Friday, August 26, 2005
Thank you.
(Jason - sorry to supercede your awesome football preview with this)
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I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.
I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to all those who have allowed me to emotionally dump on them over the past few days. These have truely been the most painful and agonizing days of my entire life. Without you, my friends, I would surely not have seen the dawn. I am forever grateful for your support, your words, your insight.
If there is one thing I have taken from this - I have learned that communication truely is the foundation on which all love is built. Without it, love will escape and it will die.
Share something every day with those close to your heart.
Some of you already know. Others I have not had the chance with which to speak. I welcome AIM conversation (richfrangiamore). Otherwise, read my journal.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
The Auburn Football Preview
Sorry, work's been busy lately, and the pennant race is demanding! Here's my position-by-position Auburn football preview, and by "my", I mean "analysis blatantly stolen from ESPN.com (with a sprinkling of some other sources) and re-interpreted by myself."
QB
Brandon Cox, to nobody's surprise, has won the starting job over red-shirt freshmen Calvin Booker and Blake Field. Cox has played against the #1 defensive unit in all practices and scrimmages, and has responded reasonably well. Cox is scouted by Sports Illustrated as being an extremely accurate passer (much more so than Campbell at the same age) who has trouble throwing the ball down the field with any power. However, ESPN.com reports that Cox has looked much better throwing deep and sideline passes with some zip this year than he did last year as the backup.
RB
Auburn will be choosing from 4 RBs to try to put a package together to try to replace the rushing production lost by the losses of Brown and Williams this offseason. Juniors Tre Smith and Kenny Irons, sophomore Carl Stewart, and red-shirt freshman Brad Lester are all believed to be fighting it out this month to see who gets the nod as the primary back. Irons, a transfer from South Carolina who sat out last season, reminded some inside and around the Auburn program of Cadillac Williams in terms of his explosiveness. Carl Stewart appeared to be the standout back during the first few scrimmages, but it's too early to tell how this position will shake out.
WR and TE
Finally, offensive skill positions with no huge question marks. Seniors Ben Obomanu, Devin Aromashodu, and Anthony Mix, along with Junior standout Courtney Taylor, are all back from last year's starting WR package. The frightening thing is, as good as Taylor has been, he is still learning technique at the WR position after playing QB in high school. Mix is considered a promising prospect by some NFL scouts. Auburn's WR corps is rated as the 7th best in the NCAA by ESPN.com, behind LSU, Miami, USC, Florida, Ohio State, and Arizona State.
For TE, the good news is that Cooper Wallace is back. The bad news? Cooper Wallace is back. He is considered one of the top TEs in the SEC, but consider me unconvinced until he actually shows up for an Iron Bowl and produces FOR OUR TEAM, not the other one!
OL
The Tigers are in great shape at the offensive tackle positions. Senior LT Marcus McNeil is expected to be a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft this year. Senior RT Troy Reddick is expected to go within the 1st 3 rounds as well. The gaping hole in the Auburn offensive line is the center position. Sophomore Leon Hart got the first crack but ended up feeling overwhelmed. Junior Joe Cope took over at center, but senior Steven Ross is expected to start August camp as the starter at the position.
K
One of Auburn's most consistent performers last season was junior kicker John Vaughn. Vaughn made 12-of-15 field-goal attempts and missed just one-of-52 extra point attempts. There's no reason to think that he will not be as good, or even better, this season.
DL
Sophomore defensive ends Stanley McGlover and Quentin Groves may be the best pass-rushing combo in the nation this season, and THEY ARE ONLY SOPHOMORES. Be afraid, SEC. Be very afraid.
Auburn's situation at defensive tackle is a little less stable. Senior Tommy Jackson will start at nose guard with sophomores Josh Thompson and Tez Doolittle backing him up. Senior Wayne Dickens is set to start at defensive tackle while sophomore Neil Brown and red-shirt freshman Pat Sims will battle for playing time. Sims is generally regarded as the most talented of the defensive tackles, but has had some serious disciplinary problems in the past. Jackson has developed into an excellent run-stopper in the middle of the line. Auburn's defensive line is rated as 5th best in the NCAA according to ESPN.com, behind NC State, Tennessee, Miami, and Texas.
LB
Auburn enters the year with a fierce starting 3 at the LB positions. OLBs Kevin Sears (Junior) and Antarrious Williams (Senior) and Senior MLB Travis Williams are all quick to the ball and make big plays in spite of having less than "ideal" size for LBs. All 3 were hurt for most of the spring, but all should recover in time for the season, and the injuries gave their backups a chance to get some reps in during spring practices. Auburn's linebackers are rated as the 4th best in the NCAA according to ESPN.com, behind Ohio State, Florida State, and Miami.
DB
The departures of Carlos Rogers and Junior Rosegreen created two gaping holes in the Auburn secondary. Rosegreen's spot at SS is expected to be filled by sophomore Eric Brock, who was the backup at FS behind Will Herring (who is back again at FS this year) last season.
Senior cornerback David Irons, who will replace Rogers in the starting lineup after missing last season with a torn ACL, said new defensive coordinator David Gibbs' man-to-man scheme is a departure from Chizik's coverage philosophy. Essentially, this means that in spite of the question marks in the secondary, the defensive backs will be asked to shoulder a significant portion of the defensive load in man-to-man assignments. Junior Montavis Pitts returns as the other starting cornerback.
P
Auburn's punter, junior Kody Bliss, has become one of the SEC's best after averaging 42.3 yards and placing 17 punts inside the 20-yard line last year. Aside from his ugly performance in the SEC Championship Game, with a shanked punt and a dropped snap, he was remarkably consistent in his punting. Given how Auburn's strengths this year seem to lean heavily towards the defensive side of the ball, the field position battle as it is determined by punting may be a significant factor in whether Auburn wins or loses several games.
Special Teams
Auburn was second in the conference in kickoff returns (22.1 yard average), net punting (38.0), punt returns (11.9) and field goal percentage (.800) last season. The only category Auburn wasn't at the top of the league in was kickoff coverage, ranking tenth. Tre Smith is slated to return as the main punt returner, and Devin Aromashodu is likely to be the primary kickoff returner.
Summary
Auburn comes into the year ranked 15th in the initial USA Today coaches' poll, and 16th in the initial Associated Press poll. This is due to some very large questions that need to be answered at QB, RB, center, and in the secondary. Plus, there is the question of whether or not new defensive coorinator David Gibbs can hold the defense to the same standard as Gene Chizik did before he defected to Texas.
Personally, I am quite confident that at least one playmaker will emerge from the competition at RB, as Tommy Tuberville always seems to get the most out of his running game. QB should be adequate as well, as Brandon Cox gets his first 5 games at home (Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Ball State, Western Kentucky, South Carolina) to hone his skills before the meaty part of the schedule begins, and he has an excellent WR corps catching his passes. The problems look to be a C and with the DBs. We saw two years ago how a talented offensive line can do a swiss cheese impression without a good starting center (after Ben Nowland left, it was mayhem down there), and losing two starters in the secondary, immediately followed by switching to a man-to-man coverage scheme, seems like a recipe for potential disaster. Can our secondary clamp down with Will Herring as the playmaker? We shall see.
Auburn was predicted to finish 2nd in the SEC West this year to LSU at the SEC Media Days, and it appears to be an uphill climb to repeat as SEC Champions. This humble poster's prediction is for a 9-2 season and a repeat as the SEC West Champions. There is too much talent on this team to fail to compete for the Western crown, but there are too many question marks to have any visions of another completely undefeated season at this time.
QB
Brandon Cox, to nobody's surprise, has won the starting job over red-shirt freshmen Calvin Booker and Blake Field. Cox has played against the #1 defensive unit in all practices and scrimmages, and has responded reasonably well. Cox is scouted by Sports Illustrated as being an extremely accurate passer (much more so than Campbell at the same age) who has trouble throwing the ball down the field with any power. However, ESPN.com reports that Cox has looked much better throwing deep and sideline passes with some zip this year than he did last year as the backup.
RB
Auburn will be choosing from 4 RBs to try to put a package together to try to replace the rushing production lost by the losses of Brown and Williams this offseason. Juniors Tre Smith and Kenny Irons, sophomore Carl Stewart, and red-shirt freshman Brad Lester are all believed to be fighting it out this month to see who gets the nod as the primary back. Irons, a transfer from South Carolina who sat out last season, reminded some inside and around the Auburn program of Cadillac Williams in terms of his explosiveness. Carl Stewart appeared to be the standout back during the first few scrimmages, but it's too early to tell how this position will shake out.
WR and TE
Finally, offensive skill positions with no huge question marks. Seniors Ben Obomanu, Devin Aromashodu, and Anthony Mix, along with Junior standout Courtney Taylor, are all back from last year's starting WR package. The frightening thing is, as good as Taylor has been, he is still learning technique at the WR position after playing QB in high school. Mix is considered a promising prospect by some NFL scouts. Auburn's WR corps is rated as the 7th best in the NCAA by ESPN.com, behind LSU, Miami, USC, Florida, Ohio State, and Arizona State.
For TE, the good news is that Cooper Wallace is back. The bad news? Cooper Wallace is back. He is considered one of the top TEs in the SEC, but consider me unconvinced until he actually shows up for an Iron Bowl and produces FOR OUR TEAM, not the other one!
OL
The Tigers are in great shape at the offensive tackle positions. Senior LT Marcus McNeil is expected to be a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft this year. Senior RT Troy Reddick is expected to go within the 1st 3 rounds as well. The gaping hole in the Auburn offensive line is the center position. Sophomore Leon Hart got the first crack but ended up feeling overwhelmed. Junior Joe Cope took over at center, but senior Steven Ross is expected to start August camp as the starter at the position.
K
One of Auburn's most consistent performers last season was junior kicker John Vaughn. Vaughn made 12-of-15 field-goal attempts and missed just one-of-52 extra point attempts. There's no reason to think that he will not be as good, or even better, this season.
DL
Sophomore defensive ends Stanley McGlover and Quentin Groves may be the best pass-rushing combo in the nation this season, and THEY ARE ONLY SOPHOMORES. Be afraid, SEC. Be very afraid.
Auburn's situation at defensive tackle is a little less stable. Senior Tommy Jackson will start at nose guard with sophomores Josh Thompson and Tez Doolittle backing him up. Senior Wayne Dickens is set to start at defensive tackle while sophomore Neil Brown and red-shirt freshman Pat Sims will battle for playing time. Sims is generally regarded as the most talented of the defensive tackles, but has had some serious disciplinary problems in the past. Jackson has developed into an excellent run-stopper in the middle of the line. Auburn's defensive line is rated as 5th best in the NCAA according to ESPN.com, behind NC State, Tennessee, Miami, and Texas.
LB
Auburn enters the year with a fierce starting 3 at the LB positions. OLBs Kevin Sears (Junior) and Antarrious Williams (Senior) and Senior MLB Travis Williams are all quick to the ball and make big plays in spite of having less than "ideal" size for LBs. All 3 were hurt for most of the spring, but all should recover in time for the season, and the injuries gave their backups a chance to get some reps in during spring practices. Auburn's linebackers are rated as the 4th best in the NCAA according to ESPN.com, behind Ohio State, Florida State, and Miami.
DB
The departures of Carlos Rogers and Junior Rosegreen created two gaping holes in the Auburn secondary. Rosegreen's spot at SS is expected to be filled by sophomore Eric Brock, who was the backup at FS behind Will Herring (who is back again at FS this year) last season.
Senior cornerback David Irons, who will replace Rogers in the starting lineup after missing last season with a torn ACL, said new defensive coordinator David Gibbs' man-to-man scheme is a departure from Chizik's coverage philosophy. Essentially, this means that in spite of the question marks in the secondary, the defensive backs will be asked to shoulder a significant portion of the defensive load in man-to-man assignments. Junior Montavis Pitts returns as the other starting cornerback.
P
Auburn's punter, junior Kody Bliss, has become one of the SEC's best after averaging 42.3 yards and placing 17 punts inside the 20-yard line last year. Aside from his ugly performance in the SEC Championship Game, with a shanked punt and a dropped snap, he was remarkably consistent in his punting. Given how Auburn's strengths this year seem to lean heavily towards the defensive side of the ball, the field position battle as it is determined by punting may be a significant factor in whether Auburn wins or loses several games.
Special Teams
Auburn was second in the conference in kickoff returns (22.1 yard average), net punting (38.0), punt returns (11.9) and field goal percentage (.800) last season. The only category Auburn wasn't at the top of the league in was kickoff coverage, ranking tenth. Tre Smith is slated to return as the main punt returner, and Devin Aromashodu is likely to be the primary kickoff returner.
Summary
Auburn comes into the year ranked 15th in the initial USA Today coaches' poll, and 16th in the initial Associated Press poll. This is due to some very large questions that need to be answered at QB, RB, center, and in the secondary. Plus, there is the question of whether or not new defensive coorinator David Gibbs can hold the defense to the same standard as Gene Chizik did before he defected to Texas.
Personally, I am quite confident that at least one playmaker will emerge from the competition at RB, as Tommy Tuberville always seems to get the most out of his running game. QB should be adequate as well, as Brandon Cox gets his first 5 games at home (Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Ball State, Western Kentucky, South Carolina) to hone his skills before the meaty part of the schedule begins, and he has an excellent WR corps catching his passes. The problems look to be a C and with the DBs. We saw two years ago how a talented offensive line can do a swiss cheese impression without a good starting center (after Ben Nowland left, it was mayhem down there), and losing two starters in the secondary, immediately followed by switching to a man-to-man coverage scheme, seems like a recipe for potential disaster. Can our secondary clamp down with Will Herring as the playmaker? We shall see.
Auburn was predicted to finish 2nd in the SEC West this year to LSU at the SEC Media Days, and it appears to be an uphill climb to repeat as SEC Champions. This humble poster's prediction is for a 9-2 season and a repeat as the SEC West Champions. There is too much talent on this team to fail to compete for the Western crown, but there are too many question marks to have any visions of another completely undefeated season at this time.
