Wrappin' it up: Auburn wins, 49-24
 Hey everyone. Here are some things you need to know about the game.
STATISTICS OF NOTE- AUBURN PLAYS RUN: 83
- AUBURN YARDS: 589
- AUBURN TIME OF POSSESSION: 31:03
- KODI BURNS TOUCHDOWNS: 3 rushing, 1 wide-open pass
- FIRST DOWNS: Auburn had 29; MSU had 14.
- Auburn in the RED ZONE: 4 trips, 4 touchdowns
- Ben Tate: 20 carries for 157 yards, 1 TD
- Onterio McCalebb: 16 carries, 114 yards, 1 TD
- Mario Fannin: 9 carries, 75 yards, 0 TD
- Kodi Burns: 9 carries, 32 yards, 3 TD
QUOTES OF NOTE- Gene Chizik on the offense: ``We were sporadic at times. The final numbers obviously will tell you that we were very effective in a number of ways. Still, so much room to improve. I thought near the end again we ran the ball well. It's never as good as it seems. It's never as bad as it seems."
- Chizik on Kodi Burns scoring three TDs and passing for a fourth: ``It's as good as it gets. It's great. You are looking at great things happening to great kids. As we told him when this whole thing happened, we said: `You are going to help us win games.' He has played a big role in the first two."
- Burns on why the Wildcat works so well in the red zone: ``I credit all our offensive success to the offensive line. They did a great job. Every time we got within the five-yard line, we were able to punch the ball in. We executed well and our hard work has been paying off."
- Onterio McCalebb on ... life in general: ``I love Ben Tate like a brother. When we're out there together, we have a lot of fun. When we we're off the field, we're running around but once we're in, we get down to business."
- Ben Tate on this team's personality: ``It's not like last year when we never finished a game. We're a second-half team because we're in great shape."
- Joshua Bynes on the next game: ``We're going to be very prepared for West Virginia. They are going to be competitive. They are going to be after us. We're going to come in two times harder than last year. We're 2-0 right now, but we're 0-1 with West Virginia."
Final: AU 49-24
 Hey everyone. We are watching the second half of MSU @ Auburn. - MSU's 1st possession: PUNT. Drive covered 6 yards in three plays.
- Auburn's 1st possession: PUNT. Drive covered 36 yards in nine plays.
**I'm now doing scores only.**
- Auburn's 2nd possession: TOUCHDOWN. Philip Lutzenkirchen 13 pass from Burns ... drive covered 80 yards in seven plays ... Ben Tate earned six consecutive carries to open the drive, gaining 36 yards.
- Auburn's 3rd possession: TOUCHDOWN. Ben Tate 35 run ... drive covered 72 yards in four plays.
- MSU's 4th possession: TOUCHDOWN. Christian Ducre 1 pass from Tyson Lee ... drive covered 57 yards in 10 plays.
- Auburn's 4th possession: TOUCHDOWN. Burns 1 run ... drive covered 75 yards in 13 plays.
THAT'S A WRAPAuburn total yards: 589 MSU total yards: 297
1st half, AU 28-17
 Hey everyone. We're watching the first quarter of Mississippi State at Auburn. This is the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools. - Auburn's 1st drive: PUNTED. 6 plays, 41 yards.
- MSU's 1st possession: PUNTED. 3 plays, 9 yards.
- Auburn's 2nd drive: TOUCHDOWN. Kodi Burns 1 run ... drive was 8 plays, 73 yards ...
- MSU's 2nd possession: PUNTED. 3 plays, 8 yards.
- Auburn's 3rd possession: PUNTED. 6 plays, 28 yards ... Clinton Durst's punt was downed at the 1.
- MSU's 3rd possession: INTERCEPTED by Antonio Coleman ----> AUBURN TOUCHDOWN.
- MSU's 4th possession: TOUCHDOWN. Anthony Dixon 1 run ... play covers 83 yards in 12 plays ... Bulldogs convert both third-down situations ... scored on a 4th and Goal from the 1.
- Auburn's 4th possession: PUNTED. 3 plays, 3 yards.
- MSU's 5th possession: FIELD GOAL ... kick was 29 yards ... play covered 38 yards in 7 plays.
- Auburn's 5th possession: PUNT BLOCKED ---> MISSISSIPPI STATE TOUCHDOWN
- Auburn's 6th possession: TOUCHDOWN. Onterio McCalebb 48 run ... drive covers 80 yards in 5 plays ... all runs.
- MSU's 6th possession: PUNT. 4 plays, 20 yards.
- Auburn's 7th possession: TOUCHDOWN. Burns 1 run ... drive covers 78 yards in 8 plays ... Chris Todd completes three passes to Darvi Adams worth at least 20 yards each.
FIRST HALF ENDS
Pre-game updates
 Hey everyone. Bag and I this afternoon stopped by a HABOTN tailgate that included several notable HOTTIES. I promised to avoid identifying them, so I won't. You probably can guess. BASIC PREGAME NOTES:- Adam Herring is listed as the starter at WLB. Eltoro Freeman is suited up this time, though, and appears ready to play.
- Consult your roster: DB Demond Washington now wears No. 14.
- Conditions: 80 degrees, wind is ENE @ 3 mph, humidity is 55%, mostly cloudy
First Post: GAME TWO
 Hey everyone. Auburn held three of the top five positions on the Advertiser's Web Element list on Friday. I lost out to a good story about Bobby Lowder and obituaries. So it goes. Thanks, as always, for your steadfast support. Also, thanks to the HOTTIES who stopped by to visit (or say hello) at the Forest Avenue Back To School Bash last night. Wifey was in charge of food court and, as you'd expect, she had it on lockdown. Thanks to all the peeps who made our area an efficient and effective enterprise on Friday night. Here's the Auburn situation at this moment: TODAY'S STORIESPREVIOUS STORIESTHE VIDEO VAULTTODAY'S SCHEDULEIt's game day. You know what's happening. I'll be trying to attend at least one HABOTN tailgate this afternoon, so I don't plan to be active here until 5:15 p.m. or so. I'll be blogging during the game. We'll also hold a halftime campfire. Here's what the next few days look like. All times are CDT: Sat., Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State, 6:05 p.m. (Fox Sports South)Sun., Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m. Mon., Sept. 14, OFF Tue., Sept. 15, 4:30 p.m.(Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Wed., Sept. 16, 4:30 p.m. Thr., Sept. 17, 4:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 18, OFF Sat., Sept. 19, vs. West Virginia, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)Also, please pick up the Advertiser's print edition if you live around here! Our fine Auburn coverage is only one element of our award-winning product. Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
First Post: Friday
 Hey everyone. Thanks for participating in a lively night of comments. Looks like the Tiger Talk/ESPN game combo works for a lot of HOTTIES, so we'll keep doing it that way. Special thanks to Chip Chip for providing me a key aural hookup. Your hustle is (now) noted and appreciated. Beatles: Rock Band is great. Best Rock & Roll band ever? I'd have to say yes. Think about all the different kinds of songs they made. Many of them were excellent. Truly amazing what they accomplished in a relatively short period of time. Here's the Auburn situation at this moment: TODAY'S STORIESPREVIOUS STORIESTHE VIDEO VAULTTODAY'S SCHEDULENot much today. I'll be spending most of my day preparing for, handling and cleaning up after the Forest Avenue Academic Magnet's BACK TO SCHOOL BASH. Wifey runs the food area. I am her ace henchman. Stop by and say hello if you're headed over. Here's what the next few days look like. All times are CDT: Fri., Sept. 11, OFF Sat., Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State, 6:05 p.m. (Fox Sports South)Sun., Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m. Mon., Sept. 14, OFF Tue., Sept. 15, 4:30 p.m.(Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Wed., Sept. 16, 4:30 p.m. Thr., Sept. 17, 4:30 p.m. Fri., Sept. 18, OFF Sat., Sept. 19, vs. West Virginia, 6:45 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)Also, please pick up the Advertiser's print edition if you live around here! Our fine Auburn coverage is only one element of our award-winning product.
Talking and listening on a Thursday night
Hey everyone. We're doing two things tonight: a.) Listening to Tiger Talk. b.) Watching Clemson @ Georgia Tech on the tube. Or LCD. Or plasma. Please participate in the comments section. FROM TIGER TALK- On the week: ``It was business as usual. I'm really proud of the way they practiced."
- On Tiger Walk: ``I was getting in the moment with the fans."
- On Eric Smith's situation: ``Eric Smith will be playing Saturday night. We've moved on. We're proud ot have him back. I assure you that he's a better Auburn man now than he was three weeks ago."
- On assistant coaches continuing to participate in Tiger Walk: "I want them to be a part of the whole thing. That's one of the things that makes Auburn great. They ate that up. They had a great time."
- On handling blowout wins: ``We're never going to run the score up on people. That's not us."
- On Eltoro Freeman's situation: ``We're really hoping he can play Saturday. It's been one of those situations where he has looked close. There's a fine line. We don't want to lose him for another three weeks. We have to have caution."
- On Anthony Gulley: "He's one of those guys we're trying to get prepared week by week. He was a little big-eyed (returning punts). You're going to see him play more and more."
- On getting 556 yards against Louisiana Tech: ``It is exciting. That's where we're starting and we're hoping to build on that every week."
- Chizik said TE Tommy Trott played 77 of the team's 79 snaps last week.
- Auburn is working under the assumption that Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, the former Florida offensive czar, will run the same schemes he ran at UF and Utah. They're not expecting major tweaks based on Mullen's lack of Utah- and Florida-caliber players.
- On the number of plays Auburn wants to run each week: ``In a perfect world, we run 90 to 95 plays in a game. We want to lead the country. The pace matters."
- On Derek Winter: ``Derek Winter is playing. He played some Saturday -- more in a special-teams role. He was out there."
- On Mario Fannin's running habits: ``He needs to do a little bit better job (of running north-south). He's going to get his touches because he's such a great athlete."
- On Onterio McCalebb: ``I really want to tempter the expectations. I want him to stay humble and keep working. That's how he got where he is. We just have to keep him honest and keep him working."
First Post: Thursday of Week Two
Hey everyone. Fun night last night. Thanks for sticking around and enjoying our time together. All in all, I'd say it was best-ever night HABOTN shenanigans. Special collaborative thank-yous go to: MonD, Kristina, SteveFC, Big Snacks Frankenschmidt, j-z, FSJ, Norm and jhag for the totally random "are there any dippers in here?" question. Brought tears to my eyes. Good tears. HABOTN hits are up. The Auburn stories are powerhouses at the Advertiser web site. I totally appreciate your steadfast support of this little enterprise. I'd give you a Yuengling Black & Tan if I had some and you were of age. Here's the Auburn situation at this moment: TODAY'S STORIESPREVIOUS STORIESTHE VIDEO VAULTTODAY'S SCHEDULEI didn't get the video out yesterday. It happens. I'm aiming for this afternoon. I'll also be listening to Tiger Talk and watching tonight's ESPN game, which I believe involves Clempson and Georgia Tech. So I'll basically live blog the radio show. In the flow, all swole. I'm read' ta go. Here's what the next few days look like. All times are CDT: Thu., Sept. 10, 4:30 p.m. (No interviews allowed; Tiger Talk at 7 p.m.) Fri., Sept. 11, OFF Sat., Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State, 6:05 p.m. (Fox Sports South)Sun., Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m. Mon., Sept. 14, OFF Tue., Sept. 15, 4:30 (Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Also, please pick up the Advertiser's print edition if you live around here! Our fine Auburn coverage is only one element of our award-winning product.
Belated Tuesday night report
Hey everyone. I was in a hurry to get home Wednesday night, so I didn't provide a post-practice report. I'll denote that with a BONUS tag.  - Gus Malzahn on Auburn's pace, which didn't satisfy him last week: ``we’re wanting to snap the football as fast as we can and keep the hammer down and not give them time to look up."
- Malzahn on if he'll use TB Eric Smith this weekend: ``We’ll just have to see. It’s hard to say right now. We’re just kinda moving him around."
BONUS - LB Craig Stevens on the beat-writer squabble he witnessed a few weeks back: ``I thought they were playing at first. I didn't know what to believe. I thought I was getting punked."
- Stevens on his performance against Louisiana Tech: ``The first half, I'm not gonna lie. I was tired in the first half because I had to run down on the first kickoff and then they had a long drive right after that. It took me a while to get my breath back. Once I got my breath back and got my second wind, I was OK."
- OL Andrew McCain on the task ahead: ``Our goal is to get to Atlanta and win in Atlanta. Mississippi State comes in with a really good defense. They play fast. They play physical. We've got a challenge ahead of us and we're in a situation where this is one practical step we can take toward our goal.
BONUS - McCain on the team's approach heading into the Louisiana Tech game: ``Coach Chizik made a point before we left LaGrange to ride over here for the game … that people were going to watch us and people are going to her about us and how that game went. Based on that, they're going to make judgments on who we are. It's the same thing in life: People either see you do something or hear about something you did and they're making judgments on who you are.
- McCain on why coaches seem almost grumpy this week: ``They don't want anybody to get ahead of themselves. It's one game and there's a whole lot more to come. It's one of those things where we said: We're going to enjoy this (on) Saturday night. That's the fruit of all the labor we've put in. Then the labor starts over again the next day."
- Kodi Burns on the "Wildcat" formation: ``I definitely think it has a lot more potential for it to be better than it was. If you notice, the guys who were tackling either Onterio or me were in the secondary. I guess it’s a pretty good sign we can get on those guys. We just have to be able to make them miss and go all the way. With the Wildcat, I think we’re just scratching the surface."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
First post: Wednesday of Week Two
Hey everyone. Sorry for not blogging more yesterday. Tuesdays have to be very productive for me in regard to newspaper stuff. Them's the facts. Once I get beyond Tuesday, though, I'm in a much better position to give the HOTTIES plenty of attention. I was very excited last night when Madison Bumgarner made his major-league debut for the San Francisco Giants. Long story short: I'm a roto baseball geek, I drafted Bumgarner while he was attending a North Carolina high school, I have him now all these three years (three) later. I spent a lot of time worrying over his minor-league numbers, so I was very happy that he pitched fairly well last night. Here is Madison, as Auburn would say, doing what we do:  As a side note, if you see those t-shirts Auburn players wear that say "DWWD" ... now you know what that means. Here's the Auburn situation at this moment: TODAY'S STORIESPREVIOUS STORIESTHE VIDEO VAULTTODAY'S SCHEDULEA quick glance at the schedule below should give you a good idea of where I'll be today. Hint: It won't be at Auburn. That doesn't mean I won't have some goodies for j00. I have a lot of video footage (40 minutes) that need to be dissected and given to you as Distilled Video Goodness®. I'll have to set aside a little more time for uploading since I'll be at HABOTN Headquarters and not on Auburn's mesmerizingly fast network. That's not a joke. Auburn has the best internet access I've ever seen. Here's what the next few days look like. All times are CDT: Wed., Sept. 9, 4:30 p.m. (Wifey's birthday; Beatles Rock Band is released) Thu., Sept. 10, 4:30 p.m. (No interviews allowed; Tiger Talk at 7 p.m.) Fri., Sept. 11, OFF Sat., Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State, 6:05 p.m. (Fox Sports South)Sun., Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m. Mon., Sept. 14, OFF Tue., Sept. 15, 4:30 (Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Also, please pick up the Advertiser's print edition if you live around here! Our fine Auburn coverage is only one element of our award-winning product.
Chizik LIVE BLOG
.jpg) Hey everyone. Welcome to the Athletic Complex, where coach Gene Chizik will be holding his weekly press conference. - He has arrived. Let's BLOG.
- Opening statement: "We learned a lot out our football team last week. We have room for improvement in so many ways. We did some really good things everywhere. So much room for improvement. We've gone back to work, as of yesterday, preparing for a Mississippi State team with a lot of energy ... new energy. It's a team that plays with extremely high energy."
- More advanced that expected: "I don't think so. There's just so many question marks we didn't know. We were hoping we be in this kind of area. We feel like we got a great starting point."
- Similarities between Malzahn and Mullen: ``There are some similarities. They use two quarterbacks -- two different kinds of body types. There are a lot of similarities with what they did at Florida. Defensively, that's a little bit of an advantage for us because we see that every day."
- ``We have to do what we do and do it better than we did the week before."
- On if Auburn needs more than two tailbacks: "We're always in the market for more. The more, the merrier. You need two or three tailbacks, guys who can carry the ball, to get you through the year."
- On the McCalebb/Tate combo: ``When you have two bakcs who are that different on one team ... the physicality of one back versus the guy with great speed ... the defense runs all over the place and they get tired. It puts pressure on them."
- On Eric Smith: ``You're going to see him in a uniform this week. We're going to move on."
- On McCalebb: ``Anytime you bring a guy in January, it's night and day. He needs to stay humble because he certainly hasn't arrived. He played like we expected him to play. He absolutely loves the game of football. He practices like that."
- "We're not anywhere near satisfied with the rhythm and the tempo of our offense. It's got to be faster."
- On the coaches: ``In your first game, you worry about substitutions. You worry about adjustments. That didn't happen Saturday night. Communication was almost seamless. It's as good as we could have expected for Game One."
- On Eltoro Freeman: "We're hoping there will be a couple more guys back. We're playing that by ear. We can't play a guy who's 40 or 50 percent."
(I spoke briefly with Freeman last night and he said he's feeling a lot better. He hopes to play this weekend.)
- Is McCalebb durable?: ``The bigger guys can run outside and inside. The litter guys can run inside and outside, too. They can both doth both. They both will. I don't know if they'll be durable enough. We're going to try to be a very physical offense and run the football."
- On Antoine Carter: "We're playing that by ear, too."
- THAT'S A WRAP.
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Late Monday chatter, 9/7
Hey everyone. Practice ended around 9:20 p.m. CDT. Here's some notable stuff discussed today: - Defensive coordinator Ted Roof said freshman S Daren Bates will start against Mississippi State. That wasn't a one-time thing.
- Roof said he was happy with DE Nick Fairley's work against Louisiana Tech, but it was flawed. The Mobile native earned high marks for production. His assignment marks were much lower. He's still expected to start against MSU.
 - CB Walt McFadden said he was worried after being flagged for pass interference during the Louisiana Tech game. McFadden watched coach Gene Chizik throw a tantrum along the sideline and assumed he was the target. He soon realized that Chizik felt officials were at fault.
``He ran at the referee and that's when I started saying: `Yeah, yeah, referee, take that.' But (Chizik) has my back. He spoke with me after the play, he even spoke to me today, he went over there and re-watched it and telling me it was just a good play -- a bad call -- but we've got to live with those plays sometimes."
- Don't look for LB Josh Bynes to sign up for a Twitter account anytime soon. ``I don't even know what it is. I've been hearing about it, but I don't know what it is. What is a Twitter?"
Told that it's a way to speak to your peeps, Bynes said: ``I don't speak to the peeps. I just do my own stuff."
- LB Adam Herring on the feeling along the sideline Saturday night: ``It was a sense of pride. We were taking pride in what we were doing at that point -- when we were realizing we were stoning them. It just felt good to know what we were doing. Eleven hats swarming to the ball, that's a sight."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
We have contracts
Hey everyone. I hope you're having a swell Labor Day. I was in a movie when these contracts rolled into my inbox and, honestly, my iPhone just couldn't make this happen. Maybe I need a better device. Auburn officially responded today to the Advertiser's request for documents related to coaches and their compensation. Football coaches. So let's get to it. You already know a lot of this stuff. I'm going to list it anyway. GENE CHIZIK, head coach- Five-year deal. It ends Dec. 31, 2013.
- Base salary is $500,000 per year. It's payable in equal installments doled out each month. He also is entitled to an additional $1.4 million per year via other deals discussed below. His total compensation is $1.9 million per year.
- His buyout is $500,000 for every year remaining on the contract. That's a two-way deal. Auburn owes him if Auburn terminates the deal. He owes Auburn if he terminates the deal.
- Auburn paid Iowa State $750,000 to buy Chizik out of his previous deal. That debt will be "forgiven" at a rate of $150,000 per year. If he leaves, he owes the remaining sum. Half is due within 30 days. The rest is due within a year. If Auburn dumps Chizik without cause, the remaining debt will be forgiven.
- Let's look at the incentives:
ACADEMIC INCENTIVES
- If the team's annual APR is above .930, Chizik receives $25,000.
- If the team's annual APR is above .950, Chizik receives $50,000 plus the $25,000. So it's $75,000.
- If the team's annual APR is 1.000, Chizik receives $75,000 plus the other bonuses. So it's $150,000.
COMPETITIVE SUCCESS
- If Auburn wins 10 games, Chizik receives $75,000.
- If Auburn wins 11 games, Chizik receives $100,000.
- If Auburn wins 12 games, Chizik receives $125,000.
- If Auburn wins 13 games, Chizik receives $150,000.
- If Auburn wins 14 games, Chizik receives $200,000.
(Unlike the academic bonuses, these do not combine.)
- If Auburn loses in the SEC Championship game, Chizik receives $100,000.
- If Auburn wins in the SEC Championship game, Chizik receives $200,000.
- If Auburn receives an at-large bid to a BCS game, Chizik receives $50,000.
- If Auburn plays in a non-BCS bowl, Chizik receives $50,000.
- If Auburn finishes in the top five of the Associated Press or USA Today/ESPN polls, Chizik receives $100,000.
- If Chizik is named Southeastern Conference coach of the year (by AP or the coaches), Chizik receives $100,000. (With a $100,000 maximum.)
- If Chizik is named national coach of the year (by AP, AFCA, Walter Camp or Home Depot) or Chizik wins the Bryant Award, Chizik receives $100,000. (With a $100,000 maximum.)
- If Auburn wins a national championship, Chizik receives $500,000.
- Payments are due by Jan. 15 of the next calendar year.
- Auburn also may create and disburse other "discretionary bonuses" if university officials consider that appropriate.
- PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT RIGHTS: In exchange for $700,000 per year, Chizik reliquishes all endorsement rights to the university. That includes shoe and apparel deals. That includes book deals, magazines, videos and websites. The university has the option of
selling assigning these rights to a company.
- APPEARANCES: In exchange for another $700,000 per year, Chizik agrees to appear in 12 post-game shows (ie Auburn Football Review), at least 12 radio shows (ie Tiger Talk), 14 "mid-week call-in shows," 60-second halftime interviews, 14 taped interview segments to to be aired during the weekly television show, a one-hour postgame television interview after every game, a 15-minute radio interview before every game, a 15-minute postgame radio interview after every game and lots of appearances at "Program Scholarship Functions."
- AUTOMOBILE: Auburn is obligated to provide Chizik with two cars, though they may be "dealer cars," and to assume all costs associated with gas, service, maintenance and insurance.
- COACHING STAFF: Auburn is obligated to let Chizik have "primary responsibility to select, employ and terminate his staff." Candidates must first be vetted via the SEC and NCAA. Chizik is prohibited from supplementing, "directly or indirectly," the compensation awarded to any assistant coach or university employee.
- PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYMENT: Chizik is obligated to notify the athletic director if he or his representatives discuss "directly or indirectly his prospective employment with any other institution of higher learning or professional athletic team."
- PERSONAL CONDUCT CLAUSE: Auburn reserves the right to terminate Chizik (and the contract) if he engages in behavior "that is unreasonably contrary to the public image and conduct Auburn expects from its Head Coach."
OTHER CONTRACTS- Ted Rood, defensive coordinator: 3-year deal worth $370k/year.
- Gus Malzahn, offensive coordinator: 3-year deal worth $350k/year.
- Trooper Taylor, assistant coach: 3-year deal worth $320k/year.
- Tracy Rocker, assistant coach: 2-year deal worth $300k/year.
- Jeff Grimes, assistant coach: 2-year deal worth $290k/year.
- Tommy Thigpen, assistant coach: 2-year deal worth $250k/year.
- Curtis Luper, assistant coach: 2-year deal worth $260k/year.
- Phillip Lolley, assistant coach: 2-year deal worth $210k/year.
- Jay Boulware, assistant coach: 2-year deal worth $210k/year.
SEC CONTRACTS*(*According to the Orlando Sentinel) - Urban Meyer, Florida -- $4 million
- Nick Saban, Alabama -- $3.9 million
- Les Miles, LSU -- $3.8 million
- Bob Petrino, Arkansas -- $2.9 million
- Mark Richt, Georgia -- $2.9 million
- Houston Nutt, Ole Miss -- $2.5 million
- Lane Kiffin, Tennessee -- $2 million
- Gene Chizik, Auburn -- $1.9 million
- Steve Spurrier, South Carolina -- $1.8 million
- Rich Brooks, Kentucky -- $1.25 million
- Dan Mullen, Mississippi State -- $1.2 million
- Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt -- $1.1 million
McCalebb earns his first accolade
 Hey everyone. Tailback Onterio McCalebb has been named the Southeastern Conference's Freshman of the Week for his exploits against Louisiana Tech University. Here is the official run-down from the league office: ONTERIO McCALEBBRunning Back AUBURN 5-10 • 164 Fort Meade, Fla. (HS/Hargrave Military Academy) • True freshman rushed for 148 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown in the Tigers’ 37-13 win over Louisiana Tech. • The 148 yards are the most ever by an Auburn freshman in a season opening game. The previous best was 123 yards by Bo Jackson in 1982. • In the second half against the Bulldogs, McCalebb rushed for 108 yards on 16 carries and a TD. Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
First post: Monday of Week Two
Hey everyone. Not much to add right now. Gene Chizik was in a great mood yesterday -- far more chatty than usual -- and was more at ease than I've ever seen. He actually recoiled a bit when a reporter asked if he allows himself to enjoy wins. It's weird. Chizik dedicates so much effort promoting this no-nonsense image, I guess you'd call it, then seems surprised when people assume he's no-nonsense all the time. That seems like a reasonable assumption to me. I really have no idea what Chizik is like behind closed doors. In front of those doors, though, he's a stern guy who reveals almost nothing about himself or his team. I'm not criticizing his approach. I'm just saying ... he shouldn't be surprised when people figure he's Ivan Drago all the time. Here's the Auburn situation at this moment: TODAY'S STORIESPREVIOUS STORIESTHE VIDEO VAULTTODAY'S SCHEDULEThe team is practicing very late this evening. The good news is that players will be made available around 6 p.m., so I'll be able to get you some SUBSTANCE well before midnight. Ted Rüf is expected to talk after practice. If you're dying for that report, it may not come through until 11 p.m. or later. I'll be here. Here's what the next few days look like. All times are CDT: Mon., Sept. 7, 8 p.m. (Players available at 6 p.m.) Tue., Sept. 8, 4:30 p.m. (Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Wed., Sept. 9, 4:30 p.m. (Wifey's birthday; Beatles Rock Band is released) Thu., Sept. 10, 4:30 p.m. (No interviews allowed; Tiger Talk at 7 p.m.) Fri., Sept. 11, OFF Sat., Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State, 6:05 p.m. (FSN)Sun., Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m. Mon., Sept. 14, OFF Tue., Sept. 15, 4:30 (Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Also, please pick up the Advertiser's print edition if you live around here! Our fine Auburn coverage is only one element of our award-winning product.
Auburn adds a significant commitment
Hey everyone. Our friend Jeffrey Lee from AuburnSports.com is reporting that LB LaDarius Owens, of Jess Lanier High fame, has verbally committed to the Tigers. Rivals.com rates him as the nation's No. 7 LB prospect and the No. 3 overall prospect in the state. Owens, the nephew of former Auburn standout James Owens, has scholarship offers from most (all?) Southeastern Conference schools. He's a high-impact recruit and someone who may provide immediate assistance next fall.
Gene Chizik speaks, 9/6
 Hey everyone. Gene Chizik just spent 30 minutes or so chatting with reporters about the Issues of The Day. Here's an overview: - General thoughts: ``I thought they played through some times ... of adversity. We overcame some adverse situations. We've got a lot of work to do. We've got a lot of corrections. We've got a long way to go to compete in this league."
- On Auburn not using freshman WRs in major roles Saturday: ``Offensively, we're just going what defenses give us. I wouldn't read too much into that.
- On the 93-yard pass from Chris Todd to Terrell Zachery: ``As games progress, we do a good job of studying people. We scout the (defensive) people during the game."
- Chizik elaborating on that idea: ``Everybody's got a job on gameday. What we don't do is watch the game. We're not gamewatchers. Everybody's got a job to watch this, everybody's got a job to watch that, everybody's got a job to watch this without going into details. You got to do your job. They can watch the game on TV the next day. We're working and we're specifically looking at things that we need to be paying attention to."
- Chizik wouldn't identify which staffer made the assessments that led to the deep plays to Zachery and Darvin Adams.
- On Nosa Eguae's situation: ``It's a foot injury. It's nothing that's really serious. It's a day-to-day, week-to-week thing."
- On Eltoro Freeman's situation: ``We felt like he was really close. You just have to use good judgment."
- On if Mario Fannin now should be considered a receiver: ``Not necessarily. Mario's still going to run the football. Mario's still going to catch the football."
- On if it's "fair" to say Fannin is the No. 3 tailback: ``You could say that. The reason I hesitate on that is because you can move him around to so many places. If you look at number of carries, yes. That doesn't necessarily mean anything. Mario plays so many different positions because he can."
- On the possibility of making changes at punt returner: ``We'll have to look at that real closely. It's hard for you to run people down in two-a-days -- hit 'em live -- and expect them to be healthy. Remember, it's not always the kick returner's (fault)."
- Chizik said coaches officially award special teams efforts and exploits, not offense and defense. ``It's a dirty job, but you have to be good at it."
- On some injured players (ie Hot Carter and Freeman) not being on the sideline last night: ``A lot of guys who are injured don't want to be down there. It's hard on them. Sometimes when they're injured, they don't want to come to the game. Don't read anything into that. We probably had 30 or 40 kids in the stands last night.
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
First Post: Sunday of Week Two
Hey everyone. I bet you're feeling satisfied for the first time in a long while. The offense looked good. The defense, in my opinion, was even more impressive. It's confusing to hear people being critical of the defense. Aside from a rash of awkward first-half penalties, the group performed at a level well beyond what I expected. We'll talk more about this later. Here's the Auburn situation at this moment: TODAY'S STORIESPREVIOUS STORIESTHE VIDEO VAULTTODAY'S SCHEDULEAs you can see below, Chizik holds a teleconference this afternoon. I'll gather up that information and post it to the blog ASAP. I'd also like to do a "hits and misses" post ... analyzing where Auburn thrived and dived last night. Here's what the next few days look like. All times are CDT: Sun., Sept. 6, OFF (Chizik teleconference at 4:15 p.m.) Mon., Sept. 7, 8 p.m. (Players available at 6 p.m.) Tue., Sept. 8, 4:30 p.m. (Chizik presser at 11:30 a.m.; Players available at 11:50 a.m.) Wed., Sept. 9, 4:30 p.m. (Wifey's birthday; Beatles Rock Band is released) Thu., Sept. 10, 4:30 p.m. (No interviews allowed; Tiger Talk at 7 p.m.) Fri., Sept. 11, OFF Sat., Sept. 12, vs. Mississippi State, 6:05 p.m. (FSN) Sun., Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m. Mon., Sept. 14, OFF Also, please pick up the Advertiser's print edition if you live around here! Our fine Auburn coverage is only one element of our award-winning product.
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Hey everyone. Here are some things you need to know about the game.
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