You’ve got to respect Auburn’s pugnacity
By Shane from Centerpoint
Standing in the White House and being acknowledged by the President as the 2009 national champion leaves no doubt that the University of Alabama is once again an elite college football program – a powerhouse. At the rate they are progressing the Crimson Tide already owns the state and stands ready to dominate the entire SEC.
However, the Tide’s cross-state rival Auburn isn’t going down without a fight. They are not intimidated. With most of the SEC seemingly unable to compete with Alabama last year, Auburn took Alabama to the wire in the “Iron Bowl”. In fact, the Tiger’s performance during that contest gained enough respect from the BCS Bowl selection committee to earn them a New Year’s Day game.
Actually, somebody down on the Plains deserves major credit for realizing that Tommy Tuberville’s stale act wouldn’t stand a chance against a program on the verge of dominance like Alabama under Nick Saban.
In fact, Auburn’s made so many right moves lately that it’s almost as if the “master” Pat Dye is running the show again. He, or whoever’s calling the shots, knows Saban would’ve crushed the weak resistance that Tubby’s regime offered.
Nevertheless, the men running Auburn’s program also know that the Crimson Tide is stocked deep with awesome talent. They are also very aware that Saban is constantly adding layers of high-caliber athletes at every position.
On their side of the recruiting front Tiger leaders have been innovative. The best and boldest move made by Auburn officials so far has been the hire of Trooper Taylor and Curtis Luper – two controversial recruiting experts who are currently at the top of their game.
With Saban being one of the best recruiters – and most effective closers – in the history of college football, Auburn is wise enough to know they can’t win a straight fight.
They’ve mostly stayed outside the box when recruiting and have been very successful in doing so. Tiger coaches utilize the press well, stage organized events, and time them carefully to attract the most attention. Some folks call these methods “gimmicks”, but the kids – the ones that matter – seemed to like the show and respect the effort.
If the end result is a top-five ranked signing class, then it is a step in the right direction. This year’s strong finish shows that Auburn leaders realize they must maintain a relentless pace if they want to improve Auburn’s chances against the mighty Red Elephants in the future.
SEC insiders are even claiming that Gene Chizik may be waiting around for Nick Saban to evaluate and select athletes and then sending his guys in behind Nick. People might claim that type of activity is classless. I say it’s good business. Isn’t Nick Saban the best analyst and evaluator in the nation?
The Crimson Tide’s accomplishments since 2008 are certainly amazing. Yet, Gene Chizik and his Auburn football program seem unaffected by the huge spotlight focused on western Alabama.
Clearly, Chiz has his program and fan base fired up. His greatest achievement to date is unifying a group left tattered and fractured by its former commander.
His 8-5 record aside, Chiz hasn’t blinked since he arrived on campus. While others – some of the Auburn “Family” included – doubted him, Chizik has been consistent and solid on all fronts.
In my opinion Auburn is playing the game the way it should be played when facing such a dominant football program like Alabama. They are focused on the internal things that will improve the team — mainly getting better players.
Recently, (now) former Auburn running back Ben Tate proclaimed that he is better than Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. He isn’t, but he believes that he is. That’s a start.
To win, you’ve got to believe first. If Chizik can get his team to think like Tate thinks, then he’ll stand a hard fighting chance to reap the rewards of the pugnacious puissance he’s instilling in this Auburn program.
Shane writes a weekly column for the Call News and the Capstone Report.
You guys all sound like idiots on both sides of the state, we all know how quickly the dominance can shift,like six years undefeated to two winless iron bowls. Don’t even argue with these bama idiots and buy a ticket for the f’n game, cause it will be a great one for years to come. War eagle
Well. Your Golden Boy looked like a cubit zirconium against AU in the Iron Bowl. And lets be honost, our defense sucked last year.
Crimson Hammah. ….. .. . Are you retarded or something ?
For real…
Are you ?
If you really are ( and Im starting to think thats the case) , just let me know so I wont crack on you anymore.
Seriously…
And enough with the chop block angle. You people have beat that garbage into the ground. Ramsye is gone.
Auburn sucks, their fanbase sucks. After a few lucky breaks the dumb bastards an in a shit induced delusion. They fantasize about somewhere they’ve never been and never will be. Bama will stomp your asses this year. Saban will crucify you for pulling all those stupid ass dipsy doo plays. Just try stopping Ingram again turd breaths. Bama will win the BCS in 2010. Fuck you Barner inbreds. RTR!
no not retarded …no retarded statements…did not say an aubie would like my response to an aubie flamer
bama ever going 8-4 that is crack head
having your open date before last game – that is crack head
giving a rats azz about the 6th best team in a conference that is crack head
roll tide roll celebrating 26 22 12-17 national championships
nothing retarded about bashing the living crap out of a bunch of flamers
BAMA – ON A 14 GAME WINNING STREAK
LETS BE HONEST – AU PLAYERS SAID THEY HAD BAMA’S OFFENSIVE SIGNALS – ALSO POINTED OUT BY CBS…RAMMING INGRAM UP THE MIDDLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN WAS NOT MCILWAINE’S BEST DAY
Oh and by the way asswipes. It’s now official. The President confirmed we have 13 National Championships. LMFAO! So STFU. RTR!
repugnancy to a moral victory based fan base is not being arrogant in any way
2009 Bama won the NC and you already know the rest of the story. Get off of Auburn 04. They should of beaten USC when they had the chance. This is what happens when you get a great coach at the right program. All you really have is 1 team to compare us too. Those two o’s look like Sabans balls don’t they! Anyway, until you beat us, it doesn’t matter! 2 in a row, current NC, returning Heisman winner, and pre-season #1, RTR BITCHE$!
He also said he would close Quantonimo, get our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, lower taxes on the working man, and stop global warming ( myth ) …..Any more enlightening comments egg ?
“Should have been USC when you had a chance.”
AUBURN NEVER HAD A CHANCE. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF DEBATE.
Guantanimo, dumbass. Enlightening enough?
I remember USC hangin bout fitty on the tiggers one season before. Have fun being an “almost, an also ran, middle of the road never was aubie” sounds like fun.
Gitmo ..Quantanimo. …Geronimo…..Whatever there spelling cop. Point is…..Who cares….But it is fitting. The most unaccomplished Pres. awarding one of the most unaccomplished BCS teams ever..With the most unaacomplished Heisman winner ever.
I change my stance. Its appropriate.
It’s clear that you don’t know anything about accomplishment auburn fan.
14-0, 6 all-Americans, Heisman winner, these things are called accomplishments.
Maybe you can try to learn to spell on a 3rd grade level, that would be an accomplishment.
Where did John Heisman coach at ? Your “accomplishment” was a result of Auburn.
Go figure how you are claiming to be “accomplished” . and your rival isnt, when youre “accomplishment” is named after your rivals coach…..
See how stupid you sound ?
But your spelling was adequate.
I can always tell when Im whipping someones ass.
They pull the spelling card.
AGREED NO ROOM FOR SPELLING CARDS OR GRAMMAR CARDS…THIS IS INTERNET SLAPDOWN LOSERS RAMBLING TO OTHER LOSERS
FRANK THOMAS – AU BASEBALL PLAYER – ON JIME ROME TV – SUPER CLASS ACT
You couldn’t whip cream asshole. The trophy would’ve been named whether he coached there or not. The accomplishment is not a “result” of auburn, just a relation.
Thanks for agreeing with ballsack HAMMAH. I was only pointing out the obvious aubie idiots on the site, spelling really had nothing to do with it, misspelled intentionally is different than ballsack’s sincere ignorance.
Auburn had the chance to beat USC in 02 and 03, and if they would have, maybe could have positioned themselves better for the 04 run. They choked and the rest is history.
If I was an Aubie, I would be excited about thus season. They have a great schedule and should win at least 9 games. I still don’t think the can beat Bama yet, but 1 more recruiting class like this one and the Iron Bowl will be deciding the west for a while.
I WAS KINDA JUST KIDDIN BIG RED BRO
DO DRINK THE AU KOOK AID AU LOST LAST 6 OF 7 – NO REASON TO GET EXCITED ..BUT SHOULD BE DREADING IT…TEAMS HAVE FIGGERED OUT THE HIGH SCHOOL TRICK PLAY OFFENSE. SHOULD WIN 3 GAMES MAX IN SEC
We will beat Kentucky today! Maybe not, but at least we’re still playing!RTR
elephant, the comparison of the 02 and 03 losses to USC are ridiculous. Those are totally different seasons. You think Bama could have ever reached a #1 ranking during the 08 season if their 07 season would have been taken into consideration?? Should we assume that La-Mo would have beaten Bama in 08 just because they did it in 07??
LSU waxed Auburn 31-7 in 03. UGA stomped Auburn 26-7 in 03. That didn’t stop AU from beating both of them in 04.
Hammah agrees with anyone that cant spell or use proper grammer.
He makes me look like Hemmingway.
I was looking at some early 2010 rankings and picks last night and came across an interesting article about going back to back. The last team to do it was Nebraska 94,95, unless you count USC in 03(AP) and 04. They lost to Texas in 05.Miami almost did it too, but lost to Ohio ST. Florida ran the regular season gauntlet, but lost to a hungry Bama team. I think Saban will win another one at Bama, but some of those teams I mentioned had Heisman winners and all Americans and they couldn’t do it. I do think we can do it, because I don’t think anybody will beat this team at home. That leaves Arkansas and LSU. LSU will be our toughest game, outside the SECCG. I really don’t see a team in the Sec right now that can beat us. If there is a coach out there who can keep his team focused enough and playing consistant enough to get back to The Game, its Saban. The odds are against it because its hard enough to do one time, much less back to back, but I can’t wait to see what happens. By the way, the guy in that article picked Ohio St to beat us in the BCSCG.
I just heard Lebo got canned. Fuck Kentucky!
ElephantStomp
YOU LOST 9 DEFENSIVE STARTERS!!!!
Starters, yes but plenty of experience. Hightower, Nico Johnson, Kerry Murphy, BJ scott, Chapman, Lester, Rod Woodson, Kirkpatrick. We have players. Our D will be tops in the SEC again. I’m more worried about kicker. Oh yeah Jarrell Harris…..
Marcell Dareus
Dude we have so many players, I’ve forgotten some of them. We also redshirted a bunch last year. Our Defense will be awesome. Our offense is going to be better, so we can take it slow on Defense right now until it comes togethet. If we played Penn St tommorrow, who would win?
When our defense takes the feild for the first time, we’ll have 11 4 or 5 star recruits out there.
U STUPID IGNORANT SLUT – AU GOT SHUTOUT 23 – 0 …IT WAS NOT JUST A MATTER OF PLAYING THEM AND PLUS IN ALL EQUAL SITUATION PREVIOUS SHUTOUT IS A GREAT TIE BREAKER …AND YES IF 09 ENDS BAMA UTAH AND TEXAS UNDEFEATED…TEX PLAYS UTAH FOR THE TITLE
YES AND WE RELOAD WITH EVEN BETTAH PLAYAHS
…THIS IS ALABAMA FOOTBALL
…WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN SOMETHING I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO EXPLAIN?
IIIIIIIIINNNNNNNN AAAAAAAAAAAAA TTTTTTIIIIIEEEE BBBBBRRREEEAAAAKKK SSSSIIITTTTTUUUUUAAAATTTTTIIIIIOOOONNNN….OK GETS THE NOD OVER AU – AU GOT SHUTOUT 23-0 THE YR BEFORE AND THUS AU IS ELIMINATED FROM TITLE CONTENTION
WE R TALKING ABOUT USC – A PERRINNIAL BCS BOWL WINNER VS A ONE SHOT WONDER
X I – E
Thank You HAMMAH
I just watched Bluechips, the movie with Shaq. Made me think of Chizik. Cheaters never win and always get caught.
I’ve noticed a trend….whenever one rival school becomes successful, the other school starts screaming cheating!
I guess will find out eventually whose really guilty.
Excuse me, “guilty”
I was just kidding. Just trying to get you going.
got Woodson
A few things:
1.Shane, there is no “BCS Bowl Selection Committee”. Each Bowl has their own decisions to mkake as to the teams that will be playing. Once again, this guy Shane shows his complete ignorance.
2 While I congratulate AU on playing in a good bowl game, let’s not get carried away on the whole “New Year’s Bowl” thing anymore.There was a time when that meant you were one of the best programs in the country that year.Not anymore.Even the traditional January 1st Bowls don’t even play on January 1st anymore. And some even lower tier bowls play AFTER January 1st.
3.The name of the game is The Iron Bowl, not the “Iron Bowl”. Why does this guy Shane insist on using quotation marks on everything he writes?
Again, Elephant Stomp, you are comparing results from one year to the next. Like someone stated earlier, LSU and Georgia both beat Auburn badly in 03, but Auburn had no problem with them in 04. It varies from season to season. Using your logic, Alabama should have been beat by Florida in 2009 because Florida kicked their ass in 2008. It isn’t good logic. Seasons vary from season to season and you are the one that is ignorant if you think that what happens in one season has any affect on another. La Monroe beat Bama in 07. Do you think they would have beat Bama in 08? It is piss poor logic from a typical Bam.