A Quiet Time

It's been a quiet time since we lost to Alabama and Muschamp headed off to South Carolina.  Most people thought that Coach Malzahn would have filled the position by now but it hasn't happened.  I see no hints online as to who will get the job.

The Birmingham Bowl is coming up.  Memphis will be a tough game because they have a good QB who can spread the field.  We seem to expect a high scoring game.  Can Auburn keep up?

The Tigers return to decrepit Legion Field for the first time since 1998.  I despise that stadium.  It should have been dynamited down by now.  Let's just get it over with.

Final four review

Before the season, we predicted the four teams in the playoffs. To review:

Freddy

Auburn
Ohio State
Oregon
Baylor

Fred

Auburn
Ohio State
Oklahoma
USC

With one team correct, Oklahoma, Fred wins.

The Birmingham Bowl - December 30th

I am trying to decide if I want to go to the game.  On the plus side this will be the last time to see a game in person until next year.  It's local. Kickoff is at 11 which is great for me.  On the other hand, I despise Legion Field. There's probably no place to stand.   Haven't been to a game there since 1994.  Parking is no fun.  Memphis?  Yuck!  I think they run a wide-open offense, the kind that gives our defense fits.  Our defense is likely to be more shaky than usual given the circumstances.  We'll see.

DC

First of all, I still have confidence in Coach Malzahn.  I know Auburn needs a good season next year, and I expect it to happen once we have a QB either the JC transfer, White, or the incoming freshman. Regarding the DC opening, of course I do not know the best course.  For the sake of continuity I hope that Lance Thompson gets the job, but it seems to me that if Malzahn wanted Thompson he would have already said so.  He is obviously gauging the interests of others before deciding.

Things Change

Muschamp accepts the head coaching job at South Carolina.  Good luck, USC.  Surely you could have done better.  Travarious Robinson goes with him.  Not sure how I feel about that.  I can only conclude that Malzahn didn't want him as DC.
What about Lance Thompson?  I have no opinion about that.  Who will be our next DC?  Who knows.
Other staff changes?

War Memorial Stadium

I went to the 5A state championship game at War Memorial Stadium last night.  Pulaski Academy, located in Little Rock, played McClellan.  I went because I know someone who is a PA fan and because the PA coach, Kevin Kelley, is known for his unorthodox style of football.  PA almost never punts.  In the first half, for example, they went for it on 4th and 16 from their own 9 yard line.  Also, they always onside kick.  I wanted to see this kind of football in action.

Kevin Kelley and PA have garnered national coverage for playing like this.  But it works.  PA won last night, making back-to-back state titles.  Since Kelley became coach in 2003, PA has won five state titles.

I say all this to make the point that War Memorial Stadium is a dump.  This was my first game there, and I am not impressed.  The stadium looks old and outdated.  The video boards look like what stadiums had in 1990, small and fuzzy.  It is a single bowl, and looks almost like a glorified high school stadium.  Makes it harder to believe that the Razorbacks play there.  I'd rather see a game at Legion Field!

If Muschamp

goes to South Carolina, good riddance.  I've never been a big fan of his anyway.