I'm rooting for Auburn. I find Alabama to be more of a threat to us in the next 4 years. Newton was a fluke and they won't be as good as they were this year for a while.
I would agree with this. They caught lightning in a bottle with Cam and Fairley this year. Gene Chizik will soon remember that he's Gene Chizik, and bama will remain our toughest competition in the West until Nick bolts.
I dont agree at all. Auburn will be good. Look at their recruiting, if they are paying players or not is irrelevant that is a bunch of rumor and innuendo. There is smoke but nothing close to a fire. SO there is NOTHING on the Horizon to indicate that Auburn has some NCAA troubles looming. Wake me when/if there is. Which means Auburn is becoming stacked, like LSU, Bama, Arkansas and the rest. I think everyone in the west is going to be a threat. Frankly I see no way in the near future a team from the SEC west can be undefeated.... It is going to be murderers row for awhile.
I didn't say anything about any supposed sanctions, nor was I referring to that. Auburn has always recruited well, and this year is no exception. But it took them having two of the best CFB players that I've ever seen to win it all this year. I simply don't think that Chizik can maintain his success, and it's only a matter of time before Malzahn jets for greener pastures. Without Cam AND Fairley, Auburn drops at least 4 games this past year. Long term, bama will be tougher to beat. You disagree with that? Tough sell. That's not to say that Auburn won't be competitive. They certainly will. But I expect bama to be more competitive.
Yes, I disagree with that. It's myopic to claim that AU would have had "at least 4 losses". implying that there could have been several more than 4 losses. Not likely with a veteran offensive line in the SEC. Maybe 3-4 losses ... perhaps. Auburn is more likely to minimize losses as long as Malzahn is the OC. It's difficult to comprehend a Malzahn offense with SEC caliber talent having more than 4 losses. Granted, Malzahn may not remain on the Plains 2011, but in the interim, Auburn is going to present a competitive matchup for any program on our schedule, and especially for bama. And most especially because our Defense will be marginally improved over '10, even with the loss of Nick Fairley. Our secondary made some average quarterbacks look like Heisman candidates last season, but that will not be the case in 2011. Most folks conveniently forget that Auburn has led the Iron Bowl series since Coach Bryant passed, and after this last win, the wound is deep. Your 8-4 prediction for AU wasn't last year, .... it will be the year ahead. Last year, we benefited from a favorable home schedule. Not only does the home field turn against us (we play Clemson, USC, Arky, LSU, and UGA on the road), and we also replace Kentucky with Florida from the East. It's just like when I would have a great year in sales ..... the following season my quota goes way up. :dis: The point and the reality is that ..... the clash of the SEC titans will continue to occur in the western division for SEC supremacy ... at least until 2012 when UGA, UF, and UT get back on their feet in the East.. LSU will continue to face equitable competition in the Western Division from bama, AU and Arky. And for anyone who's been paying attention, Petrino is slowly stockpiling some talent in FayetteNam .... and there really are other quarterbacks than Mallett :thumb:
Exactly, not that I am an AU homer, matter of fact i have thrown a few darts their way having a laugh over the $cam thing. But that is my point there is a lot of message board chatter about the looming AU troubles, but I haven't seen anything concrete, and again wake me when there is. I have seen "emergency" legislation to close the loophole AU skated on CAM with. But nothing to remotely indicate AU has a noose over their heads Until then fact still remains Auburn is the National Champions until someone who matters says they cheated, AND they are recruiting like a beast as is LSU and Bama and frankly the Hogs as well. Tack on the fact they have a pretty good OC. So with that, I say again. The SEC west will be flat out sick. Realistically any one of us can have 2 or 3 losses a year with the talent that now exists in the SEC west. Tack on Miss State and Ole Miss can and will beat teams on any given saturday. I hope I dont hear. How can LSU lose a game with this talent. No everyone has "that Talent" The Hogs, Auburn, Bama, LSU if in the Big 10 or Big 12 would be CLEARLY the best team. Maybe OU. Fact is we play in the BY FAR toughest division in football. ANY team that finishes with 11 wins in the conference is a top 2 team. Sorry maybe bias but looking at the recruiting of today and last year, Talent is abound in this conference.
