Week 8 Review - 2/3rds Perfect

Things were tense up in section 101 of Jordan Hare Stadium with the game tied against LSU 17-17.  Auburn had dominated the game but the Mad Hatter's luck seemed to be continuing with Auburn's terrible field position throughout the game, a fumble, a missed field goal, etc...  A feeling of dread started to settle over me.  Were we going to lose a game that we had clearly dominated?  Then... Ontario McCalebb broke into the clear and joy fell from the sky.  The Mad Hatter's luck had run out, Auburn had beaten LSU.  In the aftermath the stats started jumping out.  Auburn had just run for over 400 yards against the best defense in SEC.  Cam Newton had over 200 of those yards.  Auburn was 8-0 and 5-0 in the SEC.  I was sick as a dog but happy as can be.

I am mailing this one in late for the record.  Auburn is #1 in the BCS (more on that below) and I don't get a blog post up, good grief.  It has been some kind of week here for our family with the drive back from Auburn, soccer tournaments, soccer team post season parties, fantasy baseball league post game parties, etc...  Well let's get to it so I can head to another soccer game and then get back and settle in for Auburn and the Mrs...

THE GOOD
You can pretty much put the whole team in here with the exception of Mario Fannin and the special teams.  Ah Mario Fannin, I have defended him and pushed him for years.  However I think he has sealed his fate as a guy that cannot hold on to the ball.  We still need him though, we still need him.  I was reminding friends that once upon a time that James Bostic (the MVP running back of our 1993 undefeated team) also had fumblitis and was benched for the Georgia game.  He responded by putting up 183 yards rushing off the bench with three touchdowns and SEC player of the week honors.  He then helped bury Bama the next week with no fumbles if I remember correctly.

The special teams were back to normal this week with horrible punts, worse punt returns and a missed field goal.  They terrible short low punt to Peterson could have cost Auburn the game.  I just do not know what else to say about the special teams.  They are consistently bad and a few good games here and there do not change that.  This is the good section though and there was a lot more good than bad this game.  Let me start with Nick Fairley.  Wow.  The guy put up a dominating performance against a team that is probably bigger and stronger than Auburn.  By the end of the game there were literally tackling him at the line of scrimmage and he was still getting through.

Rushing for 400 yards though is the most impressive stat for me.  I just kept repeating it over and over after the game.  When you rush for 400 yards on somebody you take their manhood.  Auburn knows.  Arkansas did to us and Chizik in 2002.  It is still one of my worst Auburn memories.  Doing it against a top rated LSU defense is even more impressive.  It starts with the offensive line and then goes to Cam Newton as he put himself at the top of the Heisman race and helped lift his team to #1 in the nation.  Newton put up another astonishing highlight package.  He is truly a sight to behold and I was glad to finally see him live and in person.  I will never forget him slicing and dicing through the LSU defense for over 200 yards. 

Finally, I also have to give props to the Jordan Hare gameday planners.  The whole intro (with the exception of the band video?) was awesome and the new thing where the whole team runs toward the student section with the music going at the end of the third quarter is awesome.  It has been awhile since I have seen the students so fired up.  You get the students fired up and everyone else will follow.

THE BAD
Everyone likes being #1 however the Bowl Championship Series is still the most ridiculous and stupid method to determine a championship ever invented.  It is still a joke and always will be.  One night of watching the ESPN talking heads was enough for me.  Being #1 is great if for no other reason than to annoy the Bama fans but I for one will not be drawn into this weekly drama.  Frankly all involved can take the BCS and...  well use your imagination.  If you have to play in a bowl you might as well play in the best one but nothing will make the whole system legitimate in my mind.

I cannot want to beat Georgia and Bama any more than I already do.  I want to win the SEC West and win an SEC championship.  Those things are not subjective and you cannot be cheated out of them.  You earn them and you play in the only real postseason game in college football, the conference championship game.  It is played a week after the season ends by division winners instead of being played a month after the last game by the winners of a complicated popularity contest.

THE UGLY
Obviously you want to enjoy this season.  Auburn as a whole deserves to.  However there has been a lot of talk about how Gene Chizik has now completely proved himself.  I disagree.  He has definitely proved a lot but he still has a long way to go.  Terry Bowden also proved himself in this situation but fell apart later.  This season will not be the end of Auburn football.  However it might be the end of Auburn playing at this level for awhile and Chizik's work is cut out for him. 

Take a look at the Auburn depth chart and make some easy deductions and you come to the conclusion that we really better enjoy this year.  On offense, Auburn will lose four outstanding offensive linemen, two starting wide receivers and will most likely lose Superman himself.  I also stand by my preseason prediction that Gus Malzahn will leave for a head coaching job as well.  On defense, we lose two starting linebackers, two defensive ends, two defensive tackles and will almost certainly lose Nick Fairley leaving us with only two true defensive tackles in Carter and Whitaker on the entire roster.

Chizik and Co. got a lot of good talent in the pipeline this year but Tuberville's last two years are still going to take a mighty toll on the program.  Especially two years of recruiting no offensive linemen or defensive tackles.  It is scary.  Gene Chizik will completely prove himself if he can get us out of this ugly situation and win the SEC West a few years from now.

AROUND THE SEC
The SEC East is a complete mess but things will be much more clear after the Georgia vs. Florida game today.  People are saying this game is not as big this year.  I disagree, I think it is a huge game.  Mark Richt has got to beat Florida in this situation.  It would be a huge blow to Georgia to lose to Florida this year.  Meanwhile Florida could put it self in position to win the East with a victory.  After all Florida has been through if they can beat Georgia and South Carolina, they will play for an SEC Championship and in one game anything can happen.

The SEC West race is down to Auburn and Bama with LSU still in the race if they can beat Bama a week from today.  Auburn still has a tough game with Georgia.  I am very worried about that game but more on that in the weeks to come.  I refuse to wring my hands and worry about the Mrs.  I maybe crying tomorrow but Auburn should take care of business.