Schedule update
Hey everyone.I soon will depart Montgomery headed for Tuscaloosa in search of the nation's No. 5 basketball team. The Auburn Tigers are playing at Alabama this afternoon. Fingertips meet leather at 2 p.m. CST.
I will be live blogging the event, so please join in if you are inclined.
ALSO: I penned a little analysis of Auburn's 2008-09 recruiting effort, which ended Wednesday. Strikes and gutters from my perspective. The Tigers' effort; not my writing.
LINK: Late surge helps boost AU's class
posted by Jay G. Tate at
10:31 AM
39 Comments:
I'd like to thank the Academy...
Have a safe trip Jay..
Hopefully we can keep it within twenty points.
Alabama has won one of its last 40 SEC games.
Ok...
Hope we can keep it within 30 points then...
one of 40????? whoa, saban better start taking care of business up there.
Interesting breakdown of the class. It doesn't look like the class was as good as it would have been if Tuberville was retained. If you look at the recruits we lost, I think that is pretty clear.
That being said, this class did turn out to be pretty impressive, especially in terms of getting recruits we weren't suppose to get. That really balanced out a lot of the losses, such as Farms, Cotton, Scott, and Robinson.
You really can't tell about a recruiting class until several years down the road. To characterize this class as average is probably correct, but in this case average is remarkable considering the circumstances.
The upgrading of the skill positions on offense definitely stands out. The offensive line will be a concern, but I wouldn't consider it a disaster.
The other things that figure in here are the loss of guys like Chris Slaughter and Tray Blackmon. We seem to have plenty of options in terms of replacing Slaughter. Blackmon is unique, but Eltoro is definitely a plus in terms of linebackers.
Overall, I have to be pleased with this class. Next season we will need a class similar to the 2007 class in terms of linemen.
Tuberville was burnt out, there's no point in bringing up what kind of class he would have had. As bad as hiring a 5-19 coach sounds, Chizik hired some good assistants, and they're going after prospects Tubs has never heard of.
Jay, great article about the class. If you were to read the scout rankings I would think it would echo your thoughts. As a transition class this one is a win but in terms of winning on the field we'll have to just wait and see. August won't come soon enough.
Drive safely! Look forward to getting the updates. Does our band go to away games? Because I would love them to play rammer jammer again.
I don't understand the burned out statement, but to each his own I suppose.
Sean, I can't wait until August, but I suppose I have no choice:) This team will likely be drastically different that what we have become accustomed to.
The offense will definitely be much improved. I don't see any way it cannot.
Defensively it will be interesting. The defensive line may not be quite as good, but it should still be solid.
Linebackers will be interesting. If Eltoro can handle the weak side linebacker spot, we should be okay there.
I am pretty excited about the secondary, particularly the possibility of Demond Washington getting some playing time. We seem to have plenty of speed guys to put in the secondary. The DBs could end up being the strength of this defense.
Thanks for the bbb. I'll be tuned in.
Very simple.
Burnt out = Steady decline in winning games and recruiting top players.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Since there hadn't been a steady decline, that is why the statement seems so bizarre. We had gone from averaging 8 wins a season to around 10 when Tuberville resigned. Sure, the Franklin Experience was a disaster, but it definitely wasn't representative and it was also proof the Tuberville hadn't become complacent. I find a lot of the talk of a steady decline rather bizarre.
Ok Steve, believe what you want.
Great job Jay. I agree with your assesment of this class.
I have greater expectations than some others for AU, but Ithink this class filled a lot of needs. #1 was playmakers. AU now has more than one. I think they will contribute this year. If the coaches are as good on the field as they are in the cruitin field, AU will be fine. CHizik will always have the 5-19 tag until he wins. He will make some big strides over the next few years at AU.
Such a true statement- Judgement day is 360 days away.
I wouldn't make too much of what Chiz did at Iowa State. So far I am very pleased with what he has done at Auburn. The SEC West will be tough, but Chiz seems to have us headed in the right direction. I wish we had signed a couple of more offensive linemen, but overall this class turned out better than I ever guest it would have.
I am looking forward to the lady tigers taking on the Tide. They are going for 7 in a row over the mighty Tide. Is this game being televised?
Gene Chizik is front page of rivals.com
Thanks jhag. That rivals article was interesting. The most surprising part is probably that Penn State had a poor recruiting class. That surprised me. I would think a lot of players in Pennsylvania would like to get a chance to play for JoePa before he retires.
continuing with the dead horse beating, can someone tell me who we didn't get whom CTT would have signed. I can think of Cotton and the DE from AL/IN who may have signed with UGa. And Brandon Heavens, who's switch to MSU did not coincide with Tubs departure, but with AU signing some higher rated receivers.
I'm willing to trade Cotton for Rollison (IF Rollison qualifies).
I'm satisfied with the def. signees. The big def. names we didn't get, we weren't getting anyway. And we avoided one chubby LB.
On offense, in addition to Rollison, we gained Blake, Benton, and Mr. AL Football. I don't understand any claim that Tubs would have signed a better class.
who's = whose, for Monica's sake
THT, don't forget that this is with a staff who didn't even have a full year under them. Tuberville could have been recruiting these guys since they were sophomores.
It seems like a pretty pointless excercise to make a list. I am not sure what the point seems to be here.
As for the rivals article, I also found it interesting that they mention MSU's singning class. I kind of think of MSU as the Iowa State of the SEC and I am not sure why Mullen chose to go there. With Nutt in Ole Miss, to me MSU seems like the last place a coach would want to go to try to build a program. MSU does good to be one of the top two teams in their state. That isn't likely to change.
Very proud of Chiziks progress. He upgraded the talent as it was apparent that this haul was definately better than what the previous staff was gonna bring in.
I'm with Steve on this. I think CTT would have had about the same quality class although the makeup would have been different. I also think it's pointless to pursue a discussion of the relative merits of the 2 coaches any further. Chizik is what we have.
Chizik has satisfied me on the first 2 tests. He built a decent staff and recruited a respectable class. Now we have to see how he knits the staff and team together into a functioning unit. The final test starts next fall.
Ill take Rollison, Blake, Benton, Washington and Aycock over Cotton, Perkins, and Heavens any day of the week.
The offensive talent upgrade was night and day. Just wish we couldve gotten more offensive lineman.
SteveFC, I was asking you to support your claim that "...it doesn't look like the class was as good as it would have been if Tuberville was retained. If you look at the recruits we lost, I think that is pretty clear."
I disagree 100% with that statement, but my opinion on this topic is subjective. Your statement "that is pretty clear" implies an objective assessment to which I'd be willing to listen/read.
Perkins is a stud
Yeah it really is pointless to even bring Tubs up anymore. He's gone and if he really wanted to stay he wouldve made it known and gone down fighting. He was a good coach but you can't decline in conference wins every year for the last 5 years and expect to hang around long in the sec.
Perkins is a stud, but will he make it in?
His youtube video was classic.
Who will get their bride a better Valentine's Day gift -- Tubs or Chiz? Discuss among yourselves.
Tubs probably has to buy two Valentine gifts, so it will be a little harder for him.
I'd say Tubs will be better, but that doesn't answer the question of will it be more appreciated. That's the most important part.
Women's thread up.
I think $5.1 counts for Christmas and Valentines... and birthday and anniversary... for the next 10 years.
Arguing the recruiting classes is pointless. The list someone gave of recruits we lost due to CTT jumping ship is far from complete, but what is the point? You cannot list the players that CTT would have signed. We lost out on a lot of in state recruits, but that is water under the bridge.
I am not sure why people think we were in a steady decline. That seems to be bizarre to me. Look at the record from 2004 to 2007. Compare it with any other 4 year stretch in Auburn history. To call that a decline is laughable.
As for Chizik, so far I think he has done a great job. The real test certainly comes on the field. We should see a dramatic improvement on offense. I am hoping the Chiz can keep our defense up to snuff. If that occurs we could be in for a pretty good season. I would call 8 wins likely.
The real test comes with the long term. A lot will depend upon how long Malzahn hangs around. It will be very easy for him to look like Einstein in comparisons to our offensive performance this past year.
I would have favored hiring someone like Malzahn as the HC instead of the OC and retaining Rhoads, although not all were impressed with him as much as I was.
The biggest disappointment so far was the loss of Willis. I would have also liked to see us get Rodney Garner, but I think he is happy at Georgia and I really can't blame him. Those two would have made a huge difference in terms of competing for recruits in the south, which is where I think this staff is lacking at the moment.
If we do have an outstanding offense this coming season, I would like to see the administration pucker up and make Malzahn feel wanted. I am just guessing, but I think the guy has star written all over him.
Up by 30, are we pressing?
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