News of the day, 9/21

(WAS) BREAKING NEWS: TB Brad Lester is expected to return for Auburn's game against Vanderbilt after a six-game suspension. It was an NCAA issue. If you were wondering why Auburn wasn't more open about the situation, you now have an answer. They were at the NCAA's mercy on this one.

Hey everyone. It's Friday. That means the Tigers sonn will leave for their west Georgia pre-game compound. Big week for them. New Mexico State can score points against most teams. Based on what's been happening at Auburn lately, it's reasonable to assume NMSU will score on its first or second drive.

That has happened more than 80% of the time during the past 11 games. Just sayin'.

Can Auburn's offense dig out of that hole? Probably. Can it dig out of multiple holes? That's anyone's guess. Auburn will have a clear running-game advantage, I think, with an improving offensive line and a couple of decent backs. That'll probably be enough.

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I've received some emails this morning already (y'all start early, I say!) about Brad Lester's situation. The issue apparently has been resolved after a nine-month wait. Not much else to say there. He's an excellent player who will make the Tigers a more potent team. Auburn probably is going to lose at Florida anyway. At least they'll have Lester back for winnable games against Vandy, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama.

FOOTNOTE: This was an incredibly tough story to follow. People were remarkably quiet about Lester's situation -- for totally legitimate reasons. Just sayin.

I talked with several fans today for a story I'm running tomorrow. They certainly weren't panicked about the team's situation. I think it's fair to say people already are looking toward 2008, but the Auburn fans I polled were pretty strong in their overall approval of Tuberville. Of course, fans and The People Who Matter sometimes have different opinions. We'll learn more about that chasm if the losing continues.