Yesterday this article on Mark Barron popped up on the radar about the probable first round draft pick, all-american and starting safety and how much the Mr. Everything just loves to play ball. While the article details how we grew up loving the game and how much this season means to him the most interesting tidbit revealed was that Mark Barron, for a time, considered going to Auburn.
That’s right, the stand out safety for the Tide was seriously looking at heading east by northeast to the Plains instead of making the trip due north for Tuscaloosa. What’s more is Barron would have been a running back for The Family as opposed to the All-American safety that we know him as today.
But, what if? What if Mark Barron decides to join the Tigers’ backfield for Tommy Tuberville in 2008? What if, instead of coming in with Marcel Dareus, Don’ta Hightower, Mark Ingram, Barrett Jones, Courtney Upshaw and Julio Jones, Barron heads to Auburn? What if Barron, the four star safety joined that Auburn class of ’08 with Ontario McCalebb, Barrett Trotter and Neiko Thorpe?
Well for starters perhaps it alters the way the recruiting rankings come down in the 2008 cycle. Barron was a four star player coming out of high school and helped lift Bama to the #1 spot in the rankings while Auburn and their haul slid in at #20 nationally. Now while missing on Barron may not knock the Tide out of the top spot or force them to fall much more than a spot or two what getting Barron could mean for Auburn is a jump into the Top 15-ish. Not a tremendously big deal on paper at first blush BUT if we remember at the time Tommy Tuberville was facing heavy criticism for not keeping up with the Iron Bowl rivals when it came to the recruiting trail, the jump would surely help Tubs.
Once Barron enrolls on The Plains the real fun begins as we wonder if the freshman redshirts thanks to the presence of Ben Tate, Auburn’s go to guy in the backfield. There’s reason to believe he does given Onterrio McCalebb not touching the field for the Tigers. Instead of getting clean up duty and special teams Mark Barron is sitting out his freshman season while the Tony Franklin debacle takes place in Auburn, Alabama.
Up in Tuscaloosa the Tide is likely still marching to their 2008 undefeated regular season, dealing Auburn the 36-0 defeat in the Iron Bowl and marching towards to the Sugar Bowl loss to Utah.
2009 though, that’s when things start to get interesting in this scenario as Mark Barron emerges as the starter for the Crimson Tide at the free safety spot. He’s teamed with Justin Woodall as Rod Woodson Jr and Robert Lester gets run as well in a secondary that suffocated offenses to the tune of 166 yards a game and a defensive unit that surrendered just 11.7 points a contest. Oh and there is that whole national championship thing to discuss in a moment.
But first there’s Barron at Auburn. A redshirt freshman now stuck behind Ben Tate and battling with Ontario McCalebb and Mario Fannin for carries while trying to master the nuance of new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s offense. There aren’t nearly enough footballs to go around; Tate’s going to be the star, McCalebb as the speedy change of pace is going to get used and what we’re left with is Mark Barron being a bit player fighting to get more time at the running back spot.
Now for the BCS Championship for this Tide defense; does it happen? Instead of Barron running with Woodall for the bulk of the games we have Lester and Woodson being forced into the lineup to start. The Tide would be without their second leading tackler on the year and one of those players must emerge. Given the defenses ability I’m going to assume they are capable with more reps that Barron never got, since he wouldn’t be there.
Do they win the title? That’s a tough one because Mark Barron made so many plays for that team. Seven interceptions doesn’t just translate on to another guy as easily. Maybe they come up a play short in the Iron Bowl. Maybe LSU is able to get something going in the back end in Tuscaloosa with Jordan Jefferson and Brandon LaFell or Terrence Tolliver.
For the sake of discussion let’s say Woddson and Lester are able to get it done. They don’t make the same plays as Mark Barron but they are able to win the Tide the BCS Championship.
As we get to 2010 we see things get interesting, starting in February. Through Barron in the backfield and the decision of Michael Dyer, one of the nation’s elite running back recruits comes into question. Does he stick with his decision to head to The Plains? Does he look elsewhere in the SEC for a spot to contribute? McCalebb, Fannin and Barron in the backfield all hungry for carries and perhaps Dyer still wants to play for Gene Chizik and Malzahn and jumps in the boat.
Oh and Cam Newton’s in the house now y’all.
For Alabama we could be seeing Rod Woodson Jr and Robert Lester paired together in the secondary as opposed to Woodson transferring at the start of the 2010 season. The talented sophomore was the odd man out with Barron installed fully as the strong safety and Lester emerging as his partner in the backend. Will Lowery, the sophomore who started the Capital One Bowl for an injured Mark Barron, would be the third wheel here and the first man for the Tide secondary.
At Auburn, Barron would have to find his niche. McCalebb the speed back. Dyer the hot new freshman toy at Malzahn’s disposal. Would Barron’s presence mean less Michael Dyer for the Tigers? Would Barron emerge as the 1,000 yard back that was paired with Cam Newton to terrorize defenses? Perhaps Mark Barron emerges as a real G in his redshirt sophomore season, he had capable running back skills. But perhaps he is just the odd man out, as we saw senior Mario Fannin become after being the opening day starter.
Whether Barron emerges or not it is safe to say Cam Newton is Cam Newton and this Auburn team still makes that title push, with Barron as a key player or with Michael Dyer doing the heavy lifting as we saw a season ago. One thing is for certain, Mark Barron is not making that once in a lifetime run for the Tigers the way Dyer did in the championship game.
Getting to where we are now with Alabama as a one-loss team in their second BCS Championship Game since 2009 and Mark Barron, the safety, was a big part of that push. Returning for his senior season he is as central to the defenses success as the linebackers in his recruiting class Don’ta Hightower and Courtney Upshaw.
Could Woodson and Lester get them this far?
Given Bama’s dominating performance so far this season in every game but one, I’m leaning towards yes.
Auburn is again where the question marks reside. No quarterback to speak of. Best wide receiver injured through out the season. A learning offensive line. It has been tough sledding on The Plains. How would Barron fit into the struggle that has been getting steady offense for the Auburn Tigers?
All in all it is an interesting look into the “what ifs” of college football. We’ve seen it before with Terrelle Pryor and his decision to go to Ohio State instead of the Michigan scheme with Rich Rodriguez that appeared to better suit him. As fans we’ve all played this game and with Mark Barron it appears that the senior, destined for the NFL’s first round, made the right choice way back in 2008. Sure, he might still have a BCS Championship ring but who knows if his future is anywhere near as bright as a running back sharing the ball with McCalebb and Dyer on The Plains.
