Game of the Century

There have been several games that have drawn similar hype as this week's Tussle in Tuscaloosa, or Showdown in T-Town, between LSU.

Personally, Alabama has the edge in coaching, while LSU has more overall talent. There's talk that 35 NFL prospects will be on the field, and there have been 600+ media credential requests.

Keep in mind that no one handles rematches like Nick Saban. According to Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News, 10 years have passed since Saban lost in consecutive years to the same college coach. Since Steve Spurrier beat LSU 41-9 and 44-15 in 2000 and 2001, Saban is 12-0 in rematch games.

What's more, Alabama RB Trent Richardson will be the best player on the field. For investment advice, take the Crimson Tide -5 against the Bayou Bengals.

LSU punter has TD called back on celebration penalty

Associated Press

"LSU appeared to have scored its third TD when punter Brad Wing covered 52 yards on a fake late in the first quarter, but he raised his arms moments before crossing the goal line. That drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which took the score off the board. LSU retained possession, but had to settle for Drew Alleman's 35-yard field goal.

Miles said he did not call a fake but said Wing made the right call to run when he saw Florida's coverage team retreating. He only wished he hadn't drawn a flag.

"In a big game when 4 points is important, we won't do that," Miles said."

It didn't matter much in the grand scheme of the game as LSU won 41-11.

G-Day recap

Georgia held its annual G-Day spring football game on Saturday. In short, it was a showcase of players who may have been overlooked by the well-documented 'Dream Team' recruiting class.Here are my recaps of the game and other notes.

Memory Lane for Stephen Garcia

As Stephen Garcia was suspended for a fourth time this week, let's hearken back to the good ol' days when Garcia was 'tackled' by Louisville native Wilbur Hackett Jr. Here's a clip from 2008.

SEC Spring Football Preview: West Has Plenty of QB Questions

For the second straight year, the SEC West was home to the national champion. And four of the six teams won at least 10 games, not including Mississippi State, which went 9-4.

This spring, every team but LSU is looking at a new quarterback, especially Arkansas and Auburn, who each lost one of the top four quarterbacks in the NFL Draft. There are a lot of areas to address this spring for every team.

SEC Spring Football Preview: West Has Plenty of QB Questions

SEC Spring Football Preview: East Has Work To Do

The SEC East had a season of firsts in 2010, from Florida’s unusual five-loss campaign, to South Carolina’s historic trip to the SEC Championship game.

This spring, the East has two new coaches in Vanderbilt’s James Franklin and Florida’s Will Muschamp. It also sees Georgia’s new strength and conditioning philosophy.

The bottom line is every team in the division had at least five losses last season, and four suffered at least seven losses. So there are a lot of areas to address this spring for every team.

SEC Spring Football Preview: East Has Work To Do

Opening weekend: Hail Mary and an SEC upset

Not many people looked at the Jacksonville State-Ole Miss and East Carolina-Tulsa games before the weekend started. But thanks to a shocking upset in double overtime, and a Hail Mary, they're the talk of the college football world.

And don't forget the best trick play of the weekend.

Presbyterian vs. Wake Forest.

The weight of preseason No. 1

Sure, Alabama is the consensus preseason No. 1. But that hardly means the Crimson Tide will sit atop the polls in January. Sure, it was an easy pick for the SEC media to win the league championship. But that group has only been correct three times since 1992.

Certainly it will be more difficult with the absence of RB Mark Ingram (knee), if only for two or three weeks.

Even beyond the SEC, the historical challenge of starting and finishing the season on top is rare. Since 1991, it has happened three times: FSU in 1993 and 1999, and USC in 2004. Here's a sampling of the preseason and postseason No. 1s since 2002.

Preseason Postseason
2002 Miami Ohio State
2003 Alabama/Oklahoma USC/LSU
2004 USC USC
2005 USC Texas
2006 Ohio State Florida
2007 USC LSU
2008 Georgia Florida
2009 Florida Alabama

The questions for Alabama are mainly on defense and special teams. They have to replace nine starters on defense, including six draftees, although many of last year's backups saw significant playing time, and all three main specialists. Kicker, punter, returner, but also long snapper and holder.

Of course the schedule is tough, with a well-documented six games against teams who have their bye week scheduled the week before playing the Crimson Tide. Not to mention road games against Arkansas and LSU.

It's difficult to bet against Nick Saban when he's on the college sidelines. But all it takes is a blocked kick, injury (see above) or wacky turnover to derail a championship run. History is tough to argue against.

SEC predictions: Alabama over Florida, but who's third?

Unless you're a tree-hugger, or eat granola bars and nuts for lunch, you realize the SEC is the best conference in the land. But it is a bit top heavy this season, punctuated by three new coaches. One of the toughest decisions is figuring out the third-best team in the SEC, behind Alabama and Florida.

Here are my predictions and explanations:

East
1. Florida 11-1
2. Georgia 9-3
3. South Carolina 8-4
4. Kentucky 7-5
5. Tennessee 5-7
6. Vanderbilt 5-7

West
1. Alabama 11-1
2. Arkansas 9-3
3. Auburn 8-4
4. Ole Miss 8-4
5. LSU 7-5
6. Mississippi State 6-6


While the Crimson Tide and Gators are the cream of the SEC, they won't be perfect this season. Bama will lose to either Arkansas or South Carolina. Florida will lose to either Bama or Georgia.

South Carolina, while it may look good early, and will probably be ranked in the teens, will fall off after a possible upset of Alabama at home. It's almost an annual rite in Columbia.

Georgia will be improved from last season, which will take the unnecessary heat off of Mark Richt. The biggest question marks, the new defense and new quarterback Aaron Murray, will be better than expected. Still, the Dawgs aren't without flaws, and that's why they'll lose three of these games: South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, Auburn or Georgia Tech.

Kentucky is a wild card because of first-year coach Joker Phillips' experience on staff and the dynamic play of Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke. The Wildcats have shown the ability to beat Georgia twice in recent memory, and could also be buoyed by a win over Tennessee to end their quarter-of-a-century drought.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt, with new coaches, will beat the built-in cream puffs on their schedules, and then tack on a win or two against another conference bottom feeder.

In the West, the biggest story beyond Alabama, is the transfer of QB Jeremiah Masoli from Oregon to Ole Miss, which should give the Rebels two or three more wins. The Rebels were picked last in the division in several preseason polls, but won't be quite as bad thanks to Masoli.

The Hogs have the most upside in the division, and possibly the league ahead of Georgia. Their biggest stretch is back-to-back games at Georgia and home against Alabama. Win those two, and their fans could book plans for Atlanta on Dec. 4. Even if they split those games, they'll still have tall orders at Auburn, at South Carolina and home against LSU.

Auburn's depth is helped by the influx of big-time recruits. But they're still freshmen. One of the season's turning points will come when the Tigers travel to Oxford, Miss. on Oct. 30 in a game they should win.

Because of uncertainty at QB with John Brantley in Florida, and the Gators' defensive youth, the pick here is the Crimson Tide. The loss, whenever it comes, will only help Saban and Co. look for motivation come BCS bowl time.

5 key college football storylines

Each summer, there are a handful of storylines that dominant the conversation as media days give way to practice, and Labor Day signals the start of this country's most anticipated season. Here are the main stories that have buzzed over the summer, and will make newspaper and magazine headlines as previews hit newsstands soon.

Will Boise State take advantage of starting the season in the top 5?
The Broncos have carried the flag for the small schools since before their shocking upset of Oklahoma at the end of the 2006 season. Their annual undefeated starts were always the first arguments for those looking to eliminate the BCS system. This time, they start against Virginia Tech at FedEx Field in Washington in what is one of the most anticipated games of the season. It only helps that the game starts the season in the traditional Labor Day evening slot.

While the Hokies have a top notch backfield, featuring the versatile QB Tyrod Taylor and Heisman hopeful Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech is always known for its special teams. It's ironic because Boise State has also made a name off of special teams with the Statue of Liberty play against the Sooners, and the fake punt to beat TCU last season.

It'll be interesting to see how Boise State handles an entire offseason of distractions instead of slowly building its case throughout the season. This is the second time since the Broncos hit the national scene that they start with a high caliber opponent. (Last year they opened against Oregon.) And college football is the least forgiving sport for early season losses. Win, and the hype will reach unprecedented levels. Lose, and the Broncos are again put on the small-school back burner.

How will the coaching carousel spin?
Speaking of Boise State, its coach, Chris Peterson, will no doubt be among the names tossed around for the big-time openings later this season, probably even if the Broncos lose more than a game. You have to wonder, though, if Peterson will think of his former boss, and former Boise State head coach, Dan Hawkins, who is hanging by a thread at Colorado. Many were surprised when he survived at the end of last season. Hawkins' innermost thoughts have to at least give a passing thought to what would have happened if he stayed at Boise. (After all, this is the Big 12, it ain't intramurals, brother.)

The most high profile coaches expected to move are Michigan's Rich Rodriguez and LSU's Les Miles, who might return to his alma mater in Ann Arbor. Although depending on LSU's season, the Wolverines might not see Miles as an appealing choice. Given his recent run at Stanford, many expect Jim Harbaugh to take over the program he used to quarterback. Because of the rules investigations at West Virginia and Michigan, Rodriguez is building an unfortunate reputation that could be difficult to reverse. While Miles is increasingly unpopular among Tiger fans, his huge buyout ($15 million) has to be a hurdle to changing coaches.

Back in the Big Ten, Illinois coach Ron Zook is running out of time to see the dividends of his recruiting successes from two and three years ago. And given the expectation of Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State above the Illini, Zook should probably find a realtor soon.

Those expected to get interviews for these impending openings have to be UConn coach Randy Edsell, Will Muschamp, Texas' defensive coordinator and head coach in waiting, and Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.

Will Notre Dame return to the upper echelon?
Not until 2011 or 2012. The hiring of Brian Kelly is universally popular, mainly because he's won everywhere from Grand Valley State to Cincinnati. His challenge is to get the Irish back to the top of the rankings and not a second fiddle game on NBC, which sits behind ESPN and CBS in top flight college football games.

It won't happen this year because of the soft schedule, which features the likes of Western Michigan, Tulsa and Army. No matter if ND starts 6-0, with four of those at home, like it did two coaches ago, only to unravel quickly, it won't get the credit of an SEC or Big 12 school because it won't have a quality win, and maybe not even a ranked win.

Under Charlie Weis, the Irish didn't have much trouble landing 5-star recruits, or putting up points. It just couldn't hold leads or shut down opponents. ND again appears to have a quality group of wide receivers and Kelly's forte is offense. The Irish have to put it all together against multiple ranked teams, which it hasn't done in nearly 10 years. Since Bob Davie was the coach, the Irish have struggled to beat teams that remain in the rankings by the end of the season. Since '97, the Irish have only beaten nine teams that were ranked when the game was played and at the end of the season.

Will the agent fiasco have an impact?
Despite the hot air bravado from Nick Saban and Urban Meyer about agents causing problems on campuses with cash and gifts, it's doubtful that anything major will come out several weeks after the story first made headlines. Even when findings and penalties are handed down, it's doubtful a key player will be suspended for a lengthy period of the season.

The schools most often mentioned in relation to the agent investigation are North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.

The trouble spots remain in the Carolinas. In Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels are still waiting to hear if DT Marvin Austin or WR Greg Little will be penalized before their opener against LSU.

In Columbia, Weslye Saunders, an above average tight end, only appears to be in a worse situation as each week passes as reports surface about a local hotel housing Gamecock football players. Saunders also is being investigated about whether he engaged in dealings with an agent.

This is a story that will linger because of the overlapping and year round schedule of college football, the NFL and the NFL Draft. But it shouldn't cause more than a ripple, especially if the NFL imposes harsher rules against the "rogue agents."

How will the sanctions affect USC and the Pac-10?
The key is the recruiting pitch. With 10 fewer scholarships per season for three years, how will Lane Kiffin and his staff sell the program to continue to land top-shelf recruits. Without a bowl bid, like a BCS appearance, to dangle.

It not only cuts into the depth to cover annual problems like transfers, injuries and academic inedibility. But it also opens 10 players who could land at another Pac-10 school in a conference where several programs are on the rise behind up-and-coming coaches.

Kiffin has preached that he's cutting back on practices to preserve the Trojans' limited depth.
But what fans wonder most is how Kiffin, who hasn't had a head coaching job for more than two years at each stop, can hold a program together and return it to the top of the polls. Given his dumpster fires exits at Oakland and Tennessee, not many give him a chance.

The biggest question is how the new athletics director, Pat Haden, views Kiffin's job performance. A better question might be about the strength of the Pac-10, and if Washington and UCLA can join Oregon in challenging the Trojans' conference dominance. They're on the clock for three years to let us know.

Key SEC football games to decide the season

Most pundits have Alabama and Florida continuing their dominance of the last couple of seasons. The trouble is, nobody can predict which team finishes second in either division. That's why all it takes is an upset or two, an injury or arrest, and the summer predictions go poof.

GEORGIA AT SOUTH CAROLINA, SEPT. 11
Traditionally, this is a make-or-break game for both teams, but with Florida controlling the East the last several years, these two are jockeying for second. Neither team plays a big-time school in its first game, so it gives fans a chance to see a new quarterback (UGA) or if the incumbent quarterback is improved (USC). The Gamecocks' defense has been among the best in the league for a couple seasons, and the Dawgs have a new scheme and a new coordinator. I'll give a slight edge to QB experience and the Gamecocks.
Prediction: South Carolina 21, Georgia 20

ALABAMA AT ARKANSAS, SEPT. 25
Take out the old-school game with Penn State, this is the Crimson Tide’s biggest contest in the first month of the season. Especially because it’s in conference. Everyone knows Arkansas will probably have the best offense in the league this year, and Nick Saban’s defense should get its first big test of the season, especially in the passing game. It’s probably a bigger game for the Hogs, who are looking for their first SEC West crown since 2006. I like the Hogs in an upset.
Prediction: Arkansas 28, Alabama 24

SOUTH CAROLINA AT AUBURN, SEPT. 25
This comes one week after Auburn plays Clemson, also on The Plains. Most people don't think the AU Tigers will win both games against the Palmetto State teams. This game could reveal if Auburn's recruiting successes will help with depth, which was a problem last season and led to a 3-5 finish. Fans will see if Cam Newton, the Florida transfer who won the QB job in the spring, has adjusted to how defenses handle his run-pass option. The Gamecocks should have one of the top three defenses on Auburn's schedule.
Prediction: South Carolina 17, Auburn 10

FLORIDA AT ALABAMA, OCT. 2
Arguably the biggest game of the year nationally, the teams that played for the SEC Championship last year, and have won three of the last four BCS National Championships, meet for what could be the first of two meetings this season. (Wouldn’t a rematch in the Georgia Dome on Dec. 4 be interesting?) Florida's challenge is hanging around, which it couldn't do in the SEC Championship, as it trailed 19-3 at halftime and ultimately lost, 32-13. The challenge for Florida will be to stop Alabama's strong running game without departed linebackers Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper. The Tide more than tripled the Gators in rushing yards in last season's meeting.
Prediction: Florida 24, Alabama 17

ALABAMA AT SOUTH CAROLINA, OCT. 9
The Gamecocks are one of six opponents that play Alabama following their bye week, which is one of the biggest concerns most have with handing the Tide the trophy again. Alabama, meanwhile, is coming off games at Arkansas and against Florida in Tuscaloosa. So this is a classic trap game for Nick Saban’s boys. Give the Gamecocks wins over Georgia and Auburn, and Steve Spurrier’s team has a ton of confidence and a high ranking. If history is any indication, USC will make things really interesting for three quarters, and then watch turnovers and/or penalties give the game away.
Prediction: Alabama 27, South Carolina 17

TENNESSEE AT GEORGIA, OCT. 9
Hard to believe that only two years ago, the last time these teams met in Athens, Phil Fulmer walked the orange sideline. Short of two undefeated records, the focus of this game will be on first-year Tennessee coach Derek Dooley, son of legendary Georgia coach Vince Dooley. The story will certainly dominate the days leading up to the game, but lost some buzz when Vince said months ago that he would watch the game at home, and not subject himself to constant television reaction shots from the stands. Given the Vols' 45-19 win last season, another theme will be Georgia's revenge, but also both teams using rookie QBs. That will decide the outcome, and it'll go to the home team.
Prediction: Georgia 30, Tennessee 21

GEORGIA VS. FLORIDA at Jacksonville, OCT. 30
The old World’s Largest Cocktail Party has lost some buzz in recent years, both because of Florida’s recent dominance, and the removal of the game’s official nickname. Last year was marred by the gouging of Washaun Ealey’s eyes by Brandon Spikes, and a second straight lopsided Florida win. With a new quarterback for the Gators, and a new defense for the Dawgs, this one doesn’t feel as out of reach for Georgia as it has recently. They key matchup will be Florida's secondary, arguably the best in the league, against WR A.J. Green and the Dawgs' plethora of tight ends.
Prediction: Georgia 28, Florida 24

AUBURN AT ALABAMA, NOV. 27
The Iron Bowl is one of the best rivalries in sports because the fans ask talk show hosts for predictions in July. Last year, Auburn made the game interesting into the fourth quarter, and given the recruiting momentum that has arrived in the offseason, Gene Chizik should have more than a puncher’s chance. Not to mention Auburn’s "historical" dominance in Tuscaloosa. (The majority of the Iron Bowl games were played at Legion Field in Birmingham.) Order will be restored by the Tide as they should be extra motivated by what could be a tight race in the West.
Prediction: Alabama 21, Auburn 13

Take Richt and Spurrier off the hot seat

It's becoming more and more popular to put Steve Spurrier and Mark Richt on the hot seat. But if you look at each school's football history, that doesn't make much sense.

A common and easy misconception is the history of both programs, South Carolina and Georgia, which makes it idiotic to think either program would get rid of either head coach anytime soon. Both coaches, especially Spurrier, have a better chance of leaving on their own terms.

Spurrier has coached the Gamecocks to the most successful 5-year run of any USC coach (35 wins). While his critics say he's just cashing checks in Columbia, he's been a consistent 7-5 coach and maintained a level of enthusiasm despite lackluster quarterback play and a sub-par offensive line.

(If his teams only played on Thursday nights, he might be the winningest coach ever.)

What’s more, Spurrier scored one of the biggest recruiting signings of this class by inking RB Marcus Lattimore from Duncan, S.C. And he’s kept other blue chip in-state recruits Stephon Gilmore and Alshon Jeffery in state, which means he hasn’t let the recruiting trail go stale.

Richt’s problem is he’s struggled against arch-rival Florida, and got blown out by Alabama two years ago when the Dawgs began the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason. On the other hand, Richt is 8-1 against Georgia Tech.

Last season, there was more heat on his coordinators than Richt. And shortly after the season, he overhauled his defensive staff, most notably firing coordinator Willie Martinez. That typically buys a coach two seasons.

Richt is in this position because of lopsided losses Alabama and Florida. In 2008, when the Dawgs began the year ranked No. 1, the season was derailed by the Alabama loss at home, which included a 31-0 halftime score. The Florida series lately has been marked by “The Gator Stomp,” a rare UGA win, and blowouts the last two seasons when the Gators put up more than 40 points in each game.

Despite not winning a national championship in 30 years, Dawg fans are getting restless by watching Florida, Alabama and LSU win BCS titles.

Because Richt has been near-perfect against Tech, and solid in bowl games (7-2), all he needs to quiet the critics is a win over Florida or an SEC East championship. That should be enough to satisfy the most rabid Dawg fans.

I wonder how many Dawg fans realize that Richt has a better winning percentage (90-27, .769) than even the legendary Vince Dooley (201-77, .715).

Spurrier bought some time at the beginning of his South Carolina tenure by criticize the recruiting efforts of former coach Lou Holtz. It helped his case that several players were kicked off the team following arrests before Spurrier’s first season. He’s averaged a 7-5 season, which is pedestrian for the power conference heavyweights, but given the Gamecocks’ history, it’s difficult to expect more. The problem is, Spurrier’s critics get caught up comparing him to his Florida teams. The Gamecocks simply can’t recruit to that level.

Compare him to just the previous three USC coaches and he’s better than every one of them. In fact, he’s the only one with at least a .500 record (35-28).

The bottom line is fans need to realize what they have with these two coaches, and remember that they’re each among the best coaches in school history. Don’t be a prisoner of a 3- or 4-year period.

Five storylines to preview SEC football

1. New coaches at UK, UT and Vanderbilt

Joker Phillips, the new Kentucky head coach and former offensive coordinator, has been groomed for this season for a while now, and UK was at the forefront of the move to name coaches-in-waiting.

Derek Dooley ,who was a surprise hire after the slimy Lane Kiffin bolted for USC, has gained some fans this summer by trying to install a zero tolerance policy following a bar fight involving Volunteer football players.

Robbie Caldwell is a no-name who may be the hottest topic of the annual cattle call, at this week’s SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.

I’ll give Phillips the edge mostly because the Cats have been above average in the SEC recently, including a win at Georgia last year, and he’s most familiar with the program, with the least amount of transition. Dooley has a chance, but will have a new quarterback and without playmaking safety Eric Berry.

Caldwell is in somewhat of an envious position, if he can get past the initial shock and thrown-into-the-deep-end situation. If he wins, he’ll probably win the full-time job. If he loses, oh well, he could probably secure himself on another staff.

2. Has South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia finally arrived?

The start of Garcia’s USC career was tainted by several arrests, which forced him to miss chunks of practice and game time. But Garcia’s shown steady improvement the last season and a half, even without multiple above average receivers.

In his defense, Garcia has suffered behind a revolving door offense line, and inconsistent running game. But with the SEC East pretty wide open this year, at least to finish second, Garcia is poised for his best season yet. And the fact that his coach, Steve Spurrier, has already started the Lou Holtz treatment, Garcia must be looking good in the offseason.

Because the Gamecocks’ defense appears to be in good hands with Ellis Johnson and Co., it’s ironic that the offensive-minded Spurrier hasn’t had an elite QB yet. This could be the season that happens. If Garcia has a big season, the Gamecocks should have a great chance to beat Florida and win the East.

3. Georgia has a new QB and a new defense

It seems like forever since redshirt freshman Aaron Murray was proclaimed the starting QB for the Dawgs.

Murray, the highly touted recruit from Tampa, Fla. will look to feed A.J. Green as often as possible while also relying on a running game that picked up at the end of last season.

Murray shouldn’t have any higher expectations than Joe Cox did last year. But that also means he won’t put the defense in such bad positions as Cox did with his 15 interceptions.

Murray’s first test, obviously, is at South Carolina in Week 2. Moving the ball when Green is covered, especially on third down, will be Murray’s biggest chore.

New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has promised an aggressive style with his newly installed 3-4 defense. And Bulldog Nation is anxious for a consistent pass-rushing defense for the first time in several years.

If that defense is successful, that could help Murray have a better season than any number of touchdown passes he might throw.

4. Will the Heisman winner come out of the SEC West again?

Reigning Heisman winner Mark Ingram, the Alabama RB, is in a similar role that Tim Tebow was in after he won the Heisman.

There is plenty of talent around you to give you another chance to be in the spotlight each week. But will that talent also diminish your stats when compared to other Heisman frontrunners?

What’s more, as a returning Heisman winner, a player is often compared against his own stats from the previous year more so than those competing against him.

Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett has played himself into the top five of any Heisman list, and a Bobby Petrino offense gives him plenty of chances to put up gaudy numbers. (Not to mention the Arkansas defense is Swiss cheese, so the Hogs will probably be in a lot of shootouts again.)

Because Ingram likely won’t have as big a year as last year, and Mallett and the Hogs aren’t slated to play in a big-time bowl game, the educated guess is no.

5. Which coach is on the hottest seat?

A season usually doesn’t start without an SEC coach on the hot seat. Most years there are several. This time, it’s LSU coach Les Miles.

Entering his sixth season in Baton Rouge, La., Miles is two or three years removed from the benefit of Nick Saban’s recruits.

Despite a national championship three years ago, the last two seasons haven’t helped his argument that he didn’t live off of Saban’s recruiting spoils during the 33-6 start to start his LSU tenure.

The last two seasons under Miles, LSU is 17-8 and coming off a loss to Penn State in the Capital One Bowl. To his credit, Miles maintains a winning record despite never really having a bona fide star quarterback.

The tough climb Miles faces this year, though, is a schedule that includes a neutral site (Atlanta) game against North Carolina, a home game against West Virginia, and games at Florida and Auburn.