Jeff's Journal

On the Mark

Like all Heisman electors, I take my responsibility very seriously. 

Each week during the fall, I solicit input from two groups of college football fanatics: the students in my sportswriting class at Troy University, and the 8th-grade boys in my Sunday School class.

Between the two, they're able to see just about every televised game each Saturday.

As the season progressed, the Troy group settled on the "Big Three" - Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, and Mark Ingram.

The Heisman criteria is very subjective:  the "most outstanding college football player" in the United States.

There are plenty of oustanding linemen and defensive players, but typically, the Heisman goes only to backs (mainly quarterbacks) on the top five teams.

I've been leaning toward Ingram for several weeks.

After the LSU game, I asked Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy if there's a better player in the country than #22.  "Maybe #25," he said, with a chuckle, referring to Bama's great linebacker Rolando McClain.

I wavered a bit after Auburn held Ingram to just 30 yards in the Iron Bowl, but Ingram's "closing argument" - three touchdowns in the SEC Championship was a "case closed" moment for me.

I voted Colt McCoy second, and Stanford's Toby Gerhart, who was nowhere on our radar until late in the season, third.

We'll find out Saturday night in New York City.

God bless - Jeff

Amen Corner

For the first time since 1991, neither Auburn nor Georgia is ranked the Associated Press top 25, although the Tigers are No. 25 in the coaches' poll.

Meanwhile in Starkville, I'm wondering if Bama might be vulnerable after such an emotionally and physically draining win over LSU last week.

I'm looking for another low-scoring, relatively close game for the Tide, while in Athens, I think the sense of desperation Mark Richt is feeling will be passed on to his Dawgs.  Which would not be good for Auburn.

GEORGIA 34,  Auburn 27

ALABAMA 23, Mississippi State 14

OLE MISS 28, Tennessee 21

VANDERBILT 17, Kentucky 14

FLORIDA 35, South Carolina 21

LSU 42, Louisiana Tech 20

ARKANSAS 35, Troy 28

Enjoy your football Saturday, and we'll talk again next week.

God bless - Jeff

Trick or treat!

What's wrong with Auburn?  Where would you like me to start? The team that showed so much promise with its "September to remember" is suffering through an October to forget.

Three straight losses, with a visit from No. 24 Ole Miss Saturday morning up next.

Consider this: Alabama coach Nick Saban said his team was "playing on fumes" before the Tide played Tennesssee.  By all accounts, Bama has much more depth on its roster than Auburn, so how much gas do you think the Tigers have in the tank right about now, on the eve of their ninth game in as many week?

Auburn's offense is designed to wear down opposing defenses by making them line up for more plays than they're accustomed.  It worked perfectly against Tennessee.  Problem is, an offense built on quick drives means Auburn's exceedingly thin (talking depth here) defense is the one wearing down now.  And if AU's offense goes "three and out," the problem is magnified.

The ankle injury to Ontario McCalebb is also impactful.  Early on, O-Mc and Ben Tate gave Auburn a powerful one-two rushing punch.   Now, it's just Big Ben doing the punching.

So picking Auburn Saturday means going out on a limb.  But hey, that's where you find the best fruit, right?

AUBURN 34, Ole Miss 31

FLORIDA 33, Georgia 21

ARKANSAS 56, Eastern Michigan 7

KENTUCKY 28, Mississippi State 17

GEORGIA TECH 31, Vanderbilt 13

TENNESSEE 20, South Carolina 17

LSU 42, Tulane 10

Paul Finebaum and I will be at Momma Goldberg's Saturday morning for "Tide and Tigers Today" at 11 a.m. on WSFA 12 News.

Hope you'll stop by and say hello on your way to the game.

See you next week!

God bless - Jeff 

Aerial Circus

You know how sometimes teams with high-powered offenses get together and everyone's expecting a shootout - and you get a 14-10 game?

This will not be one of those times. First one to 50, maybe, is going to be more like it in Fayetteville.  Auburn's offense quickly exhausted Tennessee's defense last week.  With Auburn's depth issues on d, Arkansas could attempt that strategy, as well.  I'm looking for 80 points when it's all said and done.

AUBURN 42, Arkansas 38

Regarding the Tide, Greg McElroy bristled like his head coach this week when reporters asked him about Julio Jones' limited role so far this season.  McElroy says he's frustrated about repeatedly being asked why Julio isn't getting more looks.  G-Mac says he's looking Julio's way every time the play calls for it.  It's just that, because Jones is frequently double-teamed, Bama's other receivers often make for more effective targets.

I'm deferring to McElroy on this one.  You can't argue with the results he's producing.

ALABAMA 37, Ole Miss 17

On to the rest of the SEC picks:

VANDERBILT 28, Army 21

GEORGIA 33, Tennessee 24

HOUSTON 35, Mississippi State 20

SOUTH CAROLINA 24, Kentucky 21

FLORIDA 31, LSU 21

With or without Tim Tebow, I think this one goes to the Gators.

See you next week!

God bless - Jeff

And away we go!

Just in time for college football season, the Journal is back. Thanks for your patience over the summer during my "Sa-blog-tical."

A couple things I'll be looking for Saturday night when the Tide and Tigers kick off the season:

For Auburn: How will true freshman safety Daren Bates (one of perhaps a dozen freshmen first-year coach Gene Chizik says will play against Louisiana Tech) handle the bright lights on Opening Night?  I know high school football in Texas is big, but this is the SEC.  

Then there's Chris Todd.  He won the starting quarterback job early in fall camp, showing plenty of zip on his passes - velocity that was missing last year when Todd began the season as Auburn's starter, despite an injury that diminished his velocity and eventually required surgery.  Can he run Gus Malzahn's offense efficiently and effectively?  Does Auburn have enough weapons for Todd to deploy?

Meanwhile in Tuscaloosa... Boy, nothing like a peaceful fall camp devoid of distractions.  That is if you don't count a player getting shot, another player getting arrested, and the eligibility of your two best offensive players in question until 72 hours before kickoff.  Can Alabama put aside the sideshow and do what it takes to beat a very good Virginia Tech team? 

Didn't work out so well in the Sugar Bowl, when Andre Smith's absence (downplayed by Nick Saban and the Tide players before the game) became a hamartia (big word we learned in college - means "tragic flaw").

The other big thing I'll be looking for in the Georgia Dome: Bama's revamped offensive line, minus NFL rookies Smith and Antoine Caldwell.  How much drop-off will there be?  Can they open holes for Mark Ingram and Co., and protect new starting quarterback Greg McElroy?

Should be fun to find out.

So here we go with our first picks of the season:

ALABAMA 24, Virginia Tech 17 - Says here the Tide's defense will cover any offensive shortcomings.

AUBURN 31, Louisiana Tech 21 - Not without a few tense moments, but as longas Auburn's defense avoids key injuries, the Tigers should be in good shape.

KENTUCKY 42, Miami, Ohio 17

TENNESSEE 49, Western Kentucky 14

GEORGIA 27, Oklahoma State 24

MISSISSIPPI STATE 35, State 17

ARKANSAS 49, Missouri State 7

FLORIDA 63, Charleston Southern 7

VANDERBILT 35, W. Carolina 14

LSU 49, Washington 21

OLE MISS 38, Memphis 21

Enjoy the games! See you next week.

God bless - Jeff

2008 - The Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas - an eve of sorts.
Let's take a look back at a great year in sports.

Frankie and JaMychal: winning big, grinning wide. 

 Sullivan's now a Tiger, Green plays for the Tide.

More big blue trophies for the ball that is round:

Bullock County and Eufaula - state titles abound!

Who's #1 in softball?  We should've already learned it.

St. James once again: come get your trophy girls, you earned it!

Baseball's next phenom at Riverwalk: that's mighty nice.

From the Biscuits, to the World Series.  Hello, David Price.

A new head coach at Prattville the Lions did greet.

DuBose and defense deliver a hard-fought three-peat.

Fever Country champs don't stop there.

Edgewood and Pike Liberal: raised their hands in the air.

Also in Troy, the Trojans made their presence felt.

New Orleans Bowl bound, after claiming the Sun Belt.

Twenty-six straight for Tuskegee til the streak came to an end.

ATurkey Day upset.  The Hornets stung them, my friend.

Shake-ups at Auburn, a season Tiger fans dread.

First Tony, then Tommy: victims of the ill-fated Spread.

A controversial search, creating quite a scene.

When the dust settled, Auburn's new coach was Gene.

Great season in T-Town: wins week after week.

An Iron Bowl shutout put an end to The Streak.

The top-ranked Tide, Tebow's Gators would beat.

Bama's consolation prize: New Year's, Bourbon Street.

And I heard him exclaim as he smiled and he left,

"Merry Christmas to all, from the Journal of Jeff!"

 

 

 

Gene on the Scene

Let's take a look at the "pros" and "cons" of Auburn's decision to hire Gene Chizik.

Chizik has several things going for him that make him an attractive candidate.

Deep ties to the "recruiting rich" state of Florida, Chizik is a native of  the "Sunshine" state.  He played one season for the Gators, and was a defensive coordinator at Central Florida for four years.

Chizik also has experience at Auburn. He knows the "fight song," the high school coaches, whose calls he needs to return quickly, and knows how important football is to the "Auburn family."

Then there's that national championship ring from his first year at Texas (2005). It's very much a recruiting tool.   Chizik can look high school seniors in the eye and tell them he knows what it takes to win it all.

And though his head coaching career is off to a bumpy start, there's no substitute for that experience of being the guy in charge.

You have to figure Chizik's already learned from the mistakes every first-time head coach makes.

There are also several "cons" to the selection of Gene Chizik as Auburn's next coach.

For starters, this is NOT a homerun hire.

Chizik lacks the "star power" that Alabama got two years ago when it hired Nick Saban.

And while Chizik has head coaching experience, that 5-19 record is not going to bowl over anybody - Chizik's Cyclones were 0-8 in the Big 12 this year.

And some Auburn fans will look at this as a "missed opportunity" to make a progressive hire with Buffalo's Turner Gill, who has similar credentials (except for SEC experience) and would've been viewed as a splashier hire nationally.

B

ottom line: long before Will Muschamp became the hot name on Auburn's list, Gene Chizik WAS Will Muschamp: young, fiery defensive coordinator on everyone's radar.

Chizik's "star power" faded because of those back-to-back bad seasons at Iowa State, but just two  years ago, Gene Chizik was one of the most sought-after assistants in the country.

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs is staking HIS job on the hope that Chizik can re-gain that star power and revive Auburn's program.

7th Heaven? Forget About It!

Here's the scenario that results in Auburn upsetting Alabama and winning the Iron Bowl for the seventh consecutive year: A rested and recovered Tiger defense contains Bama's power running game, while Kodi Burns plays mistake-free and keeps Bama's blitzers at bay with his running ability.  Hey, if Alabama State can beat Tuskegee - anything can happen, right? 

The scenario that results in the Tide ending the Tigers'  streak goes like this: Alabama's massive offensive line wears down Auburn's defense, eventually leading to touchdowns for Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram.  Meanwhile, Nick Saban's complex coverage and blitz packages confuse Kodi, leading to costly Tiger turnovers.

 Because the latter scenario, in my mind, is about four times more likely, I'm taking the Crimson Tide to stop the streak.

With nothing to lose, I think Auburn will play inspired in the first half, and might even take the lead against a Tide team that has everything to lose.

But as the game progresses, I see Auburn's defense wearing down, Kodi throwing a couple interceptions, and Bama fans unleashing seven years of pent-up frustration in a post-game party that will know no curfew.

ALABAMA 24, AUBURN 14.

The WSFA 12 sports team is going "all hands on deck" to cover the big game.  Derek, Kyle, Abby and I will begin our coverage Saturday at 11:30 a.m. with our 60-minute Iron Bowl preview live from Bryant-Denny Stadium.  Bama legends Steadman Shealy and Barry Krauss are scheduled to join us early in the show.

After the game (which kicks at 2:30 p.m. on CBS), we invite you to return to WSFA 12 News at 6 and 10, for expanded post-game coverage live from Tuscaloosa.

Enjoy the game!

God bless -  Jeff

Amen Corner

Now that Kodi Burns has had a few games under his belt, is ready for Amen Corner?

Meanwhile in Tuscaloosa, any chance the Crimson Tide is prime for a letdown after the emotional win at LSU?

Those answers, and more, coming up in this week's Jeff's Journal.

For the record, last week we were 8-3 (105-21 for the year: 83%).

GEORGIA 28, Auburn 17 - While Kodi's running ability adds a much-needed dimension to Auburn's offense, it's his passing that will need to be on target for the Tigers to have a chance against the Dawgs.  Then there's the matter of Auburn's injury-plagued defense contending with Georgia's explosive offense.

ALABAMA 27, Mississippi State 6 - Make it 11-0 for the Crimson Tide.  State is not much of a threat offensively.

OLE MISS 34, Louisiana-Monroe 17 - Rebels achieve bowl eligibility with a win over the Warhawks.

FLORIDA 35, South Carolina 17 - Gamecocks are much-improved, but they're not ready to hang with the Gators.

LSU 34, Troy 28 - Trojans can score on LSU's defense, but can they stop Chuck the Truck (LSU's bruising back, Charles Scott)?  Bengal Tigers are still a little worn out after last week, so Troy has a chance to shock the world.

KENTUCKY 24, Vanderbilt 21 - Wildcats are already bowl eligible.  Commodores need just one more win to get there.  What is this world, or this division (SEC East) coming to?

SOUTHERN 24, Alabama State 7 - Tough to look sharp on offense one week after firing your coordinator.  Just ask Auburn.

 HUNTINGDON 28, LaGrange 21 - Hawks claim the St. Louis Athletic Conference crown with a win.

UVA-Wise 28, Faulkner 13 - Eagles came crashing back to earth after winning two straight.

That's how it looks from Journal Headquarters.

For scores, highlights, and post-game comments, check out WSFA 12 News at 6 and 10 Saturday night.

See you next week!

God bless - Jeff

Bayou Battle!

While Nick Saban insists Alabama's visit to Saban's old stomping grounds of Baton Rouge is "not about me," LSU fans are equally adamant that it IS about him.

This would be a huge game without the added drama of the conquering coach returning to the scene of his national championship.

Throw in the Saban angle, and you get a made-for-TV tussle that's sure to satisfy.

I'm going with Bama, on the strength of the Tide's power running game, and a Saban blitz package designed to confuse LSU's freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee.

ALABAMA 24, LSU 17 - If it goes this way, Bama would be just three more wins away from playing for the national title.

GEORGIA 35, Kentucky 14 - I look for the Dawgs to respond well after getting trounced by Florida.

SOUTH CAROLINA 38, Arkansas 27 - My pick of 65 total points might be low.

TENNESSEE 31, Wyoming 13 - With Phillip Fulmer on his way in Knoxville, the Vols take out their frustrations on a pretty bad Wyoming team.

AUBURN 24, Tennessee-Martin 20 -  Closer than you might think.  A loss would be a job-killer for Tommy Tuberville.

FLORIDA 34, Vanderbilt 17 - Gators appear to be on a mission.

TROY 42, Western Kentucky 10 - A happy Homecoming for the Trojans.

JACKSON STATE 28, Alabama State - Rick Comegy has the Hornets' number.

HUNTINGDON 33, Hampden-Sydney 17 - Big win for the Hawks, who would improve to 9-0.

FAULKNER 28, Bethel 21 - Playing with confidence, the Eagles make it three straight.

TUSKEGEE 49, Lane 13 - Of course, if you want to talk about streaks, the Golden Tigers could reach 26, with a win on Homecoming.

Hope your team is celebrating Saturday night.

See you next week.

God bless - Jeff