Monday, October 31, 2005

We Can Learn A Lot From John Vaughn


By Jay Coulter
Football Saturday In The South

How would you stand up to the pressure? Imagine yourself on a project at work that is the biggest of the year. Imagine working long hours for weeks and weeks on in. Picture yourself working nights, sacrificing your family and free time.

Now imagine completing that project and despite all your efforts it falls flat. You fail. Not because you wanted to. But because you made a mistake that you didn’t mean to make. All of your co-workers ridicule you. People talk about you and laugh at you behind your back. Imagine co-workers vandalizing your home all because of a mistake. How would you handle the pressure? What would you do?

That’s what 21 year-old Auburn kicker John Vaughn has endured over the last week.

Something that all of us forget is that these kids work harder than most of us have ever dreamed of working. They go to work when many of us still have several hours left of sleep.

They push their bodies to a point that none of us can imagine. They don’t make a dime. And don’t forget they are still required to carry a full load in school. This is the life of John Vaughn and every other Auburn football player.

On Saturday afternoon against Ole Miss, John Vaughn made good. He overcame public ridicule that most of us can only imagine. After enduring eggs thrown at his residence, taunts from fans and scrutiny by everyone in the state and the South, Vaughn delivered.

How would you have reacted? I’ll tell you how Vaughn reacted. He went back to work. He worked on technique. He didn’t listen to the critics. He listened to himself. This is a 21 year-old kid.

I can only imagine today how proud his parents must be. The Nashville native taught a lot of us who are a lot older and supposedly a lot wiser how to handle adversity and reach down and pick yourself up.

In a world where many of our young people have lost their way through drugs and other social problems, John Vaughn stands out. On Saturday with 86,000 + watching he came through with the two biggest field goals of his life. And it may end up being the two biggest field goals of Auburn’s season.

I can promise you one thing. John Vaughn will be a success in life. He already is more successful than most. Anyone who can handle adversity like this guy has is special. I’m mighty proud of John Vaughn today. I’ve learned a lot from him this week. Thanks John.

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Fulmer's Days Drawing To A Close

By Jay Coulter
Football Saturday In The South

I like Phil Fulmer. OK, I said it. And you should to. Name me one other person that has brought more grief to the Alabama football program than Fulmer? Besides Tommy Tuberville?

Fulmer is lower than low. He's everything that you hate in a coach. But he has beaten the Tide most every year. He did lead them to the walking death penalty. Don't we owe him some love for that?

There's really no reason for Auburn people to enjoy the demise of Phil Fulmer. He's been our whipping boy for the past two years, losing to us three times in that period.

With that said, it's probably about over for Fulmer. This Tennessee team started the year ranked third nationally. They returned most everyone from that team we faced in Atlanta last year. When the AP Poll was released today the Vols received no votes in the poll.

What an amazing fall. Take away that miracle in Baton Rouge and it gets worse. Notre Dame still remains to be played.

Former Auburn Quarterback Pat Washington, who's been with the Volunteers so long that he's lost his Auburn papers, is also feeling the heat. As receivers coach, he's being asked why his players can't catch.

I'm going to miss Phil Fulmer. He's been good to Auburn and even better to Alabama. May the next coach of the Volunteers bring us as much joy.

Click here to read more about Fulmer...

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Urban Meyer Impressed With 2004 Tigers

After defeating Georgia yesterday, Florida coach Urban Meyer said he was impressed with the 2004 Auburn team that went undefeated. Here's more from John Patton at the Gainesville Sun...

JACKSONVILLE- Urban Meyer knows what it's like to finish a season perfect, having finished 12-0 last year at Utah. He's not sure if it's realistic to think you can do so at his current location, saying it's near impossible with the talent and depth of the Southeastern Conference.

After Florida knocked Georgia from the ranks of the unbeatens Saturday, Meyer praised the 13-0 Auburn team of 2004, saying, "To think Auburn didn't play for No. 1. ... I can't imagine that."

He then added about the SEC's only remaining club without a loss: "With all due respect to Alabama - they put it to us (in a 31-3 win Oct. 1) - but I think it's too hard to go undefeated in this conference."

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Auburn 17th In AP; 18th In Coaches Poll

Following Saturday's 27-3 victory over Ole Miss, Auburn moved up two spots in this week's AP Poll to number 17. In the Coaches Poll the Tigers moved up one spot to number 18.

Auburn takes on Kentucky this weekend in Lexington. As of now there is no television coverage planned.

Click here to see the entire Top 25 of both polls...

Let's Hear It For John Vaughn!

John Vaughn is back. And judging by the reaction of the crowd in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, their glad he's back.

Vaughn has shown gritty determination this week in coming back from the nightmare last Saturday. Lining up for his first field goal attempt yesterday, the Auburn crowd roared as he came on to the field. The noise grew even louder after Vaughn connected on the 35 yard attempt. He would later come in and hit a 39 yard field goal.

“It’s a big relief,” Vaughn said. “But the job’s not over, and you have to finish off the rest of the season and be like that every game.” Auburn special teams coach Eddie Gran said he had absolute confidence in Vaughn because of a flawless practice week. “He didn’t miss a field goal all week long in practice,” Gran said. “I was really confident in what he was going to do, and I was proud for him. “You know his heart was beating like crazy - mine was beating - but I felt confident because of what he did all week.”

It's good to know that last Saturday night was simply a bad night. John Vaughn is back and for Auburn the news couldn't be better.

Gandy Delivers In First Start

Earlier this week Waynesboro, Mississippi native Steve Gandy called Saturday's match up with Ole Miss his "Alabama Game".

Yesterday he played like it. The red-shirt freshman strong safety replaced Eric Brock, getting his first start ever. Gandy delivered with six tackles and finished it off with an interception that brought the ball back to the Ole Miss 23 yard line.

Both Gandy and Brock are talented. We should all feel good about the future of our secondary.

Click here to read more...

Courtney Taylor On the Quarterback Depth Chart?

It's true that Courtney Taylor's touchdown pass Saturday was one that only a mother or an Auburn fan could love. The former high school quarterback looked a little rusty on the throw but it accomplished its mission.

"I'd brag on my arm a little bit but I can't let Brandon hear because he might get jealous and be looking over his shoulders at me coming up the depth chart," said Taylor, who also finished with 39 receiving yards on three catches.
"I'm on the depth chart now, about fifth string right now."

We love Courtney but let's hope he sticks to catching the ball. However, there was one side perk, he's been on every highlight reel for the past 24 hours including ESPN's SportsCenter.

Click here to read more...

Official Auburn Stats From Saturday's Win Over Ole Miss

Here's a look at the stats from Saturday's win over Ole Miss. As you will see, it was complete domination by the Tigers.

Click here to read...

Housel's Name Officially Attached to Jordan-Hare Press Box

Saturday's naming of Jordan-Hare's Press Box for David Housel was as significant to many as the naming of Pat Dye Field later this month. Auburn owes much of its stature in the college football world to David Housel.

A good man was honored with something Saturday that was long overdue.

Click here to read more...

Finebaum Looks Ahead To Iron Bowl

Paul Finebaum looks ahead three weeks to the Iron Bowl. In his own sarcastic way, he previews the game that we are all starting to think about a little more each day.

Click here to read...

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Tuberville Wins Respect of Tide and Dawgs

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Tommy Tuberville is a popular man. The same is true in Athens, Georgia. How do I know? I've seen it here on my web site. On Wednesday I ran a story about comments Chris Fowler made to a Texas college television station about hype and agendas.

In the story, I linked the video of Fowler making those remarks along with Tuberville's comments about ESPN having an agenda as to who plays for the national championship.

Someone linked my web site to Georgia's Dawg Post Message Board and an Alabama fan board. In the two days since I posted my comments with Fowler's video I've had more than 5,000 hits from these two fan boards.

There's no doubt this article and video proved to be equally popular with the Alabama and Georgia crowd. And why wouldn't it? It seems strange that Tuberville would make these comments when Auburn's two biggest rivals are undefeated and in the top five.

But maybe Tuberville finally feels free to talk about it. With the national championship out of the picture this year maybe it's time to stir the pot. Maybe it's time to start applying a little more pressure on the NCAA.

After all, I'm sure Tuberville has no plans for Alabama and Georgia to remain undefeated.

Here's a column on the subject from Kevin Scarbinsky...

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Auburn's Offense Will Be Tested By The Rebels

When Auburn welcomes Ole Miss on Saturday expect to see similar formations on both sides. "Scheme-wise, they're pretty similar to us," Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville said. "Ole Miss runs a lot of the same looks that we do on both sides of the football."

Auburn's offense will be tested. The Rebels are 13th nationally in scoring defense, 13th against the pass and 23rd in the land in total defense.

Coming off an emotional loss I'm worried this game could be closer than expected. But in the end, look for Auburn to pull away late.

Click here to read an excellent article on Saturday's Game...


Kicking Shouldn't Be Auburn's Biggest Worry

The writer for Fort Payne's Times-Journal makes a good point in this story...

"But what should concern Auburn fans more than Vaughn’s bad night is the fact the Tigers were unable to finish off so many drives. When a team has to attempt six field goals in a game, something is wrong."

This is an excellent point and one that has been overlooked by many this week.

Click here to read...

Hope for the Worst

Yahoo Sports Columnist Larry Beil (formerly of ESPN) writes an excellent story on the BCS. I'm of the Beil and Tim Brando opinion that the more chaos we can create for college football the better we'll be.

How great would it be to end up with more than two undefeated teams (as long as it's not Alabama or Georgia) at the end of the year? We need chaos to change the system. Beil lays out some interesting scenarios to ponder.

Click here to read...

Friday, October 28, 2005

Carnell Wears The Purple Jersey

Carnell Williams is paying a little more than the rest of us for Auburn's loss Saturday night in Baton Rouge. This week Williams arrived at the Tampa Bay Bucs dressing room in a purple LSU jersey - the price he had to pay for losing a bet with teammate and former LSU Tiger Michael Clayton.

"It was a great game in Tiger Stadium," said Clayton, whose team won 20-17 in overtime. "I told him it's hard to play down there, but he still wanted to make the bet. That jersey is a little tight. It's from my freshman year. He's struggling right now, he can barely breathe."

My bet is Clayton will be wearing an orange and blue one next year.

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Tuberville Hits Pay Dirt With SEC Fans

By Jay Coulter
Football Saturday In The South
Have you ever known someone who knows just what to say and when to say it? Blame Tommy Tuberville for whatever you wish, but you’ve got to give him this, the guy knows how to get an audience when he needs one. And he knows exactly what to say and what buttons to push.

Unless you’ve been under a rock this week, you’ve undoubtedly heard the national commotion Tuberville has created by speaking out against the BCS and specifically ESPN. Tuberville made the common sense remark that ESPN has too much power in determining who plays for the national championship.

Well if you listened to Dan Patrick yesterday you would have thought someone had bitch slapped his mother. I admit to being a regular listener to his show. Is he annoying? Yes. But he has the best guests in all of sports. In the three plus years listening to Patrick I can never recall him raising his voice like he did to Tuberville.

Tuberville handled it with his usual class. You could tell by Patrick’s behavior that Tuberville had hit pay dirt. Dan was doing more than protecting his company; it was like he was protecting a secret…a big one.

The most amazing thing about this whole week has been the response from other fans in the SEC. I spent part of today reading message boards from other schools, primarily LSU, Alabama and Georgia. Without exception everyone who posted agreed with Tuberville.

Most admitted to not liking him but all agreed with him. I found out today that this is not an Auburn issue. This is an SEC issue. Tuberville hit a nerve with the national press and a nerve with the fans of the SEC.

Privately, many of my Alabama and Georgia friends have admitted to wishing that we had a shot at the national title last year. They did because it was bad for the SEC not to have a chance with an undefeated team. A year later, these two teams may be looking through the window like we did a year ago.

One person in the media who did come to Auburn’s defense was Rick Reilly, the noted columnist for Sports Illustrated. While I still haven’t forgiven Reilly for writing the story about why Bo Jackson shouldn’t win the Heisman Trophy back in 1985, he did concur with what most of us in the southeast have been saying.

Reilly, commenting on the Dan Patrick Radio Show said, “Dan, Tommy Tuberville did get one thing right…ESPN does have too much power.” It’s interesting to note that he was the only one on Patrick’s show that wasn’t an employee of ESPN or Disney Inc.

So does this hurt Auburn? Of course it doesn’t. ESPN doesn’t care about Auburn. They care about ratings. They have a contract to carry SEC games and to show the teams who draw the most viewers. That’s why Auburn has been on ESPN more than any other college football team.

Will ESPN’s College Game Day of which Tuberville aimed most of his criticism ever come back? They’ll be back in a New York minute. I’ll make a prediction - if Auburn and Alabama win out, Chris Fowler and crew will be on campus in late November for the Iron Bowl.

It will make for great drama and most of all hype. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what ESPN is all about?

Talkin' Smack with Stanley McClover

Stanley McClover is my favorite player to watch at Tiger Walk. He's a true Auburn original. McClover talks with the students at the Auburn Plainsman about really absolutely nothing. And it's great.

Click here to read...

Auburn Not The Only One With Kicking Problems

John Vaughn, you have company.

While all of us are worried about how John Vaughn will recover from Saturday's outing at LSU, Ole Miss fans have similar concerns.

Against Kentucky last Saturday, Rebel kickers had two field goals blocked, another bounce off an upright and a final one fall short. Ole Miss splits the kicking duties between Matt Hinkle and Robert Bass.

Hopefully Saturday's game won't come down to kicking but if it does, I'll still take John Vaughn.

Click here to read more...

This Is Gandy's "Alabama Game"

Steve Gandy is an excited man. Not only is he getting the start at strong safety against Ole Miss on Saturday but he's also playing in a game that means a lot to him.

"Its like my Alabama game because I know so many on the team," Gandy, a redshirt freshman said. "I've been looking forward to playing Ole Miss. I'm excited about going to play my homeboys."

The Mississippi native is getting his first start of the year after backing up Eric Brock for most of the season.

Click here to read more...

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Busted! Here's The Video That Shows ESPN Has An Agenda

Hey Dan Patrick - You want proof that ESPN has an agenda when it comes to picking who plays for the national championship? Well here you go. Look at those horns. Chris Fowler is busted!

At the bottom of the page is a link to a Texas web site. It has a video on it done by some Texas students working for the college television station. At approximately 18 minutes in Fowler talks about hype and agendas and says they want games with the most hype and ones that are on their networks.

Fowler says quote, "These things are not suppose to factor in but they do." This is exactly what Coach Tuberville has been talking about this week. Fowler goes on to talk about wanting to see Texas vs. USC in the national championship game.

And while we are at it, congrats to Coach Tuberville for standing up to Dan Patrick today. You made me chant, "It's great to be an Auburn Tiger" at my desk.

Click here to see the video...

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Auburn Drops Villanova In 2006

Auburn has dropped Villanova from its 2006 schedule. The Tigers already have Washington State, Temple and Tulane on its non-conference schedule next year. The Tigers now must find one more non-conference match-up for next season. Auburn will begin playing a 12 game schedule in 2006.

Villanova athletic director Vincent Nicastro says Auburn officials handled the cancellation with class. "They have handled everything very professionally and we understand their position on this issue," Nicastro said.

In other words we paid them off nicely to just go away.

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Auburn-Florida; Alabama-Florida State Both Play Sept. 29 in 2007

What a weekend it will be. Not to get ahead of ourselves but Saturday, September 29, 2007, will be a great day for football. With Alabama and FSU agreeing to play in Jacksonville on that date it means that the Auburn-Florida match-up will be televised either before or after the Bama game.

CBS and ESPN have agreed to carry both games with a decision on who will carry what game to be made a few weeks prior to kick-off.

I can picture it now. The Tide losing in the afternoon and Auburn winning at night. It will be another magical Fall day.

Press Box To Be Officially Named For Housel At Saturday's Game

The Auburn Board Of Trustees named the Jordan-Hare Press Box for David Housel last year prior to the Georgia game. On Saturday it will be officially dedicated during the Ole Miss game.

As I wrote earlier this week, It's time to forgive David Housel and focus on the good that he has done. Saturday will go a long way in doing accomplishing that.

Click here to read...

"Not Bad For A Back-Up"

Coach Tuberville joked this week that Kenny Irons was, "Not bad for a back-up". Like Carnell Williams, Irons is one of these backs that gets stronger with more carries. Against Arkansas, Irons carried the ball 33 times for 182 yards.

Saturday Irons carried the ball 27 times for 218 yards. Doesn't that sound a lot like Carnell carrying for Tampa Bay? I wish we had more than one season left of him. Of course, that Brad Lester guy is not half bad.

Click here to read more...

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Tigers' Taylor: It's time to think about Ole Miss

Courtney Taylor says it's time to move on from Saturday's defeat at LSU. I couldn't agree with him more. This is the last story on Saturday's game in Louisiana.

Click here to read...

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Coach O's 1st team meeting

By now most everyone has heard about Ole Miss Coach Ed Orgeron's first team meeting after being hired. It's has become folk lore around the South.

Some say it was inspiring. Others say it was ridiculous. I say the guy's a nut case who also can't coach football. Did the Rebels really swap Cutcliffe for this guy?

Here's the low down on what happened during the first team meeting with the rebels...

Click here to read...

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Auburn Head Coach Tommy Tuberville Previews The Ole Miss Game

Coach Tuberville held his weekly press conference Tuesday and previewed the Ole Miss game coming up this weekend. Here are some excerpts from the Auburn Athletic Department...

Click here to read...

Kentucky Game To Kick-Off At Noon

Auburn, Ala. - Auburn's football game at Kentucky on Nov. 5 will begin at 12 p.m. CST and will not be televised. The Tigers will be making their first trip to Commonwealth Stadium since 1995.

Auburn holds a 23-5-1 series advantage over the Wildcats, including a 10-4 mark in Lexington.

The Tigers host Ole Miss this Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium beginning at 11:30 p.m. CDT. Jefferson-Pilot Sports will air the game.

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CSTV's Eric Sorenson Talks About The Auburn-LSU Rivalry

Here are some interesting comments from Eric Sorenson of CSTV. He was in Tiger Stadium Saturday night and gives his take on the game and the Auburn-LSU rivalry...

By Eric Sorenson
My taste buds and college football senses have been frolicking in nirvana! I made it back to Baton Rouge for the LSU-Auburn game and a three-day mini tour-de-force of the wicked-awesome eating establishments in the area.

We hit places like The Chimes (get the alligator appetizer and any one of the 600 beers), Louie's (the most unbelievable breakfast in the history of ever), Mike Anderson's (a little crowded after the game, but worth it) and, best of all, my friend's parents' house (un-Godly good gumbo ... but I'm not going to tell you where they live, they couldn't handle the parking).

And yes, LSU and Auburn played out another classic tale in that rivalry. Glad I was there to see it. Throughout the SEC there were some nice white-knucklers that kept Georgia and Alabama on top, but with a lot of potholes still ahead. Elsewhere, Texas leaps over USC at the top of the BCS.

That's not as alarming of a fact as Virginia Tech still having barely a sliver of a chance at playing for the national title, much less the Junkyard Dogs and the Crimson Tide. Was wondering ... Does anybody notice what UCLA is doing and who out there was kind of pulling for Baylor over Oklahoma? I wouldn't blame you.

Question No. 1

What are the 10 most pertinent comments on the LSU-Auburn game?
1. This has to be the strangest rivalry in the country. Hands down (More on this later).
2. The tailgating makes this place special. It's a happening. You can't wave a fork in the air without hitting a jambalaya pot or a cooler full of beer. Must've been 200,000+ people out there for the pre-game alone.
3. The announced crowd of 92,664 didn't seem as loud as I thought it would be. Probably because of...
4. Sat in the reworked upper deck, six rows from the top. That was approximately seven stories from the field and well away from a lot of the crowd noise (along with the poor sound system we couldn't hear).
5. Despite no tickets to be had outside, there were a lot of empty seats around the stadium.
6. JaMarcus Russell has great potential. Let's face it, sitting up high as I was, you realize how inaccurate he is and how he should've tucked and run on a number of occasions.
7. With Russell struggling, I heard numerous "put in Matt Flynn" calls from the stands. Yet, on the replay of the game, the announcers repeatedly glossed on Russell. Were they watching the same game?
8. Skyler Green went 66 yards on a punt return, then went underutilized again, totaling 45 yards elsewhere. Well... then again, look at all the other weapons on this team. So I take it back.
9. Yes, I saw Kenny Irons making his "gonna go for 200" promise when he got off the bus. Sure enough, he got 218 yards, which included a scintillating 73-yard, hide-and-seek-and-sprint.
10. That upper deck is way too steep to be hitting the flask too much during the game.

Question No. 2

Why is LSU-Auburn the strangest rivalry in the country?

A: The quake, the interception-fest, the wildfire, the eye-stomp, the point-after flop and now, field goal-gate. It's always Mondo-Bizarro World when these two face off.

1988 - The earthquake game won by LSU, 7-6, on a late touchdown (It is claimed that celebration started the tremor. I know for a fact it didn't actually happen at that time, but won't get into here.)
1994 - LSU blows a 23-9 lead in the fourth quarter, when Jamie Howard serves up five (yes, 5) interceptions, three of which are returned for touchdowns in Auburn's amazing 30-26 comeback win. Many said that led to Coach Curley Hallman's demise in bayou country.
1996 - A fire, started by an outdoor grill that was left under an overhang of an old gymnasium, blazes wildly just beyond the upper deck of Jordan-Hare Stadium. LSU won, 19-15.
2001 - Auburn comes out stomping on the tiger "eye" in the middle of the field, starting a pre-game brawl. Auburn is penalized 15 yards on the opening kickoff. LSU pulls off an onside kick and goes in for a quick touchdown, leading to a 27-14 romp.
2004 - LSU's Ronnie Prude was flagged on the ever-rare landing-on-an-opponent call on a missed extra point. The re-kick for Auburn is good, giving the Plainsmen a 10-9 win.
2005 - This year, it was the mysterious force field around the goalposts in Tiger Stadium. Auburn's John Vaughn missed five field goals, including the game-tying try that dinged off the upright in OT. LSU also missed a pair of kicks to bring the grand total to seven missed field goals. Geez, where's Kendall Trainor, man?

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Tuberville Speaks Out Against ESPN

While speaking to the Montgomery Quarterback Club yesterday, Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville took aim at the BCS and ESPN. Tuberville told the group that ESPN has gained too much power in recent years and that their influence may have cost Auburn a shot at the national championship.

He says the same thing may be happening this year as the crew at ESPN pushes for a match-up between USC's Matt Leinhart and the Longhorns Vince Young.

Tuberville goes on to say:

"ESPN has gotten so much power lately, it's kinda scary," Tuberville said. "And most of their analysts are coaches who haven't won any games. That's why they're there. I think you know who I'm talking about.

"And Lou Holtz gets on there and talks about what a team has to do win that game, and the guy couldn't beat anybody in our conference. These guys will come talk to you and look you straight in the eye and tell you something, then they'll get on the air and say something else.

"ESPN, I'll tell you, I don't have much to do with them anymore."

Hey Coach, just relax. Let's let the Tide and Dawgs sweat it another few weeks. Once they play us it won't matter anymore. It's going to take more than six points to beat our offense.

Click here to read about Coach Tuberville...

Ed Orgeron Says Past Experience Coaching Against Tigers Will Be Little Help

Ole Miss Head Coach Ed Orgeron held his weekly press conference today and talks about the match-up with Auburn on Saturday. He says facing Auburn as defensive line coach at USC will help little when the Rebels come to town.

Click here to read...

Scarbinsky Captures Sentiment Of The State

This column by Kevin Scarbinsky nails the sentiment of people across the state today. Every Auburn person I spoke with despite being disappointed, felt good about this Tiger football team.

As I said here Saturday night, I feel like we have the best team in the conference. If we can work on the details these next two weeks, we should be in solid position to beat Georgia and Alabama.

As for Alabama, all the people I spoke with today that wear Crimson voiced concern. They realize that their team has a lot of work to do before they can beat LSU or Auburn.

It's certainly a weird feeling to see Auburn people confident with two losses and Alabama fans worried despite being undefeated.

To that I say we've got them right where we want them.

Click here to read Scarbinsky's column...

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The ESPN Power 16

Despite Auburn's loss at LSU on Saturday night the Tigers are still part of ESPN's Power 16. This is pretty interesting stuff. There is a link on the page that shows you how each ESPN personality voted. Click on it to read.

Click here to see the ESPN Power 16...

Auburn in the NFL - Week 7

Karlos Dansby is one of this week's Auburn Alum standouts in the NFL. Ronnie Brown wasn't half bad either.

Click here to check on all of your favorite past players...

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Aubie To Take Part In Wheel Of Fortune's College Road Trip Week

Aubie is back at it again. He'll be participating in Wheel Of Fortune's College Road Trip Week. Aubie is one of eleven mascots vying for Mascot of the Year. To vote for Aubie go to capitalonebowl.com

Click here to read the story...

AU Safety Still Aiming for SEC Title

Will Herring is getting better each week. Here's a good story on Herring from Mark Murphy and Inside The Auburn Tigers.

Click here to read...

Monday, October 24, 2005

Bo Throws Out Ceremonial First Pitch At World Series

Looking like he never left the game, Bo Jackson threw out the first pitch last night prior to the start of Game 2 of the 2005 World Series. Bo hit 16 home runs in his final season with the White Sox after coming off hip surgery.

Click here to read more...

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Vaughn's Residence Reportedly Egged Saturday Night

Numerous posts on Auburn message boards suggest that Tiger place kicker John Vaughn's residence was egged following Saturday's loss at LSU. Vaughn who was 1 for 6 on field goal attempts has not commented.

Others are reporting that Vaughn was so upset over his performance that he immediately went to the practice field after arriving back at Auburn to practice kicking.

We are still trying to get confirmation of these events. If they do prove true, it's certainly an embarrassment to the Auburn family. Let's hope that Vaughn is able to recover and get back to work this week.

He's a talented kicker who certainly had a bad night but no one should have to put up with this treatment. We have a lot of football to play and we need John Vaughn. He's the best we've got. Let's hope Saturday night doesn't ruin him for good.

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Auburn Vs. Ole Miss Preview

Here's all the information you'll need to get ready for this weekend's game with Ole Miss. Now shake off that loss. We've got a lot to play for and we've got to move on. The big prizes still await us.

Click here to read the preview...

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Tigers Return To Practice Field Sunday

Auburn returned to the practice field on Sunday to prepare for this weekend's match-up with Ole Miss. Offensive Coordinator Al Borges says he was pleased with the offenses performance but there are still areas that need improving.

Click here to read the story...

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Tiger Born, Tiger Dead

It has been a tough weekend. First the loss to LSU and now I find out that Alabama is selling more caskets than us. It seems that we're just not dying as fast as those who wear crimson.

Collegiate Memorials, makers of college themed caskets (I'm not joking) have released their top selling schools for 2005. While Auburn comes in a respectable fourth nationally, our cross state rivals are racking up sales that put them second in the country behind Oklahoma.

After last night, I won't be surprised to see sales spike.

Click here to read the story...

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Auburn Reports Secondary Violations

The Mobile Register reports today that Auburn declared a member of its football team ineligible this summer after inadvertantly receiving $1,114 in stipends for room and board. This is considered a secondary violation and the player was not named. Alabama also reported violations.

Click here to read...

Auburn Doesn't Drop Far In This Week's Polls

Auburn may finally be gettting some respect. The Tigers only dropped four spots in this week's Coaches' Poll despite last night's loss to LSU.

Click here to see all the polls...

Complete Stats From Last Night's Game With LSU

We beat them everywhere but on the scoreboard. Mama said there would be days like this...

Click here to read...

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Instant Analysis - Auburn vs. LSU

Here's an interesting take on the game. Not one I necessarily agree with but it's something to think about.

Click here to read...

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Broyles Comes Through With Repair Cost For Van and Tiger Tail

Frank Broyles made us all mad last week by not allowing Auburn to telecast its win over the Razorbacks. But I must say that it was a class act on his part to pay for the repair costs of the Auburn van damaged by vandals.

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We Have Much To Look Forward To From This Auburn Team

By Jay Coulter
Tonight hurts. My ten-year-old daughter went to bed crying. It was her first painful loss as an Auburn fan. There have been nights like this before. But I can’t remember a night with so many missed opportunities.

How can you hurt so bad right now but still feel like your team is the best in the conference? Auburn is a good football team. Auburn is a young football team. Tonight we saw a combination of both a good and young football team play.

How many years has it been since we’ve seen such a dominating performance by a running back? And I say this a year after Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown left for the NFL. Kenny Irons is the real deal.

Brandon Cox wasn’t perfect but I sure was proud of him. He’s going to be special before he leaves Auburn. He still needs work at the line of scrimmage and with clock management but how can you not give this kid an A? Sure he still must learn to look away from his primary receiver but he’s better. And as he gets better, we’ll continue to get better.

John Vaughn is a different story. I can’t remember a night when a place kicker was worse. I can’t remember when a kicker for any school missed five field goals. I hate to single out one person but how can you not. John Vaughn single handedly cost the Tigers the win. That’s tough talk for a 22 year-old.

For Vaughn and the team I hope he can recover. Although I’m not sure it’s possible. What is it with our kickers following up spectacular seasons with terrible campaigns?

Our defense played good enough to win but our secondary has a long ways to go. I hate to see Tyrone Prothro suffer but I’m relieved that we don’t have to face him. Skylar Green looked like Reggie Bush at times tonight. Prothro could have been much worse.

After watching Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and LSU today, I believe we are as good as anyone in the conference. Next week is a rebound week and it will be tough mentally. But if we continue to improve against Ole Miss and Kentucky then I think we’ll win our remaining games with Georgia and Alabama.

D.J. Shockley will tell the tale for Georgia. If he’s gone then they’re gone. If he’s back and healthy I expect another epic game for us in Athens similar to tonight. As for Alabama, their defense is outstanding. No question. But their offense doesn’t have as many weapons as we saw tonight.

An Alabama win over LSU means we control our destiny. We win out and we head to Atlanta. Tonight hurts but all is not lost. This team has a special feel to it - even in defeat. Let’s get behind them and get ready for an exciting four weeks of football. War Eagle!

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Saturday, October 22, 2005

The Time Is Now!

Are you ready? Does it get any better than today? What a day it is... Georgia-Arkansas at 11:30; Tennessee-Alabama at 2:30; and then the granddaddy of them all... Auburn-LSU at 6:45. All on television. So wake-up, eat a good meal, go to the store and buy the beer and send the wife and kids out shopping. Today is your day. It's our day...Here's a primer to get you ready...

Tigers Expect Crowd Factor

Tigers Face Toughest Test

Cox To Be Tested In Baton Rouge

MSNBC Preview

LSU: This Game Is The Biggest

Auburn's Iron's Hopes To Draw LSU's Attention

This May Be The Week's Most Entertaining Game

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Two Backs Won't Work and Right Now It's Brown's Ball

Ronnie Brown established himself last night as the feature back for the Miami Dolphins. I guess it's back to marijuana for Ricky Williams.

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Miami Has Wide Gap Between Running Backs

The people of Miami are starting to realize that Ronnie Brown is the man.

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