Auburn backed up its opening week win with a thorough beating of Mississippi State in their SEC opener. The offense again exceeded expectations, and the outcome of the game was never in doubt in the second half. Gene Chizik has to get his team ready for a prime time showdown with West Virginia, but first, I want to look back at a few things from Saturday’s game.

1. Gus Malzahn is keeping his word.

He said he would put a renewed emphasis on running the ball. And that’s exactly what he has done. The rushing attack has been dominant in both games thus far. It has created big plays and opened up passing lanes for Chris Todd. Anytime you rush for nearly 400 yards in an SEC game, you’re doing something right. Malzahn is smart to ride the deepest portion of the offense (the running backs) for as long as its working. Teams will start loading the box to stop the run, leaving them vulnerable to the pass.

2. Eltoro!

It was great to see Eltoro Freeman out there for the Auburn defense. He provided some much needed depth at linebacker and brought some fire and energy to the team. Hopefully he can stay healthy, because he will develop into a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.

3. Big plays, little things.

There’s something different about this team that has been missing for the last couple years. It’s big plays. The running game is gashing defenses. Malzahn is letting Chris Todd throw down the field. The defense is making plays (see Antonio Coleman’s incredible interception return). It gets difficult to drive the ball 80 yards in this conference. Big plays provide easy yards and deflate opposing defenses.

The other impressive thing is that the team seems to be doing the little things right. Kodi Burns did an incredible blocking job to spring Onterio McCalebb to his first half touchdown. Gang tackling has been a theme so far. There haven’t been any unsportsmanlike penalties that I can think of. These are the things that must continue for the wins to keep coming.

4. Special teams needs work.

Punt returns have been an adventure. Auburn has been lucky enough to recover two muffed punts so far, one in each game. The new punt formation got a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown, giving State a short-lived lead. Kick returns haven’t been successful and kick coverage has only been adequate. On the positive side, Wes Byrum has looked good and Morgan Hull did a great job on kicking the ball deep against Mississippi State.

Special teams is an area where Auburn fans have been pretty spoiled. Tommy Tuberville always put a huge emphasis on them and used starters to play nearly every position on every special team. Little mistakes in the kicking game can be the difference in winning and losing, so that needs to be addressed and corrected soon.

5. Auburn fans: ENJOY this!

I was struck by how many people managed to find things to complain about after Saturday’s game. I mean, people do realize how much better things look right now don’t they? Obviously there have been mistakes. Even Florida’s players mess up sometimes. They’re college kids after all. The defense is just fine. The offense is better than anyone could have reasonably expected. So ENJOY it! Take the bad with all the good that has been shown so far, and be reasonable fans.

War Eagle everybody! I’ll have a week 3 preview up later this week!

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!

Today is the day that has been circled on so many of our calendars. When South Carolina and NC State kickoff tonight, the 2009 college football season will officially arrive.

Recent history says that it will be a wild ride for the next four months. Parity reigns supreme, as small market teams aren’t afraid of traditional powerhouses anymore. Everyone has a shot at glory.

Obviously, I’m an Auburn fan. But above that, I’m a college football fan.

A fan who has opinions and loves the sport as much as anyone. So I want to cover the national landscape on a broad scale, and the Auburn landscape on a closer, more specific scale.

Each Thursday, I’ll provide a list of five things for Auburn fans to watch for in the upcoming game. Things that I feel will determine the outcome. Then, I’ll provide a look at the top five storylines or games around the country that are worth any college football fan’s attention.

On Sundays, I’ll have a recap article talking about Saturday’s Auburn game, in addition to the other big time stories in college football. I would love for anyone reading this to check back and comment whenever possible.

Please comment, debate, and discuss what I say and what others say. That’s what makes this sport great. Keep it clean; keep it classy. But always share your opinion. Now to this weekend:

Things To Watch For: Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech

1. Know Your Opponent

Auburn fans need to understand the danger in this season opener. Louisiana Tech is a team that won eight games (including a bowl game) last year, including a victory in Starkville, and returns nine starters to an offense that averaged almost 200 rushing yards per game in 2008. They will not be intimidated walking into Jordan Hare Stadium.

I have no doubts that the coaches and players understand this. But I do worry about fans not understanding how good Louisiana Tech is. It’s a game Auburn should win.

But don’t think for a minute that it’s one you can show up to and win because of the name on the front of your jersey.

2. Auburn’s Running Game

Gus Malzahn insists he wants to run the ball. History backs that claim up. With running back being the most reliable position on offense, expect to see heavy doses of Ben Tate, Mario Fannin, and Onterio McCalebb.

How successful that running game is will tell a lot in this game. It will take the pressure off Chris Todd and the defense. It will allow the offensive line to get back to what they have all admitted they prefer. If Auburn doesn’t run the ball more than they pass it, that’s not a good sign for the final score.

3. Who Plays at Linebacker

Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes will start and play a great deal. After that, the position of linebacker is mostly unknown. If Eltoro Freeman is healthy, he will start opposite Stevens. Behind those three, walk-on Wade Christopher and inexperienced players, like Adam Herring and Spencer Pybus, will all find the field if healthy. Freshmen Harris Gaston and Jonathan Evans might even get in the action.

Almost all of those players have been injured at some point this summer. And because of Chizik’s preference not to talk about injuries, we know very little about the status of quite a few of those guys.

Look for who plays and who doesn’t, and what that means for the next few weeks.

4. Injuries

Even at other positions, there’s a lot of questions to be answered about who is available to play at game speed. Be watching for who plays and who is not. And be praying that Auburn can make it through the first game without any severe injuries to starters.

5. An Attitude

Do Auburn’s players believe last year was a fluke caused by bad attitudes and conflict among coaches and philosophies?

How the team comes out of the tunnel and the way they play in the first quarter will answer a lot of questions that I have about the season.

This team, especially the defense, needs to play with a swagger; an attitude that they’re going to turn things around. I would imagine the returning players are going to be incredibly excited to get back on the field with a clean slate. Hopefully, that energy spills over to the newcomers and the fans, creating a great opening day atmosphere.

Things To Watch around the Country

1. Thursday Night Showdowns

The first night of college football provides two huge games for this early in the season. Both South Carolina and NC State would benefit greatly from a nationally televised win before heading into seasons where they’re both expected to improve.

Oregon and Boise State are both in the top 20. Oregon is the toughest test standing in the way of another 12-0 Boise State regular season. Oregon could make a huge splash by winning on the blue turf, a feat that is rarely accomplished.

2. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech

How important is this game? Just look at Alabama and Clemson’s records after week one.

Virginia Tech is the only legitimate title contender from the ACC, and absolutely needs this one for their own goals and to provide some legitimacy to the top tier of their conference.

Alabama is out to put back-to-back, 10-win seasons for the first time in a long time. A loss in Week One would be a huge setback.

Will Virginia Tech be able to have any offensive success against what should be a dominant Alabama defense? Will Virginia Tech score on special teams and/or defense? Those are my keys.

3. Georgia @ Oklahoma State

A huge stage for the Cowboys in Stillwater. Are they a legitimate contender in the Big 12 south?

They get a chance to prove that they are against a Georgia team with talent. But they’re breaking in a lot of new key pieces, especially on offense. Can Georgia regain a defensive swagger and keep the score somewhat moderate with OK State? A shootout wouldn’t be good news for the Bulldogs.

4. Underdogs

There will be a team that completely overlooks their opponent and loses, causing a huge blow to their season. I have no idea who it will be. But watch the scores wherever you are on Saturday. Keep up with those games that are too close for comfort for their favorites. That’s where the greatness of college football lies.

5. Swing Games

There are a few games this weekend that will send the two teams in completely opposite directions. One team gets shot towards a great season, one falls miserably short of expectations.

A few games that fit in this category are Miami @ Florida State, South Carolina @ NC State, and possibly even BYU @ Oklahoma. All these teams need a big opening day win to get where they want to go. They will play in a physical, emotional way, making for some good television.

Like I said earlier, I hope you’ll check out this bi-weekly “blog.” Feel free to comment, second-guess, or ask a question. I hope you all are as excited as I am for this 2009 football season. It should be a great one! War Eagle!