I kinda like this Rob Pate fella...

[Buzz Killington]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/09/auburn_hoping_to_see_the_bad_s.html

Auburn hoping to see the bad Stephen Garcia Saturday (Blogger roundtable)
Published: Thursday, September 29, 2011, 11:34 AM     Updated: Thursday, September 29, 2011, 11:34 AM

*This installment of the al.com blogger roundtable comes from former Auburn football player Rob Pate, who co-hosts the radio show "Eyes on Auburn" and writes at eyesonauburn.blogspot.com.

    Question: Auburn's brutal October schedule stretch begins with a trip to South Carolina. How do you see the young Tigers holding up through this Murderer's Row of a month?


Conventional wisdom would lead you believe Auburn has little to no chance at winning any of the next four contests. South Carolina was the media darling to repeat as Eastern Division champs prior to the season; however inconsistent quarterback play from Mr. Inconsistent, Stephen Garcia, has the Gamecocks looking slightly more vulnerable than most imagined.

Arkansas was billed as a national title dark-horse and ready to compete for the West, as they always are the week they play Alabama. An Alabama thrashing followed by a difficult rebound game against the SEC's newest member in Texas A&M this week may allow Auburn to catch Arkansas at the just the right time.

Then it's Florida, the team currently being billed as resurgent and the overlooked "Beast in the East," because that's what happens the week you play Alabama in this state...you're built up as a faux contender. Having played no one significant to this point, we stand clueless as to what Florida's true weaknesses are. They'll be exposed this week by a superior Alabama team.

And the Auburn gauntlet ends in Death Valley against LSU, a battle tested, overly athletic, extremely tough football team. Now this is a legitimate, powerful football team Auburn matches up very poorly against.

I hope Auburn believes and competes at a level worthy of winning them all. In reality, I say splitting the next four would be a tremendous feat. This week against an up-and-down South Carolina team and at home against the Florida Gators appear the two most likely contests the Tigers are capable of winning. On the road in Fayetteville and Baton Rouge are exceedingly tall orders...orders this Auburn team has yet to prove they're ready to successfully take on.

Best-case scenario begins this weekend by hoping the poorly-performing, INT-throwing, head-case Stephen Garcia rolls out of bed and into Williams-Brice Stadium. A win on the road against a highly ranked opponent would be just the spark this Auburn teams needs to successfully navigate "Murderers Row!"