If you were one of the ones penning sonnets to the genius of new Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, it’s time to start singing a different tune.

If you were one of the ones marveling at the transformation of Auburn quarterback Chris Todd, further examination is now due.

Don’t feel alone, nearly every observer of Auburn football got caught up to a degree in the blistering offensive pace of the 5-0 start. Glaring defensive deficiencies were overlooked, the relative level of competition was ignored.

It was just too easy to pick up stones and hurl them at former head coach Tommy Tuberville for his 2008 failures while basking in the faux glow of a quick start to 2009.

Others may not be ready or willing to take this step just yet, but it’s time to wonder if the 2009 Tigers are any better off than the 2008 version that crashed and burned to a 5-7 record.

Short answer? No. They’re not. In some ways, this team may be worse.

Despite a five-win start, aided by six West Virginia turnovers, the Tigers are staring at the very real possibility of a 6-6 finish, particularly when you consider that the four toughest opponents on the schedule (LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama) remain.

Yes, with Furman looming for Homecoming chances are that this team will at least make bowl eligibility, but is that really so much better than last season’s abomination?

No.

This Tiger defense is markedly worse. Over the past two games, the offense hasn’t been much better than the abysmal sludge that stunk up the 2008 campaign.

Auburn’s defense played well in patches in Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. It still missed far too many assignments and failed to make routine plays with the game on the line.

Kentucky started a freshman at quarterback who had never taken a collegiate snap. The Wildcats relied on a career backup in the second half. Still, Kentucky was able to smack the Auburn defense in the mouth.

There’s no excuse for that.

Kentucky wasn’t doing anything fancy. Auburn helped make the ‘Cats look like beasts with shoddy fundamentals, dreadful tackling and repeated mental lapses.

It’s nothing new.

The Tiger defense has a habit of doing that. The doomed no-pressure defensive scheme employed by defensive coordinator Ted Roof has given every team on the schedule, including Ball State, highlight reel material.

Through five games, Auburn’s offense was able to hide those deficiencies by scoring points in bunches.

Points are no longer coming.

After authoring a comeback story that had begun to draw national attention, quarterback Chris Todd reverted to playing like something a lactose-intolerant cat sicked up on the carpet after digging pizza out of the garbage can.

His performance against Kentucky was reminiscent of some of his worst efforts a year ago.

Todd missed open receivers, continually fired into double coverage, underthrew receivers, overthrew receivers and played with all the finesse of Pinocchio — before he was turned into a real boy.

Todd wasn’t alone in committing offensive suicide.

Twice, Auburn drives in Kentucky territory were bogged down by asinine penalties, the kind of repetitive mistakes you’d expect from a pee-wee team.

The offensive line dragged around like it had somewhere better to be.

Mario Fannin, a legitimate offensive threat, was misused.

How in two short weeks the supposed Tiger offensive juggernaut turned into the Hindenburg is a mystery. Oh the humanity.

Malzahn’s stock has crashed harder than Wachovia’s portfolio. That wizard hat he was wearing after an offense-fueled 5-0 start has looked an awful lot like a dunce cap the last two weeks.

With the exception of some hard-nosed running by senior tailback Ben Tate, Auburn’s offense was at least as ineffective as a year ago. It wasn’t clever, it wasn’t cute, it wasn’t innovative.

It was, instead, predictable, plodding and pedestrian. The playcalling, particularly in critical situations, would have made even Tony Franklin sputter in disbelief.

It looked, quite frankly, like a high school offensive coordinator suddenly realizing he was in over his head.

Is it possible that former Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt was actually right when he wrested control of the Hog offense from Malzahn midway through Malzahn’s one-season tenure with the Razorbacks?

Auburn’s wunderkind coordinator Malzahn has been outmaneuvered by two middle of the pack SEC lambs in Arkansas and Kentucky. Both the ‘Hogs and ‘Cats were winless in the league before facing Auburn.

It’s gruesome to think what feast the lions remaining on Auburn’s schedule will have at the Tiger’s expense if Malzahn isn’t able to conjure up something more effective than the gory mishmash he’s gagged out the past two weeks.

What happened Saturday night was a fail of epic proportions. A slight improvement by the defense — but again remember that Kentucky was playing without its starting quarterback — was completely squandered by a dreadful offense.

Auburn is not a good football team by SEC standards.

There are some legitimate excuses regarding talent and depth, but much of what happened on Saturday can be directly attributed to poor coaching. No offense to Kentucky fans, but Auburn should not lose to Kentucky at home. period.

The Arkansas loss was supposed to be a learning situation. Maybe what Auburn learned is that it just isn’t as good as the fast start indicated.

After last season went off the rails, Auburn made wholesale changes. A ten-year veteran with a proven track record was forced out. An entirely new coaching staff was brought in. Through seven games, the Tigers are no better off than they were a year ago. In fact, they may be even worse.

“Tell the sculptor to hold off on that statue of me and Gene Chizik. What? I don’t care if he’s 90% done with it, tell him to put a hold on it, we’re not putting it out in front of the stadium just yet.”

For the past two-and-a-half hours, Jacobs watched as the Arkansas Razorbacks served a healthy dose of 44-23 humility to the Auburn football program.

Some Auburn fans who booed Jacobs after he hired 5-19 Chizik to coach the Tiger football program had changed their tune after a 5-0 start to 2009. Lost in the rush to celebrate the resurgence and issue calls for the college football world to apologize for thinking Chizik didn’t have the credentials to handle the task was the fact that Auburn’s first five games were, if not cupcakes, at least in the pastry family.

Arkansas served notice that while the rush to judge Chizik’s 5-19 record might have been premature, so, too was the urge to wave the 5-0 start as a definitive case for proving the skeptics wrong.

It wasn’t just that Auburn suffered its first loss under new head coach Chizik, it was the way in which the Hogs administered the reality check.

When you’re playing on the road in the SEC, there is a checklist to follow, otherwise you’re going to get embarrassed.

1) Don’t turn the ball over

Fail. Auburn did. The Tigers fumbled four times, losing three. All four were devastating. Arkansas scored 17 points following Auburn turnovers.

In the second quarter, after Arkansas had gone up 13-0, Mario Fannin fumbled the kickoff at the Tiger 35. Three plays later, the deficit was 20.

In the third, trailing 27-3, Auburn’s opening possession churned deep into Arkansas territory. Running back Ben Tate dropped a handoff at the Arkansas goal line when he would have scored easily. The Razorbacks recovered, hit a 38-yard pass on third down and went on to up the advantage to 34-3.

After Auburn clawed back into the game, reeling off 20 -7 run to close to 41-23, Tiger quarterback Chris Todd fumbled the snap on 4th-and-inches. He recovered the ball, but failed to convert the first down. Arkansas didn’t score, but the Razorbacks were able to bleed two minutes off the clock.

On the following possession, Todd was sacked and coughed up the ball at the Tiger 10-yard line. Arkansas punched a field goal through to push the final score to 44-23.

2) Don’t give up big plays on special teams

Fail. Auburn did.

Fannin fumbled the kickoff, leading to one Arkansas score.

After Auburn had gained momentum and closed the deficit to a manageable 34-23, the Tigers surrendered a 70-yard kickoff return. Eight plays later, it was 41-23.

3) Sustain drives on offense

Fail. Auburn didn’t.

The Tigers were a miserable 4-of-14 on third downs. Auburn only had three drives that consisted of more than five plays. Five of Auburn’s 14 possessions ended in three plays or less.

4) Keep the opposing offense off the field

Fail. Auburn didn’t.

Arkansas put together a 12-play drive, a 10-play march, and two eight-play series. The Hogs went three and out just three times.

5) Don’t commit penalties

Fail. Auburn did.

The Tigers were flagged eight times for 56 yards, nearly every step-off coming at the worst possible time. Arkansas got six first downs by way of penalty.

Four of Arkansas’ six touchdown drives were extended by penalty. All four featured at least one pass interference call, some of which were phantom but flagged nonetheless.

Everything that could go wrong for the Tigers did go wrong. The team was uninspired, unemotional, and ill-prepared. That’s coaching.

Those of you baking dishes of crow and demanding apologies from those who had the audacity to criticize the once 5-0 Tiger head coach Chizik? Better wrap that crow up tightly in tinfoil and put it in the freezer. Doesn’t look like you’ll be getting to serve it for a while. Better dig out your reality recipes instead.

Auburn’s defense is simply abysmal. Depth is a consideration, but not enough to justify what the Razorbacks exposed on Saturday. You can’t blame depth when the first string is getting abused on the opening series of the game.

Chizik’s reputation as a defensive genius was tarnished by the steady decline of his defenses at Iowa State. Through five games, Auburn’s defense has been horror-movie frightening, but a steady Tiger dose of offense was able to mask the issues.

When the offense struggles, as it did against Arkansas, the deficiencies are there for all to see—and mock.

If you watched film on Arkansas, you knew the way to defuse the Razorback offense was to bring pressure on quarterback Ryan Mallet. Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof must have been watching reruns of Gomer Pyle, USMC in the film room instead.

The Tigers brought zero heat, never rushing more than four and often sending only three. As any eight-year old could predict, the result was Mallett torching the Tiger secondary.

Eight different Hogs caught Mallett passes for a total of 274 yards.

The lack of pressure also opened holes for Arkansas running backs, who generally weren’t touched until they reached the second level of Tiger defense, three or more yards down the field.

Arkansas rushed for 221total yards, with Michael Smith busting 145 of that.

It wasn’t just that Arkansas put points on the board, it was the ease with which the damage was done that was alarming.

Let’s be brutally honest. Every team Auburn has played so far, including Ball State, has abused the Auburn defense at some point. The Tiger stopping unit has yet to play well enough to win a game, but the offense until Saturday was able to compensate.

Ah, the offense.

How do you explain the debacle that was Saturday? How does one of the nation’s best offenses (statistically) get punked by one of the nation’s worst defenses (statistically)?

First, blame the defense. Your gameplan changes when the hole keeps getting bigger and bigger.

That’s not the whole story, though.

Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn appeared to have outcoached himself. Could it be that he wanted to win so badly on the field of his former employer that he allowed that primal urge to overcome the basic concepts that could have changed the game?

Something was decidedly different.

Auburn scored on a few quick-strike runs in the third quarter, but the Tiger offense was never able to sustain anything on a consistent basis. Auburn was out of sync from the start.

After Todd took the initial snap of the game and lost two yards on a screen pass, Kodi Burns took the offensive reins. Auburn fans have seen that movie before. It didn’t have a happy ending.

Scramble, incomplete, punt.

The next time the Tigers got the ball, Auburn was down six points.

False start penalties plagued the next two Auburn possessions and Todd overthrew a wide open Terrell Zachary for what could have been an easy touchdown.

Opportunity to change the dynamic of the game missed.

Auburn’s defense did a fairly effective job of containing the Hogs after the opening series. But as the Tiger offense continued to sputter and waste opportunities, the seams began to crack.

After the third consecutive Tiger possession went nowhere, Auburn had a chance to get Arkansas off the field again, but a third down stop was nullified by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Zac Etheridge who forgot the cardinal rule: He who retaliates for getting punched in the face is the one who gets flagged.

A ticky pass interference call one play later moved the ball 15 more yards and the Hogs put it in the end zone.

Fannin fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the dam broke.

The Tiger offense tried trickery when it should have simply punched the Hogs in the face. It tried to be things it isn’t, as when Todd went under center on a fourth and short and was unable to handle the snap.

It never established a rhythm, never found a groove and allowed a relatively pedestrian defense to slap it around like a crying dirty diaper baby at Wal Mart.

Chizik, the king of platitudes, will likely repeat one of his standard phrases to try to put the loss in perspective.

Look for this comment from Chizik: “It’s never as good as it seems and it’s never as bad as it seems.”

Or maybe he’ll trot out the “Every Saturday is different” cliche.

Regardless of which phrase he plucks from Trite Sayings for Coaches Vol. 1 there’s really no excuse for what transpired Saturday.

Auburn did a lot of the damage to itself. It made a bad team look like a world beater.

The question for the Tigers now is how to respond. Put the 5-0 start away. What Chizik does in his next six opportunities will more clearly define whether an apology from the doubters is warranted.

This wasn’t ever going to be a 12-0 type team. Auburn was going to lose games. This won’t be the only time the Tigers walk away on the short end of the scoreboard this season. Losses happen. Looking like lumpy kitty litter in the process shouldn’t.

Things weren’t as bad as they seemed. Every Saturday is different. If the Tigers don’t learn from this and find some way to rectify the problems exposed by an Arkansas team that, frankly, isn’t nearly as good as Auburn made them look there are going to be a lot of Saturdays down the road that seem the same—and just as bad.

All signs point to a high noon (well high elevenish at least) wild SEC West shootout. When the dust clears in the streets of Fayetteville tomorrow afternoon, one gunslinger will put a sixth notch on his pistol while the other crumples to a fatal 0-3 league sprawl.

Auburn will dodge the Mallet bullets, and utilize the Gatling gun, Gus Malzahn-directed offensive arsenal of Chris Todd, Ben Tate, Onterrio McCalebb, Darvin Adams, Mario Fannin, Tommy Trott and Terrell Zachary to shoot down the hopes of the ‘Hogs.

If you listen really closely right now you can hear the squealing. “What about Arkansas’ offense,” it goes. “We don’t just have Mallett, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, Jarius Wright and Michael Smith. We can score too!”

Yes, Hog fans, you do have those weapons. Arkansas has scored points in bunches this season.

Here’s the rub. Arkansas has only faced one SEC-level defense so far this season: Alabama. How did the Razorbacks fare against the Tide? Seven points.

Mallet threw 41 passes and completed only 16 for 191 yards. As a team Arkansas rushed for a meager 63 yards.

Nobody’s saying the Auburn defense is akin to the 17th Annual Crimson Tide “As Good as 1992″ defense. It’s probably not in the same neighborhood at this point.

Auburn is in the SEC, however. Despite some obvious flaws and some busted assignments, the Tiger stopping unit is better than any of the rest of the teams Arkansas has played to this point.

Texas A&M on whom the ‘Hogs dumped 47 points? The Aggies are 75th in the country in total defense despite having played only New Mexico State, Utah State and UAB before venturing to Arkansas.

Here’s another eye opener. Utah State punished A&M, racking up 521 total yards on the Aggies. USU rolled up 334 of those through the air. It makes Mallett’s highlight-filled day against A&M just a little less impressive.

Georgia’s 64th in the nation in total defense. Missouri State? Well, they’re 1-AA.

The other problem is that the Razorbacks are one-dimensional. Through four games, against highly suspect competition, the ‘Hogs have failed to establish any rushing game to speak of. As a team, Arkansas has a total of just over 500 yards.

The Hogs rushed for 155 total yards against Georgia, 63 against Alabama, and 163 against Texas A&M.

When you look at it like that, Arkansas’ offense isn’t quite as frightening.

If Auburn’s defense stops the run game and puts even limited pressure on Mallett, it could be a long afternoon for the Hogs. Conversely, if the Tigers opt not to pressure Mallett and give him ample time to stand in the pocket, he does have the capacity to pick the secondary apart.

As criticized as the Auburn defense has been, and the Tigers have suffered their share of slings and arrows, it is ranked higher than any defense (other than Alabama) Arkansas has faced this season. The Tigers weigh in at 53rd.

Auburn will contain Arkansas, not stop them completely.

The question then becomes how the Tiger offense will fare against the Arkansas defense.

That’s when the shooting starts.

The ‘Hogs are currently ranked 97th in total defense. Only one team on Auburn’s schedule to this point is ranked lower – Ball State, a team the Tigers torched for 54 points.

Arkansas has not stopped anyone this season. The ‘Hogs have barely slowed them down. Texas A&M racked up 484 yards. Georgia posted 530. Alabama rolled for 425.

None of those teams have the offensive firepower Auburn has shown through four games.

Auburn trucked Tennessee for 459 yards in a game that was significantly more lopsided than the final score reflected. Tennessee was in the top ten in the nation defensively at the time the Tigers plowed through the Vols.

Auburn enters Saturday’s showdown ranked second in the nation in scoring offense, behind Texas. The Tigers are fifth in total offense.

A balanced attack is at the core of Malzah’s offense. Auburn split almost dead even at Tennessee, rushing for 224 and passing for 235.

Malzahn has also shown he isn’t afraid to play to what the defense gives him. When West Virginia sold out to stop the run, Malzahn called on Todd who lit up the Mountaineers for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

If the Razorbacks stuff the box to deny Tate and McCalebb, Todd has proven he has the tools to move the ball through the air.

There’s also this to consider.

Arkansas native Malzahn spent one controversy-filled season on the Razorback sideline.

Hired by Houston Nutt to implement his innovative offense but never fully given the reins, Malzahn departed for Tulsa. The split was acrimonious, divided the fanbase and may have helped hasten Nutt’s own departure from Arkansas a year later. Nutt’s critics note it was the only ten-win season of his Arkansas tenure.

Malzahn returned to his old stomping grounds last season as a member of the Golden Hurricane staff.

His Conference USA Tulsa squad posted 23 points and more than 500 yards of offense but were unable to take down his former employers. Arkansas prevailed 30-23.

The Golden Hurricanes had the ball at the Arkansas seven late in the game when a failed fourth down attempt derailed their bid to tie.

Malzahn has many more weapons at his disposal as offensive coordinator at Auburn than he did at Tulsa. He’s shown he knows how to use them.

Against Auburn’s defense, the Razorbacks will score. Against Arkansas’ defense, Malzahn’s Tigers will score more.

When the guns stop blazing on Saturday, Auburn will holster its pistol, wipe its brow and take a long swig from the 6-0 flask.

Enjoy the moment. There are much bigger and badder hombres kicking up dust on the horizon.

First the good news.

Auburn is 5-0. With a game against Furman still to come, the Tigers are all but assured a bowl game, which at the beginning of the season was considered a reasonable goal for 2009. Given the current state of the SEC, expectations for an upper tier bowl are now not unreasonable.

Tiger head coach Gene Chizik notched his first road win as a head coach in one of the most hostile environments in the league and in the process extended Auburn’s winning streak over its longtime rival.

Chizik’s young team proved it can maintain focus and thrive away from the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

It will be almost impossible for poll voters to ignore Auburn now. The Tigers should crack the poll for the first time since a loss to Arkansas slammed Auburn from the rankings on October 11 a year ago.

Auburn’s offense acquitted itself well against a Monte Kiffin-directed Tennessee defense that had clamped down on the Florida Gators and was expected to provide a significant challenge to a resurgent Tiger offense.

Auburn moved the ball significantly better against Tennessee than did the nation’s number one team, Florida. The Tigers put up better numbers despite the efforts of more than 100,000 Volunteer fans in Knoxville. Florida had the luxury of taking down the Vols at home.

Auburn piled up 459 total yards on Rocky Top. Florida managed just 323.

Running back Ben Tate continued to chew up the opposition, rolling up 128 yards on 25 carries. On one highlight-reel quality hit, Tate lowered his shoulder and sent All American safety Eric Berry pinwheeling into a backward slide.

If that doesn’t give you pause, try to wrap your mind around this::

Tiger quarterback Chris Todd outperformed Florida Heisman Trophy winner (and presumed favorite unless you’re Lou Holtz and have an unhealthy obsession with all things Notre Dame) Tebow.

Todd was 19 of 32 passing for 218 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw an interception and wasn’t sacked. Against the Vols, Tebow threw for a meager 115 yards. He was sacked three times and was picked off once. Florida’s superman did rush for 105 yards on 24 attempts, but that’s not the role Todd is required to play.

Nobody’s cranking up a Todd for Heisman campaign yet, but the Auburn quarterback has numbers that rank near the top of the SEC in every significant category. Todd is second in the league in yards per game with an average of 246. He’s fourth in passing efficiency.

He is cool and efficient in running offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s game plan. Todd took his lumps against Tennessee as the Vols brought pressure and hit Todd often. He took the punishment and delivered despite the beating he suffered.

The special teams gaffes that plagued the Tigers in all four games were non-existent on Saturday. Onterrio McCalebb’s kickoff returns were electric.

His fourth-quarter return, in particular, flipped field position and provided the Tigers momentum that should have finished off the Volunteers.

Auburn did no damage on punt returns but that includes damage to itself which has been a weekly occurrence. Fair catches ruled the day and while they limited field position with four coming inside the Tiger 20, there were no muffs or bobbles.

Wes Byrum continued solid place-kicking work, hitting three of four field goals.

Overall, it was a fairly thorough domination and a game Auburn never seemed in jeopardy of losing control over.

At the very least, the Tigers established themselves as a team that will require attention by the rest of the SEC.

Now for the bad. And it’s not all bad.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the game should not have been nearly as close as the final score reflected.

Auburn’s performance was much more dominant than it would appear on the surface. The Tigers wasted several opportunities to drive a stake through Tennessee’s heart. Auburn should have put Tennessee away and finished with a 10-15 point differential instead of the final four-point spread.

As the Tigers navigate a progressively more difficult October schedule, Auburn can’t afford to waste scoring opportunities.

McCalebb dropped a pass in the end zone that should have been caught for one touchdown.

Late in the game, leading 23-16, Auburn had the ball inside the Tennessee five. Malzahn seemed to abandon his traditional method of attack content to drain the clock and kick a field goal for a 26-16 advantage with 34 seconds remaining.

Those two series alone would have been enough to turn a 26-22 win into a more typical for 2009 37-13 type spanking.

As it turned out, the field goal on the last offensive series was needed as Tennessee covered 79 yards in the final 34 seconds to tack on a consolation touchdown on the last play of the game.

There were worse final 34 second spans on Saturday. Georgia suffered one when LSU’s Charles Scott broke loose for a game-winning score.

But the worst of all came when Ball State allowed a long game-winning pass for a score in the waning seconds against Toledo.

Auburn didn’t suffer the ignominy that either the Bulldogs or Cardinals did, but still, the ease with which the Volunteers motored down the field as time ticked down is a concern.

Auburn’s defense played relatively well most of the game. The Tigers did an excellent job of containing Tennessee’s rushing attack, holding the Vols to 163 yards on the ground, well below their season average.

Tennessee opened the game with a 41-yard rush but that first series ended with a missed field goal. Nine of the next ten Volunteer possessions finished with a punt.

The lone exception was a seven-play 70 yard touchdown march at the end of the first half.

If you’re being honest, however, you have to acknowledge that many of the punting situations were caused as much by Tennessee miscues as they were outstanding Tiger defensive efforts.

Volunteer receivers dropped pass after pass. Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton threw in front of, over, behind and in front of open receivers.

Frustration was high. Just prior to the Vols late first half drive, ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews noted chaos on the Tennessee sideline with coaches and players having to be physically separated.

Yet Auburn could not take full advantage of the turmoil.

Tennessee players know better than to ask Crompton to pass the salt at dinner because it’s likely to be intercepted before it gets there. Crompton had at least one pick in every game dating back to his first pee-wee effort. But he didn’t have one Saturday.

Instead, Crompton had one of his best days as a Vol.

The much maligned Tennessee quarterback played like Tom Brady in the fourth quarter against Auburn after playing like Marsha Brady for most of the last two years.

Auburn took a 23-6 lead with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter and appeared to have the game well in hand.

Despite the desperation of the situation it was like the light went on for the Volunteer offense.

Tennessee churned 62 yards in seven plays, burning less than two minutes off the clock. Crompton, who’d shown all the finesse of a brick layer through three quarters caught fire. He hit four of five passes including a 31 yarder for a touchdown that trimmed Auburn’s lead to 23-13.

After a defensive stop, Crompton went back to work. He was six of 12 on a 72-yard drive that resulted in a field goal. Four of the six completions gave Tennessee a first down, including an 18-yard completion on fourth and six.

From 23-6, Tennessee closed to 23-16.

McCalebb’s return and the Byrum field goal that ended Auburn’s next possession effectively slammed the door, but in the final two drives, Crompton went from being a liability to at least window shopping the hero’s cape.

He padded his stats with 64 yards on three completions in the final 34 seconds. Of his 259 total passing yards, 181 of them came in the fourth quarter.

Part of the reason for Crompton’s success was Auburn failed to pressure him. The Tigers didn’t register a sack and Auburn defenders were credited with a mere five hurries, a number that is probably generous.

Auburn managed to survive a revitalized Crompton over the final ten minutes of the game, but his success has to buoy the confidence of the Ryan Mallets, Jevan Sneads and Greg McElroys waiting down the road.

That’s a worry for next week.

Auburn is 5-0. The Tigers will likely be ranked for the first time in a calendar year when the polls come out today. Auburn is a virtual lock for a bowl game and probably a win or two away from getting New Year’s Day consideration. The positives far outweigh the negatives.

Predicting the outcome of an upcoming game normally takes a bit of research, particularly early in the season. For that reason, predictions normally come on Thursday, giving a few days to digest the events of the week that just transpired.

No such research is required this week.

The Auburn Tigers (3-0) will annihilate the Ball State Cardinals (0-3).

Little known fact: Joyce DeWitt, who played Janet on the 70s sitcom Three’s Company is a Ball State alumnus. Even if she and TV co-star Suzanne Sommers (in their prime) were prancing the sidelines Cardinal cheerleader outfits it wouldn’t help Ball State avoid a Saturday thrashing.

Auburn rides buoyed confidence after surviving both a monsoon and early roundhouse kicks from West Virginia 41-30 last Saturday night.

After the Mountaineers connected on a 58-yard pass on the opening series and a 71-yard run on their second possession enroute to a 14-0 first quarter lead, the Auburn defense changed tactics and denied the big play,

West Virginia managed just four plays of 20-plus yards over the remaining three and a half quarters. One of those came on the last snap of the game.

The Mountaineers were intent on making Auburn quarterback Chris Todd beat them with his arm. He did, throwing for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

While the Tigers are cresting, Ball State limps into Saturday’s meeting with more negative momentum than a Scott Baio TV pilot.

The Cardinals are reeling after three losses, one to an abysmal North Texas squad.

Ball State was a bowl team a year ago, but head coach Brady Hoke fled to San Diego State, where he is coincidentally the boss of former Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges.

The Cardinal team that made the GMAC Bowl a year ago is also without record-setting quarterback Nate Davis, who leaped to the NFL and was drafted in the fifth round by San Francisco, as well as a handful of other significant skill players.

Little known fact: Jim Davis, cartoonist and creator of the Garfield comic strip is a graduate of Ball State. Not even Davis could draw up a scenario where the Cardinals have a chance.

North Texas spanked Ball State 20-10 in the opener. The Mean Green followed that with a loss to Ohio (not State) and a 53-7 thrashing at Alabama.

New Hampshire shocked the Cardinals in week two 23-16. The Wildcats are 2-0 with big showdowns against Hofstra, Dartmouth and Towson coming up. That’s right, New Hampshire is 1-AA.

Army punked Ball State 24-17 in the third week of the season. Army lost to Duke 35-19. In football, not basketball.

Of some consolation to Cardinal fans, at least the offense is improving each week. Ten to sixteen to seventeen.

Maybe against an Auburn defense that has struggled at times, Ball State can post 18 or even 19.

The host Tigers will likely match that in the first quarter.

It’s true you can’t do the comparative score analysis because it never works. If it did hold true, you could pencil in a pretty convincing win by LSU over USC given the results of their respective efforts at Washington.

Wait, bad example. Who’s to say those Tigers wouldn’t clock the Trojans? Obviously not ESPUSCN, but you have to look past their cam-crush on Pete and the men from Troy.

Back to Auburn and Ball State.

Little known fact: John Schattner, founder of the Papa John’s Pizza chain, is a graduate of Ball State’s Miller School of Business. Not even Papa John himself can deliver a Cardinal win.

Barring an unforeseen calamity of Biblical proportions, Auburn will win this game.

Since the outcome is all but pre-determined, what should Tiger fans hope to get out of the contest?

One, Auburn needs to get backup quarterback Neil Caudle some reps. Caudle fought his way to the number two slot in the signal calling pecking order and desperately needs to take significant snaps to help prepare him should he be needed in this campaign as well as to season him for his final Auburn campaign in 2010.

Two, the Tigers need to establish depth at the linebacker positions. With true freshmen and walk-ons pressed into duty, it is imperative for Auburn to get them accustomed to game speed. It’s not a matter of if they will be needed as with Caudle, but when.

Three, Auburn must see how it handles success. The win over West Virginia was emotionally draining, physically demanding and mentally challenging. Can the Tigers psych themselves up for an opponent that really offers little challenge?

Sandwiched between the revenge-motivated battle with West Virginia and a looming visit to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers, the Ball State game has all the hallmarks of a trap game.

In the past, Auburn has come out flat in similar circumstances. A week after one of the most physical, emotional games in Auburn history, a 7-3 win over LSU in 2006, the Tigers were listless against Buffalo. Auburn eventually prevailed 38-7, but the starters were unable to get the much-needed rest anticipated.

It is imperative for the Tigers to take Ball State by the throat, dominate early and let the second and third line players gain experience.

Four, Auburn must show it can handle looking ahead. Next week’s visit to Tennessee is one of four linchpins to Auburn’s season. The Rocky Top showdown grew significantly more interesting after the Volunteers tugged on Superman’s cape in the Swamp and effectively thwarted the Gator offense. Tennessee didn’t have enough offensive firepower to engineer a legitimate threat to the Florida dynasty– let’s face it, a wet firecracker has more pop — but the Vol defense sent a message.

The chess match between white-hot Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and wizened Tennessee defensive guru Monte Kiffin will be well worth watching.

On Saturday, none of that anticipation can be in the minds or eyes of the Tigers. Take care of the business at hand first before looking to the next challenge.

Five, Auburn must develop additional weapons. Darvin Adams (three touchdown catches against West Virginia) has established himself as Auburn’s go-to receiver. Ben Tate and Onterrio McCalebb have turned the rushing game on its ear. For the Tigers to have continued success, DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake must integrate themselves into the offense. Electric Mario Fannin needs more touches.

Ball State provides an opportunity to work on bringing more of the game to those potential game breakers.

And six, the Tiger defense must work on fundamentals. Poor tackling allowed West Virginia to gain positive yards when they should have been stopped for a loss.

Auburn can’t seem to get off the field on third down regardless of the distance. A team can’t surrender third and ten-plus yards and be successful on a consistent basis.

Little known fact: David Letterman, long time host of Late Night with David Letterman on CBS is an alumnus of Ball State. Not even Letterman can find the Top Ten reasons Ball State has a chance against the Tigers.

The last time Auburn and Ball State squared off, the result was a 63-3 Tiger win in 2006. That Auburn team, under Borges, averaged 32 points per game — one of only two Auburn offenses to average more than 30 points per game in the last decade.

The conservative approach once favored by the Tigers is out the window under Malzahn.

Auburn’s new offensive coordinator thrives on a fast pace.  His goal is to find creative ways to neutralize the defense. Malzahn’s offense probes for chinks in the defensive armor and then hammers relentlessly at those cracks until the armor crumbles under the pressure.

Forget field position, Malzahn believes every offensive possession should result in points.

That’s bad news for the Cardinals.

Little known fact: Current Ball State coach Stan Parrish has already led his Cardinals against a Malzahn-coached offense. When Hoke abandoned Muncie for sunny California, Parrish stepped in and directed the Ball State effort in the GMAC Bowl against Tulsa, where Malzahn directed the offense.

With less talent at Tulsa than he has at his disposal at Auburn, Malzahn’s Golden Hurricane offense rolled up 45 points in a 45-13 win.

On Saturday, 45 would be merciful.

It seems like it’s been a long time since Auburn football was fun.

It hasn’t really, but the ache of 2008 was so strong that it feels like Auburn fans have been wandering the proverbial desert for 40 years.

New offensive coordinator Gus Malzhan is well on the road to changing that dynamic.

In his first two games with the Tigers, Malzhan has helped shred the team’s offensive record books, sent the scoreboard pinwheeling and put the Tigers at as solid a 2-0 as could have possibly been hoped for.

To say that Malzhan’s offense has so far exceeded expectations is like saying Kate Beckinsale is sort of pretty.

The evolution of that offense and the potential it brings to a Tiger team that has watched numerous seasons bog down with offensive inefficiency, adds a whole new dimension to fun at Jordan Hare Stadium.

How fun was Saturday night’s 49-24 demolition of Mississippi State?

It was mascot Aubie dancing with the band fun.

In the game’s final five minutes, fans were watching a play-by-play yardage total on the Jumbotron, urging the second team to gain a few more yards so Auburn could top 600 total on the night.

The Tigers didn’t quite get there, finishing with 589. Still, it was the second straight 500-plus yard outing for a Tiger offense that had difficulty gaining any yardage a year ago.  Through two games, the Tigers have amassed a school-record 1,145 yards.

Auburn didn’t break the 1,100 yard mark as a team until the fourth game of 2008.

Ben Tate and Onterrio McCalebb both topped the 100-yard mark for the second straight time. It’s the first time in school history two backs have gone over 100 yards in consecutive games.

Tate finished with 157 yards and didn’t play a single snap in the first quarter.  McCalebb added 115 on just 15 carries.  Both Tate and McCalebb averaged more than seven yards per attempt.

Tate finished 2008 with 664 yards, even after rushing for 117 in the season opener. The Tiger senior has racked up 272 already in 2009.

Kodi Burns ran for three touchdowns and passed for another on a well executed run fake that drew the entire Mississippi State defense in.

Auburn put up 49 points (and should have had more) against a Mississippi State team traditionally known for its defense.

Auburn scored more than 40 points only once in the last three seasons: a 55-20 win over New Mexico State in 2007.

The combined total of 86 points through two games is the best since Auburn put 63 on Ball State and followed that with 37 against Western Kentucky in 2005.

Auburn’s two-game total margin of victory, 49 points, is the widest of any two consecutive games since Auburn blasted Washington State 40-14 and then hammered Mississippi State 34-0 in 2006.

Last season’s well-chronicled 5-7 debacle aside, Auburn won a lot of games over the last few years. The Tigers posted nine wins in 2005, 11 in 2006 and nine more in 2007.

So many of those were gut wrenching, close ball games where the Tigers relied on their defense to hold the opposition at bay while the offense did just enough to win.  The record is littered with 23-17, 22-15, 17-3 type scores.

Former head coach Tommy Tuberville, despite a reputation as a riverboat gambler, grew increasingly conservative over the course of his 10-year Auburn tenure.

The 2009 edition of the Tigers under new head coach Gene Chizik seemingly has no such conservative bent.

Case in point: Mississippi State blocked a second quarter punt to take a 17-14 lead with just 4:44 remaining in the first half.

In previous seasons, the Tigers might have been content to play it safe, run out the clock and plan for the second half.

No longer. Auburn roared 80 yards in just five plays, burning a mere 1:36 off the clock to retake the lead. McCalebb covered the final 48 yards on a charge around left end.

When the defense held Mississippi State to one first down on its ensuing possession, the Auburn coaching staff judiciously used its timeouts to preserve the clock.

Auburn got the ball back at its own 22 with just 1:29 remaining.

Sit on the ball and protect the lead? No thanks.

Todd hit Darvin Adams for 21 yards on a third and eight.

After a five-yard bullrush by Tate, Todd and Adams connected again for 28 yards.  A 20-yard Todd to Adams completion moved the ball to the Bulldog one with 21 seconds still remaining.

Burns plunged in from there for one of his three touchdowns on the night.

Instead of taking a 17-14 deficit and a basket of questions to the halftime locker room, the Tigers posted two scores in the final 4:44 and carried a truckload of confidence to the break.

The Bulldogs were never a factor after that.

Yes, it’s only Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State.  Tech may struggle this season as evidenced by the 32-7 thrashing administered by Navy on Saturday.

MSU may not win a single conference game and most observers peg the Bulldogs as the league’s worst team.

But the Auburn of the last five years didn’t beat the Louisiana Techs and Mississippi States as thoroughly as this Auburn team did.  Those Auburn teams won more than their share of games.

It’s too early to begin building the Gene Chizik pedestal. It’s not time to start minting the Gene Chizik coins.  Unless you live in Iowa, where that was already done, that is.

It is time to recognize that if nothing else, Chizik and his staff have found a way to make football at Auburn fun again.

Now it’s time to see if they can make the Tigers relevant.  The road to relevance starts with 2-0 West Virginia on Saturday.

A year ago Auburn and Mississippi State waged one of the ugliest football games in the history of the college sport.

Auburn prevailed 3-2 on the strength of a 35-yard Wes Byrum field goal in the second quarter.

It was Chris Todd’s first full game as the starter after sharing duties with Kodi Burns, and Todd was serviceable, hitting 15 of 26 passes for 154 yards.

Ben Tate topped the century mark, rushing for 102 yards.

But the Tigers couldn’t score. While Byrum hit the second quarter field goal, he also missed an 18-yard attempt and flubbed a 38-yarder.

Auburn was a miserable three of 16 on third down conversions. Only two drives consisted of eight plays; nine covered five or fewer.

The Tigers’ last two offensive possessions ended in fumbles.

It was a hideous display. Everything about Auburn’s offensive effort looked out of sync.

The only consolation was that for all Auburn’s offensive woes, the Tiger defense was devastatingly effective.

Mississippi State did not convert a single third down the entire game. The Bulldogs’ most effective possession covered 22 yards in five plays and ended in a punt.

MSU punted an astounding 10 times.

When the Bulldogs recovered a Todd fumble at the Tiger 32, the defense denied the scoring threat. MSU penetrated only as far as the Tiger 21 and then failed to convert a field goal opportunity.

That’s one primary reason why Auburn will beat Mississippi State on Saturday.

The Tiger defense has traditionally handled whatever Mississippi State has thrown at it.   Since 2001, the Bulldogs have scored a grand total of 76 points against the Tigers.  MSU managed a mere 22 over the last four years.  In the last nine meetings, MSU is 2-7 against the Tigers.

The Tiger defense should be able to control the offensive schemes of new Bulldog head coach Dan Mullen, who will learn that life in the SEC is a little tougher when you don’t have Tim Tebow running the show.

MSU Coach Dan Mullen

Mullen’s Bulldogs will still be extremely dangerous, particularly with Chris Relf calling the shots.

After MSU’s mediocre first half in the season opener under starter Tyson Lee, Relf came on and led the Bulldogs to scores on five of six second half possessions.

The 6′3″, 230-lb. redshirt sophomore may have wrangled the starting job away from Lee, who opened against Jackson State on Saturday but left in the second quarter and did not return to action.

The Bulldogs looked quicker and more polished against Jackson State than they did all last season, but Jackson State isn’t exactly SEC caliber.

In a head-to-head matchup, the edge goes to the Auburn defense.

Auburn’s front four should control the line of scrimmage, and that will take pressure off the greener secondary.

The question for the Tigers is whether Auburn’s emerging offensive firepower can overcome the Bulldog defense.

To paraphrase the president, “yes, they can.”

Take away the last two stunted seasons, where Auburn would have had difficulty putting points on the board against a team of junior high cheerleaders, and Auburn averages close to 30 points per game since 2001.

Over the last four years, while State cobbled together just 22 (19 of that coming in a 19-14 win in 2007), Auburn posted 79 points.

Auburn’s offense under new coordinator Gus Malzahn showed signs of evolving last week against Louisiana Tech. The Tigers played with much greater confidence and poise.

The infusion of speed in the person of SEC freshman Onterio McCalebb adds a new dimension to the Tiger backfield.

Byrum seems to have rectified the yips that plagued his sophomore season and kicked the ball with greater authority.

Mississippi State’s defense won’t hold Auburn to three points again, and that  bodes well for the Tigers.

Mississippi State will likely be better on offense under Mullen, but the down side for the Bulldogs is that Auburn should be significantly improved under Malzhan.

Auburn is probably two touchdowns a game better on offense than they were at this point last season.

With the Tiger defense holding State in check, that boosted confidence and production will be more than enough.

Even if that supposition turns out not to be true, the tale told in Saturday intangibles points to the Bulldogs’ demise.

When Mississippi State took the field against Jackson State on Saturday, the team performed a choreographed dance routine that included more moves than a Lady Gaga video.

The pre-game dance ended with players jumping in unison and barking. One word came to mind as the spectacle unfolded: undisciplined.

The Bulldogs were just that.

Mississippi State committed a dozen penalties that cost them 152 yards. The Bulldogs put the ball on the ground four times, losing two. Bulldog kicker Sean Brauchle missed two very makeable field goals, one from 38 yards and another from 37.

Those are the kinds of things that will get you killed in the SEC.

Auburn faced a tougher opponent than Mississippi State did in week one and showed greater poise in completing its assignments.

At home, under the lights, that gives the Tigers more than enough of an advantage.

The Tigers should pull away down the stretch and give Gene Chizik his first SEC win and a realistic shot at opening his Auburn tenure 4-0.

Fresh off an exciting 37-13 win over a good Louisiana Tech team, the Auburn football team will be paid a visit by Mississippi State on Saturday night. First year head man Dan Mullen guided the Bulldogs to a convincing win over Jackson State in Week 1. Now it’s the SEC opener for him and for new Auburn coach Gene Chizik.

It’s an important game for Auburn to win if they want to support the idea that the demons of last season are fully eliminated. Last year, Auburn staggered to a 3-2 win in Starkville. The defense played an incredible game, but the offense kept trying to lose it. I think Mississippi State will be better than advertised this year, but this is a game at home that Auburn should win. Here’s a few things to watch for on Saturday night:

Turnovers – Two years ago in this series, Auburn lost the game mostly because of turnovers. Chris Todd did a great job of protecting the ball last week, but two costly fumbles (Ben Tate, Darvin Adams) need to be eliminated for SEC play. Can Auburn force the two quarterback system in place at State to turn the ball over? If so, Auburn might win fairly convincingly. If Auburn commits the turnovers, the game will be much too close for comfort.

Auburn Tigers QB Chris Todd

The Running Game – Mississippi State has some quality running backs. Anthony Dixon returns after a one game suspension, and Christian Ducre is another solid back. Both teams want to run the ball first out of their new spread attacks. Whichever team establishes the running game more successfully has a huge advantage in the game.

Momentum – How will Auburn’s players and coaches handle the praise they have received this week? Last week was a trap game. And while this is an SEC game and it shouldn’t be a problem, it will be interesting to see the intensity with which the team plays as they’re expected to win. I hope to see the same loose, fun, yet focused attitude displayed last week. Having another game under the lights at Jordan-Hare will help create more of a home field advantage. Can they continue the momentum that started last weekend?

Linebackers – They were very productive last week. Will Eltoro Freeman play this week? Adam Herring did a good job in his place last week. They will be key in stopping the run and limiting the intermediate passing game of the Bulldogs.

Special Teams – In the history of this series, Mississippi State tends to play Auburn close, even when they’re not expected to. In close games, special teams are vital. I hope it doesn’t come down to a field goal or an important punt to flip the field position. But if it does, can Auburn’s special teams units come through in the clutch?

Things to watch for around the country:

USC @ Ohio State – Obviously this is a huge game with national title implications. How will true freshman Matt Barkley respond while playing in the Horseshoe? Is Ohio State a legitimate top 10 team? We’ll know a lot more about both teams after this one is over.

SEC matchups begin – South Carolina @ Georgia and Vanderbilt @ LSU provides some interesting storylines to begin the SEC slate. Georgia absolutely needs a win to curb some of the criticism from last week’s loss, and LSU still has questions about their defense after Washington moved the ball so well. It’s good to have SEC matchups back on the schedule.

Notre Dame @ Michigan – Both teams looked impressive in their openers, but which team is for real? Whichever team can advance to 2-0 on the year will be in the ESPN spotlight for weeks to come.

UCLA @ Tennessee – Can Lane Kiffin avenge the Vols’ loss in the Rose Bowl last year? It certainly looks like Tennessee will be much improved, but they will have to perform that way against a quality opponent. I think this is a huge swing game for UT – if they lose, it’s going to be pretty devastating to their record in the long run with Florida, Auburn and Georgia coming up in the next few weeks. But if they can win, Tennessee @ Florida will be extremely entertaining next week.

Upset Special – Watch for Connecticut to at least stick around and make it a game against North Carolina, and don’t be surprised if Vanderbilt plays LSU on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.

Enjoy the games this weekend! I’ll have a recap of the weekend’s action at the beginning of next week…War Eagle!

To the casual observer, there was very little difference between Auburn’s 2008 season opener and the 2009 debut.

In both season openers, the Tigers subdued an inferior opponent from the state of Louisiana with a strong second half showing.  In 2008, Auburn clubbed Louisiana Monroe 34-0. Last Saturday night, the Tigers devoured Louisiana Tech 37-13.

In both games, Auburn scored in low double figures in the first half. Against the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks, Auburn posted 17 first half points. The Tigers managed 13 against the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech last week.

In both cases Auburn put up impressive offensive totals. Auburn racked up 406 yards against the Warhawks and piled on 556 against the Bulldogs.

Auburn Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn

Both offenses were paced by a punishing rushing attack. Auburn chewed up 321 yards on the ground against Louisiana Monroe while churning for 301 against Louisiana Tech.

Ben Tate topped the 100-yard mark against both the Warhawks and Bulldogs, gaining 115 yards in 2008 and 117 last Saturday.

That’s where the similarities ended.

Despite last year’s score and the grind-it-out ground game that provided the final margin, even the most ardent Auburn fan had reservations about the ability of the offense to execute. Regardless of the final score, it was readily apparent that Tony Franklin’s offensive system was rife with flaws. It was a disaster in the making.

Auburn didn’t score an offensive touchdown against Louisiana Monroe until the third quarter. First half scores came on a punt return and a fumble recovery.  Four of Auburn’s  first half drives in 2008 consisted of four or fewer plays. Only one seven possessions gained more than 24 yards.

Compare that to Saturday’s first half against Louisiana Tech: Five first half possessions, only one of which covered fewer than 26 yards.  There were no three-and-out possessions. Two possessions gained more than 60 yards each covered 10-plus plays and both resulted in points.

Franklin refused to name a starter in 2008 and eventually flip-flopped between Chris Todd and Kodi Burns in last year’s opener, a situation which did neither potential signal caller any favors. Both were ineffective.

New Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn turned the reins over to Todd and the results were obvious.

A year ago, Todd was a woeful 9 of 18 for 70 yards. He threw one interception and one TD pass.

On Saturday, Todd was 17 of 26.  He didn’t throw a pick. He threw two touchdown passes. One to Terrell Zachery covered 93 yards and was the longest in school history. An 87-yard strike from Jason Campbell to Silas Daniels in 2004 was the previous longest. It came against Louisiana Tech in a 52-7 Tiger win.

Todd’s rehabilitated shoulder allowed him to make throws that proved problematic a season ago, but the greater improvement came in him not having to look over his shoulder and worry about making a mistake.

When a quarterback understands that a single errant throw is not going to bring out the hook, it allows him to settle into the game.  There’s no question Todd’s confidence grew over the course of the win. He was a better quarterback at the end of the game than he was at the opening kick.

His best throw of the night wasn’t the 93-yarder, but a 17 yard touch pass in the fourth to Darvin Adams that gave Auburn a 30-13 lead and sealed the win.  The third-and-sixteen lob showed his confidence as well as confirmed the positive results of his shoulder rehab. It was a throw that Todd likely would not have been able to execute a year ago.

The coaching staff did not neglect Burns. The former starting quarterback was given ample opportunity to shine in his new role as a situational receiver and ball carrier in the ballyhooed Wildcat formation.

Burns came through, converting several critical possessions with elusive runs and scoring the Tigers’ first touchdown.

In addition to Tate’s 100-plus yard rushing night, freshman Onterio McCalebb broke the 100-yard plateau, gaining 148 yards.  He is only the second freshman in Auburn history to gain more than 100 yards in a season opener.

The last to do so? Bo Jackson, who rolled up 123 against Wake Forest in 1982.

McCalebb’s quickness is an excellent contrast to Tate’s more direct, bruising style and gives Auburn a potent offensive weapon.

Auburn also seemed to have added spark from the receiving corps, a weak spot for the Tigers in 2008. While heralded freshman DeAngelo Benton was shut out, Todd did spread the wealth among Mario Fannin, Adams, Zachery and Tate.

Auburn also exhibited a willingness to take calculated risks that harkened back to former coach Tommy Tuberville’s early riverboat gambler persona.

Auburn took possession at its own 39 with just 23 seconds remaining in the first half. Tech had just kicked a field goal to tie the game at 10-all.  Instead of standing pat, Auburn attacked.  McCalebb rumbled for nine yards on first down. Todd rifled a pass for 20 yards across the middle to Fannin on second down. On the last play of the half, Wes Byrum nailed a 49-yard field goal.

Instead of a 10-10 tie and questions, Auburn carried a 13-10 lead and momentum to the locker room.

The series was perfectly executed and showed moxy on the part of the coaching staff.

At the conclusion of the 2008 season opener, the general feeling was one of unease and concern. The win over Louisiana Monroe was so loaded with warning signs and red flags that only the most oblivious could have missed them.

There is no such unease after Saturday’s debut.  New head coach Gene Chizik and his staff put together a solid game plan that maximized the team’s strengths, allowed its quarterback to grow into his role, and provided a solid win that sets the tone.

All wasn’t sunshine and roses, however.  The Tigers had a handful of defensive breakdowns, particularly in costly penalties that must be avoided as the season progresses. A series of facemask penalties extended a Louisiana Tech drive and helped lead to its only touchdown of the night.

Two fumbles also prevented potential scoring opportunities. One, a Tate fumble inside the Bulldog ten in the first half almost certainly took points off the board. The second, on Auburn’s first drive of the third, gave momentum to Louisiana Tech and had the Bulldogs knocking at the door.

Freshman Darren Bates quelled that threat with an interception at the Tiger two yard line. Two plays later Todd hit Zachery on an out-and-up and Auburn was in control.

That’s the difference a year makes.

A year ago, the fumble would likely have eroded Auburn’s confidence and led to a mental breakdown.

This year, in this game at least, a moment of adversity didn’t become a tsunami.