Tony Barnhart Making Too Much Sense

[AUChizad]

Not overly sunshine pumping, but fair, rational, and informed.

I almost feel like something's wrong when I read an entire article about Auburn with no underhanded attack.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/19610697/auburn-poised-for-rebound-in-brutal-sec-west

Hoover, Ala. -- We in the media have something in common with fans: We all try to make college football a lot more complicated than it really is. Let's take the Auburn team of 2011. In 2010 Auburn won all of its games and beat Oregon (22-19) with a field goal at the buzzer to capture the BCS national championship.

Auburn went 14-0 because it had a veteran offensive line, a Heisman Trophy winner (Cam Newton) at quarterback, and a supreme difference maker (Nick Fairley) at the nose tackle. Auburn also had a manageable schedule with South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia all coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In 2011 Auburn went 8-5 (4-4 in the SEC) and suddenly fans and media alike wanted to know: What's wrong at Auburn?

Actually, nothing was wrong at Auburn 2011. There were simply two realities the Tigers could not overcome.

1. All the aforementioned talent was gone and replaced by people who weren't old enough to shave.

2. In 2011 Auburn navigated one of the toughest road schedules any SEC team has played in the BCS era. Do you doubt it? Okay, here are Auburn's five true road games last season:

• Clemson, the eventual ACC champion, which had some of the best skill people in all of college football. Auburn lost at Death Valley 38-24.

• South Carolina, which won 11 games for the first time in school history. Auburn won 16-13 at Williams-Brice.

• Arkansas, which won 11 games, was ranked as high as No. 3, and whose only losses were to No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 LSU. Auburn lost 38-14.

• LSU, which was ranked No. 1 most of the season, won 13 games and the SEC championship. Auburn lost 45-10.

• Georgia, the SEC East champions, dominated Auburn 45-7 at Sanford Stadium.

Bottom line: Auburn was 1-4 in those road games and was outscored 179-71.

"The one good thing I can say about that road schedule is that it made our young guys grow up," said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. "We knew we were going to be a young team and that we could struggle. But we also knew that it would pay off for us down the road."

Chizik, whose 14-0 season of 2011 is sandwiched between a couple of 8-5 campaigns, hopes that "down the road" means now. There is always a sense of urgency for the fans at Auburn. But that sense of urgency grows exponentially when Alabama, the hated state rival, has won two out of the last three national championships.

When the voting here at SEC media days is released on Thursday, Auburn is likely to be picked to finish fourth in the SEC West behind LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas. That is simply not going to be good enough for the Auburn fan base, especially after watching Alabama hold up the crystal football last January in New Orleans.

"We know what the expectations are and for us the goal never changes," said Chizik. "We have won a national championship so we know what a great team looks like. We want to win another one. We are building towards that goal and have made progress."

There are several reasons for Chizik to be optimistic.

This season, Auburn is a year older. Last season 21 of the 31 players on the depth chart were freshman or sophomores. Brian VanGorder left the Atlanta Falcons to become Auburn's defensive coordinator. VanGorder will bring an edge to that unit.

"I'm an old defensive coordinator [Chizik was the DC on the Texas national championship team of 2005] and the great thing about Brian is that we are on the same page on everything when it comes to defense," said Chizik. "He is going to make a difference and our guys are excited about playing for him."

Former OC Gus Malzahn has taken his spread offense to Arkansas State as the new head coach. Chizik used the opportunity to go back to basics. This season Auburn will be returning to the blue collar football of the Pat Dye and Tommy Tuberville era. There is a lot of talent at running back with Florida transfer Mike Blakely, Alabama transfer Corey Grant, and senior speed rusher Onterio McCalebb. Chizik hired Scot Loeffler, the Lloyd Carr protégé from Michigan, to help Auburn make the transition.

And then there is the schedule. This time it is really front loaded with Clemson in Atlanta, a trip to Mississippi State and two home games with LSU and Arkansas in the first five weeks of the season.

"One thing is for sure," said Chizik. "When September is over we'll know where we stand as a football team."

But the road schedule, which was so brutal a year ago, is much more manageable with trips to Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, and Alabama.

Now is Auburn ready to wrestle the SEC West away from Alabama, LSU, or Arkansas? I don't think so. But Auburn will close the gap with the top of the division in 2012 and could be ready to make some noise in 2013.

"The reality is that we have 16 starters back but we have a lot of guys pushing them for playing time," said Chizik. "After being thin last season at some positions we are finally building our depth. When we came here we said we were going to build a foundation that would last. This is our fourth recruiting class and we are finally starting to see it. We feel very good about where we are as a football program."

[AUChizad]

Because this is the shit we get domestically. This is how al.com does "positive" Auburn stories.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/07/how_far_will_auburn_close_the.html

How far will Auburn close the blowout gap?
Published: Thursday, July 19, 2012, 5:00 AM
By Jon Solomon -- The Birmingham News

Emory Blake and Auburn haven't forgotten the blowout losses last season, which caused the Tigers to be the first defending champion in 44 years to be outscored over an entire year. (Linda Stelter/The Birmingham News)

HOOVER, Alabama -- There's no catchy slogan for Auburn like "Never Again." There's no video running on a loop for players to be constantly reminded of the five blowout losses over and over and over again.

Wide receiver Emory Blake doesn't need it. The defeats remain etched in his mind. Auburn players hear about the losses repeatedly in training sessions with Auburn strength and conditioning coach Kevin Yoxall.

Clemson 38, Auburn 24. Push harder.

Arkansas 38, Auburn 14. Lift higher.

LSU 45, Auburn 10. Run faster.

Georgia 45, Auburn 7. Keep fighting.

Alabama 42, Auburn 14. Don't stop.

"I'm not going to let a 45-7 loss to Georgia slide," Blake said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "It's not going to leave my mind. Or the LSU game, because I was unable to play. And of course the Bama game. You never want to lose the important games like that, especially to your fans. We're definitely ready to get back on the field with them."

Gene Chizik chooses to accentuate the positives. He pointed out how frequently Auburn wins games decided by seven points or less in his tenure.

Winning close games has been an impressive characteristic of Chizik's teams. But Auburn's 2012 season will be defined by to what extent it closes the gap on the blowout losses. The Tigers play all five teams again, with only Alabama being a true road game.

"It's a sour taste," Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier said. "Once you lose a game like that, you really want to play them the next year and beat them by that much, even more. It's going to be fun to play the teams again we lost to."

Auburn may have won eight games in 2011. But the blowouts caused the Tigers to become the first defending national champion in 44 years to get outscored over an entire season. The last time that had happened was Michigan State in 1967, when the Spartans went 3-7.

Opponents scored 42 more points than Auburn last season. The previous national champions dating back to 1968 outscored teams on average by 217 points.

Naturally, the expectations are low from the outside of Auburn.

"Auburn's always going to be the underdog," Lemonier said. "Since the 2004 season, we were underdogs then. We didn't get picked to go to the BCS national championship game. But there's always going to be expectations and we've just got to prove them wrong."

The truth is, as demoralizing as the blowout losses were to Auburn, it wasn't the most disappointing part of the season. Not leaving 2011 with a clear starting quarterback was the worst part.

Barrett Trotter, Clint Moseley and even a little bit of Kiehl Frazier played musical chairs.

"It was just a tough situation," Blake said. "This year will probably be a little different. Once they pick one, they'll stick with one unless something terrible happens."

Blake won't say if Moseley or Frazier has the edge with new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler. "Good try," Blake said, smiling.

But while Blake said Moseley continues to improve, Blake's comments on Frazier were striking.

"Totally different dude," Blake said. "If I didn't know Kiehl, I wouldn't know he's the same guy because he's changed so much. He's just come so far ever since Coach Loeffler got there, just with his attitude. He's always had a big arm.

"When he first got to Auburn last year, he was throwing darts and we're like, 'Man, he's throwing the ball.' His progressions and his reads have gotten so much better that it's gotten him confident, and that's all a quarterback really needs."

There's no easing into 2012 for Auburn. Not with a Week 1 trip to Atlanta against Clemson, a Week 2 game at Mississippi State, and LSU and Arkansas visiting Auburn in the fourth and fifth games. "It's going to be big that we start out fast," Chizik said.

Thrive early and Auburn could be an SEC West sleeper. Struggle early ... and, well, there's always Ole Miss and Vanderbilt games in mid-October.

"We may have to put ourself on the map," Blake said. "But we're ready to do that."

[JR4AU]

Not overly sunshine pumping, but fair, rational, and informed.

I almost feel like something's wrong when I read an entire article about Auburn with no underhanded attack.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/19610697/auburn-poised-for-rebound-in-brutal-sec-west

Auburn will be improved.  Will the W/L record reflect that?  Not sure, but I'm betting there are no blowout losses.  I'm also not sure that Ark. will weather their storm.  They're not loaded with big time talent across the board.  They won the last few years with great QB play, and good coaching, they're were considered a great team, while many Auburn fans lamented our losses to LSU and bammer being blowouts.  Ark. lost to both of them by a combined score of 79-31.  Each was a 3+ TD loss.

Auburn gets past Clemson in the opener, and I think it's possible, then I think we have a pretty damn good year.   

[GH2001]

Barnhart always has wrote objectively. And I am not just saying this because of that article. I enjoy hearing him on the radio and reading his articles. He's called Auburn out when needed a few times and praises us when needed. He also does the same with Georgia. His kind are far and few now. Gregg Doyel is another I like.

[AUChizad]

I'm also not sure that Ark. will weather their storm.  They're not loaded with big time talent across the board.

Not according to the all-knowing gurus. Tyler Wilson + Kniles Davis = Unquestionable Top 3 team next year on par with Bama & LSU.

[JR4AU]

Not according to the all-knowing gurus. Tyler Wilson + Kniles Davis = Unquestionable Top 3 team next year on par with Bama & LSU.

Right.  On par with the teams that blew them out last year.  Check!