Three weeks into the 2009 college football season, here are five things we know.

1. Alabama has a quarterback. Greg McElroy has exceeded expectations so far. 647 yards passing (an average of 215 per game), 4 touchdowns and a 66% completion percentage, including a UA record for consecutive completions. And this with only one complete game played. He has one pick (against the Hokies), but off a pass where he was hit from behind as he released. Greg has looked smart and in control. Question mark for 2009 answered.

2. Alabama has an offense. The offensive line has looked good, opening holes for unquestionably the best backfield in the SEC, probably the nation. Ingram, Upchurch, Richardson and Grant…are you kidding me? All four can tote the mail with authority. This offense is averaging over 500 yards a game. That’s impressive, especially when one of those opponents was a top ten foe with a legendary defense.  And receivers? Jones’ injury may have been a blessing in disguise, getting the rest of the cast acclimated to Saturdays. Another question for 2009 answered.

3. Alabama’s defense is almost great. You’re not going to run on Alabama. Hightower, McClain, Cody, Washington, Deaderick, Dareus and a host of others will make sure of that. Pass defense has been good, but not great yet. The two TDs Bama has surrendered defensively in its last two games came through the air, both on apparent breakdowns in the secondary. No doubt this area is on Saban’s frontburner as Arkansas’ air attack comes to town. Should be fun to watch.

4. Alabama is the best team in the country. Florida looked very average for much of their tango with Tennessee, and this year’s brand of Gator is one dimensional other than anyone named Tebow. Texas has looked anything but spectacular. USC has already choked, much earlier than normal. And Oklahoma, well, they lost to a team that got pummeled by a geriatric-led FSU team that nearly lost to Jacksonville State. Alabama owns the best win in college football to date, played on the most level playing field. We have become the team Saban has wanted us to be…the one you look at on your schedule and pencil in a loss.

5. Finally, Auburn can win at home. But mind you, not only has Auburn not beaten a ranked opponent, Auburn has not played a team who has beaten or played a ranked opponent. Auburn’s “victims” collectively own wins over Liberty, Nicholls State, Jackson State, East Carolina and Vandy. 60% of that bunch isn’t even 1-A. Impressive. And all have come at home. Their foe this coming Saturday fell victim in the first week to the team we just beat 53-7. Auburn looks better this year and should do well…..as long as they play weak teams whose quarterbacks lob multiple screen passes into a wad of players late in the game. It’ll be interesting to see what that high powered flag-football style offense looks like when it faces speed, power and a team that can tackle.

33 thoughts on “Five Things We Know”

  2. ITK……..And who was your victory against ? VT ? If you are seriously trying to say that VT is still worthy of that #7 ranking they had when you guys played them then you ar huffing starter fluid. Yes VT has a decent defense. No, Im not saying Bama isnt a great team. But when you are basing everything your saying on the quality of teams playued so far, then your reaching. VT is better than anyone Auburn has played. Il give you that one. But those other two teams you have played sucked as bad a team can suck….Florida Internatiol isnt as good as La Tech…And North Texas cant hold a candle to WV…..Just an observation.

    And no one is saying that Auburn is a world beater. Thats all in your heads.

  3. And how do you know La Tech is better than Florida Int’l? Tech has beaten Nicholls State, that’s it. At 0-2, FIU hasn’t beaten anybody, but to their credit hasn’t had to played a Div-II team from the Southland conference in order to chart a win.

    Comparing apples to apples, WV can’t hold a candle to VT, who Alabama beat on a neutral site, on a national stage, and outside the friendly confines of our campus. When does Auburn leave Lee County this season?

  4. And if you’re saying no one is saying Auburn is a world beater, you’re not hearing the same intoxicated Aubies I rub shoulders with.

  5. As much as I would like to agree with these 5 things, I can only go along with #3 (as a Bama fan).

    I really think we’re jumpin’ the gun by sayin:’

    1. We have a quarterback…G-Mac looks solid thusfar, but once again, he hasn’t seen a REALLY solid D yet.
    2. See 1.
    4. See 2…still need to play somebody tough for us to make a fair assessment.
    5. auburn hasn’t played anyone yet, but at the end of the day, season’s just starting.

    My whole thing is, we can’t publish this type of article until…3 weeks from now, after the Ole Miss game (hopefully they’ll be undefeated when we play them). I think we look cool in our scrimmage games. But the tune-up games will have us solid come time for SEC play.

    We’ll see how much of a fight that Arkansas will put up. Personally, I think it should be at least a 17pt. margin of victory for us (home game against a decent team…gotta send a statement!)

  6. ITK….YOU are saying that Bama is the best team in the country….Then you say Auburn cant claim any merit to their wins because they have not played anyone… So what Im saying is this. What basis do you claim Bams greatness by ? Victories ? You say thats the standard that Auburn cant claim a decent team. So what gives ? You claim that Bama is #1 baed on what ? The teams they have played ? That would be one team. VT…Lets look at VT….They are / were overrated. They wont even win the ACC. They pulled a victory out of theur butts agaisnt a mediocre Nebraska team.

    Let me expain something . I think that Alabama is one of the better teams in the country. But IMO after watching Florida there is no clear cut #1…Excaept in the minds of Alabama fans.

    And after watching VT and WV , I wouldnt be so fast to say that VT would win. Both teams are mediocre and one could win over the other on any given day.

    That being said, I think that Arky doesnt match up against you guys very well. They havent got a defense. Mallett cant win if he is on the sideline. I see a bama victory.

    I could see Ole Miss winning. I could see Tennessee doing well against you.

  7. Look Ballsplay, it’s not fair to compare Bama and Auburn because there is no comparison. Only Aubie distorted, wishful thinking has WV better than VT. All we can go on is on-the-field prowess, and VT just defeated #19 Nebraska while WV’s only quality win is East Carolina. Please don’t insult your rep on here by saying those two feats are the same.

    I like what I see in Auburn, just saying throttle back a little until you get through October. Unlike the Lee County Cream Puff Parade in September, October will be brutal for you guys.

  8. ITK….Can you not read…I said BAM IS ONE OF THE BETTER TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY !!! I also have said that Auburn isnt there yet. In your distorted mind you will deduct that I am another “distorted Aubie” and you will probably devote an article on how many “distorted Aubies” there are out there.. You just hear what you want to hear….

    And by the way, your team will lose a game this year. Its a Saban tradition.

    The point I tried to make went right over your head. VT is an ‘aight team at best. They will not win the ACC. They probably wont even get to the championship game.

  9. Ballplay, sorry to misunderstand you. I have to filter everything I hear from your side of the tracks after six years of anguish. Rarely did I get any logic, just crazed hyperbole. This Saturday’s VT-Miami game will be interesting to watch.

  10. Yes it will. I am not flaming in the least, atleast not this time when I say I believe Miami will win by a couple of TDs.

    In regards to Auburn, we have weaknesses for sure. Our ability to score points has been greatly increased, while our ability to keep points from being scored has been decreased. Our defense looked attrotious against WV in the first quarter. Blown coverages, missed tackles, bad angles. You name it. The only silver lining was the way they went to the ball. Our DBs made about three of those INTs happen out of pure hustle. (shuffle pass not withstanding).

  11. Ballplay, I’ve always said that Auburn fans hate Alabama more than they love Auburn, and you prove my point every day. You’re obsessed with all things Alabama, which is obvious because you visit this board everyday. Do you have a job(being the greeter at Walmart doesn’t count)?

    As for Not so Fast, with fans like you, who needs Auburn and Tenn? Virginia Tech’s Defense might be the best Bama see’s all year, including Florida’s. But they’re not good enough for you. Give me a break! ESPN bloggers and other national sportwriters, including 3 in the AP poll, disagree with you.

  12. Honestly – “Small Balls ” – who cares what you think.
    Your spelling tells me all I need to know about your jive ass.

  13. Wait a second…all I said was…don’t be so quick to crown them. I’m a fan, but I’m not oblivious to fact. It’s too early to tell anything. So relax. No…they’re not good enough for me, considering…the last time an ACC team was in the national championship game was ’99.

    Just keeping it real-istic.

  15. I just want to know if you Bamer’s still think UT hired an “idiot” in Kiffin. You all have been very silent of late.

  16. Kiffin needs the pipe hitters and the QB to run that power running game. I think that in time – he will get what he needs – however the hourglass is running in Knoxville. Will the fanbase be patient ? Don’t think so.
    Too early to tell anything definitive yet .

  17. ITK, does the best team in the country cough up td’s on kick returns in consecutive games? Cough those up to LSU or Ole Miss and Bama might find itself very disappointed. Does the best team in the country have to struggle to gain a half-time lead against a Sunbelt team? That’s the kind of “reading your own press clippings” attitude that lets your guard down and gets your a$$ handed to you by a team like Utah, or a mid-level SEC team that you think you can beat just by putting on a crimson jersey (liek Arkansas). As to Texas you can say you’re unimpressed, but I’d like to know who you think is gonna beat ’em. It sure ain’t gonna be Oklahoma this year.

    I still don’t know who these Auburn fans are you talk about that call Auburn a world beater. I haven’t met a single one that thinks that. Sure that isn’t just a little bile on your part from being disappointed that AU is doing better than expected?

    P.S. Say what you want, but the win over WV was a quality win. Turn on your TV in January and you’ll be watching them play in a BCS game after they win the Big East. Who knows, maybe they’ll even get to play Bama when they get there. I smell another UTAH.

  19. julio you goofy prick. yeah i guess beating the 32nd ranked team at home is a quality win for you inbreds these days, and what you smell is your head up ballplays ass and just remember what that utah team you like to bring up would have done to your pitiful ass last year, uhhh remember 36-0 36-0 36-0 bwahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

  20. No other team looks as good, right now, than Alabama. Obviously, Marquis Johnson is blackmailing his way on the field. If we can find the photo that Marquis Johnson has of President Witt with a goat, we can get him off the field and Dre Kirkpatrick will take his rightful place in the starting lineup.

    Florida is not invincible. They are very beatable. Tennessee lost to a flacid UCLA team and then gave Florida all it could handle. Why? Because Florida has nothing other than Tebow on offense. And, eventually that Gene Garber throwing motion is going to catch up with the Virgin. News flash Tebow: Florida already pays Urban Meyer to be its coach, why don’t you shut up on the sideline and learn how to throw like a real quarterback.

    As for Auburn, you are 3-0 because the 2nd worst quarterback in the country is no longer Kodi Burns, but is now Jarrett Brown. Chris Todd is still the worst quarterback in North America. It was completely painful to watch that idiot Brown screw up not just once, but twice. Brown gave AU the game.

    If Bill Stewart had any sense, he would have lined up Noel Devine for a direct snap after halftime on every play. Brown is dreadfully stupid. I think Brown got Bobby Lowder’s last $100k for throwing that game away after the 21-0 lead.

    I will give Auburn credit for one thing, they don’t make stupid mistakes all day long, a la Stewart and Brown. Gene Cheezit & Malzahn knew early on that Kodi would get their asses fired quicker than any other player on their team. Kodi no longer plays Quarterback, he just lines up and runs. 2nd news flash, Kodi, you ain’t Mark Ingram. You suck.

    Enjoy September Auburn fans. Cause when you start SEC play, the bubble bursts and you return to mediocrity. I fully expect you to loose the rest of your SEC games. Unless Jonathan Crompton, the WORST Quarterback in the history of Tennessee Football gives you the game like he did last year, UT beats AU. If they play half as well as they did against Florida, Kiffin will be singing Rocky Top all night long with Layla.

  21. For the record, Marquis must know about Witt and the goat. Why else would Witt have to lock ALL THE GOD DAMN BUILDINGS ON CAMPUS during pre-game festivities. Witt must use the empty buildings for his intimate moments with said goat or goats.

    Of course, all the buildings were locked after the Sons of Bitches from UGA defacated and urinated in the halls of several buildings in the pregame of the 2007 Alabama / UGA game.

    That was the best thing about curb stomping UGA last year. The funeral was for those that like to destroy other campuses. I hate Georgia.

  22. Julio, I’ve been waiting by the phone, but Saban hasn’t called me yet to put me into the game. Press clippings? Those are for alumni and fans. The team doesn’t give a crap because they’ve been programmed by Saban not to. THIS is our playing field, but the actual players take care of it between the lines.

    And WV on New Year’s Day? Are you really serious? No, what you smell is your own bull****.

  24. Ok.
    Lets be honest.
    WVU has a defense that just plain SUCKS.
    Any team in the top 50 int he United States of America can pretty well eviscerate them.
    I would not count it as a season defining win. Because, when the Liberty Flames notch 20 on the board against you, your defense is about as sucky as possible.
    Couple that with the fact that when Auburn played WVU, The mountaineers were missing their 2 BEST defensive players.
    I know that after the monumental struggle against Ball State, (HEY!!!THEY WENT 12-1 LAST SEASON!!!!) Auburn will think they are bulletproof.
    Just keep thinking that.
    Reality is about to hit with a 12 pound sledgehammer on the kneecap of Auburn’s self awareness…….
    And once again, the almighty one will be laughing his sick ass off…….

  25. Julio,
    Are you STUPID?
    THE LIERTY FLAMES SCORED 20 POINTS AGAINST WVU.
    ECU SCORED 20 POINTS AGAINST WVU.
    AUBURN SCORED A TON OF POINTS AGAINST WVU.
    DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT SIGNIFIES?
    WVU HAS THE WORST FRIGGIN’ HIGH SCHOOL DEFFENSE IN THE COUNTRY!!!!
    JESUS MAN!!!! STOP READING THE PHILLIP MARSHALL PROPAGANDA PIECES!
    WAKE UP MAN!!!

  26. tmc1, Alabama of all teams, should know thatyou cant pull the “This team beat that team so we will sobtract the difference and deduct this team will lose to that team by this amount” bullhockey.

    Pluto, you are just a prick. Shut your trap kid. Why are you so concerned with my arse ? You are aa turdfly with a major case of WADS…Please dont open your mouth with anymore of that verbal diahrea (selling ? Oh yeah WHO CARES !!)…….And no…Bama people dont know what humble pie is. Even thought they invented the recipe.

    Bamafan….You are as stupid as pluto. Im responding to an article containing Auburn material. That would be 90% of the articles on this site. Who is obsessed with who ?

  27. Five Things We Know (Auburn Version)

    #1 Our offensive production is greatly improved. As anyone can see, Mahlzans offense actually works. A balaced attack is possible under his new system. This is impoertant , as last week a passing game was necessary for a win.

    #2 Auburn has a solid offensive line. This is probably the most underrated in the SEC. One sack in three games isnt bad. Our run ability was stopped in the WV game due to the 3-3-5 defense more than their inability to block. Onterio McCaleb is a great open field runner, but his blocking leaves much to be desired. Could someone tell Lee Ziemba the snap count PLEASE !!!

    #3 Our defense needs to step up. The first quarter in all three ballgames so far, has had Auburn playing catchup. I am not sure who to blame , but Ill start with Ted Roof. Chizik knows what it takes to win with defense in the SEC, so he needs to get his assistant on that level. If not , we lose to the power rush teams. LSU, Bama, and Tennesse. Poor tackling and missed assignments nearly cost us the ballgame last week.

    #4 We know that we can beat at least 6 SEC teams. Georgia has a defense that looks like a pee wee football team. S Car. is so inconsistent its ridiculous. Arky is a revovling door. LSU is on a downhill slide. There are four best case wins. The two that I am not so sure about are Bama and LSU / Ole Miss. But, I see a possibility of taking one of those two if our defense steps it up.

    #5 Those 6 straight butt kickins really bruised Bamas ego. You guys have a good / great team. Why cant you just be content with that ? Oh yeah. … Auburn whooped that fanny 6 times. Let it go.

    The trooper thing ???? Pfffftttt….Dyer will commit. Then when we get Seastrunk and the O-lineman that decommitted from SCAR you will see the floodgates open on this years class. We will be competitve again, and soon. But listen here…..We got no one to blame but us for the current state of affairs. I will never hear that from yall.

  28. Ballplay, that last statement is actually not true. My contention all along has been that Bama’s wounds have come at their own hands, and no one else. Stupid decisions, stupid hires and other self-inflicted wounds greatly helped the Aubie “streak”.

    But yes, not just the six losses alone but the manner in which you and other Aubies handled yourselves during that time (relishing in our misery) is what has led to the merciless thrashing we will continue to rain down upon you for the foreseeable future.

  29. And I’m not sure about Dyer and Seastrunk. Not many recruits hold out as long as they have in this day and age.

  30. I just wish Spurrier and Rich Rod didnt turn you down. Saban at Bama was the worst thing for us.

  31. Alex, I must give you full props for the Gene Garber reference to Tebow’s throwing motion. For the youngsters here who don’t know who that is, he was a pitcher for the hapless Braves in the late 70’s and early 80’s with the ugliest side arm pitch in the history of baseball. His biggest claim to fame is that he ended Pete Roses’s NL record hitting streak.

    As to your contention that Auburn won only because Jarret Brown gave up picks, does that same contention not apply to Bama’s win against LSU last year? Does Bama win that game if another “Jarret” doesn’t cough up his 47th pick six of the season? Oh, that’s different isn’t it? Yeah, because it was Bama and not Auburn. Turnovers are a part of the game. Apply pressure and make a point to force them and they will come.

    You’re really showing your crimson colored “objectivity” if you think AU’s only going to win 1 more SEC game all season. P.S. When in the @#!% did WV have a 21-0 lead in that game? That msut have happened when I went to the bathroom or something.

  32. This “journalism” shows what happens when the guy who starts those annoying email chain notes about Alabama football figures out what a blog is.

    It’s RTR 2.0

  33. Yes F.B. – “Jive Ass” is dated – but the term is still as fresh and meaningful in reference to “Small Balls”.

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