Has a win against a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) team ever meant so much for an Auburn football team?

It's a sign of the hard times when a team like the Tigers is grateful to have an FCS team come into town. Normally, Auburn would have its backups in from the second quarter on. I don't think you'll see that Saturday.

For one, I think UT Martin is a decent football team, its 56-7 drubbing by South Florida in its only other game against FBS competition notwithstanding.

And secondly, if Auburn gets something -- anything -- going on offense, you would have to imagine that it would continue to hammer it home for the whole game. It's not as though this offense has been hitting on all cylinders this season.

Here are some other thoughts about tonight's game before I head to Prattville to cover the Smiths Station-Prattville 6-A playoff game. (You've got to like Prattville's football home page. It's better than most small college Web sites. Plus it hits you with some GNR just to make sure you're extra pumped. Well done, Lions. Well done.)

• I've written it before and I'll write it again. FBS teams are 80-2 against FCS competition this year. An upest tomorrow -- despite how poorly Auburn has played of late -- probably isn't in the cards.

• Coach Tommy Tuberville has said repeatedly that he's going to try to play everyone in this game. As some posters have pointed out, that might not be the greatest idea in the world. I can't see much logic in playing someone like CB Jerraud Powers, who has been bothered by a nagging hamstring injury the last three weeks. Same goes for DT Sen'Derrick Marks (ankles), NG Tez Doolittle (groin) and WR Rod Smith (hip pointer). I'm all for not looking past the opponent of the moment, but you have to be reasonable as well. Georgia and Alabama still await. You'll want to have a full roster of healthy players for those two teams, because you're going to need it.

• Auburn averages 6-foot-5, 291 pounds across its offensive line. UT Martin averages 6-2, 260 across its defensive line. If the Tigers can't simply line up and overpower the Skyhawks with the run tomorrow, they never will.

• Had a good convesation with UT Martin coach Jason Simpson this week. It seems he is prone to calling it Division I-AA every now and then instead of the preferred Football Championship Subdivision. He had a good quote about not caring what it's called, though: "It’s not a knock. I don’t take it as a slight when you say I-A, I-AA. It is what it is and be proud of who you are. Not every player can go play at Alabama, Auburn. Not every coach is going to have a chance to coach at one of those SEC schools. I’m proud to be here and I hope our players are as well."

• Auburn probably won't fill all 87,451 seats for tomorrow's game, but if it does, it will be more fans than UT Martin has played in front of all season. The Skyhawks have played in front of 83,180 fans in their first nine games, with over half of that (48, 058) coming in their season opener at South Florida. Credit Auburn-Opelika News number cruncher Andrew Gribble for that fun fact.

• I know most of you don't care, but I'm going to throw a uniform note in here anyway. UT Martin will wear orange uniforms tomorrow (there's a picture on the right). Auburn will wear all white. The Skyhawks asked for permission to wear special unis for this road game and the Tigers obliged. What's funny is a lot of Auburn fans have wanted to wear orange uniforms at home for a while. Tuberville, on his radio show, said he likes having a more traditional uniform, though, one that you can recognize on TV instantly, and that's why he sticks to the home blues and away whites. Someone on his radio suggested the Tigers wear orange uniforms and blue pants. Tuberville's response? "I better win a few more games before I do that."

Prediction time: For as bad as Auburn has played this season, I can't envision a scenario in which it loses. At the same time, I don't think the Tigers make it a complete rout. Auburn wins 38-10, getting a defensive touchdown or a special teams score.