SEC championship game was in progress

Hey everyone. Welcome to the Georgia Dome, site of the SEC Championship game between Alabama and Florida.

I am not an officially licensed blogger, so I'll just have to talk with you in the comments section.

Alabama won, 32-13.

Radio Appearance Forthcoming

Hey everyone. I will be doing my weekly segment on SuperSport 930 out of Jackson, Miss., in a bit. That extravaganza will begin around 9:05 a.m. CST.

We'll be talkin' Auburn, the movie "Doubt" and other stuff. You know how it goes.

Be there or be rectangular.

Big Cat Weekend: Maybe Not The Best Idea Ever

Hey everyone. So Auburn today released requested information about Big Cat Weekend and the punishments levied by the Southeastern Conference for secondary violations associated with that event.

The documents are numerous. As we like to do on the HABOTN, let's just do a tidy summary.

• Big Cat Weekend occurred on Saturday, May 30, 2009.
  
  
• It occurred during a weekend when 23 PSAs (that's how the NCAA refers to prospective student athletes) gathered at Auburn and learned about the program.
  
  
• After those officially sanctioned activities ended, Auburn officials reported that eight of those PSAs attended an "impromptu" event at Toomer's Corner. Fans gathered, recruits were announced to the crowd, Aubie was there, trees were rolled. A good time was had by all.
  
  
• PSAs are not permitted to attend an event like that. It's considered a "simulated game-day activity". It's also wrong to announce the names of PSAs . It's also wrong to for PSAs to be in the presence of boosters.
  
  
• Those are secondary violations.
  
  
• Auburn reported those violations to the SEC on June 30, 2009.
  
  
• Here's what Auburn self imposed:
  
  • Auburn agreed to conduct "multiple education sessions" for athletic employees regarding NCAA rules.
    
    
  • Auburn agreed to provide literature for boosters to better understand their prohibition from PSA contact.
    
    
  • Auburn also eliminated one official visit for each of the eight PSAs who attended the Toomer's Corner celebration.
    
    
  • Auburn provided a written letter of reprimand to Trooper Taylor. (I don't understand why Taylor was singled out; six assistant coaches attended the event)
  
  
• The SEC responded on July 31, 2009.
  
  
• The SEC accepted Auburn's self-imposed sanctions, then added a few more:
  
  • The SEC banned Auburn from meeting with six PSAs until Sept. 15, 2009: Jessel Curry, Kahiri Fortt, Eric Mack, Trovon Reed, Marcus Lattimore, Lache Seastrunk.
    
    (*Auburn never identified the other two PSAs who attended the event.)
    
    
  • The SEC limited Auburn to one phone call to each of those six PSAs in September.
    
    
  • The SEC banned Taylor from all off-campus recruiting activities through Nov. 30, 2009.
    
    
  • The SEC asked that each of the six assistant coaches who attended the event (Taylor, Jay Boulware, Jeff Grimes, Curtis Luper, Tommy Thigpen, Gus Malzahn) receive written reprimands.
  
  
• Auburn complied with all that.
  
  
• The NCAA then reviewed all that and decided the punishment fit the trangressions.
  
  
• Now you know.
  

Rollison suspended

Hey everyone. I'm catching up here after being out with the fam for a minute.

I can't believe I'm even writing this, but an Auburn freshman who didn't play this season -- there were seven, I think -- has drawn a suspension from coach Gene Chizik.

The suspendee: Quarterback Tyrik Rollison.

The sentence: Same as always. Who knows?

"We have high standards that we have set and fully expect our team to meet," Chizik said in a release. ``When these expectations are not met, I will make decisions based upon what is best for the entire football team and the Auburn Family.”

For your reading pleasure

Hey everyone. So I took a little time yesterday to pen a piece about how the SEC bowl situation has evolved this week. You may find it interesting because, as you'd expect from an Auburn beat writer, Les Tigres are discussed.

Please enjoy: Some of the best drama comes before bowl games

I'd like to see Auburn play Northwestern. I was really into Northwestern's 1994 renaissance, loved watching Pat Fitzgerald play linebacker, would love to interview head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

On the other hand, Wisconsin was popular in the Tate household Wednesday night.

Auburn to Outback? You'll have to wait

Hey everyone. This is just a short update.

Auburn may or may not be locked into the Outback Bowl, but that announcement will not occur today. Or tomorrow. Or the next day.

Mike Schulze, the bowl's communications director, said his bowl will not publicly reveal its participants until Sunday afternoon. He initially told reporters to expect an announcement tonight.

Like sand through the hourglass ...

Bowling never felt so ... unclear

Hey everyone. I have returned from a post-Iron sabbatical of sorts. Thanks for sticking with the HABOTN for at least a portion of your Auburn jones.

So where will Auburn be playing this holiday season?

I have no idea. We usually have a feel for this sort of thing by now. The Southeastern Conference had six teams finish the regular season at 7-5. That makes things difficult on working stiffs like us. The bowls have their behind-the-scenes deals going, but they don't like discussing that publicly unless a car battery and jumper cables are involved.

So we'll just formulate our own truth.

FIRST VERSION
BCS Title Game: Alabama/Florida
BCS Game: Alabama/Florida
Capital One Bowl: LSU
Cotton Bowl: Tennessee
Outback Bowl: Georgia
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Ole Miss
Music City Bowl: Kentucky
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas
Independence Bowl: Auburn
Papajohns.com Bowl: South Carolina

SECOND VERSION (released @ 12:25 p.m.)
BCS Title Game: Alabama/Florida
BCS Game: Alabama/Florida
Capital One Bowl: LSU
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss
Outback Bowl: Auburn
Chick-fil-A Bowl: Tennessee
Music City Bowl: Georgia
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas
Independence Bowl: South Carolina
Papajohns.com Bowl: Kentucky

What do you think about that?

OF NOTE: Auburn's offense, its apparent revival and its work against Alabama last week has created a buzz that is difficult to quantify. Some bowls may find that supremely alluring. Others may not care.