Friday thoughts, 11/14

Here are a few things I'm pondering in the hours leading up to The Georgia Game.

• Are we really going to The Mario Fannin Well again?: Assistant coach Eddie Gran said Thursday that the Tigers may move Fannin into the featured role against Georgia in an effort to find a front-line guy. Does Auburn have one? I thought Ben Tate was that guy, but it's clear the coaching staff doesn't see it that way. He's been splitting carries pretty evenly with Fannin and Lester of late, which is a messy decision. The Tigers need a No. 1 guy. Going into the Georgia game without a decision on that front is weird to me.
  
  I think Fannin has some skills. I don't think he'll be a No. 1 guy. He doesn't seem all that quick to me (in relative terms) and he misses assignments. He's not a freshman anymore.
  
  
• So what happens with Chris Todd? Since Neil Caudle relieved quarterback Kodi Burns during the late stages last week, that means 19 is the backup. Todd is becoming a distant memory. It's a shame in a sense because Todd is a very nice kid. He's frustrated about his shoulder. He's not the player he once was. Nobody knows that better than Todd himself. My best guess is that he stays for his final season in a backup-backup role. It would take one heck of a salesman to convince a program -- any program -- that Todd could help them immediately next season. He has one year of eligibilty remaining.
  
  
• What's up with the offensive line?: Auburn was prepared to outlast opponents this season. Remember how Tony Franklin wanted to run 80-90 plays per game? The line was built to handle that. The "smash-mouth" stuff was ditched. Then Franklin was fired, Steve Ensminger and Hugh Nall went back to the offense they know -- smash-mouth stuff -- and now the line isn't ready for it.
  
  Look, LT Lee Ziemba is listed at 285 pounds. He's a lean guy. He's also playing with a bum knee.
  
  RT Ryan Pugh is listed at 6-foot-4 (he's more like 6-2) and 280 pounds. Pugh doesn't look that heavy to me.
  
  Those are exceptionally light tackles in an era where guys at that position routinely exceed 300 pounds.
  
  Let's go through the SEC.
  SEC WEST
  • Auburn -- Lee Ziemba (6-8, 285) and Ryan Pugh ("6-4", 280)
    
  • Alabama -- Andre Smith (6-4, 330) and Drew Davis (6-7, 300)
    
  • Arkansas -- Ray Dominguez (6-4, 315) and Jose Valdez (6-5, 313)
    
  • LSU -- Ciron Black (6-5, 327) and Joe Barksdale (6-5, 315)
    
  • Miss. State -- Derek Sherrod (6-5, 303) and *Quentin Saulsberry (6-3, 293)
    
  • Ole Miss -- Michael Oher (6-5, 318) and John Jerry (6-5, 350)
  
  
  SEC EAST
  • Florida -- Phil Trautwein (6-6, 310) and Jason Watkins (6-6, 310)
    
  • Georgia -- Clint Boling (6-5, 290) and Josh Davis (6-6, 293)
    
  • Kentucky -- Garry Williams (6-3, 300) and Justin Jeffries (6-6, 310)
    
  • South Carolina -- Jarriel King (6-7, 285) and Justin Sorenson (6-7, 315)
    
  • Tennessee -- Chris Scott (6-5, 310) and Ramon Foster (6-6, 325)
    
  • Vanderbilt -- Kyle Fischer (6-6, 305) and Thomas Welch (6-7, 305)
  
  

Auburn and Georgia are the only schools with both tackles under 300. Playing straight-ahead football with the smallest offensive line in the league is not a formula for success.