BCS National Championship Game: Is Auburn Already an Established SEC Power?
Auburn certainly has a lot going for them as they head into the National Championship game favored over the Oregon Ducks. They have Cam Newton, who has been collecting awards—including the Heisman Trophy—since the SEC Championship game ended and a tough defense led by disruptive defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
They are the best team in the SEC and are in the Big Game with a second-year coach in Gene Chizik. But is this all just right place, right time? Or are the Auburn Tigers now officially an SEC power?
Let the debate begin...
5 Yes: Gene Chizik Has Established Himself
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Just a couple years ago, Auburn fans were not happy with the hiring of Gene Chizik. It was somewhat understandable, considering he had two years of head coaching experience under his belt at Iowa State, and before that was a Co-Defensive Coordinator at Texas with Will Muschamp. It was questionable to say the least when Auburn hired him.
The thinking then was: If he is sitting down in the living room of some recruit's house, what does he say that will surpass Nick Saban or Les Miles? Two coaches in the same division of the SEC wearing National Championship rings they won as head coaches.
Well, now word is out. Everyone knows Chizik and that he is legit. Kids have watched Auburn win all year, and he has been all over ESPN beating up on everyone and having fun doing it. That sells. Face time and winning.
If he can walk in those living rooms with a ring after next week, then that will just seal the deal. Chizik is one of the big dogs now.
5 No: Too Much Annual Power Shifting in the SEC
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Getting to a national championship would guarantee a team elite status in that team's conference for the next three to five years, except in the SEC. The established powers of the SEC are in this order: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Georgia (despite this horrible year).
Auburn is banging on the door, and winning this national championship might knock it down. But as of right now, no, I don't think it is fair to call them one of the powers. They are second-fiddle to Alabama in the state, despite this awesome run.
I don't think it's fair to call half the teams in the SEC powers. But Georgia and Auburn are pretty interchangeable.
4 Yes: Who Is Not An SEC Power?
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Most of the teams in the SEC could make the argument that they are an "SEC Power", with the obvious exceptions of Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Kentucky
Auburn could definitely be one of the SEC powers, but is it all that impressive besides in namesake? The conference continuously pumps out NFL talent and has a team in the National Championship, but there is usually a drastic drop after the top two or three teams every year.
I'm not nearly insane enough to call the SEC overrated, but I will say it is consistently top heavy. The SEC is 3-4 in bowl games this year.
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4 No: Cam Newton Is Leaving
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Like many previous Heisman winners, Cam Newton is his team's entire offense, essentially. Newton has rushed for 1,409 yards and passed for 2,589 yards. One man, 3,998 yards of total offense and 48 total touchdowns.
Now, I am assuming Newton is entering the NFL Draft. There is always a chance he could come back, although it is unlikely to say the least. Almost every single play goes through Newton because of his uncanny ability to run and pass.
Auburn will have to change their entire scheme on offense, because there is no quarterback on the team (or in the nation) that can do what he does and take the beating he does. So there is going to be a fall off in talent, much like what happened at Florida once Tebow left.
I think this could be a one hit wonder. Next year will be a huge test for Chizik.
3 Yes: Recruiting Football Players
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I have seen time and time again five and four star players in the Rivals and Scout rankings underachieve once they get to the college level. Gene Chizik's class last year has made an immediate impact, and it's because he went out and got football players.
I know that sounds corny, but so many of these teams get caught up with the rankings and assembling a great class on paper that some three-star with great film and a great work ethic fell through the cracks, while a four-star guy gets the offer and underachieves. Recruit character guys that can play football and work hard, and you will be OK.
Nick Fairley, who should be a first-round draft pick in April, was a three-star recruit out of junior college. Keep getting guys like Fairley, and five-stars like Michael Dyer and Newton, and the Tigers will have SEC Power status in no time, no questions asked.
3 No: Lose Too Much, Back to Mediocrity Next Year
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Auburn is losing eight starters on defense (counting Fairley) and six starters on offense (including Newton). There is going to be a sharp drop-off, and the learning curve will be steep next year when everyone is out to get the SEC Champs and possible defending National Champs.
The Tigers are losing three starting offensive linemen to graduation, and they are going to need to fill those gaps quick with the recruiting I mentioned previously. I think the Tigers are going to have to settle for mediocrity for a couple years after this one.
But ask any Auburn fan if they would take this one undefeated season, or three two-loss seasons in a row, and I think it's safe to say they would take this one. Who can blame them?
2 Yes: Success Breeds Booster Money, Facilities, Better Program
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After this year, there are going to be some checks written for the Auburn football program (insert Cam Newton joke here). But honestly, with success comes enthusiasm, and rich boosters love having bragging rights like everyone else does. The difference is, rich boosters can actually make a difference in the win/loss columns for their respective teams.
They will throw money at a winning program to sustain the winning and keep the program on top. More money means better facilities, better recruits, happier players and higher paid, better coaches.
Sharing a state with the Crimson Tide forces Auburn to have top-notch facilities, and continuing to win BCS money will make sure they stay ahead of the curve too.
2 No: The Tide Will Always Roll in Alabama
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No matter what anybody says, Auburn will always be second-fiddle to Alabama, unless you are an Auburn fan. But to everyone else in the country, the Crimson Tide are kings. They have first crack at almost every recruit, and they have the name and pageantry. They are as big as it gets in college football, and they are in-state rivals with Auburn.
This is not knocking Auburn, a great university and athletics program. This is simply how Alabama is perceived. Football wise, they are the mountain top, even if they are bad. It is like Notre Dame football in that regard. No matter how bad it gets, they are still Notre Dame.
They can afford anything and anyone, they are cool, they are fun to watch, they put people in the pros, have a big-name coach and have a great campus. Auburn has everything I just mentioned, except Alabama is simply Alabama. Auburn will always be perceived as the little brother.
1 Yes: Auburn is the Newest, Hottest Thing
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Auburn and Oregon are the two hottest teams in the country heading into the National Championship. The only difference between the two is that Auburn comes from the most highly touted conference in the land. Oregon has the uniforms and the amazing facilities, but Auburn has more tradition, and there is simply more to the program than one great year of football and Phil Knight.
Auburn has been winning at the highest level. And everybody wants to win. They are losing a lot of seniors too, which actually bodes well for recruiting in that regard. Auburn kind of came out of nowhere this year and took the SEC by storm.
That is a story that sells newspapers, magazines and gets television coverage—has all year. That makes them cool, and the elite athletes will want to be there. Get the elite there, develop them, keep them out of trouble, and you win games.
That's the culture starting at Auburn right now. That's what the powers do.
1 No: This Was the Perfect Storm
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Let's wait and see what happens in a couple years before we start throwing around the words "SEC Power" with Auburn. Everything came together perfectly for Auburn this year. Everything peaked at the right time. They kept Newton healthy, played well under pressure, did enough on defense. But lets not get crazy just yet.
The SEC was down this year, and every team had its weaknesses. But not every team had a Cam Newton to pick up the slack, and that's how I'm looking at it.
Even if the Tigers take the National Title, I think you'll see them lose four games next season and not get close to the SEC Championship for a few years.
Verdict: No, Auburn Is Not a Power
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Auburn is not a power in my mind. I think of Auburn as a great football program with a rich tradition, but a power is a team that comes to my head the minute I think of that conference. Auburn doesn't do that. Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama do.
I think big-time SEC, that's what I think. Although I am one of the people that thinks the SEC is slightly overrated as a whole. A ton of talent, but there is always that big drop off from the top two or three teams. The big names are always there, but they aren't always good (See Florida, Georgia this year).
I think Auburn will have to make a run for a few years and prove that this is more than the Cam Newton show before I will be thinking of them as an SEC power.
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