Blog...The Tiger Beat...AU poised for SEC run

Amidst a tumultuous off-season of coordinator changes, unfulfilled recruiting expectations, and a strong national showing in the NFL draft, the Auburn Tigers enter the 2008 season loaded with young talent, a renewed enthusiasm and looked poised to make another run at the SEC Championship.

By Justin Saia

A weekly look inside the 2008 Auburn Tigers Football team

It is still more than two months before the RVs roll into town and the smell of fresh squeezed lemonade careens down College Street, blending with the aroma of freshly smoked BBQ. As fans scramble to rope off their tailgate spots, War Eagle VII takes up his perch high above Jordan-Hare stadium for pregame festivities. Fans begin to line the corridor of Donahue Drive for Tiger Walk, while Aubie suits up for yet another day of laughter and merriment. And while 61 days remain as a barrier between the conviviality that is Auburn football, the message boards are already ablaze with rumors and inquiries, Alabama radio stations are buzzing with apprehension and angst, and the proverbial preseason magazines have BCS bowl bids abounding. Yep, it’s already that time of the year again. In Alabama, college football is a fan’s full-time job…it is a way of life.

As the Tigers return a pool of talented and heroic players from a team that failed to live up to expectations last season, much of the prognosis for this team remains largely unknown. Following the strongest five seasons in Auburn football history, which yielded a staggering 50 wins, there is no hiding the fact that Auburn fans are hungry to get retribution for a blundered BCS snubbing in 2004. For the Tigers to return to the promised land once again, head coach Tommy Tuberville must fine tune the balance between a completely new offensive philosophy and team dynamic with a devastating defensive machine.

After a mediocre 2007 season, which saw Auburn suffer demoralizing losses to both South Florida and Mississippi State, Tommy Tuberville spent the off-season revamping his stagnant offense by stealing away a gem from Troy State, in the hiring of offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. The much maligned “spread offense” guru has made a name for himself over the past two seasons, lifting the Trojans from relative obscurity to a BCS “giant-killer”. Auburn’s average of 178 yards of passing offense per game, ranked an abysmal 103rd out of 119 teams last season.

Auburn fans were shocked and outraged by the second departure, in as many years, of defensive coordinators to the University of Texas. Auburn defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp, was whisked away to Austin at seasons end by Texas Head Coach Mack Brown. Brown’s intrusiveness has been a thorn in Auburn’s side, landing him a string of Auburn defensive coordinators. Tuberville turned his attention to the Pittsburgh Panther’s defensive coordinator, Paul Rhoads, who comes to Auburn after spending 8 seasons molding the Panther’s defense into one of the top units in the county. Rhoads was first offered the defensive coordinator position at Auburn following the departure of David Gibbs to the NFL in 2006.

With a new approach on both sides of the ball and a renewed enthusiasm, expectations loom large for this bunch of Tommy’s Tigers. As the weeks progress, I will offer a new insight each day into this season’s team, including in-depth analysis of the new spread offense, the QB controversy brewing, the defense, special teams, the new coaches, the schedule, the key players, and game predictions. Have an opinion? Want to weigh in? Email me at [e-mail], or discuss in the Scout Forums.

Up next...the new faces of the Auburn coaching staff...War Eagle!

AU poised for SEC run, July 1 "));