AFIP Live on New Tuesday Night Slot Starting Tonight

Please join Jay Skipworth and myself as we discuss the Mississippi State game, look ahead to the West Virginia matchup and go on a weekly rant. This week edition and all further editions will be live on Tuesdays from 8-9pm CST. Also, if you would like to be a part of the show, please call us during the show at 646-649-1890.

Below is the link to the live show tonight.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AFIP/2009/09/16/Auburn-Football-Insider-Podcast

Thanks for all the support and all that listen to the show. We had over 500 downloads on last weeks show just on blogtalkradio.com, and that's not counting all those that have downloaded the show on Itunes. Thanks again. Also, if you have a chance and like the show, please stop by itunes and review and rate the show and spread it to other Auburn Fans.

War Eagle!

A Mississippi State Fan's Perspective on State

By Special Guest Columnist Mack Lundy

Long-time listener, first-time caller.

As this is Mississippi St./Auburn week, Michael McCoy suggested that I come by and chime in with my two cents from the perspective of an MSU fan. When the Michael speaks, the Mack listens.

I agree with many of the statements you made in your preview, and I similarly feel this iteration of MSU/AU will likely be substantially different than most, if not all, of those in my lifetime prior to now. Not that our respective offenses will necessarily explode on every possession, or even that the total offensive production will drastically differ from years past; but rather, the styles and philosophies of offense are simply hereto for unknown in our regions of the SEC West. Excitement abounds, and for good reason.

For the sake of clarity, I'll follow your format and review each aspect of the team in turn, followed by my final thoughts.

OFFENSE

Though we supposedly ran the West Coast Offense under Croom (and who knows what the hell under Sherrill), we have always indeed been most successful offensively out of traditional, power formations. If I may be so bold as to posit any position at which we regularly maintained NFL-esque talent, that position would have to be running back. Quarterbacks and other skill positions were always an afterthought. Now, in our first year (or, more accurately, week) of Mullen's version of the spread, our strategy may be different but our experienced talent is the same. Uncertainty at the QB spot, youth at the WR position (albeit quality youth--Bumphis, a UF recruit Mullen brought with him, seems very impressive for a true freshman), a shaky and thin line, and at least four deep at RB, with one bona fide stud leading the pack in Dixon. Unless Mullen's comments during the offseason were misleading, we have yet to see the true flavor of the offense because of Dixon's absence last week. The rotating QBs likely won't end anytime soon, for better or worse. I too was impressed with Relf (impressed with his passing as much as anything--didn't he finish 7-10, with a couple of TDs?), and Tyson is scrappy and seems to take care of the ball reasonably well (his career completion % is surprisingly high), but it all starts and ends with Dixon. Word is he's in the best shape of his life, and that this week at practice he's been a beast because of last game's suspension. Mullen has maintained that the offense will more or less revolve around Dixon, so other than knowing that Relf seems well-qualified to run the option, I'm no more sure what to expect offensively than y'all. I think your "run to set up the pass" prediction is fair, though I won't be too surprised to see as much, or more, inside running than outside.

DEFENSE

We definitely lost some talent off of last year's squad (Derrick Pegues, for example), and are lacking in returning starters more than in the recent past. However, I think we've got some reasonably solid talent near the top of the depth chart, at least up front. You noted that last year's defense was statistically weak, and that we may thus have problems at all positions against SEC competition. Obviously I can't disagree with the stats, but I think a couple of things are important when considering our defenese--(1) last year was our first under Croom withouth current South Carolina coordinator Ellis Johnson running the defense, and I think his absence hurt us as much as it helped SC; (2) our offense was about the worst of the worst in college football, so the defense certainly didn't get any help; and (3) we had key injuries, not the least of which was Chaney being out all year, that hurt us badly on that side of the ball. Anyway, that's my roundabout way of saying that I think there's more quality on the defense this year than last year's stats let on. Our starting LBs are among the best in the conference, and we've got some talent among the front four as well, especially in JUCO transfer Pernell McPhee. Our weakness may well be the secondary. Literally half of Jackson St.'s offense came on two long pass plays where our guys just got beat, so that definitely does not bode well. Interested to see how those guys respond and what the staff does not mitigate our lack of experienc/talent at the position. Also, and I'd have to watch the game again to know for sure, I think I saw less run blitzing against JSU than you did. We certainly kept 7-8 in the box here and there, but I honestly thought we generally let the front four handle the bulk of the work on their own. So what to expect on D--solid play from the front seven, but weaknesses in the secondary that may end up neutralizing whatever advantage(s) we have among the LBs. (I also must admit that I still don't have a great handle on Torbush's philosophy or our personnel, so take my comments for that in mind)

SPECIAL TEAMS

I generally agree with your take. Mullen runs the show a la Meyer (and Sherrill), the punter had a solid day while the PK did not. The two missed FGs annoys me greatly, but I saw the guy make 50+ yarders in the spring, so who knows. Maybe just first game jitters from a JUCO transer?

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm looking forward to this game for all the same reasons y'all are--first SEC test for a new coach and new staff, and first "real" game of the year. I'm interested to see the "new and improved" Dixon in action, and I'm interested to see which QB's strengths best allow us to compete with quality defense like Auburn's. We're so young, and our offense is still so new to the players, that I'd be surprised if we pulled out a win this weekend in a night game on the road. Not sure about being 14 point underdogs considering the similar circumstances of the programs, and the results of our last two meetings (a 19-14 win for us, and 3-2 win for y'all), but you never know. As a State fan, you've always got to assume the worst. My head often gives us a chance, while my gut always prepares for a crap sandwich. We shall see.

SEC Predictions- Week 2

After Week 1, Michael has jumped to the lead by posting an (11-0) mark, followed by Jay at (10-1) and Eddie pulling up the rear at (9-2). Now that the easy week is done, let's jump into this week's SEC predictions with some actual conference games:

Michael McCoy's Picks, (11-0) on the season:

Troy at Florida - Florida
UCLA at UT - Tennessee
FIU at Bama - Bama
Vandy at LSU - LSU
USC at UGA - Georgia

Auburn-Mississippi State:

Last weekend was nice, but a different set of Bulldogs are heading to the Plains this weekend. State is feeling pretty good about itself these days after the buzz hiring of Dan Mullen, and being the first SEC game for both teams means the intensity level should be through the roof. Having beaten State last year in Ruston last year, one could make the argument that La. Tech provided a sterner test than the boys from Starkvegas will, but Mullen will have his team motivated and ready to play, plus Auburn hasn't had it all its own way with State the last couple of seasons anyway. I fear against a letdown a little bit after the euphoria of last Saturday, but I think the coaching staff will reign in the team with good effect. The strength of State's offense, running the ball, should work to our advantage, even with Dixon back. In fact, Dixon being back may well keep things a little more predictable, though Mullen will no doubt look to keep things off balance and not so one dimensional. State QB Relf is more a wildcard than anything. We know about Dixon; Tyson Lee played a lot last year, but Relf is just now really coming on to the scene. Going against Malzahn's offensive sets in practice should help out the defense though. Plus, even though Muschamp is gone, Auburn is the one defensive riddle that Mullen was never really able to solve while at Florida. On the other side of the ball, State is always solid on defense, so I'd be surprised if our offense replicates the success of last weekend, but then again, if Malzahn is able to run the kind of tempo that he wanted but didn't get last weekend against Tech, these Bulldogs may wear down faster. But I'd be surprised if this weekend's clash of Tigers and Bulldogs was as straightforward as last weekend's. SEC games can never be taken for granted when your team only won two of them the previous season. But I expect Malzahn to open up the vertical passing game a bit more, opening up the run in the process while the defense should be able to sustain a standard similar to last weekend.

I'll say Auburn 24 - Mississippi State 10.

Jay Skipworth's Picks, (10-1) on the Season:

Troy at Florida - Florida
UCLA at UT - Tennessee
FIU at Bama - Bama
Vandy at LSU - LSU
USC at UGA - South Carolina

Auburn-Mississippi State:

The Bulldogs did what they were supposed to against Jackson State. They played two quarterbacks and ran the ball under Dan Mullen’s spread to the tune of 230+ yards. They won't be afforded the chance to tweak the attack as much this week. Auburn showed signs of organization and life on offense that has been sorely lacking for years from that program. The Tigers had two running backs gain over 100 yards and Chris Todd played well at the quarterback position.

The keys for Auburn in this game are to strike fast, strike hard, and show no quarter and try to put the Bulldogs into a throw often mode.

However, Mullen is no slouch and he knows this and will have his defense ready to stuff the run and force Auburn to go deep early. Can Auburn do it? We'll see. Auburn will also need to do something else with the WildKodi packages in order to get maximum benefit from that package.
Otherwise, it's all smoke and mirrors which will only choke and cut you.

This will be a slugfest and will come down to who establishes the most consistency in the running game.

Auburn 24 - Mississippi State 21.

You can also find a more detailed prediction of each game at Jay's Blog Critic Column listed below:

http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/sec-week-two-preview/

Eddie McCoy's Picks, (9-2) on the Season:

Troy at Florida - Florida
UCLA at UT - Tennessee
FIU at Bama - Bama
Vandy at LSU - LSU
USC at UGA - South Carolina

Auburn-Mississippi State:

This Mississippi State team will run a much more exciting brand of offense this season under HC Dan Mullen, but they are still at least a year away from being able to put up good production numbers against good defensive teams, and I suspect that Auburn will present many problems for them by forcing Tyson Lee / Chris Relf to make plays with their arms. Auburn will need to contain the QB and not allow them room to run and make big plays with their feet, especially on 3rd and longs.

Defensively, Mississippi State is going to try and do it's best to cover-up its weak passing defensive by trying to put pressure on the Auburn offense by blitzing on running and passing downs to force the Tigers to make bad decisions. Auburn needs to take shots down the field early and get the Bulldogs on their heels so that the running game can have it's way with the State defense.

I believe Auburn will shut down the run and force Mississippi State in to 3rd and long situations along with forcing some Turnovers. I believe the Auburn offense will be able to generate a decent passing attack that will lead to another game of big running totals. This game will probably be out of reach by half time.

Auburn 41- Mississippi State 14.


Let us know your thoughts on this weeks games and your predictions in the comment section.

War Eagle!

Mississippi State Preview

By Eddie McCoy

Mississippi State enters this game (1-0) under new Head Coach Dan Mullen after knocking off Jackson State last Saturday 45-7. It will mark the first SEC game as Head Coach for both Dan Mullen and Gene Chizik. Mississippi State will look much different than any Mississippi State team that I have seen in my lifetime with the change from the power running game to a Florida like spread attack, so getting a feel on this squad after only one game will be a tough task for the Auburn coaching staff. Let's take a closer look at Mississippi State's Offense, Defense & Special Teams.

OFFENSE
This is where most of the difference will be noticed about State. They have given up the traditional I-formation for the spread shotgun formation which they run all their plays from. They do return 9 starters from last year's offense, so they have plenty of experienced players on the field. Let's take a look at the QB situation for State, in which the Jackson State game saw both last year's starter Tyson Lee rotating out with Chris Relf in a game which State struggled during the first half but put it together the second half after Tyson Lee was forced to sit out with muscle spasms. These two quarterbacks are very different in look and what they seem to do. During the first half, when they equally split time at the position, Sr. Tyson Lee (listed at 5'10" & 200lbs) seemed to try and throw the ball more while throwing the ball 14 times compared to So. Chris Relf (listed at 6'3" 235lbs) only 3 attempts, so there is some big differences in the two physically and what Mullen intends for them to do. Of the two QB's, I'm much more concerned with what Relf can do with his feet when a passing play breaks down and the fact that State seemed to find rhythm in their offense when they were not switching QB's in every two series. State should also have Sr. 2nd Team Pre-season All-SEC running back Anthony Dixon back from suspension after a summer DUI caused him to miss the first game, and that will bolster and improve State's running attack much more from the Jackson State game in which three different backs played. State's leading WR from last year, Brandon McRae also returns to compliment the true freshman, Chad Bumphis who had 2 receiving TD's in the first game along with four offensive lineman, so this team does not lack in playing experience. I would look for this offense to try and run the ball on the outside and setup passing plays in which the QB will be looking to take off if something is not open downfield.

DEFENSE
Mississippi State lost seven players from a Defense that ranked close to last in the SEC in every stat except passing defense, so this figures to be a tough year for the Bulldogs. The defense did start out with a stellar performance led by 2nd Team preseason All-SEC LB Jamar Chaney in holding Jackson State to 7 points and less then 200 yards of total offense, but there is a big difference from playing someone in the SWAC as compared to someone in the SEC. Of the four returning starters, there is only one defensive lineman coming back, so stopping the run is going to be difficult for state. As for the secondary, State only returns one starter and that is Marcus Washington, all the other players in the secondary combine for 2 starts, so this will be an area of concern for the Bulldogs. In the first game, State lined up in a 4-3 defense and tried to use a lot of run blitzing to help stall out the Jackson State running game and I'm expecting them to try and do the same here. I would look for state to try and get Auburn to 3rd and longs and hope that they can force pressure on the QB by blitzing to create turnovers.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Mississippi State special teams were among the worst last season ranking near last in almost every category. Coach Mullen has personally took on the responsibility to try and personally take a big part in special teams himself while not assigning one specific coach responsible for it. With that said, Coach Mullen brought in the JUCO Punter Heath Hutchins and JUCO Placekicker Sean Brauchle to try and revamp this kicking game. During the first game, Brachle was 1/3 in Field Goal attempts while Hutchins has a much better day averaging 49 yards on his 2 punts. As for the Return game, Leon Berry seems to be the primary returner on both Kickoff's and Punt Returns. It is hard to determine how State is going to be with the new kickers, but I would love to be able to put some pressure on both of them and see how they handle it in their first hostile environment.

KEYS TO THE GAME FOR AUBURN

• Auburn needs to throw the ball down field and force State to abandon the blitz and play a more base defense in which the Tigers will have much more success running the ball against.
• Reduce the defensive penalties that extend drives.
• Contain the QB. Prevent him from making big plays with his legs, especially on 3rd and longs.
• Once again, eliminate turnovers.

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Auburn is 3-0 all-time in games played on Sept. 12th (my Birthday I might add), and has never surrendered a point on that date.
• Auburn has won 50 consecutive games when scoring 30 or more points in a game, dating back to the last loss occurring in 1996.

That's it for the Mississippi State preview. Please drop by the comment section and share your thoughts.

1st Week Predictions

Every week Jay Skipworth, Michael McCoy and myself will be predicting all the sec games and giving a quick overview of what we think will happen with the Auburn Game. We will be keeping a tally to see who is the most accurate at the end of the season.

Michael McCoy's Picks:

Alabama vs Virginia Tech - Bama
Kentucky @ Miami (OH) - Kentucky
Western Kentucky @ Tennessee - Tennessee
Georgia @ Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State
Jackson State @ Mississippi State- Mississippi State
Charleston Southern @ Florida - Charleston Southern...I mean, Florida
Missouri State @ Arkansas - Arkansas
Western Carolina @ Vandy - Vandy
LSU @ Washington - LSU
USC @ N.C. State - South Carolina

Auburn-La. Tech:

The first game of the season always brings a lot of excitement and when you bring a new coaching staff into the equation, the excitement levels soar to an even higher level. But with a new coaching staff usually comes some growing pains, and against an experienced team like Louisiana Tech coming off an eight win season and a bowl win, Auburn won't just show up and win on Saturday, especially with Auburn's lack of depth. I expect a fairly comfortable Auburn win, but it will be something akin to last year's game against Southern Miss. I think we'll play really well on both sides of the ball at times, and at other times, not so well. I expect the team to come out energized and have the offense surging early with the defense feeding off that success, but then things will settle down a bit and the Bulldogs will do just enough to stay in the game without ever really jangling the nerves of Auburn fans. Look for the pace of Malzahn's offense to eventually wear down La Tech's defense, maybe culminating in a big play from somebody like Fannin or McCalebb to ice the game. I expect a solid, if unspectacular win to start off the Gene Chizik area.and leave Auburn fans optimistic about the future. I'll say Auburn 28 Louisiana Tech 17. War Eagle!

Jay Skipworth's Picks:

Alabama vs Virginia Tech - Bama
Kentucky @ Miami (OH) - Kentucky
Western Kentucky @ Tennessee - Tennessee
Georgia @ Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State
Jackson State @ Mississippi State- Jackson State
Charleston Southern @ Florida - Florida
Missouri State @ Arkansas - Arkansas
Western Carolina @ Vandy - Vandy
LSU @ Washington - LSU
USC @ N.C. State - South Carolina

La Tech @ Auburn
The La. Tech Bulldogs knocked off Mississippi State in last year's opener. Auburn fluttered and sputtered through a season that ended with a complete overhaul in the coaching staff. La. Tech is no world beater on offense. Auburn is dangerously thin on defense. Auburn should win this game but it will probably be close. Auburn 24 La. Tech 17.

Eddie McCoy's Picks

Alabama vs Virginia Tech - Virginia Tech
Kentucky @ Miami (OH) - Kentucky
Western Kentucky @Tennessee - Tennessee
Georgia @ Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State
Jackson State @ Mississippi State- Mississippi State
Charleston Southern @ Florida - Florida
Missouri State @ Arkansas - Arkansas
Western Carolina @ Vandy - Vandy
LSU @ Washington - LSU
USC @ N.C. State - NC State

La Tech @ Auburn:

I see this game being won in the trenches and I like Auburn to be able to control both. I've studied this game and looked at all the stats and this game just favors Auburn too much. On offense, I believe Auburn is going to show more of a vertical passing game than most expect that will ultimately open up the running game. La Tech was one of the nation's worst passing defenses and at times on Saturday night will only have 2 returning starters to defend the pass and I believe that could spell doom for the Bulldogs from Louisiana. On Defense, Auburn will have to stop the run. If Auburn can shut La Tech's running game down and force them to make plays thru the air, I really like Auburn's odds. This game is to not be taken lightly, as Mississippi State found out last season when it turned the ball over 5 times and lost, but I like Auburn to cruise to a much easier victory than most expect. I like Auburn to win 38-17.

There is our look at the first week of SEC action. You can also find a more detailed game by game preivew from Jay Skipworth in his weekly BC Column which you can find at the link below. Please share your Auburn Predictions in our comment section.

http://blogcritics.org/sports/article/sec-week-one-preview/

War Eagle!

Auburn Football Insider Podcast Live Tonight

Please join my brother, Michael McCoy as he subs for Jay Skipworth once more, and myself from 8-9PM CST for tonight's edition of the Auburn Football Insider Podcast. We are going to discuss the latest news in Auburn football, breaking down the upcoming game and I have another rant that you must tune in for.

We appreciate all that have and continue to listen to us either live or by downloading it thru either Itunes or Blog Talk Radio's website. Our numbers have climbed to over 300 downloads per week on Blog Talk Radio alone and we appreciate all the support. If you have a chance, go to Itunes and rate the show and leave feedback if you can. There is also a newly created fan page on Facebook, so be sure to search the show there and join other fans of the show.

I aslo encourage any of those that listen live, to call in and be part of the show. Our call-in number for the show is 646-649-1890, or if you have any questions, please email them to me at

eddie@auburnfootballinsider.com and we will address them on the show.

Follow the below link to listen to the show live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AFIP/2009/09/03/Auburn-Football-Insider-Podcast

Thanks again and War Eagle!

Gene Chizik, Auburn Need a Definitive Win in Season Opener

By Jay Skipworth

There's been a lot of talk amongst the Auburn fan base since Gene Chizik was named the new head coach for the Tigers in mid December.

There are detractors who hoped for another choice. They lobbied, protested, and voiced complaints in various forms. There are the ardent supporters - several former Auburn players in the NFL who were a part of the 2004 undefeated season that helped launch Chizik into a higher profile job at Texas. Many were excited by Chizik's staff which consists of many name assistants from around the country (Gus Malzhan, Trooper Taylor, Tracy Rocker, Curtis Luper to name a few). Finally, there are the supremely cautious - those who are not sure what will become of a program that was a consistent winner over the past few years, 2008 excluded.

Will this Malzhan spread work like the Franklin spread? Chizik and company have been very careful to call what Malzhan runs "spread" after the bitter taste left behind from last year's offense which struggled to produce 17.3 points per game and finished ranked 104 out of 119 teams in total offense. The quarterback race was ended with the tabbing of senior Chris Todd (86/156, 903 yds., 5 TD, 6 INT in 2008) and Kodi Burns move to part-time receiver/part-time single wing QB. Additionally, reports from closed scrimmages have touted some young players who figure to be a big part of the offensive puzzle (RB Onterio McCalebb, WRs DeAngelo Benton and Darvin Adams). Will this Malzhan offense work the way it did the last two years at Tulsa where the Golden Hurricane ranked near the top of the country in scoring for two seasons? This was top among Auburn problems from last year - too many three downs and out which wore out a defense over the slog of an always tough SEC schedule.

After Franklin was dismissed early in the season, the biggest problem was an almost total lack of identity for the Tigers offense as the season progressed. There were few adjustments between quarters or halves of football and by the end of the year it is safe to say no opponent feared Auburn. Part of this was due to staff disunity about the offense and part was due to a team without a clear leader or plan of attack. The difference this year is that the entire staff and system are new and there are reports of more "buy in" from the assistant coaches and players than last year. Will that translate to improved production? It should, but remains to be seen until kickoff. Auburn needs play makers to step up and needs to show potential recruits that this offense is something they want to be a part of in order maintain any level of consistent success in the coming years.

What about the severe lack of depth at key positions on both sides of the ball? Perhaps no position on the team has as bleak an outlook than the linebacker corps. Auburn, a team which has produced numerous NFL-caliber players from this position, enters the season with two experienced starters, one highly-touted (however, currently injured) recruit, and a small group of young guys to play the middle of the field. Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof has talked of playing a lot of nickel and dime (five and six defensive back formation) this season. If this was the Big 12, that wouldn't be a terrible plan considering the amount of time almost every team spends in spread formations. However, in the SEC, every team - even Florida - has a power running game of some sort in its arsenal. Auburn will have to come up with answers if there is hope of improving last season's record. The coaching staff is working to address these needs with three linebackers already committed and others targeted. Holding serve with a lack of talent will say a lot to recruits about the coaching acumen of this staff.

So, what is to expect of the new-look Auburn Tigers as they prepare to open the season at home against Louisiana Tech? I posit that Auburn needs to win big in the opener. What's so special about La. Tech you ask? Well, they aren't world beaters, but they did beat SEC West foe Mississippi State in the opener of 2008 and they return 16 starters from that team for this year. They have a quality running game and they can be opportunistic with turnovers on defense. Those elements mean it won't be easy for Auburn to blow away the Bulldogs in the season opener. The Tigers need a balanced offensive effort coupled with a good showing by a young defense in order to do it. And, yes, Auburn needs to throw the kitchen sink at this team and post a decisive win. In doing so, this new staff can quiet some of the critics, bring more unity to the fan base, and make a statement to potential recruits and opponents that the new era of Auburn football is trending upward.