Reporting from Auburn, this guy here likes South Carolina
RoboCoach Gene Chizik dazzles the assembled media with bon mots. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Auburn, Ala. — I’m sitting here listening to Gene Chizik. And if you’ve ever wondered how RoboCoach would sound, listen to Gene Chizik. But I digress.
I’m sitting here listening to Gene Chizik, and I’m thinking, “I really like South Carolina’s chances Saturday.”
Not because of Gene Chizik. He’s obviously a good coach. But the guy who’ll be on the other sideline in the Georgia Dome is pretty good, too, and Evil Genius is bringing a pretty good team with him. And it’s a pretty good team that won’t be shocked by anything Cam Newton does, given that it was South Carolina against which the Camster had his night of arrival.
Auburn has had a great season — doesn’t get any greater than going undefeated in the SEC, does it? — but I still wonder about its defense. I especially wonder about Ted Roof, the Georgia Tech grad whose uncoordination of George O’Leary’s defense doomed the Jackets to being one of those good-hit-no-field teams a decade ago. Even the RoboCoach described the Tigers’ defensive effort in falling 24 points behind Alabama last week as “not acceptable.”
South Carolina has the better defense and the better coordinator (Ellis Johnson, who’s as solid as Stone Mountain). South Carolina also has a running back — Marcus Lattimore, the freshman who chose the Gamecocks over Auburn — capable of defusing Cam Newton by keeping the nation’s best player on the bench. As RoboCoach noted, South Carolina leads the SEC in time of possession.
I don’t doubt that a team coached by Steve Spurrier and staffed by Lattimore and the great receiver Alshon Jeffrey can contrive to put up four touchdowns on a neutral field against the men of Roof. (The Georgia Bulldogs had four in Jordan-Hare Stadium, lest we forget.) I realize Auburn is the world’s best team at playing from behind, but after a season of so many peaks and so many comebacks, the most recent being the epic rally in Tuscaloosa, how much the Tigers have left — cliche alert! – in the tank.
Cam Newton is the nation’s best player. Nick Fairley is the nation’s best defender. (Sorry, Georgia fans.) Auburn has been at worst the nation’s second-best team — Oregon has been pretty darn good itself — over the course of the three-month regular season. But for this one game under the off-white roof, I like South Carolina. I like it so much I’ll give you the score:
Gamecocks 33, Tigers 31.
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299 comments Add your comment
Headley Lamar
November 30th, 2010
6:48 pm
The FBI is involved now. I live in Montgomery and everyone know
1. Milton McGregor is a big AU booster
2. He is one dirty SOB.
Along with Lowder the FBI etc etc etc.
I mean cmon. They arent all lying and making this stuff up.
Headley Lamar
November 30th, 2010
6:50 pm
In fact I cant remember seeing this much denial as Auburn fans are in since.
1. That guy in Baghdad was telling the press they were winning while bombs were dropping behind him.
2. Kevin Bacon at the end of Animal House.
DFWTXdawg
November 30th, 2010
7:06 pm
Mark, I’ll give you props on picking SCAR to win the SEC East way back in the beginning of 2010. I laughed at that prediction, and actually commented on that article that the only way SCAR would have any chance whatsoever of winning the East was if Spurrier found a solid RB and actually re-structured his offense so that it was run oriented or at least balanced. SCAR has had a pretty solid defense for a few seasons now, but when you predicted SCAR winning the East, I saw no evidence that Spurrier was willing to commit to a balanced attack. But anyway…Good call Mark.
However, as tempted as I am to pick SCAR in this one, and as much as I would like to see them win, I’ve been burned too many times this season picking against Auburn. I picked SCAR, Bama, and LSU to beat Auburn b/c I thought each of those teams had a much stronger defense and better DCs that would shut Cam down. Miss. State also has a better defense but still lost. Cam and Nick Fairley are certainly carrying that team. But there’s something else about Auburn that separates them from the rest of the SEC…they just find a way to win. It may be close and defensively ugly, but they find a way to win. Every defense in the SEC got torched in at least one game this season.
WeagleWeagle
November 30th, 2010
7:09 pm
Headley Lamar-
You sound like a bitter uga fan. Let me guess, still crying about Nick Fairley hitting Aaron Murray?
War Eagle!
November 30th, 2010
7:23 pm
Wow What a surprise! Mark Bradley, the Bulldog Homer, picking against Auburn! Mark, I guess that beat down in Auburn still hurts huh?
Ellis
November 30th, 2010
7:24 pm
I can understand how you think auburn is going to win, but why would you knock on lattimore, coward? really? You dont even know the guy. You need to sit down and think about what youre doing with your life, calling 18 year olds cowardly for picking the in state school that is near his hometown.
War Eagle!
November 30th, 2010
7:25 pm
Hey WeagleWeagle,
Headley Lamar is like all the Thuga fans, just bitter whiners. They still think they should be in a BCS bowl game with their 6 – 6 record. Hey, at least they beat mighty Idaho State!
War Eagle!
November 30th, 2010
7:28 pm
Hey Oscar,
Still bitter about that Auburn beat down on Thuga? Of course, with a name like Oscar, I can see why you’d be bitter.
uga2002
November 30th, 2010
7:31 pm
see this is how you know idiots are typing who never saw the first Auburn-USC game. Auburn made two huge turnovers early and USC scored 14. When Garcia fumbled the firsr time Auburn went up and never lost the lead. USC never scored again but they did fumble and Auburn padded its lead. The next two turnovers were icing on the cake. Auburn didn’t need any turnovers to win, they were putting the clamps down on USC but regardless take all the points off tutnovers and Auburn still wins.
BTW, turnovers aren’t always the sign off a clumsy offense, although it was for us against Tech, they can be the sign of a super strong defense. Ask Ingram and McElroy about that Auburn d… if McElroy even remembers.
War Eagle!
November 30th, 2010
7:31 pm
Hey Mark, The Bulldog Homer, I hope you enjoy following your beloved Thuga Bulldogs in the Compass Bowl. Thats about what you deserve for all the crap you’ve written about Auburn.
DawginOH
November 30th, 2010
7:38 pm
As a Georgia fan, it pains me to pick either Auburn or Spurrier to win anything. However, Auburn will take care of business in this one. I don’t even think it will be close.
War Eagle!
November 30th, 2010
7:41 pm
Hey Mark Bradley,
Why the hatred towards Auburn? You have never written anything nice about Auburn and have never picked them to win. I guess you will continue the vendetta against Cam too. There are lots of Auburn alumni in the Atlanta area. Too bad you are not one of us!
War Cam Fairley McCaleb Chizik Fanin Zachry Ziemba Eagle!
Fairley Rules
November 30th, 2010
7:50 pm
Fairley’s going to eat the sc offense alive by himself. He’ll dominate their oline, cause a few fumbles, get some sacks—by the end of the game, SC will be begging him to leave them alone!
War Eagle!
November 30th, 2010
7:55 pm
Here is Mark Bradley’s article about the BCS Championship game if Auburn beats South Carolina….
The Oregon Ducks will beat Auburn because:
a) They have better players
b) They have better coaches
c) They have better fans
d) They have a better Mascot
e) They have played a tougher schedule….
f) They have a better QB
Shall I go on? Of course, if Bradley did his research, he’d realize that none of the statements is true.
But then, what do you expect from a Georgia Homer…..
carolinascooter
November 30th, 2010
7:56 pm
Mark – you’re impressed by Lattimore? Seriously, that coward? He narrowed his choices to SC and Auburn. After Dyer committed to Auburn, Lattimore didn’t want any competition to be the main back, so he ran off to SC.
Now that’s a quitter.
lmao, now that’s funny. You call a 18 yr old a coward as you post on the internet in obscurity……Pot meet Kettle.
David
November 30th, 2010
7:59 pm
Well, USC will be begging for Fairley to quit taking cheap illegitimate shots… but control the O Line… I have to laugh… Fairley will be ‘Lucky” to cross the line of scrimmage… unless of course it’s when we let him on the screen pass…
Say goodbye to being “undefeated.” It’ll be nice…. you guys can watch the National Championship from Miami… go to South Beach, it’s awesome….
$cam is a $ham
November 30th, 2010
8:06 pm
$cam is a$hamed. His hei$man tropy will be tarni$hed.
His perfect $eason will be taken away.
The plain$men will $ay it its unfair. They will prote$t. but in the end it was all a low down dirty $hame
Gator Phil
November 30th, 2010
8:23 pm
Mark, you’re showing your age with the “Tiger in the tank” cliche. I think it was used in the 60’s, but I do agree with you- the Old Ball Coach gets a certain glow when he talks about championships and will have a great gameplan ready for the Plainsmen. If Auburn wins, they will have really earned it.
MikeP
November 30th, 2010
8:30 pm
Dawg
November 30th, 2010
3:31 pm
“How’s the FBI investigation against Newton coming along? Are they going to really let this kid win the Heisman and NC then strip him of it? Come on FBI & NCAA, close this deal and vacate the wins so we can all move on.”
There is no FBI investigation of Newton, so don’t hold yoyur breath waiting to hear something from the FBI.
James
November 30th, 2010
8:30 pm
SC matches up better with Auburn that anyone else.
Gonna be a close game, unless Spurrier figures out a way to screw it up, like he ALWAYS does at SC.
See last Auburn game for case in point.
Tiger2004
November 30th, 2010
8:40 pm
Mark are you the same AJC commentator that rated Auburn’s fans the most obnoxious fans in the SEC. If you are; then you and your lousy, baseless, subjectively bias prediction can kiss my orange and blue arsh.
Without two Auburn turnovers early and in their own territory USC would not have been within 8 points. They probably would have lost by three touchdowns.
So why is it I keep hearing how USC lost because they had 4 4th qtr. turnovers? Auburn’s offense went conservativie in the 4th quarter to protect a lead. This strategy almost cost Auburn the game. Don’t expect CGC and CGM to make the same mistake this go round.
No offense USC fans. I know USC will be tough to beat a second time, but Auburn has come to far to let down now! I don’t expect a game like last September. Expect Auburn to score often in both halves of this game and Auburn’s defense to shut down any running game. I really don’t expect Garcia to finish the game, especially if he has to throw often to keep up.
I see something close to the Auburn vs. Ole Miss game. Auburn by 17.
David
November 30th, 2010
8:46 pm
So what you’re really saying Tiger2004 is that Auburn is capable of making mistakes and that if they’re taken advantage of they will get trounced like anyone else..
Thanks for clarifying that… Auburn loses this one by more than ten…
Cobb Dawg
November 30th, 2010
8:55 pm
Have you noticed how no Awbarn fan will even acknowledge the FBI & NCAA investigations?!?! All you hear from them is that “Wawar Daum EEagul” “stuff”. “We’re the best team in the history of the universe”, etc.,etc. It doesn’t even matter to them that it will all be for naught, and that it will be proven that, yet again, the program is filthy. I guess it’ll take a big hammering by the NCAA to convince them that winning by cheating is really not winning.
Tiger2004
November 30th, 2010
8:57 pm
David, David, David.
Don’t be a loser. My analysis is sound and unlike MB’s reasons, they worry you enough to make you scream total nonsense.
How, pray tell will USC win by 10 points? Please just face the facts. CSS is coaching USC… NOT UF!
wdm
November 30th, 2010
8:59 pm
Without putdowns and insults, Mark Bradley has nothing to offer. The never was nor never will Bradley obviously has an inferiority complex against all college football coaches. What is it Bradley? Did you have dreams of coaching and then couldn’t make it because you don’t have what it takes. You aren’t half the man these guys are you try to downgrade but it is blatantly obvious, you are a jealous crybaby. Quick, someone get Mark Bradley his pacifier and blanket so he will quit his whining and crying.
Jim 007
November 30th, 2010
9:01 pm
Bradley, you are clueless
Go back to Kentucky where you belong
MikeP
November 30th, 2010
9:04 pm
Let’s see here: “Robo coach.” Sorry he doesn’t waste time being witty for the media. Auburn fans, players, coaches and the Auburn administration love him. The media can learn to adjust.
“Ol’ ball coach, Evil Genius”, etc . The guy is on a four-game losing streak vs. Auburn, dating back to his days at Florida. Not much to fear there.
Ellis Johnson was going to stop Auburn’s offense in the Sept. game. 500 yards and 35 points later Johnson didn’t look all that smart.
Lattimore: Auburn stuffed him the first game. Auburn stuffed Alabama’s duo of Ingrham and Richardson, holding the pair to 60 yds. Another stufferino coming right up!
Auburn’s Dyer doesn’t have to carry the team like Latt does at USCe. Dyer has 896 rushing yards averging 6.1 per carry, which is a better average than Latt. Fellow RB McCalebb has 771 and Auburn’s #3 RB has 385. That total of 2,052 is nearly double Lattimore’s and that’s not even considering Newton’s 1,330 yards.
Much has been made of USC-light’s four turnovers in the first game. Auburn had two. Points off turnovers in that game: USCe~14, AU~0. If turnover points had been even in that game, Auburn would have won by 22.
Jefferies is a great receiver and he’ll get his catches and yards. Jefferies, Childs, Green, Jones, on and on got their catches and yards against Auburn. None of them got a win.
Looks like a Tiger celebtation in Hot-lanta!
Tiger2004
November 30th, 2010
9:07 pm
Nobb Dawg. Is that the best you got? Dream on. Nothing going on here except a bunch of pusses like yourself trying to bring down a winner with off the wall, “don’t know your butt from a hole in the ground” comments like yours.
You have a long list of other losers who agree with you however. See Bama, UGA, LSU, MSU, UM, UArk, UK and I guess USC. Cry me a river pansy!
don
November 30th, 2010
9:08 pm
awesome job by coach hewitt tonight!!
uga2002
November 30th, 2010
9:17 pm
Headley, we’re 1 behind Auburn at 6. UGA has 6. You’d mentioned that but I guess it doesn’t serve your purpose or your school.
Valdosta Tiger
November 30th, 2010
9:18 pm
I would have expected nothing less from you.
Tiger2004
November 30th, 2010
9:23 pm
HEY DAVID! LET ME CLARIFY.
You and Cobb Crap are not USC fans and owe them an apology! At least USC is good enough to win the SEC East. They have earned the right to boast over their chances against Auburn. You two on the other hand are big time losers who need sit back, watch and keep you mouths shut!
You can’t ruin this for Auburn or its fans.
Game
November 30th, 2010
9:30 pm
If the cocks play like they did against Bama and Florida, they’ll win by two scores. If not Auburn will win. The key is Garcia being effective and avoiding turnovers. I think Gurley goes off. Auburn will double or triple JEFFREY (not “Jeffries” he’s a f-ing belitnikoff finalist as a true sophomore, learn the name). Don’t know if lattimore goes off or not. Think he will have a nice day catching the ball. Last time these teams played, two starting o-linemen for Carolina were out with injuries. I think you hear us coming.
Delbert D.
November 30th, 2010
9:34 pm
“TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama terminated an employee Monday who played unauthorized music over the Bryant-Denny Stadium public address system prior to Friday’s football game against Auburn.
“The staffer was a part-time employee, according to UA Public Relations Director Debbie Lane, but has not been named by the university. Two of the pre-Iron Bowl song choices were “Take the Money and Run,” by The Steve Miller Band, and “Son of a Preacher Man,” recorded by Dusty Springfield in 1968 and later by recording legend Aretha Franklin.”
From TuscaloosaNews.com
UGA2002
November 30th, 2010
9:35 pm
Auburn wins.
Auburn 42
USC 17
Garcia (already with his arm in a sling) will be out by the 2nd quarter thanks to Fairley. Without Ben Jones doing multiple dirty shots on Fairley he won’t be challenged to play dirty, I think a single simple sack and Garcia is out.
At which point Auburn smells blood and comes alive and shuts them down. Who scores first doesn’t matter as it won’t affect the psyche of either the Auburn team or the fans in the stadium. They won’t get down.
Lattimore won’t get past Fariley and company, mind you – company. They may pass and Auburn may do a bend don’t break scheme when it comes to passing while waiting for the defense to shut them down. Heavy blitzing will stop South Carolina very quickly. This is a team mind you that’s lost 3 games. They are not undefeated.
Auburn will play to its strengths but I think for the first time they will air it out deep taking pressure off the run at which point we will probably see a big game out of Dyer and McCalleb? (sp?)
Spurier was a good coach, not so much anymore. He is starting to own us but not really anyone else. Big win over UF is meaningless this year. South Carolina has never been and never will be the UF nor the UF 1990s style that Spurrier ran. Garcia is not capable of leading that team. Their backup QB maybe, but too many holes overall.
I think what bodes well for Auburn is that many people are picking South Carolina as if its Florida. Auburn is probably as pissed about last week as they are ecstatic as how they responded.
I’m thinking this is much closer to last years SEC game where Alabama blew the doors off Florida then it is to the earlier South Carolina vs Auburn game or last weeks. This won’t be close.
UGA2002
November 30th, 2010
9:38 pm
Let me say this, once Fairley or Auburn hits Garcia it will be a feeding frenzy we’re used to seeing on Shark Week. Auburn will be blitz happy knowing they can, when you get burned for blitzing, make it back up as the game goes on.
Get ready Georgia fans. Tennessee, LSU twice, Florida twice, Alabama and now Auburn headed to the national championship game. That’s 5 schools. That puts us at best 6th in the SEC when it comes to recruiting and going forward. O-U-C-H.
UGA2002
November 30th, 2010
9:40 pm
South Carolina fans, face it, you are the Mississippi St of the east. One and done when it comes to the SEC title game.
David
November 30th, 2010
9:45 pm
I have to laugh even louder now… UGA2002 and Tiger2004 Same person?? or just Schizophrenic Twins???
Auburn WILL NOT win this game… They might have a chance… but I can assure you that they WILL NOT win this game…
Fairley will be a non-player, Garcia WILL make it through the whole game and I’m willing to bet he throws for OVER 300 yards.
I’m also willing to bet that Marcus Lattimore rushes for over 100 yards.
Cam Newton may get lucky and rush for 60-70 yards but it won’t be enough….
I’m not going to ruin the game for Auburn, they’re going to ruin it for themselves….
Try and get some sleep now, you’re going to need it for the game.. and you’ll be up late on Saturday consoling all your friends and family over the trouncing Auburn took in the SECCG, and you can’t believe how close they came to winning and going to the National Championship, and how it’s unbelievable that TCU is playing Oregon and on and on and on…. blah blah blah…
So you have Cam Newton… this time it won’t be enough… can’t wait to hear his speech after the game.. and yes, he’ll have to make one because he HAS to be accessible to the media…. LOL
Uhhhhhh yeah I guess I have had a lot on my mind and we just let them get ahead of us too far this time and uhhh well… Uhhhh we couldn’t come back…. Uhhhhhh….. ROTFLMFAO
woodie
November 30th, 2010
9:50 pm
Didn’t the Gators beat the dawgs again this year ?
Scjudge
November 30th, 2010
9:52 pm
Put down your crack pipe.Auburn by 10.
Pat Dye
November 30th, 2010
9:59 pm
USC isn’t Man enough to beat Auburn!
Son of a Preacher Man
November 30th, 2010
10:00 pm
What is my bonus for the SEC title game? Remember, I don’t play for free
Cam
Big Nick
November 30th, 2010
10:01 pm
I can’t wait to do the “Stinky Leg” after I sack Garcia
dawgfan0711
November 30th, 2010
10:02 pm
scottbravesfan—–Auburn had to come back to beat SC also if you remeber that game. But if you keep getting down and at some point you won’t make it all the way back before the final buzzer sounds. You could see a let down after the huge come from behind win against BAMA. As far as you wondering that the NCAA should have found something out on Cam Newton already if something was there, the answer to that is HELL NO. It took the NCAA 3 years to hand down the findings against USC and Reggie Bush. I agree with Mark on SC defense being very good and i think after playing Auburn once it will help them a little. I think it will be a very close game that could go either way. I will pick with Mark and say SC-37 Auburn 31.
Coach Chizik
November 30th, 2010
10:04 pm
Auburn will never lose again because it’s a God thing
Delbert D.
November 30th, 2010
10:06 pm
Mike Slive will be trembling at this game. The very thought of a 3-loss team winning the SEC must be be giving him an ulcer.
Delbert D.
November 30th, 2010
10:08 pm
That’s what the WR for Buffalo thought.
Coach Chizik
November 30th, 2010
10:09 pm
Did he play for Auburn?
Coach Chizik
November 30th, 2010
10:10 pm
Bradley must be a Bama grad. I say all Tiger fans boycott Bradley because he’s not family.
BabsTolstoy
November 30th, 2010
10:11 pm
Hey Einstein, how many times have you picked against Auburn this year already and explain to us why that doesn’t matter. A glib style of prose does not a prognasticator make, I cite you as exhibit A. Tigers by 10.