Poor man's SEC preview: Auburn

sickening. Who told the liberals about football anyway? State of the Program: Judging by their recent success (more wins than Florida, LSU, and Ohio St. in past 3 seasons), it would appear that life on the farm is dandy. And it is, except you never really hear Auburn in the roll call of the nation's elite. Remember, this was a program that went 13-0 in 2004, and all they got for it was a Sugar Bowl trophy and a "pretend" national title (USC was better, Oklahoma was not). This has sort of been a theme for the Tigers of late, always seeming to excel under the radar, only to disappoint amidst the shadows of expectation. Nevertheless, Auburn remains one of the South's holiest football sanctums. So you're saying there's a chance: Good luck scoring on this team. As per usual, War Eagle will field a brick wall on this here side of the ball, led by the ferocious future NFL lottery pick, DE Quinton Groves. With a stellar secondary in hand, Groves and So. LB Tray Blackmon will be treating QB's like Titleists. Hey, what was all that one and a million talk: Where is the offensive star power? Where is the All-SEC RB from the school that turns em over like "The U" does felons (it's ok Miami felon, there's always Louisville)? After a so-so Jr. campaign, QB Brandon Cox has to be consistent, and he can start by showing up in big games. It won't be easy with a young recieving corp, and a Kenny Irons-less backfield. Schedule: The Tigers begin the season with four home games---good thing, because, well, try this road schedule on for size: Florida, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia. Very reminiscent of LSU last season, who although were one of the 5 best teams in the nation, finished with 2 conference losses, one in The Swamp the other right here at Jordan-Hare. Seven home games are shoe-ins, with the Iron Bowl looming to close the season. what you do when there's nothing to do What's in a name? Comedy: Sen'Derrick Marks is good, but he doesn't work on The Hill. False advertising. The same can be said for King Dunlap and Luster Lewis, who last time I checked, is a human and not a crystalized mineral. So I'm going with the alliterate head coach, Tommy Tubberville. Not only does it sound like a character from Mr. Rogers, it sounds like a fantastic place to raise a family...or the next stop on the NASCAR circuit. "Kurt Bush can lock up a spot in the Cup chase with a win at Tubberville on Sunday." In conclusion: Auburn will most certainly not be playing nice on defense. If Cox can step up and flash his talent with consistency, Auburn could very well be playing in the Dr. Pepper Bowl in Atlanta to cap the regular season. But they could just as easily drop all four road games and be reduced to a standard only their academics can match. It would help to have Bo back: