Auburn Football: Bowl Updates and Coordinator Searches

The (7-5, 4-4 SEC) No. 25 Auburn Tigers have been in prep mode for their upcoming bowl appearance against the (8-4, 5-3 ACC) Virginia Cavaliers this past week. With only three days before the Tigers are set to report to Atlanta, they have been pushing to get as much quality practice time in as possible.

Gene Chizik has made this win a priority for the Tigers, and earning a bowl victory on New Year’s Eve will be a much needed successful finish to the ebb and flow that was experienced this season. Auburn has a lot of improvement that needs to happen if the Tigers expect to march to a victory in Atlanta.

While Auburn was a team that tapered off toward the end of the season, the Cavaliers appeared to grow stronger. The Tigers must find their swagger again this week as Virginia is surely looking for a big win over an SEC opponent.

Looking at the week that was and the bowl week that is to be, here is the latest bowl updates and coordinator movements from the Plains.

Bowl Departure and Prep

The Tigers are moving toward the final phase of bowl preparation, and are set to take a short break from practice before converging on Atlanta on Christmas Day. The Tigers have been working for the past few weeks and little has changed publicly as far as the depth chart is concerned.

There have been rumors and whispers about Kiehl Frazier receiving the starting snaps in the bowl game, but as of now there has been no change at the starting quarterback position. The Tigers have been sharing reps between Frazier and Clint Moseley, but that may just be to add some wrinkles to the offense.

The Tigers staff has maintained the routines of the team despite the loss of Ted Roof and known departure of Gus Malzahn. Auburn will be prepared for this contest playing with more fire than they finished the season with.

Practice will continue next week in Atlanta as the Tigers take on Virginia December 31 at 6:30 pm CT.

Tigers End and Begin in Atlanta

The folks at Chick-fil-A will sponsor two games for the Tigers within nine months of each other. The Tigers finish this 2011 season with the Chick-fil-A Bowl and begin next season against the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic.

The Tigers' campus is a short two-hour transit to Atlanta, so the games aren’t too far from home.

But entering 2011, no one expected the Tigers to finish in Atlanta. Most didn’t predict the Tigers to be bowl eligible. The hope for the Tigers in 2012 has to be that a third return to Atlanta can strike within the year by winning the SEC West, but the conference will be a gauntlet with the wealth of talent that returns. 

Mark Stoops Still in the Hunt?

Auburn is looking to replace Ted Roof at the helm of the defense as the Tigers close out the 2011 season. Gene Chizik has stepped in to serve as the interim defensive coordinator, but the Tigers are still looking to fill that void when the season draws to a close.

One of the names that was at the top of the list for the Tigers was Mark Stoops.

Stoops is currently the defensive coordinator for the Florida State Seminoles—where it is widely assumed that he will return as defensive coordinator. There is reason to suspect that the Tigers may still be in the hunt for his services, however.

Stoops was the name at the top of the list presumably for the Tigers, according to College Football Talk, and it appears that it may still be that way. Auburn has a bowl game left to play, and the naming of a new coordinator won’t happen until that is over, but don’t be surprised if Stoops is still in the mix.

Offensive Coordinator Search Up in the Air

The search for the new offensive coordinator has taken the same route as the defensive coordinator replacement. The Auburn administration has taken a tight lipped approach to the search as few names have made it out of the Auburn camp. One name that has been consistently making the rounds has been Blake Anderson from Southern Miss. 

Another name that hit the wires last week was Brent Pease, the current offensive coordinator for the Boise State Broncos. Chizik has not specified whether or not he would attempt to stick with the current offensive philosophy, or if he would change with the departure of Gus Malzahn.

There have also been whispers that the Tigers were looking for a coordinator with some pro experience. The Tigers will need to land a coordinator that is ready to compete not only on the football field, but also on the recruiting trail. At this point, any name is as good as a guess with the Tigers heading into the final game of the season. 

Recruiting Updates

Auburn has stood tall on the recruiting trail as of late, despite the loss of both coordinators to close the season. The Tigers did lose a big time running back commit in T.J. Yeldon this past week, but outside of that loss the Tigers appear to still be in great shape with their remaining commits.

Auburn has put together one of the best classes in the country for the third season in a row. The Tigers expect to finish strong with a number of big name players left on the board. The Tigers need to finish this class strong with skill, talent and offensive lineman.

The Tigers did recently secure a commitment from Robert Leff. Leff was a previous Southern Miss commit that opened up his recruitment and became the third offensive lineman for the Tigers' class.