Possumblog

Is that the surf I hear?!

Maybe!

Let's swing open the barn door and kickoff this week's episode of Possumblog Sports Center and find out!

The almost-undefeated, 8th-ranked Tigers of Auburn University (#4 BCS, 6-1 overall, 4-1 SEC) return to the verdant Plains this week after hosting last week's whim-doozy, action-packed, night-and-day, Jeckyl-and-Hyde, yin-yang, chocolate in my peanut butter, 27-17 victory over the Florida Gators. For once, I'm glad this is the Most Inaccurate Sports Show on the Internet, as I had predicted only a one-point victory, and they managed to give me 10.

BUT THE OUTCOME WAS NOT SO CLEAR during a lackluster first half of play. The second half, though, sir! THAT was the way Auburn can play, and should play. I realize the offense didn't score any touchdowns, but neither did they give up. They were able to move the ball, and they finally did start blocking. Still far too many sacks of po' ol' cripple Brandon Cox, but after that half-time come-to-Jesus meeting the coaches had, the boys seem to have regained their focus.

WHICH MIGHT JUST BE WASHED AWAY by the Green Wave of Tulane!

Believe it or not, in the 36 times the two opponents have met, Tulane has bettered Auburn 17 times, and the last time they played, the Tigers got drowneded by a score of 27-13! The date of that game?

October 29, 1955.

Yep, it's been 51 years since the two schools met to contest control of the prolate spheroid of porcine epidermis, even longer than it's been since Auburn won a national championship, and much has changed in that time. Helmets have face masks, there are no more tie games, there's instant replay referreeing, and Auburn has growed like Topsy. Tulane is a fine school, but one that is still devoted to educating doctors and lawyers rather than ballplay, and at about half the enrollment of AU, and the fact that this is Homecoming, you pretty much have to figure they now find themselves at a disadvantage.

Then again, you might be wrong.

As is so often the case, smaller colleges want to knock off the big guy, and sometimes the big guy is looking beyond to something on down the road, especially if he just got through playing a tough game against a more sizable opponent. Auburn seems to be especially fond of playing like this, as witnessed by the closer-than-the-score-indicated game against Buffalo. The Buffs came to play, and I think the Wave will likewise step onto Pat Dye Field looking for some redemption from an otherwise lackluster season.

And they might do it, at least for a play or two.

But Auburn is too heavy with talent, and those talents finally seem to be coming to life and realizing that they must play every game with the same intensity that they played in the second half against Florida. The final score might not be that high, because as was the plan with Buffalo, Coach Tuberville will be wanting to swap in some second and third stringers so they can get some playing time, but those boys will be working just as hard as the starters.

As with the rest of the season, the defense and special teams have toted the load, and they should do so again tomorrow, although the kicking and punting squads probably won't be required to score as many points this time. I still am mystified as to the reason the offensive front seems so porous, but QB Cox has been called out a couple of times by Tuberville for holding onto the ball a bit too long trying to make things happen. Unfortunately, the thing happening more often than not is him looking at a faceful of turf and trying to hold onto the ball. Still, if they play like they have the potential of playing, look for a lot of Kenny Irons touchdowns.

Bright spots for Tulane? Well, Tulane does have cheerleaders, and they have a lot of interesting things to say on their (sorry, but highly unattractive and kludgy and slow-loading) website. I will say that several of the guys seem a bit preoccupied with being pirates or ninjas together. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But it's another reason why guys need to just sorta be in the background.

Can't complain too much, though, as the AU cheer site is still highly ungood. ::sigh:: Thank goodness the Tiger Paws have updated theirs! THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!

SO THEN, having exhaustively looked at all the angles and theories, we wind up here and get ready to produce the Prediction of Final Outcome! After consulting the Book of Facts and Figures and staring mindlessly at a pile of pencil shavings in the trash, I am now prepared to say that the final score will be....

AUBURN 42 -- TULANE 3

Game time is 1:30 p.m. Central, with coverage via YOUR Auburn Radio Network.

BUT WAIT, THAT'S NOT ALL!!

Surely you know that we cannot let another moment go by without taking a moment to honor those athletes who compete just as hard in the classroom as they do on the field of play! That's right--time for Week 7 of The Possumblog Student Athlete of the Week.

As a resident of Trussville, I know all of us are excited whenever we get to hear Brandon Cox's name called out, since he is a hometown boy and went to school at Hewitt-Trussville High, where, just as at Auburn, he excelled in the classroom and on the football field.

BUT, he's not the ONLY rough-and-tumble H-T Husky to go on to bigger and better things in the Loveliest Village! Today we honor ANOTHER stout Trussvillite, Jennifer Jordan, a petite 21 year old junior Animal and Dairy Science major who competes on the Varsity Equestrian National Championship team in the hunt seat event. A Top Tiger in the '04-'05 season (for her community service work), she is also listed on the SEC Spring Honor Roll, and judging by her current bio, something of a fan of Nietzsche. Which is a slight change from her freshman bio, when she was more of a Van Zantian.

SO CONGRATULATIONS, Jennifer, on being the PSAotW!

Posted by Terry Oglesby at October 20, 2006 11:51 AM