Auburn Football: Will the Tigers Fail or Excel in 2011?
The summer workout period is getting ready to begin for every team in the country. Looking at what Auburn brings in 2011, these summer workouts will go a long way to determine fits in the offense and defense but also fits in team leadership.
Numerous questions will remain unanswered as the season approaches and very few will find answers before kickoff against Utah State.
Auburn has some big shoes to fill as it goes forward in an attempt to defend its National Title, and most think that it is near impossible.
The Tigers may not finish the season undefeated, but they have a shot to excel in a number of areas that will make this season memorable. That being said, the Tigers are a few hiccups away from an abysmal and forgettable year. So will the Tigers fail or excel in 2011?
Quarterback Controversy
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This is the most glaring problem for the Tigers entering the 2011 season. With Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley both not taking the reins this spring, the Kiehl Frazier option is looking more and more likely.
This summer session, Auburn needs a leader.
With the leadership that was lost from 2010, the quarterback is a role that Auburn needs to guide the team and lead an offense. With no starter to point to, that leadership may be hard to come by. How the summer workouts and fall camp shape up will determine the starter but the sooner the better for everyone involved in the process.
At this point, this is a fail for the Tigers until there is a starter found.
Offensive Line Rotation
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This position set may have been the best kept secret in the country a year ago. The offensive line for the Tigers was one of the best groups in the country. For all the talent the Tigers had in the backfield, Newton didn’t block for himself.
This season the offensive line should be a strength for the Tigers. Auburn has to replace three starters of the five but it also has experience at those positions. The Tigers return two starters from a year ago in Brandon Moseley and A.J. Greene and a host of talent at the guard positions.
The biggest question will be the center spot where walk-on Blake Burgess and freshman Reese Dismukes are battling for the job. If the center spot can work itself out by fall, Auburn will have the opportunity to build a special group under Jeff Grimes.
2011 will bring questions but the line should be a spot where the Tigers excel.
Schedule
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The schedule a year ago was set up for success. Auburn had a very accommodating schedule but they may have sacrificed this season for last. The month of October has a major test coming with South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida and LSU in a row. The Tigers finish the month with Ole Miss at home.
No matter how strong or experienced a team could be, that gauntlet is quite formidable. Auburn will be striving for perfection just like every team should at the beginning of every season, but realistically finishing October 3-2 will be quite the accomplishment.
This will be the toughest task to overcome for the Tigers in 2011, Auburn can’t be undefeated forever. The schedule is a fail for 2011.
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Coaching
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The Tigers have maintained one of the best coaching staffs in the nation for three years in a row. Losing Tracy Rocker from the defensive line position is a hit, but the loss is not one that would equal a coordinator.
Chizik has done a phenomenal job making Auburn a place that this staff not only enjoys being but also a place that can win championships.
Say what you will about Chizik and his guys. People can talk about Trooper Taylor and his backwards hat all day, but in the end this staff has coached a team to a National Championship and has recruited with the best in the country.
This staff is a huge strength for the Tigers and will ease the pain of the leadership that was lost after this past season. Their ability to build a team and develop these players will help lead the Tigers past expectations.
This coaching staff is a corner stone that the Tigers can look to for guidance and direction. This staff will help the Tigers excel in 2011.
Defensive Line Needs Playmakers
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Games are won and lost in the trenches and this is a position set that will need a huge surprise to show itself this fall. The Tigers have lost Lombardi award winner Nick Fairley to the Detroit Lions and replacing his counter parts Zack Clayton and Mike Blanc will be just as difficult.
Players like Nosa Eguae and Corey Lemonier are young but will be looked upon to pick up the reigns left behind by the players now gone. How Auburn’s new defensive line coach Mike Pelton chooses his starting interior will go a long way in laying out Auburn’s success in 2011.
The defensive end position looks solid but the interior is where the Tigers face most questions. If Jamar Travis can step his game up to the level of Jeffery Whitaker and Kenneth Carter, the Tigers should be OK.
Travis is the x-factor, as he will be a rotational guy that will prove to be pivotal at times throughout the season.
The defensive line is a place that the Tigers could excel but the questions still looming lead to a draw.
Running Backs Must Take Leadership Role
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The Auburn offense is likely to look very similar to the one from 2009. The quarterback position is going to be a manager type role and the big plays will come from the rushing attack and play action. For Auburn to be successful, Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb must step their games up a few notches.
McCalebb and Dyer are both impact players and have already laid their tracks to success. For Auburn to have a great 2011 campaign however, the backfield will be looked upon to be a leaning post for the offense.
These backs appear to be poised to handle the load and could form one of the most dangerous running back tandems in the nation. If the backfield stays healthy throughout the season the Tigers will have a great year. With virtually no depth after true freshman Tre Mason, the Tigers have to do everything they can to make sure Dyer and McCalebb stay on their feet.
Look for Auburn’s running backs to excel in 2011.
Receivers Must Exceed Expectations
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Auburn is losing more experience at the receiver position than any other spot on the field.
Yes, the Tigers are losing Cameron Newton, but they also are losing the strongest leader on the team in Kodi Burns and all-star receivers in Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary.
Emory Blake made an impact in a number of games a year ago and is a junior that is taking on a very proactive leadership role with the team this offseason. Blake will be keyed on early however as he is the only returning receiver with proven experience.
The obvious member of the receiving corps that fans will look to for wow plays will be Trovon Reed. Reed entered with fanfare and earned praise for his downfield speed and ability in the open field. Look for Reed and Travante Stallworth to make plays from the slot and earn a lot of attention by seasons end.
Phillip Lutzenkirchen made his name and dance skills known a year ago. DeAngelo Benton is a player that will need to make an impact and earn respect early. Benton may be one of the best in the SEC if he can get his skills to match on field production.
This position group is slammed with talent and will make a mediocre quarterback appear like an All-American. The receiving corps will play a pivotal role in Auburn’s success in 2011.
Young Team Lacking Leadership
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All of the talent in the world will not win games without leadership. The lack of upper classmen on this team is a definite place for concern. Auburn had two-thirds of its starters disappear after the season came to a close. Despite being Champions, this team is young.
How the juniors on this team react to their new leadership roles will determine how far this team will go. How talented the running backs or receivers are wont matter if McCalebb, Blake, and Lutz don’t lead this team through workouts this summer.
This is another reason that the quarterback question causes concerns. There is not enough natural leadership built into this team yet, lacking a quarterback only inflates the problem.
Being talented helps the Tigers but the lack of natural leadership and the apparent reliance on the under classmen will hurt the Tigers in 2011.
Low on Scholarship Athletes
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Awarding scholarships to walk-on athletes is a very good gesture for coaches to take and helps guys that have dedicated time, blood, and sweat to a program. The other side of the coin is that it shows you have a lack of guys on scholarship. Having extras available in the preseason is not where a program ever wants to be.
In the past few years the transition from the Tuberville era to the Chizik years has seen some player attrition. That is always to be expected.
However, domestic violence accusations and armed robbery should not be expected. Those also help clear up some spots for the walk-ons.
Entering the 2011 season Auburn is somewhere in the 75 or so range for football players on scholarship. That is 10 shy of the limit set forth by the NCAA and a level at which no team wants to compete.
Moving forward, the staff will continue to recruit quality players who make better decisions but for this year there is no clear-cut solution.
Not having the athletes available will hurt the Tigers in the coming season.
Will the Tigers Fail or Excel in 2011?
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There are so many questions that have to have answers by the seasons end.
Unfortunately for the Tigers some of the answers may not be the ones they are looking for. This can be a successful season for the Tigers, but many variables have to stay constant. In college football, very rarely does that happen.
If the Tigers are to be successful in 2011, they need the running backs and receivers to make plays and account for 1,500 or so additional yards. That is a task. The Tigers have to find a quarterback and the offensive line has to gel early.
Leaders have to step up in the next few weeks to set the tone for the Tigers and the future that the new season brings.
If only one variable were to change on the Tigers this season it could lead to a very disappointing season. The Tigers should look to finish with eight to nine wins with a problem free year and five wins with a year full of injuries and bad luck.
If the Tigers finish October better than .500, the season will exceed the expectations of many.
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