SEC spring breakout players

Source: SEC Football Blog

We're taking a look at some of the breakout SEC players from this spring: Marcus Caffey, CB, Kentucky: Caffey spent his first year on Kentucky's campus looking up at the rest of the running backs on the roster. But the coaches didn't want to waste his talent, so he moved to cornerback, a position in desperate need of bodies. The Caffey experiment worked, as he immediately adapted to his new position and left spring with one of the starting corner spots.

Where do you rank Gene Chizik among the nation's head coaches? (podcast)

Source: Al.com by Matt Scalici, al.com

On this week's episode of the Auburn Football Podcast, sports producer Matt Scalici and WarBlogle discuss Gene Chizik's lack of national respect and weigh in on where they think the Auburn head coach deserves to be ranked among his coaching peers.

NCAA awards 2013 College Cup soccer to Philadelphia, not Hoover

Source: Al.com by Jon Solomon -- The Birmingham News

Regions Park is host for one more year

Cam (in the Glom) before he was Cam

Source: The War Eagle Reader by Staff

2010 Glom, page 39—there's Mario Fannin, Aubie, and some Other Dude.

It’s hard to believe that Cam Newton was ever in the background of any photo, ever, let alone one snapped at an Auburn Athletics function, or that he was ever thought of as just some other football player. But that’s how the 2010 Glom labeled the shot of “Mario Fannin and other Auburn athletes” serving food to donors at the Red Cross’ “Meal to Heal for Haiti” held a couple of weeks after a 7.0 earthquake rocked the island nation on January 12, and just weeks after Cam Newton enrolled at Auburn.

It’s a further reminder of just how brief the Blessed Individual’s shining moment on The Plains really was—the only yearbook he could have picked up as an Auburn student had just one (chance) picture of him and didn’t even list (or bless) his name.

h/t, photos: Andrew Steverson.

Related: The Best Worst Thing Ever Written About Auburn Basketball (was in the 1999 Glom).

…

Keep Reading:

* An Illustrated History of the Miss A.U. Tan contest
* Elvis says “War Eagle”
* Alabama in Auburn gear
* Bo Jackson’s pencil mustache
* That OTHER time they burned the Glom

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Schedule analysis: Arkansas

Source: SEC Football Blog

Today, we dissect Arkansas' schedule as the Hogs look to break through in the Western Division: Nonconference opponents (with 2011 records) Sept. 1: Jacksonville State (7-4) Sept. 8: Louisiana-Monroe (4-8), in Little Rock Sept. 22: Rutgers (9-4) Nov. 3: Tulsa (8-5) SEC home games Sept. 15: Alabama Oct. 13: Kentucky Oct. 27: Ole Miss, in Little Rock Nov. 23: LSU SEC road games Sept. 29: at Texas A&M Oct. 6: at Auburn Nov. 10: at South Carolina Nov.

Auburn's NCAA hopes could hinge on final series against Florida

Source: Al.com by Evan Woodbery/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times

Auburn (29-24, 12-15 SEC) meets Florida (38-15, 16 -11 ) for a three-game series starting today at 6 p.m.

Auburn men's golf opens NCAA Regional today in Greensboro

Source: Al.com by Evan Woodbery/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times

Blayne Barber (Auburn file)AUBURN, Alabama -- The Auburn men's golf is ranked second in the nation by Golfworld and is No. 1 in the 14-team field at the NCAA Regional this weekend in Greensboro, N.C.Given those rankings, the Tigers' goal...

Big Ten fans: Chill the griping about SEC football weather patterns

Source: Al.com by Jon Solomon -- The Birmingham News

Big Ten could have pushed for campus playoff sites, but chose to protect Rose Bowl

Men’s golf grabs top seed in NCAA Regional

Source: The Auburn Plainsman

No. 3 men’s golf enters the NCAA Greensboro Regional with the top seed in a 14-team field.

Two teammates, friends earn SEC honors

Source: The Auburn Plainsman

One is right-handed, the other is left-handed.

A Warhawk Tuneup.

Source: Track Em Tigers by Acid Reign

War Eagle, everybody! It's time once again for an Acid preview of an Auburn football opponent. In week three of 2012, Auburn plays host to the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks, in a game tailor-made for a crack-of-dawn SEC Network broadcasts. It's a game the Tigers can't afford to overlook, sandwiched in the center of a 5-game stretch of Clemson, Mississippi State, ULM, LSU and Arkansas. To make matters worse, ULM brings in a veteran offense, many of whom played in Auburn back in 2010. Unfortunately for Warhawk chances, their defense took some hits in the off-season, and lost pretty badly to the offense in the ULM spring game.

ULM is in their third season with head coach Todd Berry. Berry was hired in 2010 to try to

Waiting on SEC schedule (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

When the Southeastern Conference conducts its spring meetings later this month in Destin, Fla., the league's future football schedules will finally be announced.

Martinez visits elite 2014 LB - Auburn [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Jacksonville DE interested in UK offer - Auburn [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

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Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Baseball. Baseball Closes Out Regular Season Vs. No. 2 Florida

Source: Auburn Official Site

The Auburn baseball team closes out the 2012 regular season this weekend at Plainsman Park when it plays host to No. 2 Florida. Game times for the series are 6pm on both Thursday and Friday and 1pm on Saturday.

Track. Track's Adams Earns Tiger Torch Academic Achievement Award

Source: Auburn Official Site

Auburn junior sprinter Harry Adams was honored with the inaugural Tiger Torch Academic Achievement Award by Auburn Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) for his efforts in the classroom during the 2011-12 academic year.

Video: One Good Thing -- Mississippi State

Source: SEC Football Blog

Edward Aschoff talks about Mississippi State defensive end Denico Autry's progression this spring.

Top performer: Interceptions

Source: SEC Football Blog

Our look at the SEC's most productive returning players in 2012 continues with a look at players that grabbed the most interceptions. Past producers: Quarterback Running back Wide receiver Tight end Sacks Tackles The SEC returns four players that ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in interception. The top pick man returns this season, though he'll have to sit to start the season. Here's a look at No. 1: Bacarri Rambo, S, Georgia: He had eight interceptions and defended eight passes last season.

The SEC's top QB-WR tandems

Source: SEC Football Blog

ESPN's K.C. Joyner has ranked his top quarterback-receiver tandems in the SEC going into the 2012 season, and his choice for No. 1 is going to surprise a lot of people. He has Vanderbilt's Jordan Rodgers and Jordan Matthews at the top of his list. In choosing his top tandems, Joyner used a list of metrics from the 2011 season that detailed such things as how the combo fared in short pass yards per attempt, vertical yards per attempt and overall yards per attempt.

Brock and Saenz Win Individual SEC Track Championships Auburn sophomores Keenan Brock and Stephen...

Source: Track Em Tigers by aubtigerman

Brock and Saenz Win Individual SEC Track Championships

Auburn sophomores Keenan Brock and Stephen Saenz both took home SEC individual titles on Sunday and Brock won the Commissioner's Trophy as the top individual point scorer on the final day of action in the 2012 SEC Outdoor Championships hosted by LSU. The Auburn men placed seventh and the women finished sixth at the meet.

Read more at al.com.

M. Golf. No. 3 Auburn Preps for Greensboro Regional

Source: Auburn Official Site

The No. 2 Auburn men's golf team is the top seed at the NCAA Greensboro Regional and will face four top-25 teams Thursday through Saturday at the Grandover Resort's East Course.

Alabama gets 2013 ESPN 150 QB commit

Source: SEC Football Blog

The rich just keep getting richer in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Nick Saban's recruiting roll continued Wednesday, as ESPN 150 quarterback Cooper Bateman (Salt Lake City/Cottonwood) committed to the Crimson Tide. Bateman, the sixth-ranked quarterback in the 2013 class, chose Alabama over Auburn, Florida, LSU and Washington and claimed over 50 offers. "The campus was awesome," Bateman told ESPN.com's TideNation. "It was probably my favorite campus. It's gorgeous out there.

Cam Newton makes another 'best of' list

Source: Al.com by Mike Herndon, Press-Register

Former Auburn QB listed among NFL's top 10 players under age of 25 by NFL.com analyst.

Lunchtime links

Source: SEC Football Blog

Time for some links. Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News writes that the late Derrick Thomas was a major snub for the College Football Hall of Fame. Missouri dismisses safety Tavon Bolden ... again. Tennessee coach Derek Dooley and new athletic director Dave Hart laud new Hall of Famer Phillip Fulmer. Alabama coach Nick Saban says wide receiver DeAndrew White is "doing fine" after last month's late-night altercation outside of a Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Auburn's Cullen Wacker likely to miss Florida series due to injury

Source: Al.com by Evan Woodbery/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times

Reserve Patrick Savage, who has five home runs in 52 at-bats this year, has played well off the bench and could find his way into the lineup even if Wacker is ready to go.

Memphis center getting a look - Auburn [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Cooper Bateman makes it official - Auburn [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

2014 QB has ties to Smith, Hogs - Auburn [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Freeze is taking Ole Miss on a 'Journey'

Source: SEC Football Blog

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss’ football program is stuck in the wilderness -- a scary place, filled with a plethora of overgrown obstacles. When coach Hugh Freeze arrived last December, he says the jungle was as thick as ever and it didn’t look like his new team was ready to cut its way out. That was until Freeze offered a solution: his “Journey.” He told players that he didn’t know how long it would take for them to make it out or find some sort of salvation, but if they followed him, they’d find the light.

DawgNation links: Who usurps hot seat?

Source: SEC Football Blog

DawgNation Roundtable : After Mark Richt vacated the hot seat this past season, some of his fellow SEC coaches are starting to sweat. DawgNation wonders: “Which SEC coach has the most pressure on him going into the 2012 season?” Kipp Adams writes : With names like Brice Ramsey and Derrick Henry, Georgia either has landed commitments from or is in hot pursuit of some of the top prospects of 2013 in the backfield. Adams : Georgia CB target Brendan Langley holds steady with his top three: Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

War Eagle Relics raises the Bar(field) on fashion

Source: The War Eagle Reader by Riley Downing

The Doug Barfield era was one of the less successful in Auburn football history. Barfield went 29–25–1 from 1976-1980 and only finishing ranked one year. It’s not easy on a man’s legacy to have his career sandwiched between those of Shug Jordan and Pat Dye, the two most beloved coaches in the program’s history. Barfield, however, made his mark in other areas, namely fashion. Whatever he lacked in football acumen, he made up for with style. His teams sported the occasional orange jersey (that we have featured in past posts—keep hope alive). He handed out cool eagle helmet stickers called “weagles” (featured for the first time below). But perhaps his crowning achievement was the quintessentially ‘70s attire his staff sported in the program from the 1978 Tennessee Game. I don’t have the words to do it justice. Just take it all in. Fantastic.

Tennessee Game Program (1978)

What we need now is a throwback game (against a nobody opponent, please) with the team coming out in orange jerseys and face masks and the coaches wearing these outfits on the sidelines. I mean, come on, Chizik was born to wear that shirt and VanGorder could easily go coif-to-coif with any of his predecessors. Luper could replace his orange tinted shades with P.W. Underwood’s classics. It’s almost too perfect. Someone in charge needs to make this happen.

“Weagle” Helmet Sticker (Late 1970’s)

I’m neither pro- nor anti-helmet stickers. I like them for certain schools (I begrudgingly acknowledge that I like Georgia’s bones and Clemson’s paws), but I’m glad Auburn doesn’t use them anymore. I like the clean simplicity of our helmet and don’t want anything else cluttering it up. That said, these old helmet stickers are nice. I never even knew these existed until Jeremy featured the cover of the program from the 1980 Tennessee game a few weeks ago and someone commented that they were called “weagles.” I considered cropping down to focus on the weagle by itself, but I like seeing the other WEGL (the campus radio station) sticker above it as well as the slight glimpse of the possibly-soon-to-be-reborn Birmingham Stallions sticker.

Auburn Football Media Guide (1980)

- @lulupuppydog

This is another item from Barfield’s tenure (the end, in fact). The media guide for his last season featured a collage of old program covers, memorabilia and the words “The ‘70s: A Proud Past / The ‘80s: A Promising Future.” Pretty good prediction considering it was made in the midst of a mediocre stretch and followed shortly thereafter by one of the most dominant ever.

Vintage Auburn Jacket (?)

“Here, as promised, is the old Auburn jacket that was my stepdad’s, and that I wear just about every game Saturday that’s cold enough. Every Auburn hipster is now EXTREMELY jealous of me… WDE.”

-Stephen Walker

Past contributor Stephen mentioned this jacket in a comment to an earlier post and I asked him to send in a picture. He, and the jacket, did not disappoint.

Bo Jackson Baseball Starting Line-up (1990)

In the first Relics, I showed you my own football playing Bo Jackson Starting Line-up figure. Here we have Bo wearing the beautiful blue uniform of the Kansas City Royals while playing his other pro sport. Once again it is not technically Auburn, unless like me you consider anything and everything Bo to be inherently Auburn.

That’s it for this edition (for previous editions, click here). Thanks again to all of our contributors, especially the very generous anonymous donor who submitted the 1978 Tennessee Program, helmet sticker and Bo Jackson Starting Line-up (and more items to come). Send in your own relics to aufearlessandtrue@gmail.com or @FearlessandTrue.

…

Keep Reading:

* Playboy photographer loved first visit to Auburn
* Elvis says “War Eagle”
* Alabama in Auburn gear
* Bo Jackson’s pencil mustache
* VIDEO: Dog dominates 1964 Auburn scrimmage
* Secondhand Shug
* Auburn’s Legend of Zelda
* Tomatoes growing at Toomer’s Corner
* That OTHER time they burned the Glom

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Auburn has a chance to be much better (Herndon column)

Source: Al.com by Mike Herndon, Press-Register

Auburn coach Gene Chizik told a story Monday night about being recognized by a flight attendant on an airplane.

Schedule analysis: Alabama

Source: SEC Football Blog

With spring practice behind us for all 14 SEC teams, it’s time to start breaking down the schedules for next fall and assess who has the toughest paths and who has the easiest paths to a successful 2012 season. We’ll start with defending national champion Alabama: Nonconference opponents (with 2011 records) Sept. 1: vs. Michigan (11-2), in Arlington, Texas Sept. 8: Western Kentucky (7-5) Sept. 22: Florida Atlantic (1-11) Nov. 17: Western Carolina (1-10) SEC home games Sept.

A look at the SEC's biggest spenders

Source: SEC Football Blog

USA Today's annual study is out on who in college athletics makes the most money and who spends the most money. Not surprisingly, of the 10 biggest spenders, four are from the SEC: No. 4 Florida ($107.1 million), No. 5 Alabama ($105.1 million), No. 7 Auburn ($100.5 million) and No. 8 Tennessee ($97.6 million). According to the 2011 figures gathered by USA Today, 13 of the 14 SEC schools operated in the black, meaning they generated enough money to cover all of their athletic expenses.

SECond Look video: Outlook for Gene Chizik and his Auburn Tigers

Source: Al.com by Mike Brantley, Press-Register

Press-Register sports editor Randy Kennedy and sports writer Mike Herndon talk about the outlook for the Auburn Tigers in their latest "SECond Look" video segment.

Times set for Chick-fil-A Kickoff games

Source: SEC Football Blog

Tennessee will open the season against NC State on Friday, Aug. 31 in a 7:30 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPNU, while Auburn will face Clemson the next day, Sept. 1, in a 7 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPN. The two ACC versus SEC matchups are part of the 2012 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game weekend at the Georgia Dome. "Over these incredible 48 hours, all eyes will be on Atlanta as we open the season like never before with our first-ever double hosting of Chick-fil-A Kickoff games," said Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Bowl president and CEO.

Everyday Champions Are Rarely in the Spotlight

Source: Track Em Tigers by aubtigerman

He grew up on the streets of Atlanta, Ga. and by his own account, he was a kid that, "grew up a child without focus or direction." Then one day at a high school assembly he heard a motivational speaker say that you should always try to do your best in everything and never give up.

It was a message that changed his life. For the first time Steve became focused in school and in doing his best in every area of his life. Because of that dedicated focus, Steve lettered in three sports, graduated with honors, and had 57 football scholarship offers from major universities across the country. He chose Auburn University.

And he went on to become one of the most decorated players to ever wear the Orange and Blue. He played

'Auburn is up there': Rivals250 RB offered - Auburn [$$] (Rivals)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

Auburn Football: Why Linebacker Has to Be a Recruiting Priority for the Tigers

Source: Bleacher Report NCAAF

Auburn has battled defensive woes since the arrival of Gene Chizik on the Plains in 2009. Linebacker has been one of the weakest positions on the defense, and it will be the priority for Auburn football recruiting heading into the 2013 recruiting season.

The Tigers signed three linebackers in 2011, and two more in 2012. Auburn whiffed on native Alabaman Kwon Alexander this year, but felt strongly about the possible signature on signing day. Alexander eventually signed with LSU. 

The Tigers are full steam ahead in the linebacker department for the 2013 class with three current commits, but Auburn needs this class to be linebacker-heavy with one or two ready to compete immediately. 

The Tigers will place an obvious priority on linebacker this recruiting season. Here are the five reasons that the Tigers must land talented linebackers in 2013. 

Begin Slideshow

College baseball roundup: CVCC, Georgia, Alabama win; Auburn, Georgia Tech lose

Source: Ledger-Enquirer

OZARK, Ala. -- Pat Olvaney's two-run homer in the bottom of the 14th inning lifted Chattahoochee Valley Community College to a 7-5 victory Tuesday against L.B. Wallace in the losers…

Click to Continue »

Auburn football: Time set for Tigers' 2012 season opener against Clemson in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Georgia Dome

Source: Ledger-Enquirer

ATLANTA -- The time for the Auburn vs. Clemson matchup, one of two Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games in the Georgia Dome to open the 2012 college football season, will be 7…

Click to Continue »

Jacksonville State holds off Auburn 8-7; Todd Hornsby becomes OVC all-time saves leader

Source: Al.com by Charles Goldberg/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times

Tigers will try to bounce back while wrapping up the regular season with a three-game series at home against Florida

Baseball. Auburn Falls In Final Non-Conference Game, 8-7, To Jacksonville State

Source: Auburn Official Site

Jacksonville State scored four times in the fourth to erase a two-run deficit and then held off a late Auburn rally as Auburn fell, 8-7, on Tuesday night in its final non-conference baseball game of the season. The loss dropped Auburn's record to 29-24 while Jacksonville State improved to 24-27.

M. Golf. 2012 Auburn Signee Ryan Benton Captures ASHAA State Golf Championship

Source: Auburn Official Site

Auburn 2012 signee Ryan Benton won the AHSAA Boys 1A-2A Individual State Championship in leading Dothan's Providence Christian to the team title on Tuesday at the Robert Trent Jones Grand National Golf Course in Opelika.

Clemson RB Bellamy won't play for Tigers (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! NCAAF

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) Clemson freshman running back Mike Bellamy was ruled academically ineligible and won't return to school next fall.

Auburn’s Bronze Age: An (Incomplete) Illustrated History of Miss A.U. Tan

Source: The War Eagle Reader by Jeremy Henderson

The 1987 Miss A.U. Tan contest: "Debbie Bass is among these beauties that lined up for the judges and the audience as they compete in Auburn's annual tan contest."

That more photos from it aren’t readily available to us is something of a mystery. Because for one brief, shining, sun-oiled moment, TKE’s annual Miss A.U. Tan contest was an Auburn institution, a major campus event—it typically had upwards of 5,000 in attendance—that doubled as the embodiment of 1980s “COLLEGE” lechery. Each year, from 1981 (I think) to 1989 (I think), come late May, the Teke lawn was the cover of Hardbodies come to life, a now politically incorrect, high heeled parade of high-riding, French-cut bikinis (and those cutout monokini things) set to the live sounds of bands like Adrian Belew and King Crimson, the Dickey Betts Band, and other big time regional acts, and perfumed with the sweet sweat of Hawaiian Tropic, which along with Budweiser (Bud Man showed up a couple of times) sponsored the thing and flew winners to Daytona Beach to compete in the mega contest (First Place got you a Porsche, a Jet Ski, and an anywhere-you-wanted vacation for two).

But that there isn’t a Tumblr of Polaroids of Spuds McKenzie posing with Aubie or the eagle or Pat Dye or Lawyer Tillman, or in an Auburn shirt or something (or if—God forbid—they don’t exist) is a straight up slap in the face of Auburn’s historical record. Because according to the Glom, he was there one year—Budweiser’s bull terrier big shot was in Auburn, 1988 I believe, when his bark was at its pop culture pinnacle. That, more than anything, should show you or remind you what a big deal this thing was. Spuds, people—Spuds. That is so legit. Friends, Greeks, countrymen—lend me your ears: Comb your negatives, harvest your old trunks, plunder your fraternity scrapbooks and FIND US THAT DOG.

And if you happen across any photos (or video… has to be out there) of the contestants, feel free to send those as well so that we may regularly augment this post (we’re working on the interviews). Judging by the search terms that steer traffic our way, Miss A.U. Tan nostalgia will never yield.

Chris Milano, Miss A.U. Tan 1984

Crowd shot, Miss A.U. Tan 1985.

Crowd / leg shot, 1986.

1987.

Denise Devigne won First Place—a trip to the Bahamas—in the 1988 Miss A.U. Tan contest.

1988: "Mayon Wheeless walks across center stage to her place in the top five. Mayon was sponsored by Denaros."

1988: "Adrian Anthony struts her stuff much to the delight of the crowd. Adrian's sponsor was Body Tones."

Catherine Payne in 1989.

Tasha Burchardt, the last Miss A.U. Tan, 1989.

If you have any Miss A.U. Tan / Spuds McKenzie photos or stories you’d care to share, send them to mail@thewareaglereader.com.

Photo credits: The Auburn Plainsman, Glomerata, Opelika-Auburn News.

Related: Playboy in Auburn, 1989.

…

Keep Reading:

* Playboy photographer loved first visit to Auburn
* Elvis says “War Eagle”
* Alabama in Auburn gear
* Bo Jackson’s pencil mustache
* VIDEO: Dog dominates 1964 Auburn scrimmage
* Secondhand Shug
* Auburn’s Legend of Zelda
* Tomatoes growing at Toomer’s Corner
* That OTHER time they burned the Glom

Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Want to advertise?