national championship. Junior Rolando McClain and sophomore Dont'a Hightower could be two of the best linebackers to ever play at Alabama before they are finished. Senior nose guard Terrence Cody and senior cornerback Javier Arenas (also a dangerous punt returner) are as good at their positions as anyone in the nation. In other words, the Tide’s defense will have to take the field in the shadows of their end zone a few times a game for anybody to cross the goal line more than twice in any game. And even if opponents do take over in the red zone, they will have to settle for field goals more often than not.

5. Will Coach Nick Saban have back-to-back 10-win seasons?
Saban is the only current Football Bowl Subdivision coach to coach for at least 10 years and not suffer a losing season, but he has never had consecutive 10-win seasons. After guiding LSU to the national championship with a 13-1 record in 2003, the following season the Tigers finished 9-3. Last year, in his second season at Alabama, Saban led the Tide to a 12-2 record (the two losses coming in the Tide’s final two games against Florida in the SEC Championship Game and against Utah in the Sugar Bowl). After beating Virginia Tech – I predict 20-10 – to open the season, the Tide will roll through the regular season 11-1 (the only blemish coming Oct. 10 at Ole Miss), giving Saban back-to-back 10-win seasons. Also look for the Tide to win the SEC West, but lose to Florida (again) in the SEC Championship Game.

AUBURN

1. Will Gene Chizik prove he’s the right man for the job?
Chizik distinguished himself as Auburn’s defensive coordinator from 2002-04, including the Tigers’ 13-0 season, but he was a surprising choice to replace Tommy Tuberville, considering he was 5-19 in two seasons as head coach at Iowa State. He had a 10-game losing streak when Auburn handed him the head coaching reins on the Plains. The expectations are low at Auburn this year, so Chizik might get a pass on this season. But if the Tigers get blown out regularly by the top SEC teams on their schedule, then one of those ridiculous firecoach(fill in the blank).com websites might show up on the Internet.

2. Can the Tigers rediscover the pass?
New offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn was brought in to restore some balance – i.e., a passing game – to the Tigers’ offense. The Tigers finished 10th in the SEC in passing yards per game (165.4 yards) in 2008 and had the fewest touchdown passes (7) in the league. Senior Chris Todd won the quarterback battle over Kodi Burns in preseason camp, but he has a largely untested receiving corps to work with, especially with senior Montez Billings suspended for the first four games for academic reasons. So the Tigers will have to rely heavily on the run again. At least that should make running backs Ben Tate, Eric Smith and Onterio McCalebb happy.

3. How will Kodi Burns adjust to wide receiver?
Burns was the Tigers’ starting quarterback for most of last season, but after losing out to Todd for the job in preseason camp, he was switched to wide receiver. Chances are Burns will see more time in the backfield in the “wildcat formation,” running the ball out of the shotgun than he will catching passes.

4. Will Antonio Coleman wish he had jumped to the NFL?
Coleman, a defensive end, passed up a chance to go the NFL to return to Auburn for his senior season. A wise move the scouts said. Another season in college will help him develop physically and improve his overall game, thereby improving his stock. He might have been a late-round choice in the 2009 draft, but could go in the first three rounds with a solid senior season. Plus, Coleman has 14.5 career sacks and needs one more to move into the top 10 in Auburn history.

5. Will Auburn win enough games to qualify for a bowl game?
After finishing 5-7 last year, leading to Tuberville’s departure, the Tigers open this season with four consecutive home games – against Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, West Virginia and Ball State. If they can sweep those, then yes the Tigers will go bowling. But if they split those, then Auburn will be hard-pressed to win four more games on its schedule, especially on the road at Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia and even at home against Ole Miss and Alabama. Figure another 5-7 finish.