A message from my orange and blue soul

Fourteen weeks ago, we suffered an immeasurable loss to our Auburn Family. Rod and Paula were called home leaving two children, family, friends and the Auburn Family in shock. This is right after in my humble opinion was the most amazing year in Auburn Athletics history.

As the game started yesterday, for the first time in 24 years of marriage, my wife and I sat down next to each other to watch Auburn Football. You see, I tend to scream and get loud but yesterday was not about the outcome it was about being able to share. To share the moments that would be unfolding in the game. We watched the team and the institution we both graduated from and love. A week ago, we got a sobering reality check that we are lucky to even be here sharing this moment.

I was not able to do the 100’s of the tweets during the game, I am not back there yet, giving status, graphics and my opinion (which is only that) about what is going on. I am just not fully there yet, but I did follow my feed by reading what others were tweeting. Al Kotero had to remind everyone football was a 4 Quarter game 😀

The message is simple, and I tweeted it yesterday but wanted to put it in a post, so it did not fly by on a feed. I believe it is that important.

Live the experiences and moments in life to their fullest always believing, hoping and supporting. There will be ups and downs but always, always know that if you believe and are a supporter when things bounce back the triumphs are a thousand times sweeter… don’t take for granted the ability to be here, in the now, with your family and friends sharing in what you love and are passionate about. 
We know it can all change in a second...

Some took to twitter in the first half expressing opinions and feedback, it is absolutely your right to do so. I can tell you as my wife and I sat watching, believing and knowing that we are Auburn, and this is just what Auburn does. We just believed and were supporting our coaches and players for better outcomes, wanting the defense to shake it off and get a stop, and they did. Knowing that they would and could turn it around and that just being able to watch football again was honestly a blessing within itself.

Be positive, believe and supportive. I guarantee you that our players and coaches do not go and get on that field in front of the hundreds of thousands if not millions of fans to fail. They want to win. Positivity breeds positive outcomes. Yes, this may be sunshine pumping, but I will tell you, feel blessed and thankful that you get to share that sunshine today with your loved ones. Feel blessed, we all are to be a part of the Auburn Family.

War Eagle

P.S.

A couple of game comments and shout outs.

Bo Nix, way to never lose your confidence, you stood there and believed, Gus believes, your Dad believes and not that it matters but I saw you handle yourself in adversity and I believe.

Joey Gatewood, thank you, without you, we do not win. You showed me you are a team player, I am excited to see more of you in the weeks to come.

Boobie, Kam, Eli, Seth, Sal, Spencer, Eli and everyone else way to hold onto the rock!

Big Kat way to run! 

Defense, if they are the best offensive line in college football, feed the next 11 games!

Offensive line, you know what you need to do, get it done! I believe in you all! Be better than yesterday!

Andy Burcham, God bless you and the strength you show, great calls, awesome energy, sending you a big Auburn Family hug.

R.I.P. Rod and Paula

What Must Auburn Do: Louisville Cardinals

 2015 Auburn Football Schedule

Date	Game	Location	Time
09/05/15	vs. Louisville	Atlanta	TBA
09/12/15	vs. Jacksonville State	Auburn	TBA
09/19/15	at LSU	Baton Rouge	TBA
09/26/15	vs. Mississippi State	Auburn	TBA
10/03/15	vs. San Jose State (HC)	Auburn	TBA
10/15/15	at Kentucky	Lexington	TBA
10/24/15	at Arkansas	Fayetteville	TBA
10/31/15	vs. Ole Miss	Auburn	TBA
11/07/15	at Texas A&M	College Station	TBA
11/14/15	vs. Georgia	Auburn	TBA
11/21/15	vs. Idaho	Auburn	TBA
11/28/15	vs. Alabama	Auburn	TBA
SEC Championship

We have looked in depth at what these Tigers must accomplish to be a better football team. First we looked at the defense, then the offense.

It's the time of year when the players are working with their strength and conditioning coaches, and participating in voluntary workouts. This is where team chemistry, and trust, the two essential building blocks of any successful team are built.

Like Gus Malzahn, our head football coach, always says "We need to worry about us." Meaning that the players need to work hard on continuing to get better. Improve on the fundamentals, and get in the best physical shape of all the teams they will face.

The schedule, although not as brutal as the 2014 campaign, is still a tough and demanding course in which our Tigers must navigate unscathed if another national championship is to be achieved.

Lets look now at our first opponent of the upcoming football season, the Louisville Cardinals

Date: September 5th, 2015
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic
Atalanta, GA 

Head Coach: Bobby Petrino
Offensive Coordinator: Garrick McGee
Defensive Coordinator: Todd Grantham
Pertinent Info: Schedule  Roster

The Cardinals run a pro-style run and gun offense that will mimic what we saw when Petrino and McGee were teamed together in Arkansas.The following video shows basically the type of offense we will see from the Cards.



Petrino was once the Offensive Coordinator at Auburn under Tommy Tuberville. In his book titled Orange is Our Color: The Tuberville Years Through Navy-tinted Glasses, Josh Dowdy writes: 

"So in 2002 Tuberville faced the challenge of restructuring, of refocusing. He needed coordinators who could translate Auburn's success in recruiting into more wins on the field." 
Auburn and Tuberville picked Bobby Petrino to run the offensive attack. All that Bobby Petrino had accomplished at Auburn has been overshadowed by his deeds away from Jordan-Hare Stadium. First there was "Jetgate", and later while at Arkansas "The Ride."

We know full well what type of offense Auburn will run, and so too the staff at Louisville.

Arguably, the man with the most success at stopping the Gus Malzahn attack resided in the state of Georgia for four years. Todd Grantham's UGA defenses finished those 4 seasons ranked 23rd, 5th, 32nd, and 45th respectfully in Total Defense.  

Grantham's defenses were particularly good vs. teams on 3rd down. Allowing less than 40% in his final three seasons he was with the 'Dawgs.

What Must Auburn Do?

First the Tigers must not turn the ball over. Fumbles and interceptions will be costly in any game, and Louisville will not need added adrenaline in this game. The Tigers will come into the contest with at least a Top10 ranking, and the Cardinal would love nothing more than to knock off the Plainsmen. Add to that the ACC vs SEC factor, and the hype will give the winner lots of carry into the playoff selections near seasons end.

Auburn must be able to run the football, especially needed is to convert on those 3rd and short situations. 

While Louisville is not completely settled on a starting QB yet, 5 different guys threw passes last season for the Cardinal. If the 2010 Arkansas game at Auburn is any indication of Bobby Petrino and his QB's, Louisville will have more than one QB ready to compete on September 5th.

Auburn must win the Special Teams. Kick off coverage, and Punt coverage must be very good to win this game. No breakdowns as in the 2013 BCS Championship game. Louisville will have plenty of speed on these return teams.

Most importantly Auburn has to come into this game with a mental toughness that they are here to win at all costs. Open field tackling is a desire, it's a mindset that the other guy will NOT beat you. Every play is important, every block, every run, every thing!

Accomplish these things and the season will be off to a wonderful start. 

Auburn 47  Louisville 23

WAR EAGLE!

New LOGO Opinion Poll

We are ever trying to stay the "Fresh" look at ATB, therefore we commissioned @AURobNY to give us a new look. 

We wanted to insure that Auburn's Ladies were included this time 'round. You can see the addition of Gymnastics, and Softball. Plus, we have Swimming & Diving being represented.

Sadly, we don't have room for ALL of the Auburn sports teams on our new logo. Volleyball, Track & Field, Wheelchair Basketball, and Soccer to name a few.

Do you like the new logo that is pictured at the top of this post? Either way, you can vote in the poll on the right side of the home page. Your opinion matters, and thanks for voting.

War Eagle!

2012/ 2013: The Passing Grades, Review of the Two Seasons

The Auburn Tigers have gone through some drastic changes in only a year under Gus Malzhan that has him as the leading candidate for the Coach of the Year Award. Thank heavens 2012 has passed rather quickly. Truth is, if Auburn has any success last year, do they fire Gene Chizik? As miserable as last year was I would take that hurt to be where the University is today. AU new day is upon us and players, coaches, and fans alike have put the past behind us and are 1 win away from being SEC West Champions.

Here are a few stats and grades that can express just how big of a turnaround has taken place:

2012

September 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Kiehl Frazier (10) fumbles the ball after being hit by Clemson Tigers linebacker Marcus Bullard (57) in the second half at the Georgia Dome. Clemson won 26-19. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE
Offense- Points a Game- 18, Offense Grade: D

Passing- Last year the QB play was abysmal. Frazier played out of his element under the new offensive coordinator and it showed just how unprepared he was to play the position. Clint Moseley also was not up to speed with how the offense ran and Jonathan Wallace could have had better stats if he would have been implemented sooner than he was. Passing Grade: F

Rushing- One of the only bright spot about last years team was Tre Mason. He broke the 1,000 yard mark in the Alabama game, but he fought all year and demanded the ball more after each game. Kudos and a ton of respect for how he played last year. Rushing Grade: C

O Line- Only a few words are needed for last years O Line I'll keep it short and sweet. BAD. O Line Grade: D

Defense- Allowed Points a Game- 28, Defense Grade: F
LBs, Secondary, and D Line- I almost turned away from the T.V when we came up on defense. My wife and I attended 3 games last year; ULM, LSU, and Arkansas. By the time we played Arkansas destroyed us, I had all but completely lost hope in our defense. Entire Defense: F

Special Teams- The only other bright spot of the 2012 season was Special Teams. Cody Parkey was automatic as usual and Steven Clarke had a few mishaps, but he was solid and played a key role for the Tigers. Special Teams Grade: A

2013

Nick Marshall celebrates with the Auburn fans after his two-touchdown game in the Tigers' victory over Ole Miss. (USATSI)

Offense- Points a Game- 39, Offense Grade: A-

Passing- Nick Marshall has been an absolute game changer for Auburn this year. He has had experience in the SEC as a DB for Georgia and played a whole year on the JUCO side of football and excelled. His dynamic playmaking ability and cannon for an arm have made teams play true to their position. His accuracy is getting better each week, but a little improvement and the Tigers will be a threat through the air as much as they are on the ground. Marshall has 9 passing TDs through 11 games while Auburn as a team last year only totaled 8 between 4 different players. Jeremy Johnson has been magnificent when he touches the ball. A true passer, but has decisive speed when he needs it. Passing Grade: B

Rushing- Auburn is SECOND in the Nation in Rushing Yards only behind Army, which rarely passes the ball. Tre Mason, Corey Grant, and Cameron Artis-Payne all share the ball and contribute greatly when each touch the ball. You can't leave out Nick Marshall from this category either. Mason has evolved as the go to back, even though all play and play exceptional. Mason also leads the SEC in multiple categories and has stacked up some really impressive stats for anyone's eye's. Rushing Grade: A+

O Line- The Offensive Line has been a key factor in the success. Aiding Auburn's Rushing attack, the Line also gives Marshall ample amount of time to pass or make a play. The O Line is also a main reason why Auburn is 10-1 to this point. O Line Grade: A+

Defense- Allowed Points a Game- 22, Defense Grade: B

LBs, Secondary, and D Line- Keeping this short and sweet again with the Defense, but Auburn's freshmen have stepped up all year long and are filling out their expectations. The Defensive Line has been able to make plays all year long and the LBs and Secondary have forced turnovers and made plays that have won games on multiple occasions. LBs Grade: B-, D Line Grade: A, Secondary: B+


Special Teams- The Special Teams are the only consistent part of the 2012/ 2013 seasons. Except this year, the Tigers have added more of a threats in the Return Game. Chris Davis has been electric  since his return and has yet to disappoint when he gets a head start. Special Teams Grade: A+


Well there you have it. As you can see just in this small review, Auburn has made leaps and bounds in only one year. Much credit is to Malzahn and his staff, but these players are simply fighting and playing harder than every game except the LSU game last year. Auburn has a chance to make even more history this weekend by knocking off the top ranked Tide in Jordan-Hare. Can the Tigers somehow pull out another Miracle in Jordan-Hare? We will see this coming Saturday.





Be sure to follow me on Twitter @austin_preiss19. Leave questions or comments on any Topic that you would like me write about in the coming weeks.

The Ending of an Era, the Beginning of Another

The End of the BCS

With the last couple of weeks left, in what we know it as the BCS standings, the Auburn Tigers are ranked 4 after a very disappointing season in which the Tigers only won a total of 3 games. Since the beginning of the BCS there were always those teams that have been on the outside looking in. Auburn in '04, Boise State a couple of times, and in this very last year could be yet another. Ohio State has owned and dominated in the last two years. Problem is, they haven't played a schedule that demonstrates they should stay above a 1 loss Auburn or Missouri. Let's say that Auburn does beat Alabama. Auburn wins against Mizzou or South Carolina. Would the voters keep a team who has won against 3 top ten teams out? Under an Ohio State who hasn't played a top team all year? We shall see in the coming weeks.

 

Malzahn's Present and Future

Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images

Not even the most optimistic Auburn fan would have predicted that Auburn would be going into the Iron Bowl 10-1, 6-1 in SEC play. Not even myself. I am and optimistic realist and would have been happy with an 8 win season. Anything better than last year. Gus Malzahn believed it would happen. He also gave hope to all the players and staff that it was possible to compete and have Auburn's name thrown around as an Elite SEC team again. Another name being thrown around is Malzahn. A semifinalist for the Coach of the Year award and well deserving. Him and his coaching staff have instilled discipline and a fire inside the locker room that has transcended on to the playing field. The Iron Bowl on November 30th could be a staple win and seal up those Coach of the Year talks and place an even bigger question up in the air... Pasadena?

 

As the end of a long, much aggravating system comes to an end a system arises at Auburn once again. One that has prospered and one that may put Auburn back into the prestigious powerhouse that it has been in recent years.

 

 

 

Be sure to follow me @austin_preiss19 on Twitter for Auburn, SEC and much more.

Stoops, Dragon Slaying, and Tilting at Windmills

This windmill is more like a buzz saw. Who can stop the SEC?

By now you heard about the ridiculous statements of Oklahoma head football coach Bob Stoops. Old news, right? Did you know the big question around the country is: Who is going to end the reign of the SEC in college football?

 Here are a few sources: ESPN , The Atlantic, Sporting News, and that is just a few. Trust me there are plenty more where those came from.

 You're asking what Bob Stoops' comments have to do with these articles about the end of the SEC's dominance in college football. Well, let me try to tie this all together for you. SEC envy. That doesn't really satisfy your intellect? Okay, I'll dive head first into why I call this a nation wide ambush of the SEC in general, and the state of Alabama in particular, an envious attitude.

 Imagine that you are a college football sports writer in the Northeastern part of the country. You write about Syracuse, Boston College, Penn State, and the northern half of the Eastern seaboard. What have you had to write about in the last decade that would be considered good news for your readers? Not much at all. 

Same can be said for those that write for the middle part of the country. Ohio State and Oklahoma lost their attempts at a BCS Championship. The West coast teams have only one BCS crown in the last decade to their credit, and that has been tarnished. Nothing to write about there either.

 I would not be surprised to see more than a few sports writers that have a vote, use that vote for teams that are not members of the SEC. Particularly when it comes to the third and fourth best teams in our conference. 

 The Southeastern Conference is the premiere football conference in America today. No less than 7 consecutive BCS Championship trophies lie within our conference. The last four belong to the two schools in the great state of Alabama. There are those out there that wish to see this come to an end. Let us examine the contenders.

Ohio State- OSU plays Buffalo, San Diego State, Florida A & M, and California,  for their out of conference contests. The big problem here? OSU will likely start the season in the top 5 of the polls. Here is a LINK to their entire 2013-14 schedule. It's not a schedule that would strike fear into anyone. Look for the Buckeyes to be in the mix at seasons end.

 Oklahoma State- The Cowboys are projected to be the best in their conference by some experts. Their complete schedule is here.  If the OSU squad is for real, they will have to survive tough tests against Mississippi State, and on the road in Morgantown against West Virginia.

Southern Cal- USC has four out of conference games, with two of them being true contests. Boston College comes to town in the middle of September, and a month later their annual battle with Notre Dame looms large. This year the Trojans don't have to play Oregon, so their conference schedule is a bit easier. 

Phil Steele has two other PAC-12 teams ranked ahead of USC in his preseason poll prediction. I am having trouble believing Stanford can navigate their last four games without a loss or two. However, they do have one of the best coaches in the country.  Oregon is loaded with talent, but a new head coach, and NCAA trouble brewing will be too much of a distraction to overcome.

I would like to hear from you. Tell me who you think can be the "Dragon Slayer" and end the rule of the SEC. As if that could happen.

War Eagle!

AU's Richardson Wins Bowden Award

ASHTON RICHARDSON courtesy of AU Family

 Ashton Richardson wins prestigious award for outstanding student athlete named after former FSU coach Bobby Bowden.

“It’s definitely humbling to receive this award, especially since it is named for a man like coach Bobby Bowden,” Richardson said in a statement. “Our campus and community pastors have been great mentors to me during my time at Auburn, and the Auburn family has always been supportive of me in my faith journey, as well as in academics and athletics. This is a tremendous honor.”

 Our congratulations go out to Richardson who was also a Rhodes Scholar finalist.

WAR EAGLE!

Defensive Response

In response to this article about jumping on the Gus Bus, the author left the impression that he had some angst about how well the AU defense would play. I left this comment...

Please don’t take this as a personal attack. It is not meant to be.
I feel all the angst about running a HUNH offense, but I truly believe it is all misdirected. The amount of time any defense spends on the field of play, is solely the responsibility of that defense. No one has delivered a concrete argument showing how an offense scoring in 49 seconds has any real deflating effect on an effective defense.
I believe quite the opposite. If your offense can score at will, the defense should be more pumped to get back out there and get the offense the ball back the quickest way possible.
There is not an offense in the country that is directly responsible for the amount of time any defense spends on the field. Ideally I would like to see the AU offense back out on the field in less than two minutes after finishing a drive in the end zone. That is how defenses should approach their mission.
WAR EAGLE!

 Let me know what you think about this in the comments below.

WAR EAGLE!
 

Who is #1?

 There will always be a contest on being named number 1 in whatever you do. Salesman? Yep, there are top sales awards given each year. It goes without saying that in sports the goal is to be #1, yet in the world of college scholastic achievement the goal is to teach and mold great people for the world we live in. Who is best at that? What college athletic department delivers the most return of revenue for the investment each year?
 Forbes magazine lists the top programs in the country. To see more click on the link below.

Rank	Team	Conference	Value ($Mil)	Revenue ($Mil)	Profit ($Mil)
1	Texas Longhorns	Big 12	133	104	78
2	Michigan Wolverines	Big Ten	120	85	62
3	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	Independent	103	69	43
4	LSU Tigers	SEC	102	69	45
5	Georgia Bulldogs	SEC	99	75	52
6	Alabama Crimson Tide	SEC	95	82	45
7	Florida Gators	SEC	93	74	51
8	Auburn Tigers	SEC	85	77	44
9	Tennessee Volunteers	SEC	84	55	35
10	Arkansas Razorbacks	SEC	83	64	40

To view the entire article click the LINK

There is another matrix used in grading overall best institution. When all things associated with obtaining a college education are factored in, a different picture emerges. Let's look at a survey of the state of Alabama and it's rankings.

StateUniversity.com uses many different measures in determining the rank of a particular school. The most important factors are a school's ACT/SAT scores, its student retention, faculty salary, and student / faculty ratio.

A school's score can be between 0 and 100, with the best possible score being 100. The list of top schools can be found on our Top-Ranked Schools Overall page.

It's important to note that some schools do not have enough data to be ranked in our system, and these schools will not appear in our lists.

Read more: About StateUniversity.com's School Rankings - StateUniversity.com http://www.stateuniversity.com/about/rank#ixzz2FbwqyQTh

The StateUniversity.com School Safety Ratings are based on campus crime statistics as reported by 450 of the largest U.S. colleges and universities. Each college's safety score, which can range from 0 to 100, is calculated based on the number and type of campus crime reported during the calendar. The underlying statistics are compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. For more information about our campus safety ranking visit our blog's post on the Safest Campuses.

Read more: About StateUniversity.com's School Rankings - StateUniversity.com http://www.stateuniversity.com/about/rank#ixzz2Fbx1n8AF

Rank in Alabama			Overall School Score
2012	2011	School Name	2012	2011
1	1	Auburn University	93.63	92.31 (↑1.4%)
2 ↑	3	Samford University	91.29	89.64 (↑1.8%)
3 ↓	2	University of Alabama at Birmingham	90.34	91.42 (↓1.2%)
4 ↑	5	The University of Alabama	90.23	88.09 (↑2.4%)
5 ↑	6	University of Alabama at Huntsville	88.18	85.96 (↑2.6%)
6 ↓	4	Birmingham Southern College	85.83	88.62 (↓3.1%)
7 ↑	9	Spring Hill College	84.43	84.72 (↓0.3%)
8 ↑	15	Tuskegee University	83.91	79.83 (↑5.1%)
9 ↓	7	University of Montevallo	81.88	85.50 (↓4.2%)
10 ↑	13	University of North Alabama	80.66	79.99 (↑0.8%)
11 ↑	21	Troy University	79.72	76.18 (↑4.7%)
12 ↓	10	University of South Alabama	78.76	80.95 (↓2.7%)
13 ↓	12	University of Mobile	78.66	80.01 (↓1.7%)
14 ↑	17	Jacksonville State University	78.51	77.71 (↑1.0%)
15 ↑	22	Judson College	76.92	73.84 (↑4.2%)
16 ↑	28	Marion Military Institute	76.73	64.50 (↑19.0%)
17 ↓	14	Alabama A & M University	76.16	79.84 (↓4.6%)
18 ↓	8	Amridge University	75.43	85.46 (↓11.7%)
19	19	Auburn University at Montgomery	74.16	76.57 (↓3.1%)
20 ↑	31	Southeastern Bible College	72.43	61.52 (↑17.7%)

Read more: College Rankings - Top Ranked Universities in Alabama - Highest Overall School Score - StateUniversity.com http://www.stateuniversity.com/rank_by_state/score_rank/AL.html#ixzz2Fbx77Bhy