News of the ... period?

Hey everyone. As you know, I took some time away from the blog lately. The reasoning is simple: Auburn athletics, for the most part, are at a stand-still. I also needed a short sabbatical after blogging for like 120 of 122 days.

So I'm back. I'm blogging, may or may not do anything on the 2-5, then return for full daily coverage of the Chicken Bowl. I'm pretty geeked about Atlanta. I've heard a lot of belly-achin' from various people about how a 150-mile bowl trip isn't cool, but proximity is a big plus for me. A trip through the airline system rarely is relaxing. Rolling up I-85 with some Priestess blaring? Relaxing.

Right now, I have to knock out a Christmas story on Tristan Davis. I'll return after that for the kind of blogging goodness you've come to expect here at the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the net.

We hope you're having a wonderful holiday time. I've heard various reports from Santa regarding the HOTTIES, so be sure to temper Christmas-morning expectations ... just in case.

The football team has been off since the 18th. Players are required to report to the Auburn team hotel by 6 p.m. on the 25th. Practice starts on the 26th at Georgia Tech, though the workouts will be closed to everyone.

Clemson (9-3) was an excellent team this season. I rarely gave them much love in the AP poll, which perhaps was an oversight on my part. I've spent some time lately looking through the Tommy Bowden Tigers' statistics. It's a pretty impressive collection of numbers:

TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED: 297.1 per game
TOTAL YARDS GAINED: 412.4 per game

COMBINED NUMBERS FROM TOP TWO TAILBACKS: 328 rushes for 1,648 yards (5.0 per carry) and 11 runs longer than 20 yards

SAME NUMBERS FOR BEN TATE AND BRAD LESTER: 299 rushes for 1,329 yards (4.4 per carry) and 7 runs longer than 20 yards.

CLEMSON QB CULLEN HARPER: 268-for-400 (67%) for 2,887 yards -- 27 TD, 6 INT
THREE AUBURN QBS COMBINED: 178-for-313 (57%) for 2,084 yards -- 11 TD, 14 INT

I took some heat last week from Press-Register ace Evan Woodbery, who didn't agree with my vote for Kansas' Mark Mangino as AP Coach of the Year. Evan thought Illinoise coach Ron Zook was an obvious choice despite earning like 2 of 50+ votes.

Zook deserves some kind of award. It's just that Mangino took KANSAS to the BCS this season. Illinoise was in the Sugar Bowl in 2000. There is some tradition there. There's nothing of the sort at at Kansas.