College Football Rankings 2011: Why Auburn Will Continue to Dominate Alabama

After the Auburn University Tigers won the BCS National Championship Game back on January 10, head coach Gene Chizik was not one to let the festivities get in the way of what was really on his mind.

"We have to continue recruiting," Chizik told ESPN.  "And we've got to continue putting together some recruiting classes.  You can't just bring in one or two (classes). That's kind of hit or miss. I think we've got to consistently bring in back-to-back, full classes that are very talented, that student-wise are going to be able to do things to stay in school and do the things that are going to represent your school well."

Chizik then went so far as to call his team a "work in progress."  While some long-suffering Auburn fans might have been concerned about the coach's remarks, he could not be more right.  Yet this attitude will be the very reason Auburn succeeds again in 2011 and dominates Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide.

The big question mark going into next season for the Tigers is simple: Can the team win without defensive tackle Nick Fairley and quarterback Cam Newton?  With both stars headed to the NFL, the team has a gaping hole on both ends of the ball.

Still, Chizik has done what every coach should do in that situation, and that is recruit well.  The Tigers have some talented options at quarterback, including soon-to-be junior Barrett Trotter and a speedy incoming freshman in Kiehl Frazier.  On top of that, they will have freshman offensive tackle Christian Westerman.

Westerman was ranked as the No. 6 recruit in the ESPNU 150 and even more impressive, Chizik was able to lure him away from a verbal commitment to Texas.  That alone should be proof that his recruiting without Newton and Fairley will be just fine.

On top of that, running back Michael Dyer, also known as the hero of the BCS National Championship game, is returning for his sophomore season so the running game will have no question marks whatsoever.

Still, Auburn fans want to beat Alabama again, and not in a 28-27 squeaker that occurred last season.  That being said, let's analyze the Tigers' schedule.

Auburn has 12 regular season games this year, and overall, it's a fairly simple schedule.  They open the season on September 3 against Utah State, followed by three more "tuneup" games against Mississippi State, Clemson and Florida Atlantic.

Then they have their first challenge against Steve Spurrier and South Carolina on October 1, but they should win that fairly easily.  The biggest challenge comes in a two week stretch, on October 15 and 22, when the team faces LSU and Florida.  Both teams have great recruiting classes coming in, and will be a welcome adversary for Coach Chizik and his squad.

The big showdown with Alabama occurs on the last day of the regular season, November 26, and that will be the biggest challenge of all.  Nick Saban has brought in talented running back Demetrius Hart to replace former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, and he will be tough for any defense to stop.

Still, I am optimistic that Auburn will come out on top in that game.  It will be close, but Chizik's recruiting will ultimately be what wins out over Saban's bulldog-like attitude towards winning.

He will have a new quarterback and defensive line, but both parties will have been molded over the regular season to handle the pressure associated with this intrastate rivalry.  On top of that, the running game will have plenty of gas in the tank with Dyer returning and sharing the carries with Onterio McCalebb.

Still, recruiting only matters so much.  People can say all they want about Gene Chizik's recruiting being the reason Auburn defeats Alabama this coming season, but it will not be close to the real reason.

That reason, Auburn fans, is heart.