Camp Opens: March 21
Spring Game: April 21
This Auburn team is, again, living in the shadow of the Tide as we enter the 2012 season and as Alabama has so much talent coming back it will, again, be an uphill battle for Auburn to grab the headlines. That said there is plenty to be excited about on The Plains as Gene Chizik is coming off his third straight bowl win and the Tigers have a staff shakeup that has shifted a lot of the focus from a dynamic offense to the defensive minded intensity that.
Stability Factor (1 = chaos; 5 = rock solid): 3.5
They’re more stable than not which is where the hook comes into play but Auburn is a squad that just experienced some legitimate staff moves. Moves that will, in the future, tell the tale of how stable they are long term. Bringing in Brian VanGorder is a great move on the defensive side of the ball and the former UGA DC knows what is expected when you get into the defensive side of football in the SEC. On the other side of the ball Scot Loeffler is at the helm and that means no more Malzahn offense, no more exclusive spread attack and a lot more quarterback development and pro styled elements to the offense. The program’s future hinges on these changes working and while both guys are proven commodities how they gel with the current roster is something to watch closely.
Under the Microscope: Onterio McCalebb
2,016 yards for a career is not a bad number for a guy that was never truly the “feature back” in an offense. This year, with the departure of Michael Dyer for Arkansas State it seems like the time for McCalebb to step into the full time role is now and how he responds will tell a lot about how Auburn’s running game progresses. There are the obvious quarterback issues to contend with and if McCalebb cannot get going in the new offense then the Tigers will be in a world of trouble.
Locked and Loaded: Defensive Staff
An odd answer but the only truly locked and loaded element of this 2012 Auburn football team is their defensive staff. Brian VanGorder is a plus. Willie Martinez has proven himself capable when working with BVG, Tommy Thigpen is a solid LB coach and Mike Pelton will work the defensive line. Outside of that there are so many question marks from a personnel standpoint for this team.
Jockeying for Position: Quarterback
Clint Moseley and Kiehl Frazier will be the two men competing to be the starting quarterback at Auburn this spring and how that ends is anyone’s guess. Moseley played more a season ago, looking solid at times, but still left Tigers fans wanting more. Frazier seemed to be a solid fit for Malzahn’s system given his athleticism but how he takes to the new more pro styled scheme of Scot Loeffler will be something interesting to watch.
Name to Know: Daren Bates
Bates had a solid season starting as a freshman safety for the Tigers in 2009. Then in 2010 he switched to linebacker and he has struggled mightily to grasp both the concepts and the physicality involved with the move into the box. With a new linebackers coach and a new scheme watching this young man’s growth in his final season will be interesting. He has made some plays but still must grow his understanding of the position to truly be an effective player in the front seven.
Spring will be a success if…: Someone can be consistent at quarterback
To go from Cam Newton, one of the best single season runs we have ever seen, to Barrett Trotter, Clint Moseley and Kiehl Frazier was a humbling dose of reality for Auburn. Finding quarterbacks is hard and right now the Tigers haven’t truly found one. Scot Loeffler brings a lot of accolades and success with him to The Plains and what he can get out of his position group will tell the tale of the spring for Auburn and head coach Gene Chizik. We can expect the defense to improve and for that side of the ball to work on building for the future, for the quarterback position getting efficient, consistent play must be job one.
