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.

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)

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)