Depth Chart Released/My Thoughts

The depth chart for the 2011 season just got released and there are a few surprises to say the least.

(Here is the depth chart, I'm not re-typing the whole thing. Click here)

The Surprises

- McCalebb over Dyer? I wouldn't read too much into that, both are starters in different situations. Dyer is the no1 choice on the inside run and McCalebb on the outside. Simple as that.

- Travante Stallworth starting at WR? Never saw that coming, he has apparently looked good in camp and if he can become a play-maker I'm all for having him starting here. Uzomah and Denson both are freshman that should get a few looks as well. Coates not being mentioned probably means he will be redshirted, unfortunately.

- Sigler over Wright at back-up DT? Gabe Wright came in with a lot of promise and was thought to be having a decent camp, Sigler recently got moved into the DT spot and it looks like he's made a big impression.

- Benton not starting. I've been a huge fan of Benton lately and even though he is playing directly behind Blake, he will get his shot to make some plays since Blake moves around the offence quite a lot.

- No Jawara White? I'm surprised to not see White backing up any LB position.

- Is this the end of Joel Bonomolo? The beast came into Auburn out of JUCO and was expected to make a big impact, and he is nowhere to be seen on the latest depth chart. I think his opportunity may have come and gone

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Other than that the rest of it looks exactly as I thought it would. The team has very few seniors and A LOT of freshman. No matter the talent level the team is young so expect some early struggles on both sides of the ball.

I Can Already Smell Football Season

So, exactly one week today Auburn kicks off their 2011 season against the Utah State Aggies (game preview will come next week) and I have to say I am incredibly excited and somewhat thankful that this drivel season is coming to an end. I can only deal with rumours of illegal benefits, suits, cars, tattoo's, abortions and player bounties for so long.

One thing that is bothering me at the moment is me being able to see the game, Utah State isn't a big team but I still want to watch this young Auburn team play and what kind of excitement they could bring to the season (and its also the opener! duh). I am moving houses next weekend, so I may get stuck having to move boxes and may even be without Internet connection. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Don't believe all the downplay of Auburn's 2011 season from all the talking heads in the media either, sure Auburn isn't going to repeat but we sure as hell won't be gutter slugs either. Right now, Auburn is a young yet talented team which needs time to gel and gain experience. There are bound to be players at each position stepping up and becoming play-makers when you look at the state of things.

Auburn has enough weapons on offence to be successful in 2011, and when you have an offensive co-ordinator as talented as Gus Malzahn you have to feel like you are in a safe position. The defense has also won games for Auburn in the last few years too so don't expect that side of the ball to be completely terrible either, sure we lost experience but there is a clear upgrade in talent at certain areas of the team.

Leadership is also a big need for Auburn this year if they are to win games, in reality the team has very few seniors and the players I am looking to step up into being leaders are Eguae, Blake Thorpe and Freeman (and to a certain extent Dyer). Having enough leaders on both sides of the ball will be instrumental to Auburn this season. The coaching staff is talented but they can't play the game can they? Auburn has enough talent to compete but leadership is a very underrated thing.

Just a short blog today, but you can tell the excitement is building within the program. the closer I get to game time the more confident I get about the upcoming season. Who says down years can't be fun, and who says this has to be a down year?

Buckle up folks, it's going to be good.

"Tradition never graduates" - Nosa Eguae

Tuesday Blog/Weekly Roundup

Ever since the Danny Sheridan fiasco came to a close, news seems to be slow right now. Obviously thats a good thing isn't it? No news is good news?

Obviously as the season draws closer fans seem to crave positive news on starting spots. Everyone wants to know who the teams secret weapon may be, or who could step up and break out into the national spotlight. We, as fans crave this news like Terrelle Pryor craves relevance.

Auburn's quarterback race has been settled, which bodes well for Gus Malzahn and the offensive staff in the next couple of weeks. They get to decide who will gain the starting spots at wide receiver and even the offensive line. Those are the question marks on offence right now, since I believe the defence is pretty much settled in terms of who will start at each position and who will get to rotate in and out over the course of the season.

Getting these players some practice time and chemistry is key at this point if Auburn are to pull off some early wins against the likes of Miss. State and Clemson, both will be tough tasks but aren't impossible, like some would want you to believe. Neither are exactly in elite form right now are they?

Did I mention how happy I am that these are early kickoffs? I probably have already.

In other news, NCAA President Mark Emmert came out today and said the Cam Newton investigation is still open, but not being actively investigated. Big difference between the two, because if new information comes out the NCAA will actively investigate, but as of right now there seems diddly squat in terms of any new or different information.

The NCAA will keep this open as long as possible because of the slight chance that new information does sprout up. Its standard procedure at this point to keep it open until the statute of limitation runs dry.

The point is, I'm not surprised that this is the case, and don't expect the NCAA to close this investigation any time soon.

Did you hear Jordan Jefferson is in deep shit? You probably did, and the word right now is that him and three of his teammates (Chris Davenport, Josh Johns and Jarvis Landry) will meet with the police today to discuss this matter. Would this be a bad thing for LSU? I'm not so sure, I think Mettenburger could be a solid quarterback. Because there are conflicting versions of what happened, I would not be surprised if nothing came of this, especially with how the judicial system works in Louisiana. But thats just me.

As the season draws even closer the excitement is certainly building around Auburn, sure I don't live there but I am getting this impression on Twitter and even on Facebook (come like the new page if you haven't already) that fans are excited about the opening game and excited about what the season holds for the Tigers.

It seems as if the weekend of Auburn's opener is my last few days of freedom before I head back into education for another year. Whilst Travel and Tourism was fun, I get to study Media which could be fun if I get to include my blog in any assignments, but it's not as if many of you might care, I'm just wasting words here.

Oh, and for those of you worried or even upset about pre-season predictions or poll positions, don't be. Wouldn't you rather be post-season champions rather than pre-season champions? Just ask Georgia fans, I'm sure they'd choose the latter.

But it looks like they have other things to whine about right now.

Barrett Trotter Wins The QB Race (Podcast)

So I decided to explore what I could do with my content and one idea I came up with was an audio blog. Sure, its on YouTube but it is a blank screen so nothing to look at I'm afraid, I basically give my thoughts on the Quarterback race and what it means. I will definitely do more of these in the future, they are quick and certainly quite dynamic.

Thanks and tell me what you think!

(Please excuse the dumb background noises as well, and you may need to have your sound quite high too)

Its Like Throwing Water Over A Fire

I like the idea of being innocent until proven guilty. I also like the idea of backing up what you have to say and prove what is being said.

I had a teacher at school two years ago and she always taught me to source what I was saying, she said that she wouldn't believe what I was wrote in an assignment until I provided a legitimate source in each bit of information I provided. I used to get so testy when she kept telling me over and over again that this was the case, whenever I had forgot to provide a source.

Now I see why.

In the past 10 months or so, several individuals have promised they will come out with brand-new proof that will be groundbreaking into the Cam Newton investigation. Proof, which will force the NCAA to finally deliver the blow to Auburn's football program and thus making many rival fans across the country happy that Auburn got what they deserved.

A few weeks ago, USA Today's very own oddsmaker Danny Sheridan vowed that he would tell all on Paul Finebaum's radio spot, that he would broadcast the name of the "bagman", who delivered the money to the Newton family.

There was the fire, the spark, the flame...but it turns out Danny brought his own bucket of water with him.

Apparently Danny was advised not to say the name, because after consulting with his legal adviser Danny decided against it last minute, which sparked a major uproar amongst the two sets of people who were looking forward to it the most, up until that point.

One was Paul Finebaum, the other was the entire Alabama fan-base.

As I listened all I could do was laugh, shake my head...and laugh some more. Sheridan didn't say the name publicly because he was afraid of getting sued by said person. My question is, why would he be afraid of getting sued if he knew he was telling the truth? Is he actually confident in his source, or is this entire thing a big bowl of mumbo jumbo?

Come on Danny, you need to know the facts before you open your mouth, bragging on National radio that you can definitely come out with the goods. You could tell that Finebaum wasn't happy with Danny on yesterdays show, his tone of voice was much louder and less monotone than the usual every day wind-ups of Mr Paul Finebaum. The truth is, they are both jokes.

There isn't much else I can say about this situation, if you have proof then spill. Don't diddle daddle and get afraid of being sued from something, if you know what your saying is the truth.

I'll just hang up and wait.

If I had a pound coin for every time someone told me new information was coming out, I'd be able to afford a flight to Alabama and a ticket to an Auburn game on top of that. Crazy isn't it?

The funny thing is, I'm not even kidding.

DeAngelo Benton Knows I Exist

My favorite Auburn player since 2009 DeAngelo Benton was cool enough to give a very quick shout out to his biggest international fan! This (short but sweet) video was shot by the great WarBlogler.

Am I crazy to post this? Of course not, I live in Europe!

Still rooting for him hard to win a starting job this year and for him to fulfil his potential!

If he does reach his potential, he has the chance to be a great player for Auburn, watch out!

Thanks DLo and good luck!

2011 SEC West Predictions

Now we come to the SEC West, which is considered the strongest division in all of college football. The SEC West boasts five pre-season ranked teams out of the six including Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State.

Fast forward to 2011, and we have yet another season approaching which is bound to provide some entertainment. Will we see another player with a Cam Newton like impact? Will we see another freshman wonder like Marcus Lattimore? You just never know.

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Tide roll into the 2011 season with the hope to make another run at the National Championship. They are already favorites for the SEC and currently boast a pre-season no2 ranking by most polls. Nick Saban is known for his stout defenses and this year he features talent such as Dont'a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Robert Lester, Mark Barron and Dre Kirkpatrick. A good defense is pretty much guaranteed for 'Bama this year, you can't argue that.

But what about on offense? Regardless of their no2 pre-season ranking they do have some questions on offense. Who is going to be the quarterback? The two obvious candidates are AJ McCarron, a young redshirt sophomore with limited back-up experience, and Phillip Sims who is a redshirt freshman with no experience whatsoever.

Another question is who will be the main man at wide receiver? We already know 'Bama will feature a strong run game lead by Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacey, but to take attention off of them both, the Tide will have to find a wide receiver with the ability and threat to make the big play. Teams took Julio Jones into account the last three years, and 'Bama need to find another Jones. The possible candidates are JUCO Transfer Duron Carter (who as I write this still hasn't qualified) and DeAndrew White. Marquis Maze will also feature as will Darius Hanks.

'Bama's schedule this year is by no means tough, but there are teams that have a chance to catch them out throughout the year.

No doubt 'Bama will have a really good defense this year, but if they can develop a productive offense another SEC Championship is not too far away. As of right now, I could see them dropping a game or two.

11-1 for the Alabama Crimson Tide (One loss to either Auburn, Arkansas, LSU).

Arkansas Razorbacks

The Razorbacks are starting to make headway in the SEC West. They are already yearly contenders and some of the talent they have produced through the last few years has been fantastic. Such as Darren McFadden and Ryan Mallet.

Arkansas still hasn't found a legitimate defense to contend with yet, which is why I am skeptical of their chances to win the SEC West. Their defense was no worse than Auburn's last year, however do they have their own Cam Newton?

Bobby Petrino is a marvellous offensive coach, and his run and gun play-style has certainly produced in masses in the last few years. This season they feature a star at RB (Knile Davis), a whole host of elite wideouts and an up and coming quarterback in Tyler Wilson.

If Arkansas can field a decent defense, there is no reason why they can't make a run at the SEC and possibly a National Championship. They have the ability to beat anyone any given week.

As of right now, no one has seen them field a legitimate defense. I don't see them being any worse than last year, but I certainly don't see them being much better (unless Wilson is the next Andrew Luck).

10-2 for the Arkansas Razorbacks (Two losses to either Auburn, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina).

Auburn Tigers

As a major fan of Auburn I'm not quite sure what to think of the them this season. Auburn comes off a National Championship year in 2010, and 2011 will be an opportunity for a young team to grow and gel, not to mention trying to keep in contention with the rest of the formidable SEC West. Auburn loses a ton of starters from last year, including juniors Cam Newton, Nick Fairley and Darvin Adams. A lot of writers/fans expect Auburn to fall off the face of the earth because they "lost all their good players".

Listen closely, because I will say this just once:

Auburn is young, but still very talented.

From my calculations (excluding any new starters on the offensive line) Auburn will only have three seniors starting from day one, which include Brandon Moseley, Neiko Thorpe and Eltoro Freeman. Amazing isn't it? Well thats what a pathetic 2008 recruiting class gives you, we got a few decent players out of it but overall it was a poor class. If you want to go back and look at that disaster go here, but why would you?

Its no secret that the schedule is tough. Auburn plays on the road against South Carolina, Clemson, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia and gets Alabama, Miss. State, Ole Miss and Florida at home. One of the toughest ranked schedules in the country, but no task is too large for this team.

Even though Auburn is young and in-experienced, I think at least half of those games are attainable, including a surprise win over someone because you and I both know Auburn likes pulling upsets.

I've equalled that to 8 regular season wins. If Auburn can get solid play from the quarterback position (which under Gus Malzahn is not an impossible task) and also get some consistency on defense, then I think anywhere between 7-9 wins is the bench-mark for Auburn this season.

8-4 for the Auburn Tigers (Four losses to any of Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia, Clemson).

LSU Tigers

Doesn't it seem like LSU is loaded every year? I think it does. They are turning into a real pro factory as every year they put top players in the NFL. Some of these include Glenn Dorsey, Patrick Peterson, Drake Nevis....Jamarcus Russell? Haha

LSU's weak spot over the past few years has been the quarterback position. Last season featured the mediocre Jordan Jefferson but with a dash of back-up Jarrett Lee.

Is Jordan Jefferson going to improve? I feel as though this is the only thing holding LSU back from another SEC Championship. The Tigers have a loaded defense, nice pieces at wide receiver and running back, and a pretty decent offensive line.

There is no such thing as an easy schedule, but LSU's doesn't exactly scare fans. Sure they have to play the other 4 ranked teams in the SEC West, but they also get the exciting pleasure of playing Oregon on opening day, which I will certainly be tuning in for.

Can Jordan Jefferson become an elite quarterback? Can Les Miles become competent in time management? LSU might be Bama's biggest threat in the West, and if they find a good QB then it will be a fight to the very end.

11-1 for the LSU Tigers (One loss to either Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Oregon)

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The cowbell ringing crazies roll into 2011 expecting to be a much better team. The Bulldogs went 9-4 last season including a big win over the Michigan Wolverines.

They were a threat last season, almost beating the eventual National Champion Auburn and even beat a ranked Florida Gators. They have weapons on offense, including running back Vick Ballard and a nifty quarterback in Chris Relf, and not to mention a decent coach in Dan Mullen.

The Bulldogs do get Alabama and LSU at home this year, as well as playing Arkansas and Auburn on the road. Beating 2/4 of those teams would be huge for the Bulldogs, and I think it is certainly manageable.

8-4 for the Mississippi State Bulldogs (Four losses to either Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina)

Ole Miss Rebels

The bottom-feeders of the SEC West finished 4-8 last year.

That says it all doesn't it? Will they get any better? Its up to Houston Nutt to make sure it does. Can the Rebels defense step it up this year?

The defense finished last place in the SEC giving up 35.2 points per game. It was the exact opposite of what Ole Miss fans expected but its now or never for Nutt to get Ole Miss back to at least competing for the West. Nutt even brought in Masoli last year but unfortunately it did not translate to wins on the field.

It's a short piece on this team, but 4 wins won't wow anyone and when playing in the SEC you need to be a much better team. Houston Nutt is on the hot seat, could he get fired after another bad season? I don't think Ole Miss would give it a second thought.

Unless Ole Miss wins 9 games this year I don't see Nutt being the head coach for the Rebels in 2012.

6-6 for the Ole Miss Rebels (Six losses to Georgia, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, Mississippi State).

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So there we have it. 2011 is slated to be another nice year in the SEC and I can't wait to see what might happen. Will a highly thought of powerhouse tumble down to the bottom? Will a lowly thought of team rise to the very top?

Put your seat-belts on folks, its going to be a hell of a ride.

Official 2011 SEC East Predictions

The time has come for me to give my full thoughts and predictions on what I expect out of each SEC team in 2011. The conference is going to have more wide-spread competition this season then there has been in the past, which is why my predictions may not be agreed upon with everyone reading them.

But as always, we will march on.

This edition will preview the SEC East. Last year the conference was weak, as the yearly superpower Florida slumped into a down season which left the division race wide open between the other 5 teams. South Carolina eventually took the title and were then beaten by Auburn in the Georgia Dome (pretty badly I might add).

2011 is no different.

Florida Gators

The Florida Gators were a dominant force in the SEC when Urban Meyer took over 6 years ago. Winning two national championships in three years and not to mention having the media's godchild Tim Tebow will earn you that status.

Urban Meyer is gone, and Florida found a replacement in former Texas and Auburn defensive co-ordinator Will Muschamp. This is Muschamp's first coaching gig, one which he hopes to impress immediately because lets be honest, a place like Florida recruits itself doesn't it?

2011 is another rebuilding year for the Gators. They have a new coach, new defensive and offensive co-ordinators and just 9 returning starters on both offense and defense combined.

With a tough schedule this season, as well as a new system to learn for the players I am not optimistic about Florida this year. The fact that Charlie Weis has coached some poor Notre Dame offenses in the past and Will Muschamp being a rookie head coach doesn't exactly scream confidence.

7-5 for the Florida Gators (Five losses to any of Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida State.)

Georgia Bulldogs

The perennial under-achievers of the SEC roll into 2011 with a team with some talent, but still unproven in several areas. The Bulldogs went 6-7 last year, including an embarrassing bowl loss handed to them by Central Florida. One thing they do have going for them this season is their quarterback position. Aaron Murray is the best quarterback in the SEC, but who is going to run and catch the ball on offense?

The Bulldogs are banking on in-coming RB recruit Isiah Crowell making a Marcus Lattimore type impact on their season. If Crowell is even half as good as Marcus Lattimore then Georgia may have a nice year after all.

The Bulldogs do return 7 starters on defense. They have an experienced secondary but a young defensive line.

Richt simply put, has to win this season. Georgia is a team that could improve only a little or they could improve a hell of a lot, you never know under Mark Richt. I think they will improve quite a bit.

8-4 for the Georgia Bulldogs (Four losses to any four of Boise State, South Carolina, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State.)

Kentucky Wildcats

Joker Phillips had about as good of a first year at Kentucky as anyone could have hoped for. The Wildcats were in every game they lost, and even gave the BCS Champions Auburn a little scare (37-34).

Its a new year for the Cats, and after losing their three offensive stars (QB Mike Hartline, RB Derrick Locke, WR Randall Cobb) the fact that they play a tough SEC schedule doesn't make matters any better for them. Their SEC slate includes road games against LSU, South Carolina and Georgia, and they get the Gators, Vols and MSU at home. However, their non-conference schedule should help them make a bowl game this year.

If their defensive line can make an impact, then UK can win a few games this year. Linebacker Danny Trevathan is a great player to watch on defense too.

7-5 for the Kentucky Bulldogs (losses to any five of Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, MSU, Ole Miss, Louisville.)

South Carolina Gamecocks

Last season, Steve Spurrier had the fortune of having a team full of uber-talented players, most of which return this season. Marcus Lattimore became a household name at runningback, Alshon Jeffery is their monster wide reciever, and Stephen Garcia (when not on the booze) is an adequate quarterback.

With Garcia and Jeffery both certainly on their way out after this season, this may be Spurrier's best chance to win the SEC yet. He has the talent to win games on both sides of the ball, not to mention having All-SEC corner Stephon Gilmore and DE Devin Taylor.

South Carolina went into the SEC Championship game looking like a large threat, whilst they still were they stifled against Auburn (giving up 56 points) not to mention losing out on the Chick-Fil-A Bowl by Florida State. A late-season meltdown cannot be in the cards for Steve Spurrier anymore.

The Gamecocks are bonafide favorites to win the East this season, and I see them being well a oiled machine on offense and defense every single game. They play in a weak SEC East so they have the schedule in their favour, but if they can play well on defense consistently, and get a few lucky bounces of the ball here and there, then lookout.

Here come the Cocks.

11-1/12-0 for South Carolina Gamecocks (A possible ONE loss to either Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State) --- SEC EAST CHAMPIONS

Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols looked to be making waves in the SEC before Lane Kiffin bolted, which meant last season was a major rebuilding year for Derek Dooley.

In 2010, the Vols managed to just get by after finishing a very average 6-6. I think Dooley did a good job last year considering the circumstances.

The Vols played with less than 70 scholarship players for much of the season, and also came within a couple of plays of an eight win season. When you consider what the team went through after Kiffin's sudden departure in January, I think that was the best case scenario for Derek Dooley, don't you think?

Onto 2011 and the Vols are looking to make a name for themselves in the East, and contend for the somewhat wide-open division title. Tyler Bray came into the spotlight last season and is looking to improve through 2011. Obviously this Vols team isn't ready to contend for a National title, but that doesn't mean a 8-9 win season is out of the question.

I think considering what the Vols currently have, if they can get a few good bounces of the ball through 2011 I think they can challenge for the East and beat a few decent teams.

8-4/7-5 for the Tennessee Volunteers (losses to four/five of Florida, South Carolina, LSU, Georgia, Arkansas).

Vanderbilt Commodores

Now we come to the dead-wood. Ok, I'm just kidding but yet again the Vanderbilt Commodores are set up to have another pretty mediocre year of football, but I don't suppose they care too much. After all they have solid baseball and basketball programs.

Nothing ever really excited you about Vanderbilt Football. Sure they beat Auburn in 2008, but thats for another article. Last season Vanderbilt finished a horrible 2-10 (1-7 in the SEC), but they can't get any worse this season, surely?

There has been a lot of positive vibes coming out of Nashville about Vanderbilt football lately, and that's good enough for me (lazy I know).

6-6 for the Vanderbilt Commodores (Losses to six of Ole Miss, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, UConn).

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So that's my thoughts on the SEC East. Obviously the division is still rebuilding, but I think certain schools are sleuthing their way back into SEC relevance once again. None (apart from South Carolina) will compete for an National Championship, but 2012 could be that year for a few more East schools. But that's for another day.

Thanks for reading.

Interview with the WarBlogler

You either love him or you love him. Its one or the other. WarBlogle.com is arguably (ahem) the best Auburn blog on the net and I decided to interview the brains behind the operation and gather his thoughts on the 2011 season.

Earlier in the year, the Blogle also interviewed me about my fan-hood of the Auburn Tigers. If you want to see that go here.

So after asking him just a few questions (Yes it is a short interview) about the upcoming season, here are some of the interesting responses I got.

1. Considering what Auburn lost and what still remains, do you expect Auburn to still be challenging for the SEC West?

If I didn't, how could I call myself a fan? Why should I even go to the games? I think Auburn can compete every year. There is never a year where Auburn or Auburn fans should look at their schedule and think "well we really don't have a chance this year". That's what Vanderbilt does.

As we saw last year, and pretty much every year, what is usually expected in sports does not happen. I say this all day, every day, but as long as Gus Malzahn is at Auburn, they will be more than fine. Nothing against Chris Todd, but Auburn broke records with him at quarterback and although Cam, Nick and tons of seniors left this year, there is more talent on this team as a whole, and especially more than 2009. That is the same team that won 8 games, with almost the same road schedule as this season.

2. What are your main concerns with Auburn this season?

Linebacker is probably the biggest concern for me. Auburn is losing some major leadership with the departure of Josh Bynes, so Jake Holland is going to have to grow quickly and hold down the middle. The offensive line is going to take some time to gel, but the 1-2 punch of Dyer and McCalebb within Malzahn's system should make that a little easier than most expect.

3. Which freshman do you think will make the biggest impact in 2011?

I'm going to go with Quan Bray. He seems to be the biggest playmaker of the bunch and has earned high praises from the coaches already. Another guy who we'll probably see starting by the end of the season is Angelo Blackson. He came to camp already looking the part and appears poised for a great career.

4. Who is your break-out player of the year candidate in 2011?

I think Quindarius Carr will surprise some people this year. Most fans only know him as the punt returner who fumbled in the Iron Bowl and struggled to get any yards when he did get the punt, but as a receiver, when he's played, he's made some big deep catches. Most of the receivers that play or have played with him rave about his skill level, and now with Kodi, Darvin and T-Zac out from in front of him in the depth chart, he'll have more of a chance to shine.

5. How many games do you expect Auburn to win in 2011?

At least eight. Auburn has more talent and almost the same road schedule as the 2009 team that finished with eight wins. I will be disappointed with seven or less.

6. Let's play word association. Tell me the first thing that pops into your head for the following words.

Bama? Fake

Bryant-Denny? Wins

Cam Newton? Swag

Onterrio MccCalebb? Crazyfast

Nick Fairley? Hungry

Nick Saban? Unhappy

7. Finally, when do I get my free t-shirt?

When i see you at the Iron Bowl this year. Make it bloody happen, chap.

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I'd love nothing more than to make the Iron Bowl this November thats for sure.

Thanks to the Blogle for taking time out from his various trips to Los Angeles and everywhere else and doing this. As far as football blogs go I definitely think this man has the best Auburn blog on the net! Hopefully we see the Tigers wear blue helmets this year in honor of the WarBlogle! (Ok I'm just kidding).

Prosperity Remains

It's certainly been a long and eventful drivel season hasn't it? Players getting arrested, Auburn being doomed because of Danny Sheridan's unspecified antics, and let's not forget the famous HBO4 displaying their poor attempt at making others take pity on them because they didn't make the best career choices after college. Sour grapes doesn't get you very far nowadays.

Did I mention that the first few games of the season are early kick-offs? I love night games, but staying up until 4am for Clemson and South Carolina drained me, not to mention messing up my sleeping pattern.

I see this as the SEC repaying this Brit for being so faithful and giving me some time to sleep. Thanks Mike Slive.

Anyway, I digress.

I'm looking forward to blogging my first ever full season of Auburn football, last season I only managed to document the National title game after making my switch from YouTube to Blogspot (If you want to bask in my wonderful british accent, go here).

Fall practice begins tonight and even though Auburn lost all of their good players (Trooper Taylor said it, not me) there still seems to be an excitement and a sense of optimism going into the season, and why shouldn't there be?

Auburn naturally plays better when people don't expect them to win, you can go back through the history books and see that Auburn doesn't respond well to pre-season hype, but on the flip-side feeds off of poor pre-season evaluations. But enough of history, we aren't Notre Dame after all.

Fall practice begins with the hope that several young and older guys will step up into their roles and lead by example over the course of the season. Losing that many seniors last year, and not replacing them will severely damage a team, and even though Auburn has barely any seniors on the roster, it doesn't mean that younger guys can't step up and provide the leadership that Auburn needs and lacks right now.

Though I'm not being negative, far from it.

I'm looking forward to this season and what wonders it may bring, sure it may be classified as a "down season" to some but I see it as a chance for younger guys to learn, develop and grow into new roles left by the seniors of last year. Some older players need to step up into key positions (Eltoro Freeman, DeAngelo Benton to name a few), though in saying that, I see a lot of true freshman seeing plenty of playing time this fall.

I am also looking forward to seeing pictures/videos and what not of the players practicing in the brand new indoor practice facility. It really is quite something.

Sure, Auburn does have questions going into September but which team doesn't? Gene Chizik and the rest of the staff will find ways to incorporate new strategies and plays into our game-plan, that I'm sure of. This program has a great staff and head coach and that will show this season. I may not be as optimistic as every fan out there, but I know for a fact that Auburn won't simply fall off the map because we don't have Cam Newton any more.

Get real.

Fall practice is a time for young and older guys to prove their worth to the coaches, and for those positions that are open for competition, expect to see certain player raise their game in the hunt for that starting spot.

P.S My SEC predictions are coming very soon, and I have kind of surprised myself at the level of unbiasedness (Yes that's a word) that they contain. I've grown not to look at everything through orange and blue glasses (Ok, that's a lie), though I admit I still do it quite a lot.

Would I even be an Auburn fan if I didn't?