Looking at AU/Vanderbilt

Here it is. Feel free to disagree. I'll try to defend my positions unless Chris Todd is involved ...

POSITION BY POSITION:
QUARTERBACK
Advantage: Vanderbilt
Auburn is in complete upheaval here. I believe Chris Todd is the better option right now, but he's less productive overall than Vanderbilt's Chris Nickson.

RUNNING BACKS
Advantage: Auburn
Ben Tate's numbers haven't been remarkable this season. How much of that is due to blocking problems? When he gets a hole, he's tough to stop. With Brad Lester and now Mario Fannin in the fray, the Tigers have a lot of depth.

RECEIVERS
Advantage: Auburn
I can't believe I'm doing this. Auburn? Receivers? Look at it this way: Tommy Trott, Robert Dunn and Rod Smith are at least league average. Vanderbilt's only good receiver, George Smith, will make his season debut today.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Advantage: Vanderbilt
Auburn's line has undermined so many drives with holding penalties this season. Lee Ziemba is in a funk. Jason Bosley's body isn't cooperating with him. Vanderbilt has accomplished plenty so far this season with their front line.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Advantage: Auburn
One thing to remember from last week: Tennessee really wanted to run. And it really couldn't. This is why. Sen'Derrick Marks and Tez Doolittle have become almost impossible for opponents to move. They block running lanes with aplomb.

LINEBACKERS
Advantage: Auburn
I really like watching Vanderbilt's MLB, Patrick Benoist, play the game. He's a natural and incredibly underrated. With that said, Auburn has five guys who are SEC starters right now. It's a valuable collection.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Advantage: Auburn
This one is close. Vanderbilt has three guys with at least two picks apiece, which is remarkable. I was inclined to go with that. Then I reviewed the team's schedule, compared it with Auburn's and decided the Tigers have been just as good (if not opportunistic) against much better teams.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Advantage: Vanderbilt
Wes Byrum is struggling, the punt return team has lost its swagger. Vanderbilt has been using special teams to its advantage this season in a big way. Plus, kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt is a perfect 7-for-7. Not too shabby.

COACHING
Advantage: Auburn
Look, I like Bobby Johnson. The Commodores get a little bit better every single season. They have guys in the NFL. They're more than competitive now. Still, Tommy Tuberville has been doing this at a high level for much longer.


PLAYERS TO WATCH:

• Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson (No. 3)
  6-1, 210, Sr.
  Last game: 6-for-7 for 40 yards; 7 carries for 2 yards (vs. Ole Miss)
  Scouting report: Nickson, a Brundidge native, suffered a sprained throwing shoulder in the Commodores' win against Ole Miss two weeks ago. When he's healthy, Nickson is a shifty runner who has learned to make thoughtful decisions with his throws. A career lived in the spotlight has given Nickson plenty of trial-and-error learning. He's sharp. Running is his forte -- he's averaging 4.8 yards per carry -- and he has enough elusiveness to avoid almost any tackler.
  
  
• Auburn WR Mario Fannin (No. 27)
  5-11, 225, Soph.
  Last week: 3 catches for 29 yards; 4 rushes for 18 yards (vs. Tenn.)
  Scouting report: Fannin is one of the Tigers' most exciting players. He spent the first month of the season in relative anonymity because of a shoulder injury suffered during spring ball. Coaches changed their tune last week, allowing Fannin to take snaps from center and catch balls out of the backfield. He's a dynamic player who can contribute in a variety of ways. He's intuitive. Fannin was fumble-prone as a freshman in 2007, though he hasn't had those problems in 2008. He seems more casual with his running this season in the sense that he sprints only after identifying a clear running lane. It's an interesting change from his freshman pace.
  
  
• Auburn DE Michael Goggans (No. 49)
  6-3, 259, Soph.
  Last week: 3 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry (vs. Tenn.)
  Scouting report: Goggans came to Auburn as a tight end, but he's become a stalwart on the defensive line. He'll be tested today because Vanderbilt loves running the ball outside the tackles, which is where Goggans roams. He smaller and slower than many SEC strong-side ends. Goggans makes things happen by playing with remarkable effort; he never gives up on plays. He sometimes seems tentative as if he's too concerned with falling victim to a misdirection play or reverse.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

• Auburn offense
  As you would expect, Vanderbilt plays intelligent football. That's not just stereotypical blather. Coach Bobby Johnson has installed a complicated defense that is blitz-heavy. It's also a shapeshifter. There are few patterns to memorize. They don't exist. The Commodores run more blitz variations than any other SEC team. That means Auburn's offensive line must pay close attention to details, which has not been its strong suit so far this season. The most critical development for the Tigers is establishing some consistency at quarterback and finding ways to make the run game move forward. There was too much side-stepping in games against LSU and Tennessee. Vanderbilt's secondary has intercepted 10 passes this season, so Chris Todd and Kodi Burns must be keen in identifying disguised coverages.
  
  
• Auburn defense
  It's amazing that Vanderbilt has scored as much as it has this season. It ranks 12th among SEC teams in offensive yards. So how is this team 4-0? Turnovers. The defense creates turnovers and the offense executes in the red zone. Vanderbilt gives the ball to either quarterback Chris Nickson or tailback Jared Hawkins and lets them run. That means Auburn's defense will deploy its defensive backs closer to the line of scrimmage to provide run support. Nickson has a strong arm. Mechanics are a problem for him, though, which compromises his accuracy on deep throws. Blitzes don't work particularly well against Vanderbilt because Nickson can escape. He's running most of the time, too.