Washington State fans lived in fear when coach Tony Bennett was mentioned in connection with recent openings at Indiana and Louisiana State. But Cougars fans had to feel pretty good when Bennett decided to stay in Pullman.
While the PAC-10 had their annual media day yesterday, there were very few surprises overall. WSU was picked 8th, slightly ahead of Washington and Stanford, and clearly the consensus among writers is that the Cougars will be on the outside looking in for a bowl bid in '07. However the biggest hit for WSU was also the biggest surprise to come out of their part of media day with the announcement that four players, including two projected starters, will miss the upcoming season. A team traditionally thin in regards to depth, this is tough blow on the eve of training camp.
The biggest loss is clearly junior guard Andy Roof. Roof has been suspended from the team for the entire 2007 season based on a DUI charge from the spring. Since this was Roof's third run-in with the law, it's an automatic season suspension at WSU, no questions or appeals allowed. In standard coach-speak, head coach Bill Doba addressed the loss of a key component of the line:
"The good thing is he recognized he had a problem, he went to treatment and he's doing very, very well."
Roof's WSU career isn't over yet however. He's eligible to be reinstated for the spring semester in January, and if everything goes according to plan, he'll be back for next year. For the immediate future, there's no official word yet on who will assume Roof's role. Junior Jacob McKinney is in the mix, as are red-shirt freshmen Grady Maxwell and Micah Hannam. It's even possible that junior Dan Rowlands, projected as a starter at right tackle this year, could slide inside, but doing a move like that could leave a gaping hole at tackle. Things should come together once practices begin in a few short weeks, but suddenly an area looked at as a strength for WSU this season has a very big question mark at right guard.
The WSU defense is still a work in progress as spring ball winds down, and the not-so-wonderful news is that the defensive backfield still appears to be a major question mark heading towards 2007. The Cougars have lost two senior starters in Tyron Brackenridge and Don Turner, and so far, the candidates to replace them haven't exactly set the world on fire this spring.
Based on the latest from the Seattle Times, players like Brian Williams, Markus Dawes, Brian Walker (pictured) and Ryan Kensok have been OK, but the hints from Doba is that none of them have exactly seized the moment. And it's appearing more and more likely that the competition will linger deep into fall camp, and newcomers like JC All-American Terry Mixon will be looked at for an instant contribution in the secondary.
The hardest thing for Doba is that as the new defensive coordinator, much of what he wants to do defensively hinges on solid if not excellent corner play. From Glenn at the Spokesman:
"It really depends on the corners," Doba said. "I don't want to be so hard-headed as to say, 'This is what I do.' I've got to look at what we have and what our kids can do."
Doba's had the luxury of some very good defensive backs in the last 5-6 years, players like Marcus Trufant, Jason David, Karl Paymah, Lamont Thompson and Eric Coleman. All players that fit perfectly into Doba's defensive schemes, and oh yeah, all players that are currently starters or backups in the NFL. But the bottom line? If WSU has major secondary issues, the entire defensive structure is going to be vulnerable in the pass-happy Pac-10!
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.
Auburn is buzzing tonight. I just got back from a stroll around campus and it's crowded... very crowded. It very much has the feel of a big conference game. I roped off my tailgating area this afternoon and it was a challenge. By 3:00 CST there were very few places left to claim.
You can tell by the crowds that expectations are super high this year. All the restaurants are jammed. Several of the bookstores are staying open late and have long lines. The campus looks incredible.
I walked around the stadium and even peaked in. I have to echo what Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said yesterday, the place looks great. The brick wall and gate around the "home" side looks awesome. The wrought iron they use makes the place look first class. I especially like the signage. If you are heading over tomorrow I think you'll be impressed.
If you are driving in, allow yourself a little extra time. I'm not kidding when I say the crowds are large. It very much has the feel of an LSU, Georgia, Florida game. There is a tremendous amount of construction going on and I imagine some tailgating spots have been sacrificed.
I did see several Washington State fans around town. It's always good to see our visitors on campus. I don't expect there will be many these week.
The weather should be as ideal as it possibly can for an early September game. There is no rain in the forecast and the high should be in the upper 80's with the humidity in the high 60's. For those of you making the trip in the morning, have a safe drive and War Eagle!
Note: The much anticipated Under Armour television commercial starring Coach Tommy Tuberville will air Saturday night during the game on ESPN 2. The ad features Tuberville with "fake" Auburn players. Tuberville's Line: You guessed it, "Click-Clack".
I ran across an article today posted by Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Jim Moore, an obvious blow-hard that has somehow found his way to Auburn for Saturday's game with Washington State. In the article he attempts to make light of the fact that Auburn players don't know where Washington State University is located.
Memo to Jimmy: I've been to Pullman and I'm not impressed. For those of you who haven't been, let me make a comparison for you. It makes Prattville look like Pasadena. The school sits just miles from the Idaho border and even the natives make fun of it. To say that there's nothing there is an understatement. It's crappy football stadium holds 35,000 people. But most embarrassing is the fact that it's home to Mike Price. It's rollin baby!
Second Memo To Jimmy: I've been to Seattle (too many times) and I'm still not impressed. Seattle is made up of people who don't take baths nearly enough and guys who act too much like women for my taste. The funniest thing about the column is when Moore asks Tommy Tuberville about the War Eagle Supper Club and whether he had ever been. Nice research jerk off. Can you see this 40-something heading to the Supper Club? Not only would he be 25-plus years older than anyone there, he would be a dead giveaway when he started slam dancing.
Next, Mr. Starbucks tries to be cute and asks the Auburn players if they know the name of WSU's head coach. He seems appalled when they don't. But just minutes earlier, he couldn't identify Tuberville on the practice field. And besides, how many people in the state of Washington know who Bill Doba is?
I can tell you one thing Jimmy: We all sure as hell know who your last coach was. Stripper-man won't soon be forgotten in these parts. As for you - in the immortal words of Lewis Grizzard, "Delta is ready when you are." Don't let the door hit you in the ___ Saturday night.
To get you prepared for Saturday night's kickoff with Washington State, here are some interesting facts to get you ready...
This is Auburn's first meeting with Washington State.
Auburn has faced the Pac 10 seven times and holds a 4-3 record against Arizona, Oregon State and Southern Cal.
Auburn comes into the season ranked 4th in the AP and 6th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
This is the Tigers highest preseason ranking since 1990 when they were ranked 3rd.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Auburn has been ranked in the preseason top 25; They have been in the preseason top 10 for two of the last four years.
Saturday's game will be televised by ESPN 2. Play-by-play will be handled by Ron Franklin; Color analyst is Ed Cunningham; and the sideline reporter will be Dr. Jerry Punch.
Auburn is 9-0 all time on ESPN 2.
The radio broadcast will be carried by the Auburn Network and can be heard in Auburn on WKKR-FM 97.7 and on Sirius Satellite channel 130.
Auburn is 22-3 in the past two years; that's third best nationally behind Southern Cal and Texas.
The Tigers have a six game winning streak at Jordan-Hare Stadium; and have won 14 of their last 15 games at home.
Since 1977, Auburn is 19-5 in home openers against non-conference opponents.
Auburn returns 58 lettermen; 26 on offense; 25 on defense; 7 specialist.
Courtney Taylor has more receiving yards than any other returning wideout in the SEC.
The Tigers have 11 graduates on this year's team; that more than any other school in Division 1-A.
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.
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