Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Moeller

The Sky's the Limit: A New Era at Auburn

Chris Moeller — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:56:47 -0400

It wasn't long ago that Tommy Tuberville's Auburn Tigers were preseason top 10, favorites in the toughest conference in college football, and reeling off nine of 13 against AP top 10 teams. How things have changed...

The foundation on the plains has been shaken and the landscape of Auburn football has been transformed over the last eight months. The man that commanded Auburn for 10 years and arguably considered the most successful coach in the school's history was run out of office at the end of a tumultuous 2008 campaign.

The season ended with a massacre at No. 1 Alabama resulting in Auburn's first loss in seven years against its biggest rival.

Auburn has been a force in the SEC conference for years and now the Tigers are an afterthought.

In what most consider the busiest offseason in recent years, the Auburn Tigers have rebuilt their program from the ground up starting with the hiring of former defensive coordinator that led the Tigers to an undefeated 2004 season and carried his success to the University of Texas where he led the Longhorn defense to a national title in 2005.

Following his success as coordinator, Gene Chizik took on an impossible challenge to rebuild and revive the Iowa State program as head coach. In two seasons, Chizik left his team with a dismal 5-19 record.

The hiring of Gene Chizik as the successor to Tommy Tuberville left the college football world in shock and dumbfounded by athletic director Jay Jacob's decision.

Almost every Auburn fan questioned the hire, doubted the administration, and feared the end of Auburn football for years to come. How could they not? Auburn has a chance to make a statement hiring a successful and proven coach Turner Gill and instead, on a whim, gives the reigns to a two-year coach, albeit former standout at Auburn, with a 5-19 record...

Chizik has stepped in and not only rebuilt the program and replaced nearly every staff position, but he has assembled one of the most proven coaching staffs in all of college football. One of the greatest strengths of the new administration is recruiting and Chizik has targeted some of the nation’s top young prospects.

In three months, the staff recruited the 19th ranked class in 2009. The upcoming year has the potential to be a top ten recruiting class with Chizik focusing on three of the top ten running backs in the country.

Under Tuberville, the Auburn Tigers had an offense that consisted of pounding the ball on the run and maybe three or four passing plays. The offense was predictable in his last season even after hiring a proven offensive genius in Tony Franklin. Franklin was axed mid-season and the offense at Auburn performed even worse without him.

Chizik has recruited another offensive powerhouse, Gus Mahlzahn, with expectations to pound the ball, throw the ball, and ultimately, light up the scoreboard. The former Tulsa offensive coordinator led the nation in scoring in 2007 and finished second behind powerhouse Oklahoma in 2008. His greatest attribute is the balance he provides.

Tulsa ranked fifth in rushing yards and ninth in passing last season. Auburn may not post 40+ points per game in Mahlzahn's first season but they will be balanced and prolific for the first time in many years.

Chizik is also taking a chance naming Chris Todd, a product of Tony Franklin and a transfer from Texas Tech, starting quarterback. It is an understatement to say Todd was miserable last year, but he has battled shoulder injuries and was in the midst of rehabbing his shoulder from surgery last season.

The word on campus from players and staff is that Chris Todd is the man, a new leader, a revived spirit on a deflated football team. He will be their man this season and lead Auburn to success.

For the first time in recent years, Auburn has a strong group of young wide receivers and playmakers with potential to grow into offensive threats in the SEC. Darvin Adams, Terrel Zachary, and highly recruited DeAngelo Benton headline the starting roles.

Behind them are freshman standout Emory Blake, former quarterback Kodi Burns, and preseason standout Tommy Trott at tight end. Barring injury, the Auburn receiving corps could be one of the surprises in the conference this season.

The major concern for Auburn lies on defense. Under former Minnesota defensive coordinator Ted Roof, the secondary will be much improved and the linebackers among the best in the conference. The front line is strong, however thin, and any injury trouble early in the year could result in major problems for the defense.

Overall, look for Auburn's defense to finish top twenty, maybe top ten nationally barring injury, in the upcoming campaign.

The 2009 Auburn Tigers are a team shrouded with uncertainty, little or no expectations, and as an afterthought in a strong conference. Look for the Tigers to contend for second or third place in the West. Ole Miss is an overrated team that will falter late in the season.

LSU may win the West, but they are certainly not invincible and look for losses to Florida and Alabama as an end to their title hopes. Alabama will have another strong season under Nick Saban but don't expect to see them as a national title contender with an unproven quarterback behind a young offensive line.

If Auburn can build momentum and win at home against West Virginia and knock off LSU early in the season, expect the Tigers to be contenders in the division. Auburn is being overlooked, but don't write them off just yet...

The sky's the limit for the 2009 Auburn Tiger team...

Dwelling on the Past: College Football Rankings, Write-Offs Need to Wait

Chris Moeller — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:06:51 -0400

I have one problem with college football...

Teams are evaluated and judged on how they played the week before. The first week of the season is full of cupcake schedules and therefore offers very few elite matchups.

Oklahoma annihilates Chattanooga, Ohio State shuts out Youngstown State, and did you see how Southern Miss absolutely dominated Louisiana-Lafayette?!

What do these games prove to anybody? The college football season is 12 or 13 games, and America looks at one week, the first week. What is proven from an elite team manhandling a far inferior opponent? Absolutely nothing.

But then there are those elite matchups that define the kickoff weekend. Missouri outlasted Illinois, and Chase Daniel looked good against a highly ranked opponent. USC, the class of the Pac-10, pulverized a mediocre and postseason-caliber ACC team in Virginia. And then, who can forget Clemson laying the biggest egg of the season against Lord Saban and Alabama?

It's been one week into the college football season, and Clemson and the ACC are already touted as the most disappointing and inferior conference. I give Clemson credit for taking on Alabama in the first game of the season. Expectations were high for a championship-caliber Clemson squad, but the Tigers did not come to play in Atlanta.

The Crimson Tide and newly christened prince of sports Nick Saban proved themselves as worthy contenders, and, with a prime-time audience, Alabama sent early warnings to the SEC and the rest of the nation for what can be expected of them.

Clemson, on the other hand, has been knocked out of the top 25, lost any chance for a national championship, and lost all respect from the other conferences after representing the ACC.

One week is gone. Clemson lost one game, the first game, and pollsters and analysts are calling it a disappointing season.

In college football, America cannot look back at last weekend and make judgements about the top 25 teams in the country. How can anybody? Ninety percent of the elite teams played cupcakes last week and proved nothing. Oh, the Sooners racked up 50 points before halftime; that's impressive! Wait, Chattanooga has a college football team?

College football is a sport that looks ahead to the next week. Who cares what you did last week? The football season is more than one game, and who says that Clemson won't wake up after last weekend, run the table, and shock the nation by playing in the BCS title game in January. The team has the potential, but it's being judged on one game's performance.

There are football matchups this weekend where people are determining victors based on their performance against a cupcake last week. Southern Miss racked up 600-plus yards of offense against a mighty defense in Lousiana-Lafayette. Does that mean that they are going to put up 500-plus yards against Auburn's SEC defense?

Auburn shut out Louisiana-Monroe's spread offense last week. Granted, not even the risen Tide could beat UL-Monroe...Does this domination mean that the Tigers will hold Southern Miss scoreless? Of course not...

America cannot judge a team on last week's performance, whether triumphant or dismal. We must look at our favorite team's potential, its attitude, and the way it practices that week. It's true in college football that any team on any given Saturday (or Thursday) can beat anybody. The team that wins a football game is the one that comes to play.

Alabama came to play against a better football team. Chattanooga barely showed up because it was paid half a million dollars to sit there and be humiliated and allow Oklahoma to "impress" the media.

Let's not dwell in the past, but instead look toward to the future and the next 12 best weeks of the year.

Is Nick Saban Really the Most Powerful Coach In Sports?

Chris Moeller — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:39:50 -0400

If you haven't heard or seen by now, but the almighty savior landed a spotlight on a national level magazine, Forbes.

Satan is being labeled as the "Most Powerful Coach in SPORTS". Hmmmm...let's see.

At Miami, he compiled a dismal record of 15-17. After erecting the Bammer nation out from the dead since the bear, and to really make them think that the "Bama's Back" SI cover did hold true meaning, although as we know not at the time (laughable by the way), he put together so much hype that he fumbled to a 6-6 season at the Capstone.

This was capped by losing to the No. 117-ranked Louisiana-Monroe at the field the Bear once roamed. Oh sorry, 6-7 after beating Colorado in the "respectable" PetroSun Independence Bowl.

As a side note, he did remind the Bammer fans that they belong in the back seat and won't be able to surpass what Tuberville has going on the Plains by extending "the streak" to six, all the while going 2-4 against "Auburn's Legend To Be."

However, the most powerful coach did put together a remarkable recruiting class. Under his tenure, ten, I'll say again, TEN players have been arrested.

Talk about power and control?! This coach can't even control his temper and mannerisms in front of the media.

This country supported a woman to be president. This country is now supporting a late Muslim by the name of Obama to lead us away from terrorism. And now this country is putting spotlight on a coach who has not proven himself by any means, not by his record, not by his attitude, not by his winning percentage (Tuberville 77, Saban 71), and not by graduating genuine student athletes.

This matter is laughable, and if I had the capabilities I would paint a picture. Let me elaborate and imagine it.

In the background is Auburn's home away from home, Tuberville-Denny stadium simply because Auburn has owned T-town dating back to 1895. Heck, it took the Crimson Elephants 101 years just to even score in their home stadium, which was a dazzling 1-yard run in 2002.

This coach with his arrogant smirk has the Auburn nation laughing. Yet, the Bammers think we're jealous and scared of this man! Scared of what?

Tuberville is 7-2 against the state rival. He has produced an undefeated team in today's SEC slate of teams, or shall we say Spartans. He has won an SEC Championship. He has beaten 9 out of 12 top 10 teams. We are in the hunt of a national title year in and year out.

The stats are endless and will only broaden. The picture above should be Saban frowning. The background posts a stadium being peed on by a TIGER.

The press box has Mr. Finebaum smoking a cigar because the stands are full of raging Bammers pointing guns at each other, the players are being piled into a black and white, because this coach will again fall to the mighty Tigers (0-2 vs. Auburn) and he can't bring a national championship to The University of Arrests.

Ouch, Saban might be calling Coach Bill Curry here shortly. Maybe not...this just in: Bill Curry has been hospitalized due to a cloud of mushrooms looming over his estate.

Meteorologists point to the growing metropolis of Tuscalooser as the source of the puff dragon. Google Earth shows the pillar of toxins coming from Alabama's practice facility.

Let the country see this magazine. The Bama program is already a laughingstock. If you get yourself out of the area code of 205, you will see it immensely. The SI story was a joke.

This Forbes story in two years will be another joke, because the man who was thought to be the most powerful man in sports will be unemployed in the world of sports.

He will retire, coach a high school team, and will be forced to serve the governor of Alabama, Tommy Tuberville, by washing Auburn's practice jerseys and shining all the coachs' championship rings.

You just wait. Two years. The Bammers will be wanting his head. It's a process, all right. A process that has been repeated over the past couple of decades: high hopes with new faces, failure, and last but not least, having blue and orange smeared all over.

War Eagle

Tiger Woods' Absence Makes PGA the "Forgotten" Championship

Chris Moeller — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:23:33 -0400

Watching SportsCenter last night, 90 percent of the news covered the Brett Favre saga. The other 10 percent consisted of a few baseball highlights and talk about whether the USA's Dream Team can find gold in Beijing.

And then an interview with Tiger Woods, a few months removed from season ending knee surgery...

First they discuss Tiger's thoughts of Brett Favre. Woods explains the feelings Favre must have, including frustration, despair, and exhaustion.

Tiger cites the comeback of Michael Jordan. He just couldn't quit. Favre loves football and wants to play.

Woods respects and understands his position and acknowledges that Green Bay has treated their "former" star unfairly. Woods is disappointed how the saga has dragged out and turned sour.

Then, Tiger is asked if he will be watching the PGA Championship this weekend...

The PGA Championship is this weekend???

I couldn't believe it. I have not heard a whisper regarding the championship. Between Favre's debacle, the upcoming Olympic games, and more of Brett Favre, nobody has mentioned the PGA Championship.

Woods replies that he will not be watching the championship this weekend. He is the two-time defending champion, and not even he is going to watch the spectacle. Well, Tiger is not alone.

Ratings have been down as expected over the last few months, following his epic championship at Torrey Pines. Galleries are noticably thinner and the media coverage is minimal.

I promise that if Tiger were in the event as a two-time defending champ, the PGA Championship would be one of the premiere events of the weekend, alongside the Olympics in Beijing.

But that is not the case, and I did not realize until last night (Tuesday), that the championship was this weekend.

Tiger Woods has transformed the game of golf into a media sensation, and every event in which he competes is worthwhile to follow.

The British Open received little coverage and the only story that made headlines was that Greg "The Shark" Norman was in contention to win his third British Open. Padraig Harrington emerged as a back-to-back champion, but no one remembers.

If the PGA Championship wants any coverage or attention this week, a story needs to develop fast. Mickelson has been a bust this year, so don't waste our time with him.

Furyk hasn't had a good, consistent season. Vijay is coming off his first win of the year, so maybe his return to glory is a good start.

I don't expect to see much of the tournament this weekend. Tiger isn't competing. He isn't draining 70-foot eagles that cause the nation to rumble with excitement. He isn't fist pumping his way to victory.

He isn't intimidating his opponents. He isn't attracting thousands upon thousands of followers. He will not be there to provide the excitement and thrill that has transformed the way we perceive golf. Therefore, I will not watch much of the PGA Championship, and neither will America...