Auburn Football Recruiting: Is It For Real or Is It Just Hype?

The recruiting wars are in full force. The Auburn fans are already buying food and drinks for Signing Day. Somehow, Auburn has found its way into the top five. 

I know this will not hold up, and once again high expectations in the Plains are going to turn to weird looks and attacks on opposing SEC schools message boards.

This year, Chizik and staff have gone out and received verbal commitments from athletes in 11 states. California, Missouri, Texas, and Kansas are all sending their boys to south Alabama. 

There has to be 200 four-star players within three hours of Auburn. Couldn't they have signed them? No, because you have to get guys who don't know the history in the Plains. The history of an Auburn program shooting itself in the foot. Bowden gate, Tuberville being ousted by the banker etc. It's funny stuff.

One thing I learned from Urban Meyer is to recruit the best athletes you can from as close to the school as possible. There are a couple of reasons. The players like to have family and friends come watch them play. 

The biggest reason is a lot of players get home sick if they are too far from home. It's a big deal to be playing on TV, but if your family and friends aren't there to enjoy it with you there is a void. Look at the number of transfers closer to home in 2009.

Once the smoke clears, some of the Auburn verbals are going to go elsewhere. Auburn lost five of their last six SEC games last year. The Malzahn offense worked initially, but it was too predictable after mid-season. 

Auburn finished fifth in the SEC West. Not really that impressive. Same Auburn result.  Lots of hype, high expectations then attack other SEC message boards.

In 2010, Auburn faithful are praying to sign this class. It's their only shot of staying competitive in the near future. 

Alabama is dominating the state and the SEC West, and will continue as long as Saban is there. And Georgia continues to dominate the South's Oldest Rivalry. Georgia will be the SEC East champs in 2010.

In 2010, Auburn will finish the season 5-7. The tigers will lose to Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas again, Kentucky again, LSU again, Georgia again, and Alabama again. I'm giving you Ole Miss and Miss State, but that's not a gimme either. They could go 3-9.

Here are some predictions to watch for. First, three of the current verbals will go somewhere else, most likely the SEC. This is already in the works. 

Marcus Lattimore has a big press conference and commits to South Carolina, making Chizik and company look like losers. Seastrunk and Howard go elsewhere, and that dream dies too.

Gus Malzahn leaves (like at Arkansas). Eric Mack doesn't qualify or drops out of school and never plays a down as a Tiger. Ted Roof gets fired because they are giving up too many big plays. Seen it before. It's very predictable. 

Everything at Auburn is based on hype, and that balloon is getting ready to pop. If you are an Auburn fan, you are at the top of the mountain right now, and the only direction to go is down.