FanHouse Auburn

I was watching a local sports show earlier today when the question came up about Jason Campbell. The Redskins sacrificed a bunch of draft picks, including the one used on Patrick Ramsey, to select the Auburn QB two years ago. Two years later and one of the guys on the program said (paraphrasing), "Campbell's not even good enough to beat out a career backup in Todd Collins." He went on to question whether or not Campbell is not what the coaches were hoping for.

Knowing coach Joe Gibbs and his history when it comes to the QB position, I seriously doubt that the decision for Collins to be number two has that much to do with Campbell being a disappointment. Just as much as Gibbs has been stroking Collins' ego, Gibbs has been reiterating that Campbell is the future. History has shown that Gibbs doesn't quite like leaving the team in the hands of an inexperienced QB.

A lot of critics are pointing out the high draft position, the money, the this and that, but Gibbs is from the old school. Players didn't play back then just because they were drafted in the first round. Or earned millions of dollars they haven't earned yet. Or got their face on the cover of every publication and aired on every sports network. Gibbs comes from a time when you had to win your job based off of when the coach felt like you ready, not the media or the fans.

I'd hate to think any coach being paid millions ($5 million for Gibbs) a year just to make decisions based on the morning papers.

When Jay Schroeder was going to be the next star in the nation's capital, Gibbs signed an experienced backup for more money. It didn't take long before Doug Williams led the team to a Super Bowl victory. And who has been talking about the decision to not play Schroeder more?

I'm not saying Collins is going to be the answer if Mark Brunell goes down. I'm just saying Gibbs' decision to keep Campbell third on the depth chart is based on years of experience of developing winning quarterbacks to good ol' fashion way: coaching.

Everyone was thinking it. Could Auburn live up to the expectations? Could they handle the season opening jitters? Not since 1990 had an Auburn team been ranked so high coming into a season.

As fans tailgated around Jordan-Hare Stadium yesteday, the subject always managed to come up. "Hey man, how have you been? Are these your kids? Really? Wow they've grown since I last saw them. Do you want a beer? Well what do you think? Can we handle it tonight? Can we get it done this time?"

That conversation took place thousands of times around campus Saturday afternoon.

The Auburn defense answered that question quickly, setting the tone with three sacks in Washington State's first three pass attempts. It looked like Stanley McClover and T.J. Jackson were still playing against the Tide. From there, Kenny Irons and John Vaughn took over, leading Auburn to a convincing 40-14 season opening win against Washingtion State.

Washington State coaches have been getting ready for Auburn on the field all summer. But for Cougar athletic department officials it has been all about getting them to Auburn. That odyssey starts Friday morning when Washington State embarks on a five hour flight from Pullman, Washington to Montgomery.

Cougars coach Bill Doba is not happy about possibly having to extend the trip because of a refueling stop in route. Once on the ground, Washington State will bus from Montgomery to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a brief walk through. Then it's back to Prattville for the night. Prattville? Impressive.

A big concern for the Cougars has been the heat and humidity they may encounter at game time. But as it stands now, that may not be a problem. Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 86 degrees with humidity at 69%. That's not exactly sweltering. With tropical storm Ernesto heading north, the rain chances are only 20%.

Still, Washington State is not taking any chances. They are encouraging their players to stay hydrated and drink at least a gallon of water a day. The players have been taking salt pills to also prepare for the heat. Regardless of the outcome, State will come away winners. They are guaranteed a $1.2 million pay day from Auburn and ESPN 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:45 CST and will broadcast by the Deuce.

The name "River Boat Gambler" was given to Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville while at Ole Miss because of the chances he took with trick plays. He may have finally met his match. While Auburn's defense will still line up with a four man front and three linebackers, look for the Tiger defense to be much more aggressive than one year ago.

That's because new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp loves to blitz - over and over and over again. While Tuberville downplays the changes to the defense, Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox tends to disagree - politely. And he should know - he's been facing Muschamp's defense for the past month.

"They bring people from everywhere," said Cox. "They are consistently blitzing. Last year, it was more of a base defense and they ran blitzes just every now and then. I know just practicing against them, they're blitzing all the time."

That can mean feast or famine for the Tiger defense. Saturday's opener with Washington State will be a stiff test for a unit trying to learn a new defense. While the Cougars only won four games a year ago, that can mostly be attributed to a horrible defensive unit.

The offense was another story. Bill Doba's club ranked 8th in total offense nationally last season and lost five games by four points or less. With an experienced quarterback in Alex Brink and two talented receivers, Washington State will look to take advantage of Auburn's blitz packages. Look for their offense to throw to the running backs and tight ends and try to prey on Auburn's inexperienced linebackers.

Expect Muschamp to be ready. Auburn has become quite versed in disguising its blitzes this summer and will be looking to confuse the Cougars offense. Look for Auburn to try and take away the run early. The key will be keeping the State offense one dimensional. If the Tigers can do that they should control the game.

There will be no preseason warm-ups for Auburn cornerbacks David Irons and Jonathan Wilhite. The two will be tested early Saturday night when Washington State visits Jordan-Hare Stadium. While only winning four games a year ago, the Cougars are no push-overs when it comes to throwing the football.

Led by quarterback Alex Brink, look for State to throw the ball more than 50 times Saturday. Last season, Brink threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns. His primary target will be preseason All-PAC 10 wide receiver Jason Hill. He had more than 1,000 yards in catches last year.

David Irons knows as well as anyone the importance of getting off to a good start. In his opener last year against Georgia Tech, All American Calvin Johnson welcomed Irons to big time college football. It's a performance he'd rather just forget.

Irons is determined to have a better showing this go around. And he has a lot riding on it. Unlike last year, David comes into the season with preseason All-SEC honors and a lot to prove. After all, he does have a brother that gets a little bit of love from the media.

Someone else who is out to prove something is Wilhite. The junior corner had a less than stellar performance in the Capital One Bowl against Wisconsin. Still it was a solid junior season for Wilhite who recorded 47 tackles and an interception against Kentucky.

Saturday's contest will probably be won or lost at the corners. Irons and Wilhite are determined to prove they are for real.

If Auburn ends up playing in the desert on January 8th it will probably have Will Herring to thank. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is rolling the dice in hopes that Herring will be as effective as a linebacker as he was in the role of safety for the past three seasons.

There are risks in moving a known commodity to a new position. The coaches in the SEC think those risks are minimal. Despite never playing a down at strong-side linebacker, the coaches made Herring a preseason All-SEC selection. The Opelika, Alabama, native lead the team in tackles last year with 69. In his three years on the Plains, Herring has the second most tackles on the team in that time with 176.

All indications are that he is adapting well. Will had a solid Fall practice and has already gotten the attention of the coaches. Linebackers coach James Willis says Herring is progressing fine. "The biggest change for him was how to line up," Willis said. "Other than that, he's the same type of player: He's smart. He's athletic. He's very open-minded. A good guy, as he always is."

The only negative so far has been a nagging hamstring injury that has kept him out of practice a few times. Herring says he'll be ready to go on September 2nd.

Willis also believes the move to linebacker could pay off financially for Herring.

"I would think so, because you have to compare yourself with the rest of the players and the rest of the league," Willis said. "At safety, he may have been out of place. At linebacker, he definitely has the body, the frame, the speed and intelligence to play that position.

"I can really see him playing in the NFL."

But for now Will Herring is focused on getting Auburn to Arizona in January. How he adapts will go a long ways in determining Auburn's success this year.

Football Saturday In The South

A lot of the reason Auburn is a preseason top five team is because of its home schedule. With LSU, Florida and Georgia all coming to Pat Dye Field, Auburn is expected to have a decided home field advantage. That got me thinking. Where are the toughest places to play in the SEC? Below is my list. I leave Jordan-Hare Stadium out of the mix to be objective. Let me know your thoughts.

1. Tiger Stadium (LSU) – There's nowhere more hostile than Baton Rouge on a Saturday night. When you get 90,000+ Cajun drunks together, you are playing with fire. Mixing redneck with French is a deadly combination. No fans like to fist fight more than LSU's. Make sure you check out the night life after the game.

2. Neyland Stadium ( Tennessee ) – One of the coolest places in all the college football world to watch a game. Tailgating is unique at Tennessee . If you ever go, make sure to party with the Tennessee Navy. These are fans that come to games on their boats – OK, make that yachts. It's a cool experience. As for the stadium, you haven't been to an SEC game until you've witnessed 107,000 Volunteer fans dressed in the most god-awful orange you've ever seen.

3. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ( Florida ) – Not as intimidating as it was with the ole ball coach, Florida Field is still one of the more difficult places to play. It was the last stadium to allow its fans to leave at half-time to head across the street to the local drinking holes to replenish – if you know what I mean. Unfortunately they stopped that tradition when fans started having too much fun. The worst part about attending a game in Gainsville is the visitor seats. They sit underneath the upper deck and Florida fans often have the urge to throw things on you from above.

4. Samford Stadium (Georgia) – There's nothing better than beating the Dawgs while drinking Bourbon on a cold Fall night. With Mark Richt resurrecting the program, Samford Stadium can get really loud. Without question, Georgia fans are the most obnoxious of them all. I've never seen a group so proud of so little. Still, when you hear "Between The Hedges," you think college football.

5. Bryant-Denny (Alabama) – While Auburn has made this their second home field, I hear that other teams hate playing there. Bama fans love to talk about their record in Tuscaloosa . The fact that they just started playing meaningful games there a few years ago, seems not to matter (most big games were played in the slums in Birmingham ). Playing 30 year-old clips of a young Bear Bryant apparently whips the natives into a frenzy.

As for the rest of the SEC, there is no decided home field advantage. South Carolina comes close. I expect Spurrier will make it even tougher on opponents in the near future. Auburn visits on September 28^th.

Football Saturday In The South