Link sAUsage -- April 25, 2012

Gus Malzahn has taken the Tiger Prowl recruiting tool to Arkansas State and renamed it the A-State Ambush. The secondary NCAA violations can't be too far away.

Auburn basketball hosted two recruits over the A-Day weekend, but it appears that both have signed with other schools. Back to the drawing board for Tony Barbee.

Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler tried to explain his philosophy and shed some light on what Auburn's 2012 offense might look like in a recent Q and A.

In case you missed it, the Auburn Villager reports that residents of the Loveliest Village enjoy higher satisfaction than the national average. No surprise there.

In a ranking of the SEC's offensive guards, Auburn's John Sullen checks in at No. 11. 

Link sAUsage -- April 24, 2012

Gene Chizik answered a few questions at this morning's SEC coaches' teleconference and said that he believes Auburn is closer to having an offensive identity. He also likes the strides that quarterback Kiehl Frazier has made. Related: If Frazier is healthy and isn't the starter against Clemson, we'll be stunned.

Chizik believes the Clemson game will be a great test for this Auburn team. Frankly, if the offense can't put up some solid numbers against a defense that gave up 70 in its last game, we should consider it a major failure.

Chizik's decision to introduce NFL verbiage into his team's offensive and defensive schemes was a smart one.

The Auburn staff is making a hard push for 4-star tight end and Alabama commit O.J. Howard, which is just despicable, right Nick Saban?

For any Auburn fans hoping the Tigers will break out orange jerseys at some point in time, we hope this photo changes your mind.

Mississippi State will be wearing white alternate uniforms for its game against Texas A&M on Nov. 8. State is an Adidas school now, and because it was a Nike school at the time that it wore the uniform inspiring the alternates, the Bulldogs won't be able to use the helmet logo from that uniform. Apparently, Nike claims ownership of that logo. This is a prime example of why a school shouldn't get too cozy with any uniform supplier.

No. 128 in Barrett Salee's countdown of the SEC's best players going into 2012 is none other than Auburn offensive lineman Chad Slade.

Link sAUsage -- April 18, 2012

Dee Liner, the top prospect in Auburn's 2013 recruiting class and best-named defensive lineman ever -- recently took a visit to Tuscaloosa. Fear not, Liner assures Auburn fans that he is still firmly committed to the Tigers.

After taking a look at a projected football depth chart, we can't help but feel pretty good about most areas going into the fall. The one exception: linebacker. Auburn desperately needs someone to have a breakout year at that position.

What can we take away from Auburn's spring practice? If you ask Gene Chizik, nothing. You shouldn't pay attention to A-Day's stats, reps or anything else. But if you must deduce something from the last two weeks, know that Auburn's practices felt more like NFL practices and no one's job is safe.

No matter what you take away from spring practice, lingering questions certainly remain.

Cam Newton has made it all the way to the final of the Madden Cover Bracket. Cam now faces Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, and the winner earns a spot on the Madden 13 cover.

We've seen SEC teams ranked based on traditions, uniforms, stadiums, etc. It only makes sense to rank them based on their fan bases' sanity levels. Comparing Auburn to Pete Campbell makes plenty of sense. We're successful, but we want so much more, and that tends to drive us over the edge.

Despite a dismal weekend in Nashville, Auburn baseball didn't suffer too much in the stats department. The wins-and-losses department? That's another story.

For the third time this year, men's track and field standout Harry Adams has been named SEC runner of the week. 

LSU has released artist renderings of its proposed stadium expansion, which would increase capacity to more than 100,000. The thought of 100,000 fans in Tiger Stadium is absolutely terrifying. 

Former Highly-Touted Recruit Headed Back to Auburn?

Tyrik
Tyrik Rollison was considered a huge get for Gene Chizik when he committed to Auburn shortly after Chizik was named head coach in 2009. Rollison redshirted his first season at Auburn, and after the arrival of quarterback Cam Newton on campus, he decided to transfer to Sam Houston State. Rollison never played a down for the Bearkats and again decided to transfer, this time to Tyler (Texas) Junior College.

Well, it sounds like it might be time for Auburn fans to reintroduce themselves to Rollison. A status update on the former 4-star prospect's Facebook page indicates that he may be heading back to the Plains. If that's true, Rollison will be competing with Kiehl Frazier, Clint Moseley and Zeke Pike for the starting quarterback job in 2012. So far, this is purely speculation based on unconfirmed social media rumors. But it's a very interesting development in the QB race if it is, in fact, true.

UPDATE: The Auburn-related posts on Rollison's Facebook page have been removed, and it appears that the quarterback was hacked by someone intent on trolling Auburn fans and media.

Image via. 

Link sAUsage -- Feb. 29, 2012 // LEAP DAY EDITION

Jon Luke Jacobs pitched a gem as the Auburn baseball team topped Alabama State on Tuesday. The two teams get together again to day at 5 p.m. at Plainsman Park.

A couple of women's basketball players earned SEC postseason honors: Blanche Anderson was named scholar-athlete of the year, and Hasina Muhammad garnered a spot on the all-freshman team.

Men's basketball plays at Alabama tonight, which should prove to be a tough task. The Tigers are shorthanded, and the Tide is fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth. Oh yeah, it's Senior Night in Tuscaloosa, too.

With the 2012 football recruiting class finally complete, here's a look at Auburn's newest potential gridiron heros.

You know the tiger head logo that Auburn fans love so much? Bad news: It turns out that, not only was it originally designed for LSU, but it was created by an Alabama graduate. What a shame.

BREAKING NEWS: SEC fans really like watching SEC football on TV.

The third-ranked women's golf team tied for eighth at the Sugar Bowl Invitational in New Orleans. Marta Sanz placed eighth in the individual competition for her third top 10 finish this season.

Softball continues to climb in the rankings. Auburn is No. 17 in the latest ESPN Poll and No. 19 in the NFCA Coaches Poll. 

Women's tennis makes its first appearance in the ITA rankings this year, debuting at No. 66. After a big weekend at the Blue-Gray Classic, the Auburn men have moved up to No. 12.

 

 

Link sAUsage -- Feb. 28, 2012

Just like every Auburn fan did over the weekend, Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky trolls the Cam Newton haters in his latest column.

The SEC will consider adopting a nine-game conference football schedule, but there isn't much support right now. We're all for it if it will save the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Frankly, reading about all the problems conference expansion is causing makes us sick.

Since the tale of recruiting is a never-ending story, it's fitting that Auburn had a big day on a random Monday in late February. The Tigers received a commitment from 2013 defensive back Kamryn Melton, and Alex Kozan -- remember him? -- the 4-star offensive lineman out of Colorado, faxed in his National Letter of Intent to play for Auburn next season. Unfortunately, it looks like Stewart Mandel is right. No one wants to play for Auburn. No one.

The status of suspended guards Varez Ward and Chris Denson still isn't certain. If they're both held out of the Alabama game, things could get ugly quickly for the thin Tigers.

Looking at SEC baseball stats, Auburn is doing pretty well on offense, but the Tigers' pitching is not so hot. Looking at the Tigers' results, that isn't much of a surprise.

Jenee Loree picked up three wins last week, and for her efforts she has been named SEC softball pitcher of the week.

The Auburn baseball team hosts Alabama State at 5 p.m. today and Wednesday. The Tigers are looking to ride the momentum from winning the series finale against No. 8 Arizona on Saturday night.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for the Tubervilles. First, Suzanne was in the news. Now, Tommy, the former Auburn football coach, is the subject of a $1.7 million fraud lawsuit. 

Link sAUsage -- Feb. 27, 2012

It was a busy weekend for Auburn athletics. Let's take a look at what happened:

Auburn's two representatives at the NFL Combine turned in impressive workouts on Saturday. 

Auburn held its Junior Day over the weekend, and the Tigers picked up a commitment from in-state, 4-star wide receiver Earnest Robinson. Auburn and its coaching staff came off as very impressive to many of the prospects in attendance.

Who might benefit from the college football kickoff rules? Hmm. Looking at that list of qualifications, Auburn just might be the team that benefits the most.

In case you missed it over on his home site, College and Magnolia contributor Ross Collings analyzes some of the biggest questions Auburn has going into spring football practice.

Hits and Misses: A look at the 2012 Recruiting Class

Chizik
Offensive lineman Alex Kozan is still out there somewhere, mulling his college decision, but the College and Magnolia staff decided it was time to go ahead and take a look at Auburn's 2012 recruiting class. After a slow start on signing day, Auburn closed strong and put together a very nice class. Who was Auburn's biggest hit? What about the Tigers' biggest miss? We give our picks:

Peggy

Biggest hit: CB Joshua Holsey -- I'm not a recruitnik by any definition, but I do have a lot of respect for guys who stick to their verbal commitments. We had several, but Holsey has become my favorite. He's just a good guy. If you follow Holsey on Twitter (@ HeyItsJholsey ), you already know that he has a great personality, and he's had nothing but love for Auburn. That's what I want to see: guys who are excited to be Tigers and who will have a positive impact on the players around him. I can't wait to see how he develops. War Damn Defense!   

Biggest miss: WR Cordarelle Patterson -- I'm not going to spend too much time grieving about it, but it would have been nice to sign him. War Eagle anyway.

Kim

Biggest hit: LB Cassanova McKinzy -- If you know me, then you know it's any kid we get out of Woodlawn. I can't explain it. I just am always excited to see AU scouting talent there. Karlos Dansby hails from there and of course, my current favorite player, Chris Davis, is from there. Second: AU needs linebackers. Third: He loves Auburn. He grew up an Auburn fan and always said if they offered, he would take it. He was the first commit for the class and he stood by his verbal. I got a little nervous when he visited Clemson, but looking back, I am glad he did. If he ever had second thoughts or even if he just wanted to see what some other place had to offer, I feel like he can look back and know he made the best choice for him. 

Biggest miss: The reincarnation of Josh Bynes -- I am going to break from the staff a little and go out on a limb for this one. I don't like to compare current players to past players but the one person I think the defensive could really use is Josh Bynes 2.0. He may have been slightly undersized for a middle linebacker but I haven't seen a kid come through with his football acumen in quite a while. He was the heart of the defense -- he could look over the opposing offense and immediately know how to reset the guys if he saw something he didn't like. He was well-liked by his teammates, his coaches and even awarded the "Good Guy Award" by the beat writers for being the most helpful and polite. He is also, if you remember, the one person at SEC Media Days that announced AU would win the West. We may never get another Josh, but it certainly won't stop me from wishing.

Dusty

Biggest hit: FB Jay Prosch (transfer) -- My favorite recruit? The question is hard to answer. There are several. You can't help but like Gimel President, if for no other reason but for the name. But how often do you get a Parade All-American that every "expert" recruiting service ranks as a 3-star? Maybe Javiie Mitchell. I've wanted Auburn to sign him since I first saw film on Jonathan Rose. He's a stud. But, the biggest get for this class may not be a recruit at all, but a transfer. He wasn't rated, but an All-American fullback transfer is as good as a 5-star. Philip Lutzenkirchen probably benefits the most from adding Jay Prosch, and by extension, the entire offense benefits. Prosch will allow offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler to run multiple sets, use a lead blocker and still leave Lutz free to do what he does best ... catch passes -- hopefully, lots and lots of passes. Over the course of Lutz's career, he has caught a touchdown roughly one out of every three receptions (44 career receptions, 14 career touchdowns). Now, imagine expanding his role to catch 45 passes. Yeah.

Biggest miss: DT Eddie Goldman -- I'd like to take a page out of Chizik's Book of Coach Speak and say I'm only concerned with the ones we got. But, we all know better. Truth is, I really wanted Eddie Goldman. We all know that big, nasty defensive tackles is what sets the SEC apart. Adding him to the rotation would have been nice.

Andy

Biggest hit: FB Jay Prosch (transfer) -- Sure he's not a high school recruit, but the coaches still recruited him to come to Auburn. The great thing about Prosch that makes him the biggest get? Pick one: He's proven, coming off of an All-American 2011 season; He's mature; He fills an immediate need at a crucial position for what we presume to be the next offensive system at Auburn; He'll be a Junior, so we hope he will be a great leader as an upperclassman.

Biggest miss: DT Eddie Goldman -- Why? You can never have enough blue chip defensive tackles. Auburn has recruited well at the position over the past couple of years, but nothing inspires upperclassmen to perform to the fullest extent of their abilities more than a true freshman that could very well be better than them. Sure, Goldman could be a bust waiting to happen, but a 5-star DT addition would have been the cherry on top of this very solid 2012 class.

Brett

Biggest hit: ALL THE O-LINEMEN -- I feel that Auburn's class has received undeserved criticism. I believe that Auburn had a great recruiting class that met the needs of the team. The objective isn't always stars. It hurt to come in a close second to many top-tier players but I would have been much more hurt had we not met the needs of our team. An offense only goes as the offensive line goes. Having said that, I'm not excited about just one particular recruit. I'm excited for that entire group of "big nasties". If they all pan out as they should -- who knows if that will happen -- this offensive line class should rival the 2010 offensive line when it matures.

Biggest miss: RB T.J. Yeldon -- I have to go with Yeldon. I know we have a great running back in Jovon Robinson. Landing both of those guys would have been absolutely huge. I have heard a lot of AU fans say that we won't miss him but I believe he's on the same level as Lattimore and Dyer when they came out of high school. A close second is Jordan Moore. I think he would have been a great addition to our defensive backfield with his explosive speed and raw talent.

Murph

Biggest hit: WR JaQuay Williams -- I am most excited about signing WR JaQuay Williams. He is big (6-foot-4 200 pounds), physical receiver and has the potential to play early. It has been a while since Auburn has had a dominate wide out, and it will be nice to see him develop into that.

Biggest miss: DT Eddie Goldman -- I know in the end it was sort of a long shot, but I hate Auburn missed out on Goldman. He also had the right size to play early and have an immediate impact on the D-line. He has a great nose for the football and is awesome getting off blocks. Goldman was a really good pick up for FSU.

Jared

Biggest hit: WR JaQuay Williams -- JaQuay is the big, physical receiver (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) that Auburn has been missing the past few years. He's a guy that is very physical and catches the ball with his hands with the way he high-points the ball and maximizes his size over smaller corners. He will see playing time his freshman year and could really push guys like Sammie Coates and Trovon Reed. Also: Avery Young, Jovon Robinson, Ricardo Louis.

Biggest miss: DT Eddie Goldman -- A lot of people in the recruiting circles picked T.J. Yeldon here but I see that as more a mental loss than a football loss. Auburn is loaded at running back and still brought in a stud with Jovon Robinson. When it comes to defensive line, however, you can never have enough good ones in this league, and Goldman has all the makings of a great one. Auburn, especially coach Tommy Thigpen did a great job recruiting Goldman, but in the end, his relationship with FSU D-line coach Odell Haggins prevailed for the 'Noles. Also: Kwon Alexander, Ronald Darby, Leonard Williams

Chris

Biggest hit: FB Jay Prosch (transfer) -- Prosch isn't a sexy name, and he probably won't score a ton of touchdowns in his time on the Plains, but the Illinois transfer might be the most important cog in Auburn's offensive machine over the next two years. Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler would like to shift the offense from Gus Malzahn's spread to a more pro-style look. That can be difficult because of the mismatched personnel (see Florida in 2011). Adding an All-American full back will make Loeffler's transition much easier and allow tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen to spend more time running routes. Prosch might not show up much on the stat sheet, but he'll be a big reason for any offensive success Auburn has.

Biggest miss: CB Jordan Moore -- Sure, Moore was just a 3-star, but he's destined for stardom. Moore got his first play at safety during his high school team's playoffs, and he immediately impressed. After not getting much attention at wide receiver, Moore's brief appearance at safety earned him offers from a number of big schools around the country. LSU and Alabama showed last season how important a great secondary is, and Moore (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) could have become the anchor of a great Auburn secondary.

(Image via.)