AUBURN, Ala. — The Auburn women’s basketball team’s SEC wins this season aren’t great in quantity. It’s hard to argue with their quality, though.

The Tigers notched their second victory against a top-15 team, soundly beating No. 9 Georgia 67-53 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.

Auburn (12-10, 3-6 SEC) also has an overtime win against then-No. 11 LSU on its resume from earlier this month.

“Isn’t that crazy?” Auburn coach Nell Fortner said. “I think it shows us what the potential of this team is. It’s about consistency. We have to do that night-in and night-out.”

Guard Alli Smalley finished with a game-high 22 points and center KeKe Carrier was her usual force down low, adding 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks as the Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak.

It was a stark turnaround from the 29-point pummeling Auburn took at No. 5 Tennessee on Thursday.

“We actually let it go that night,” Carrier said. “We had to move on and look ahead. We have half the SEC to go.”

Auburn controlled the game from the outset, helped by the fact that Georgia All-SEC point guard Ashley Houts re-aggravated an ankle injury early in the game. She played only eight minutes and finished with six points.

“Houts is the quarterback of that team,” Fortner said. “That would hurt any team. I know that was a blow to them ... because she runs the ship for them.”

The Tigers controlled the game’s pace as a result, stretching a 37-32 halftime lead to as many as 16 in the second half.

Smalley, who was just 2-for-9 from 3-point range, shook off slow start to get the bulk of her 22 points on an array of mid-range jumpers, floaters and layups.

“I felt like I did a pretty good job of adjusting and getting inside,” Smalley said. “Because my short jumper was falling pretty good and I was attacking the basket, so I got to the foul line. I guess I just had to adjust missing the 3’s.”

Auburn was relentless on the boards, finishing with a 39-27 rebounding advantage. The Tigers out-hustled the Lady Bulldogs for 17 offensive rebounds, getting 10 from Jordan Greenleaf and Carrier.

“Offensive rebounding is just a confidence builder,” Fortner said. “And it’s an energy destroyer for the other team.”

“They kicked our butt,” Georgia coach Andy Landers said.

The Tigers ran their offense efficiently, finishing with 25 field goals and 20 assists. Freshman point guard Morgan Toles led the way with a career-high 10 assists.

Jasmine James scored 13 points on 5-for-15 shooting to lead Georgia (18-4, 5-4 SEC), which has lost four of six since opening the season with 16 straight wins.

“We’ve got to get it in gear,” Landers said.

AUBURN, Ala. — Having missed the second of two free throws in a tie game, Auburn’s DeWayne Reed had to make amends.

So the point guard gambled, going for a steal on Alabama’s side of the court, snatching the ball from Alabama’s Mikhail Torrance with five seconds left and feeding it to Lucas Hargrove, who got fouled on a layup attempt.

“Any other time coach would have gone crazy, but I’m glad he did it,” Auburn guard Frankie Sullivan said afterward.

“Coach still went crazy,” Hargrove quipped.

Hargrove made one of two free throws to break a 57-all tie with 3.1 seconds left. After an Alabama timeout, Sullivan knocked a fullcourt pass away from Justin Knox as time expired to help the Tigers hold on for a 58-57 victory at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.

“We’ve just found a way to gut it out, make some stops, get some big plays and win the game,” said Auburn coach Jeff Lebo, who has beaten Alabama in six of the last seven meetings. “We’ve found ways to lose games in the last five, six minutes of a game. It was nice for the kids to find a way to win a game.”

The Tigers (11-11, 2-5 SEC), who have four conference losses to team’s currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, narrowly avoided a 1-6 start to league play for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

“I’ve tried to tell our kids that we’ve lost to good teams,” Lebo said. “We’ve played right there with top-20 teams for 35, 36 minutes. We just have to be tougher both physically and mentally, and they did that.”

Alabama (13-8, 3-4) watched its two-game winning streak end. Asked about his first experience in the Iron Bowl of basketball, first-year Crimson Tide coach Anthony Grant’s response was brief: “Tough loss.”

Nothing about the game was picturesque. Auburn has been accustomed to high-scoring affairs this season, with scores routinely reaching the 80’s.

Neither team found a rhythm Saturday, however. The teams slogged through a first half that featured 51 combined points, 19 fouls, 14 turnovers and only two 3-pointers in 14 attempts.

Alabama managed to take a 27-24 advantage into the locker room, a lead that grew to seven midway through the second half before Auburn responded with a 10-0 run keyed by guard Tay Waller.

The 3-point specialist had his best all-around game of the season, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds and four steals. He capped the Tigers’ run with a steal and one-handed dunk that made it 43-30 Auburn with 9:35 to play.

“Everyone was waiting for the offense and defense to come together,” Waller said, “and I think it did today.”

Neither team led by more than four the rest of the way. Alabama took a 57-53 lead with 2:22 to play on a layup by Torrance, who scored a team-high 13 points. But the Crimson Tide didn’t score the rest of the game.

Hargrove, who finished with 14 points, answered with a three-point play. The teams swapped misses over the next few minutes, with Torrance, the SEC’s leading free throw shooter at 86 percent, missing the front end of a one-and-one in the final minute.

That set the stage for Reed, who scuffled to a 10-point, six-turnover effort. He was fouled with 12 seconds left and made the first of two free throws to tie the game at 57, setting up the final sequence.

Even in victory, the Tigers made Lebo nervous, missing two free throws and a layup in the final minute, then sweating out a fullcourt pass that Knox caught 15 feet from the Auburn hoop before Sullivan knocked it out of his hands.

“We can make it get like a dental chair over there for me,” Lebo said.

It's the Iron Bowl of men's basketball today. Here's how my game advance starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — A professed basketball junkie, Auburn coach Jeff Lebo has a strong knowledge of first-year Alabama coach Anthony Grant, who made a name for himself as an assistant at Florida and a head coach at Virginia Commonwealth.

What Lebo has seen in Grant’s teams, particularly this year’s Crimson Tide squad, is an athletic group that shuts opponents down by defending every inch of the court.

It makes him wonder what happened to his own team’s defensive prowess.

It will be a tale of two defenses when Auburn (10-11, 1-5 SEC) and Alabama (13-7, 3-3) renew their in-state rivalry at 4 p.m. ET today at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

National Signing Day is approaching and Auburn still has plenty of feelers out to a few remaining targets. This stuff evolves by the day, so we'll see what happens before the weekend officially starts, but here's how my story for today's newspaper starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — It’s five days until recruits officially sign letters of intent on national signing day, but from Auburn’s perspective there is plenty of drama that remains in the final week.

The Tigers await decisions from their four top remaining targets, who will make their intentions known starting Monday.

In each instance, Auburn is competing against the recruit’s home-state school.

Read the entire story here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

AUBURN, Ala. — Another late-game slump has Auburn off to its worst start in SEC play in four seasons.

Ole Miss' backcourt of Terrico White, Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice combined for 53 points to lead the No. 18 Rebels to a second-half charge in an 84-74 win against the slumping Tigers at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Thursday night.

"That was pretty standard for us," Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said. "We get to the eight-minute mark and can't finish it out. It's frustrating. I feel for the kids."

Auburn (10-11, 1-5 SEC) is off to its worst start in league play since going 1-7 to begin the 2005-06 conference season.

It matches the worst six-game conference start of the Lebo era. The two previous times the Tigers started 1-5 in SEC play under Lebo, they finished 4-12.

Four of Auburn's five SEC losses have come against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

Ole Miss (16-4, 4-2) has already matched its win total from last season. Warren paced the Rebels with 20 points. White scored 19 and Polynice 14.

The Tigers led at halftime 41-38 after Brendon Knox converted a three-point play after being fouled on a layup with 3.4 seconds left. Auburn made eight 3-pointers in the half, led by Tay Waller, who made four and scored 16 of his team-high 21 points before the break.

But like losses at Tennessee and Vanderbilt, things slipped away for the Tigers in the second half. Ole Miss led by three before a 12-2 burst put the game out of reach.

White, who scored 16 of his 19 points after halftime, and Terrance Henry hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to start the run. A DeAundre Cranston layup and pull-up jumper by White capped things, giving the Rebels a 78-65 lead with 4:34 to play.

"We showed spurts, but we for some reason we just can't keep it up," Waller said. "It's the same thing every game. It's very frustrating."

Auburn guard DeWayne Reed, who injured his right leg in practice Wednesday, started and finished with 15 points but was 4-for-15 from the field. He and guard Frankie Sullivan combined to go 6-for-27 from the floor.

The Rebels dominated the Tigers with their size, holding a 46-24 advantage in points in the paint. Ole Miss shot 56.7 percent for the game (34-for-60).

Big day for the Auburn basketball programs. The women's team (11-9, 2-5 SEC) travels to play No. 5 Tennessee for a 7 ET tip-off. The Tigers beat the Lady Vols before an electric sellout crowd at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Stadium last season. Think Tennessee has payback on its mind?

The men's team, meanwhile, hosts No. 18 Ole Miss. Here's how my game advance for today's newspaper starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Against a difficult stretch of competition to open SEC play, Auburn has shown it can play at least one effective half of basketball.

It’s the other half that’s proven to be problematic.

The Tigers (10-10, 1-4 SEC) will try to put together a rare complete game against another ranked opponent, No. 18 Mississippi, at 9:05 ET tonight in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

The Rebels (15-4, 3-2) are the fourth team Auburn will face in league play that currently is ranked in the Top 25. The Tigers had short-lived success in their other three matchups.

Read the entire thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

Former Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman got a belated invite to the NFL Combine, according to various reports. Coleman, who projects as a DE/OLB in the pros, was a surprise snub when initial invitations were released earlier this month.

Running back Ben Tate was Auburn's only initial representative at the combine. It runs from Feb. 24 to March 2 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis.

Both Coleman and Tate are at the Senior Bowl in Mobile this week.

Coleman measured 6-foot-2, 255 pounds. Tate was officially 5-foot-10, 214 pounds.

They were listed as 6-3, 261 and 5-11, 218, respectively, on Auburn's roster last season.

It was a quiet weekend on the Plains from a 2010 recruiting standpoint, but Auburn hosted a number of players who could be in their 2011 class.

We know this because the fine folks at the Tigers' three recruiting Web sites -- AuburnSports.com, Inside the Auburn Tigers and AuburnUndercover.com -- are on the spot for recruiting news at all times.

Although things were low-key, some of the Tigers' targets were still making some news. Let's get caught up (as soon as you follow the blog on Twitter):

• Five-star running back Marcus Lattimore did not make an unofficial visit to Auburn, as some had expected. He'll host South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier this weekend, according to The State. Gene Chizik and another assistant plan to visit him this week, according to reports. The Byrnes, S.C., product, who is ranked the No. 1 back by Rivals and Scout, has narrowed his choices to the Tigers and Gamecocks.

• Four-star defensive tackle Byran Jones took an official visit this weekend to his home-state school, Arkansas. He's narrowed his choices to the Tigers and Razorbacks.

• Four-star defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker took an official visit to Georgia, where new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is installing a 3-4 defense, just like the on Whitaker plays at Warner Robins (Ga.) High. Whitaker still has an official visit with Miami scheduled.

• A couple of Auburn commits made visits to other schools: OL Shon Coleman to Ole Miss, WR Trovon Reed to LSU and RB D.J. Howard to Clemson. Nothing has seems to have changed about their commitment to Auburn, however.
  

Auburn blew another early lead in a conference road game, watching an 11-point halftime advantage turn into an 82-74 loss to Vanderbilt at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville this afternoon.

The blog was not there, but when our television broadcast worked, we watched it on TV.

The Tigers (10-10) dropped to 1-4 in the SEC. Vanderbilt (15-3, 4-0) has won nine straight.

Like the Tennessee game earlier this month, Auburn jumped to a big advantage early, leading by as many as 16 in the first half and going into halftime up 43-32.

But Vanderbilt outscored Auburn 50-31 in the second half. Jeffery Taylor led a balanced Commodores attack with 18 points.

Lucas Hargrove led Auburn with 19 points and 10 rebounds. DeWayne Reed scored 16 points and Frankie Sullivan 14.

The Tigers return home for a game Thursday against Ole Miss at 9 p.m.. ET.

I wrote a story advancing Auburn's game at Vanderbilt this afternoon. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Ask the casual basketball fan who the best teams in the SEC East are and the answers are predictable.

No. 2 Kentucky, rightfully so, pops up first. Tennessee, with the affable Bruce Pearl, likely comes in second.

Vanderbilt probably doesn’t enter the conversation, although Auburn coach Jeff Lebo thinks it should.

“They didn’t get the hype maybe from the media,” he said, “but I think from the coaches in the league, we all knew that they were going to be a very good basketball team.”

Auburn (10-9, 1-3 SEC) will have a difficult task when it travels to Nashville, Tenn., this afternoon for a 1:30 game against the red-hot Commodores. Vanderbilt (14-3, 3-0), which has won eight straight, is quietly one of four remaining unbeatens in SEC play, joining the aforementioned Kentucky and Tennessee, plus Mississippi State.

Read the full article here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

I wrote a story for today's paper about Auburn's relatively quiet upcoming recruiting weekend. The Tigers are still awaiting big decisions from a few big-name recruits. Here's how the article starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — With national signing day less than two weeks away, most of the work for Auburn’s 2010 recruiting class has been done.

It will be a quiet weekend on the Plains, with no official visitors scheduled as of Thursday, according to Auburn’s primary recruiting Web sites.

The Tigers have 23 commits for 2010, with the possibility of signing 28 on Feb. 3. But they’ve got feelers out to a few big-name recruits who will be making their final decisions soon.

Auburn, which currently ranks fourth nationally in Rivals.com’s recruiting rankings, is still in the mix for running back Marcus Lattimore, defensive end Corey Lemonier and defensive tackles Jeffrey Whitaker and Byran Jones.

Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

Light day as far as Auburn stuff goes. The women's basketball team plays tonight against Vanderbilt, a team that has beaten the Tigers 126 straight times (the number might actually be lower, but it's up there).

Perusing the Web, I came across these posts by ESPN.com's Chris Low reviewing the last decade in the SEC. Auburn pops up several times, as you might imagine:

Teams of the Decade: Auburn of 2004 comes in at No. 3

Auburn 2004: Some might be surprised to see the Tigers ranked ahead of three of the SEC national champions from last decade. But that Auburn team was one of the most talented of the last two decades, producing four first-round NFL draft picks. The Carnell Williams-Ronnie Brown backfield tandem was as good as it gets, and the Tigers (13-0) wound up beating five top-15 teams. They were squeezed out of the BCS National Championship Game and had to settle for the Sugar Bowl instead, where they beat Virginia Tech to finish No. 2 in both polls.

Games of the Decade: Auburn-Georgia in 2002 comes in at No. 8

Georgia 24, Auburn 21, 2002: Auburn and Georgia have specialized in playing thrilling games over the years, but the 2002 contest was one of the best. The Bulldogs won it with 1:25 left to play when David Greene hit a leaping Michael Johnson with a 19-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-15 play to clinch the Eastern Division title. The Bulldogs went on to win their first SEC title in 20 years.

Coaches of the Decade: Tommy Tuberville comes in at No. 5

Tommy Tuberville, Auburn: Recently hired as Texas Tech’s coach, Tuberville was pushed out at Auburn following a 5-7 season in 2008. That was the exception, though. He was a stellar big-game coach and led the Tigers to a 13-0 season and SEC championship in 2004, although they were squeezed out of the BCS equation. Tuberville also beat Alabama six straight times during his time on the Plains.

Programs of the Decade: Auburn comes in at No. 4

4. Auburn: The Tigers were unlucky in 2004 in that they never got a chance to play for the national title despite finishing 13-0. They were also a game over .500 (22-21) against nationally ranked teams for the decade and had six more SEC wins than Alabama. Equally important, Auburn was 7-3 against Alabama head-to-head, which is the reason the Tigers beat out the Crimson Tide for the No. 4 spot.

Any gripes? Omissions? General opinions? Feel free to post them in the comment section below.

Auburn's SEC losing streak is no more. The Tigers rallied late in the second half Wednesday in Baton Rouge, La., to pull out an 84-80 win against LSU.

The blog wasn't there, but we watched it on TV.

Auburn (10-9, 1-3 SEC) scored 12 of the game's final 16 points to erase a four-point deficit. The Tigers avoided their first 0-4 start to league play since the 2005-06 season.

Five players reached double figures for Auburn. DeWayne Reed led the way with 21 points. Frankie Sullivan added 15 and Lucas Hargrove and Tay Waller both had 10.

LSU (9-9) dropped to 0-4 in SEC play. Forward Tasmin Mitchell scored a game-high 38 points on 15-for-22 shooting. He added 10 rebounds. Mitchell, Storm Warren and Bo Spencer combined for 67 of LSU's 80 points.

Auburn is back in action Saturday at Vanderbilt. Tip-off is 1:30 p.m. ET.

Four-star offensive lineman Eric Mack committed to Auburn on Wednesday, a day after he de-committed from South Carolina.

We know this because AuburnSports.com, AuburnUndercover.com and Inside the Auburn Tigers were on the scene reporting it.

The 6-foot-4, 315-pound recruit from Calhoun County High in St. Matthews, S.C., is ranked as the No. 2 guard nationally by ESPN and No. 6 by Rivals.com.

Despite committing to South Carolina in the summer, Mack continued looking at other schools in the fall. He visited Auburn in September. After de-committing from South Carolina, his finalists were Auburn and Florida.

Mack is Auburn's 23rd commitment in the 2010 class. That does not include the five January enrollees who count against last year's class. The Tigers can add up to 28 players on the Feb. 3 National Signing Day.

Mack is the fourth high school offensive line recruit in the class, joining five-star Shon Coleman of Olive Branch, Miss., four-star Ed Christian of Valdosta, Ga., and three-star Chad Slade of Moody, Ala.

The Tigers already signed two junior college players — Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley — expected to play on the offensive line.

Let's update the commit list:

• Joel Bonomolo, DE, 6-3, 245, New Orleans, La. (4-star)
  
• Kenneth Carter, DL, 6-5, 270, Greenville, Ala. (3-star)
• Ed Christian, OL, 6-5, 280, Valdosta, Ga. (4-star)
  
• Steven Clark, K, 6-5, 230, Kansas City, Mo. (2-star)
  
• Shon Coleman, OL, 6-7, 275, Olive Branch, Miss. (5-star)
• Chris Davis, ATH, 5-11, 175, Birmingham, Ala. (3-star)
  
• Justin Delaine, DE, 6-5, 225, Linden, Ala. (3-star)
  
• Michael Dyer, RB, 5-8, 201, Little Rock, Ark. (5-star)
  
• Antonio Goodwin, WR, 6-2, 170, Atlanta, Ga. (4-star)
  
• Jake Holland, LB, 6-1, 228, Pelham, Ala. (3-star)
• D.J. Howard, ATH, 6-0, 195, Lincoln, Ala. (3-star)
  
• Shaun Kitchens, ATH, 6-3, 211, College Park, Ga. (3-star)
• Eric Mack, OL, 6-4, 315, St. Matthews, S.C. (4-star)
  
• Demetruce McNeal, DB, 6-1, 180, College Park, Ga. (3-star)
  
• Jonathan Mincy, DB, 5-10, 175, Decatur, Ga. (3-star)
• Dakota Mosley, TE, 6-4, 252, Little Rock, Ark. (3-star)
  
• LaDarius Owens, LB, 6-2, 225, Bessemer, Ala. (4-star)
  
• Cody Parkey, PK, 6-2, 195, Jupiter, Fla. (3-star)
  
• Trovon Reed, WR, 6-0, 173, Thibodaux, La. (4-star)
  
• Jeremy Richardson, WR, 6-4, 220, Springville, Ala. (4-star)
• Chad Slade, OL, 6-6, 316, Moody, Ala. (3-star)
  
• Jawara White, LB, 6-2, 220, Troy, Ala. (3-star)
• Ryan White, ATH, 6-0, 185, Tallahassee, Fla. (3-star)
  

These five players have already signed and are in class:

• Jessel Curry, LB, 6-2, 215, Buford, Ga. (3-star)
• Roszell Gayden, OL, 6-7, 310, New Hope, Minn. (4-star)
• Brandon Mosley, OL/TE, 6-6, 285, Jefferson, Ga. (4-star)
• Cameron Newton, QB, 6-6, 247, Atlanta, Ga. (5-star)
  
• Craig Sanders, DE, 6-4, 230, Ariton, Ala. (4-star)

The Auburn men's basketball team will try for its first SEC win against LSU in Baton Rouge tonight. Here's how my game advance starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — With two road games on the schedule this week, Auburn guard Frankie Sullivan doesn’t think one win is what the Tigers need to get their season back on track.

“We need both of the victories, to tell you the truth,” he said.

The Tigers (9-9, 0-3 SEC) will try to restart their season tonight in Baton Rouge, La., against an LSU team struggling just as mightily as they are. Auburn and LSU (9-9, 0-3) are two of the three remaining SEC teams without a conference victory.

Read the full thing here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

The position-by-position reviews went over well, I think. If you missed them, click on the following to go back and read up: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, the secondary and specialists.

I also had polls for each of the position groups (except for the offensive line for reasons that I cannot explain). Let's see how the masses feel about Auburn football in 2010:

(Quick Twitter plug. Follow us! We're at 415 and counting.)

QUARTERBACK: Who will be Auburn's starting quarterback in 2010? (out of 1,171 votes)

1. Cameron Newton: 1,020 votes (87 percent)
2. Neil Caudle: 59 votes (5 percent)
3. Tyrik Rollison: 31 votes (2 percent)
4. Clint Moseley: 28 votes (2 percent)
5. Barrett Trotter: 20 votes (1 percent)
6. Kodi Burns: 13 votes (1 percent)

There was no debate here. The vast majority of fans think Newton will win the job and I don't necessarily disagree. It will be interesting to see how quickly he picks up the offense. But, as these results suggest, he might be talented enough to win the job even if he doesn't have a working knowledge of the offense on Caudle's level. It is interesting, though, that in the matter of less than a month, Auburn fans are so sure that someone who just got to campus will lead the offense.

RUNNING BACK: Who will finish with the most carries next season? (out of 955 votes)

1. Michael Dyer: 505 votes (52 percent)
2. Mario Fannin: 354 votes (37 percent)
3. Onterio McCalebb: 96 votes (10 percent)

The majority went with the freshman on this question. Judging by many of the comments, that was mostly because of trepidation on fans' part that Fannin can be called upon to be an every-down back. I have no doubt that Dyer will play. Many recruiting analysts are calling him the most talented running back recruit in the country and capable of stepping in right away. And I trust their judgment. I'm still curious how quickly the coaching staff will give a large share of carries to Dyer. He might be talented enough to do it right away, but there's always a comfort level coaches have with someone who has been there and done it before. I think that person is Fannin, but clearly a lot of people disagree with me.

WIDE RECEIVER: Which receiver will break out next season? (out of 1,046 votes)

1. DeAngelo Benton: 460 votes (43 percent)
2. Emory Blake: 149 votes (14 percent)
3. Travante Stallworth: 128 votes (12 percent)
4. Quindarius Carr: 113 votes (10 percent)
5. Trovon Reed: 107 votes (10 percent)
6. Anthony Gulley: 41 votes (3 percent)
7. Antonio Goodwin: 28 votes (2 percent)
8. Jeremy Richardson: 20 votes (1 percent)

No surprise here really, considering the coaching staff -- especially receivers coach Trooper Taylor -- continues to bang the Benton drum loudly. I think this comes down mostly to who can create a niche for themselves in the offense. Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery aren't going anywhere, so if you're their backup, I can't imagine that working out too well for you in terms of playing time next season. But if a reliable receiver can develop in the slot, someone who is capable of settling down in a coverage and being a safety valve for the quarterback (a Wes Welker type), that could be someone I envision getting some looks from the quarterback. If that's Benton or Blake or Stallworth, I don't know, but I think that style of receiver if the next one to make an impact.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Whose play next year will be most integral to the defensive line's performance? (out of 903 votes)

1. Nick Fairley: 366 votes (40 percent)
2. Antoine Carter: 332 votes (36 percent)
3. Nosa Eguae: 132 votes (14 percent)
4. Michael Goggans: 32 votes (3 percent)
5. Mike Blanc: 28 votes (3 percent)
6. Dee Ford: 13 votes (1 percent)

I put this up fully assuming that Carter would get the most votes, just because he will be charged with replacing Antonio Coleman as a pass-rushing force. But now that I look at the results, the fact that Fairley came out No. 1 was really a solid choice. Fairley made plays last year, stepping up in big spots and not looking overwhelmed by the situation. Auburn needs someone like that at tackle. He obviously had his shortcomings, otherwise he would have been on the field more (defensive coordinator Ted Roof said earlier in the year that Fairley's alignments weren't always right). But he clearly showed flashes of his talent. If he can put it all together, that's another play-maker on the line at a position that's usually reserved for run-stoppers.

LINEBACKERS: Who will have the better senior season? (out of 701 votes)

1. They'll both be about the same: 317 votes (45 percent)
2. Josh Bynes: 284 votes (40 percent)
3. Craig Stevens: 100 votes (14 percent)

This one surprised me a bit. I can completely understand the top vote getter, since Bynes and Stevens are lumped together whenever you mention Auburn's linebackers. But Stevens had the better year in 2009. True, Bynes had more tackles (104-95). But he should; he's a middle linebacker. Stevens had the edge in tackles for a loss (8.0) and sacks (2.5), which I guess you can attribute to him being an outside linebacker. But it was Stevens who won co-defensive MVP honors with Coleman. It was Stevens who Roof praised on a daily basis throughout the spring and into the fall. And it was Stevens, at least from my recollection of watching the games, who had fewer missed tackles. Perhaps this vote was more form a perspective that Bynes has a greater room for growth in his senior season, but in a one-on-one competition of who will have the overall better year, I'm kind of surprising Stevens finished so far behind in the voting.

SECONDARY: Who from the secondary is in line for a breakout 2010? (out of 653 votes)

1. Demond Washington: 238 votes (36 percent)
2. Neiko Thorpe: 209 votes (31 percent)
3. Daren Bates: 208 votes (31 percent)

The most difficult question to answer also proved to be the closest final tally. Auburn has enough relatively young defensive backs (in Washington's case, he's young from an experience standpoint) that there's plenty of potential to be realized back there. I like the Washington vote. He was beginning to come into his own as a cornerback and played well as a safety once he was moved there. Give him a full spring at corner after a full year of playing at the FBS level and he probably has the biggest room for improvement. Thorpe was a popular pick for having a breakout 2009, although he had his struggles. Sometimes those leaps in development take longer than anticipated. Remember, he's only a rising junior. And Bates played admirably for a true freshman, especially considering his only practice in the system was in August. Imagine what he'll be able to accomplish with a full complement of spring and summer workouts. Now that I write that, I might vote for Bates on this one.

SPECIALISTS: What is Auburn's biggest concern on special teams next year? (out of 579 votes)

1. Catching the dang punt! 399 votes (68 percent)
2. Kickoff coverage: 155 votes (26 percent)
3. Replacing Clinton Durst: 25 votes (4 percent)

Durst was good, but Ryan Shoemaker, as many astute readers pointed out, was an All-SEC preseason pick a few years ago. So he could be OK. Kickoff coverage stunk last year, but Auburn should get better just by having more scholarship players to play on those teams. The most glaring problem, obviously, was the punt returners' inability to catch the ball. And it's something that sticks out every time someone puts the ball on the ground. No doubt in my mind that that's the biggest concern.

That wraps up our wrap-up. I'll post a new poll right now that I'll leave up there for a while. It concerns what Auburn should do about Chizik and his contract. Let's see what the masses think on this one.

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn released a statement Monday that suggests he isn't going anywhere this offseason.

Malzahn's name had been rumored to be in the mix for the vacant head coaching position at Louisiana Tech.

Multiple reports Monday said he turned down overtures from Parker and Associates, a firm hired by the Bulldogs to help find a coach to replace Derek Dooley.

"My family and I love Auburn and being part of the Auburn family,'' Malzahn said in a statement released by the school. "Coach (Gene) Chizik is an outstanding coach to work for, and Auburn is a great place to be both professionally and personally.

"I'm excited about the future of this program and helping Auburn build on the foundation that coach Chizik has established the last 13 months."

The 44-year-old Malzahn recently wrapped up his first season on the Plains. The Tigers finished as the 16th-ranked offense in the country, a vast improvement from the 2008 crew that finished 104th.

Chizik dismissed rumors Saturday that Louisiana Tech had contacted Malzahn about the position, calling it a product of the "rumor mill."

“My goal is to keep our coaching staff in tact,” Chizik said, reiterating something he said prior to the Outback Bowl. “We’ve been able to do that and I fully anticipate being able to do that.”

I wrote a story for today's newspaper pretty much summing up my position-by-position blog posts from the last two weeks. Here's how it starts:
Read the full thing here. And, if you feel like it, post your own thoughts about what Auburn's biggest questions will be in 2010 in the comments section on the blog.

And it wouldn't be a blog post without an obligatory Twitter plug. Follow the blog here.

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn head coach Gene Chizik hasn’t lost an assistant yet this offseason and doesn’t plan to.

Chizik said nobody from Louisiana Tech has contacted him about speaking with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn concerning the Bulldogs’ vacant head coaching position.

Louisiana Tech is looking to replace Derek Dooley, who was hired Friday by Tennessee.

“My goal is to keep our coaching staff in tact,” Chizik said. “We’ve been able to do that and I fully anticipate being able to do that.”

Malzahn’s name has been popular among Internet message boards for the Bulldogs’ job. The first-year Auburn offensive coordinator made a name for himself as a high school coach in Arkansas, not far from Louisiana Tech’s campus in Ruston, La.

“Obviously there’s going to be hearsay and there’s going to be rumors,” Chizik said. “I think everybody understands how the rumor mill works and how the different things that get out on the Internet sites.

“I think we’ve all been through that. I went through it. I just think there’s a lot of things out there, but I think people know they’re not necessarily fact. ... Those things are going to continue to happen. We can’t control those things, but really and truly we pay them very little attention.”

Here are a few other notes that came out of Saturday's interview with Chizik:

• Linebackers Spencer Pybus and Adam Herring and offensive lineman Vance Smith will not play next season for various medical reasons. Herring played in eight games last year, starting four times at outside linebacker despite suffering from a bothersome heel injury that required surgery prior to last season. He finished with 12 tackles. Pybus, an all-freshman SEC pick in 2008, suffered multiple concussions last year that kept him off the field. Smith, who played sparingly in two games, had an undisclosed injury. “Those are three great kids who absolutely love football and there’s nothing that tears them up more,” Chizik said. “But you got look at what your quality of life is going to be like 30 years from now. At the end of the day, that’s what you have to measure.”

• Chizik also said defensive lineman Cam Henderson is no longer with the team or in school. Henderson did not play last season, per Chizik’s decision.

• Defensive back Aairon Savage, who tore his Achilles’ heel last summer, has applied for a medical waiver to gain a sixth year of eligibility. “We’re very hopeful we’re going to get the sixth year,” Chizik said. “Aaron is very much on board wanting to come back here to play at Auburn.”

• Savage made the freshman All-SEC team in 2006, making 53 tackles. But he battled injuries in 2007 that limited him to seven games before missing the 2008 season after tearing a knee ligament in August.

• Auburn’s staff is trying to help defensive tackle Mike Blanc cope with the devastating earthquake that took place in Haiti earlier this week. Blanc’s father is of Haitian descent. “We’re trying to do some things right now to help them get in contact with some people and families,” Chizik said. “Right now, there’s still just a lot of confusion there in terms of you know being able to contact people. “It’s a very hard situation to deal with right now. My wife’s talked with these guys. We’re doing all we can to try to help.”

• Chizik said the four players suspended for the bowl game — quarterback Tyrik Rollison (undisclosed), H-back Eric Smith (academics) and fullbacks John Douglas (DUI) and Jason King (DUI) — are still in school and members of the team.

• No Auburn juniors declared for the NFL Draft. “Unless one snuck out at midnight,” Chizik quipped. “I’m fully anticipating all the juniors that we had hoped were going to return are all back.”

AUBURN, Ala. — A 19-point Kentucky lead vanished in the second half, whittled to nothing as the marginally pro-Auburn crowd of 11,669 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial got its loudest, briefly giving the Tigers a taste of what big-time SEC basketball is all about.

Unfortunately, Auburn learned something else SEC basketball is all about: Kentucky winning basketball games.

The No. 2 Wildcats survived a scare Saturday, holding off a furious comeback bid by Auburn in a 72-67 win to remain one of two unbeaten teams remaining in the country.

“We were fortunate,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “We can’t allow ourselves to get into a rut, because sometimes the other team’s will to win is greater than ours.”

The Tigers (9-9, 0-3 SEC) got a look at a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final minute, but DeWayne Reed’s shot bounced off the rim with 12 seconds left.

“We played the second half as well as we’ve played all year,” Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said. “Hopefully it gives the kids some confidence. We need the confidence.”

Kentucky standout freshman John Wall, who had an erratic day with 13 points and seven turnovers, hit two free throws at the other end to put the game away.

“The greatest thing for all of us to see is that we’re not close to where we need to be,” Calipari said. “And if our team thinks we are, well, we’re setting ourselves up for some heavy-duty failure. Because every team we play, we’re playing the best.”

DeMarcus Cousins led Kentucky (18-0, 3-0 SEC) with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Eric Bledsoe added 13 points and Patrick Patterson 12.

Auburn got 19 from Reed, who struggled to a 7-for-25 day from the field. Frankie Sullivan finished with 15 and Lucas Hargrove 10 for the Tigers, who hope the close contest gives them a lift despite starting league play 0-3 for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

“We played against the No. 2 team in the country and it was nose-to-nose,” Reed said. “It don’t get much better than that.”

Auburn seemed overwhelmed in the first half against a Kentucky squad featuring Sports Illustrated cover-boy Wall, a roster full of future NBA players and a carnival-like following that included movie star Ashley Judd, a die-hard fan who sat behind the Wildcats’ bench.

The Tigers fell behind 39-20 after 18 minutes. Kentucky used its length on defense to harass Auburn shooters, especially in the paint.

Reed missed his first 10 shots and was swatted four times by the Wildcats’ big men on drives to lane. They finished with seven blocks.

“They are so long,” Lebo said. “They blocked some where we were already by them, laying it in, and they got a piece of something.”

The Wildcats went into the locker room with a 43-30 lead after making 16 of 27 free throws in the first half. Auburn only had six attempts.

However, the Tigers rallied in the second half, making 14 of their first 19 shots. Reed scored 11 of his 19 points after halftime to get Auburn going. Sullivan drained a 3 with 8:24 to play that tied the game at 60.

But Auburn never took the lead. DeAndre Liggins and Perry Stevenson made layups that put Kentucky back up 64-60.

The Tigers made only two field goals in the final eight minutes.

It was just the latest close game for Kentucky, which allowed Georgia and Florida to hang around in a pair of eight-point victories to open SEC play.

“Coach wants us to play for 40 minutes,” Patterson said. “We have a tendency to play for 25, maybe 30. ... We had a lead and they kept battling and never went away.”

The Auburn men's basketball team will face its toughest opponent in years today against No. 2 Kentucky. Here's how today's story starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — Mentally sifting through Auburn’s opponents the last five years, Jeff Lebo leaned back in his chair and paused: has he faced a better team than No. 2 Kentucky in his time on the Plains?

The closest approximation the coach could come up with was No. 2 Pittsburgh in 2006.

“They had a lot of pro players. This team has a lot of NBA players,” Lebo said. “There’s a difference.”

Auburn (9-8, 0-2 SEC) will face its stiffest test in years when the Wildcats, one of the two remaining unbeatens in Division I (No. 1 Texas is the other), visit Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum this afternoon at 4.

Invigorated by first-year coach John Calipari and a freshman class flush with blue-chip prospects, Kentucky (17-0, 2-0) has reclaimed its spot as top-dog in the SEC, off to its best start since going 23-0 to begin the 1965-66 season.

Read the rest here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

I wrote a story for today's newspaper updating Auburn's recruiting efforts as the Feb. 3 National Signing Day approaches. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — It was last February, a little over a month after he had been hired as Auburn’s recruiting coordinator, that Curtis Luper outlined the goals he and head coach Gene Chizik had for making the Tigers relevant again to prospective recruits.

The subject of how seriously he took recruiting rankings came up. Luper didn’t duck the question.

“If they’re keeping the score, you want to win, right?” he asked rhetorically.

With only a few weeks remaining before national signing day on Feb. 3, Auburn is primed to have a top-five recruiting class.

Rivals.com ranks Auburn’s current class of 27 commits as the fourth-best nationally. The three teams higher on the list are Florida, Texas and Alabama, the last two national champions and this year’s title game runner-up.

Read the rest here. And follow the blog on Twitter.

AUBURN, Ala. — Alli Smalley handled the outside scoring. KeKe Carrier took care of things inside.

It proved to be a winning formula for the Auburn women’s basketball team again Thursday in a 74-62 victory against Alabama at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Smalley scored a career-high 27 points and Carrier added 20 points and nine rebounds as Auburn (11-6, 2-2 SEC) built off Sunday’s upset at No. 11 LSU, winning its second straight in league play.

It extended Auburn’s winning streak to eight games against its in-state rival, the longest by either team in the history of the series.

“I’m just glad that we’ve got the eight,” joked Tigers coach Nell Fortner, who improved to 10-1 all-time against the Crimson Tide. “I don’t know really what to say about that. We just try to win every game we play.”

Celiscia Farmer scored 18 for Alabama (8-9, 0-4 SEC), which is 2-44 in league games since the start of the 2006-07 season.

Auburn’s inside-out duo made sure that misery continued. Smalley, whose previous career-best was 23 points, scored 16 in the first half as the Tigers built a 43-30 lead.

She set a new high with a 3-pointer, her fourth of the game, with 3:30 remaining that stretched Auburn’s lead to 18.
“I think she enjoys playing against Alabama,” Fortner said of the Arab, Ala., native. “I’m glad she does.”

The 6-foot-7 Carrier, meanwhile, was a force down low. The reigning SEC Player of the Week went 9-for-11 from the floor, despite taking what Fortner considered too much of a beating from Alabama defenders.

“Do you see another post player on the floor that gets pounded like her?” Fortner asked. “I’m serious. I’m not even trying to be funny. ... It’s really unbelievable. The good thing is she’s responded to it all year and still has been able to score.”

Carrier, who has been inconsistent throughout her five years on the Plains, thinks she wouldn’t have stayed as composed in years past.

“By now I’m pretty much used to it,” she said. “I just have to have that mind set: I know they’re going to hang on me; I’ve just got to go up there and finish it and be strong and be dominant in the post.”

Tigers guard Morgan Jennings got her first action since tearing her ACL during the summer. The sophomore played five minutes and scored one point.

Forward Jordan Greenleaf grabbed eight rebounds, including the 500th of her career.

The Auburn men's basketball team's fast start was negated by a second-half slump in a 81-55 loss at No. 9 Tennessee on Thursday.

The Tigers (9-8, 0-2 SEC), who led by as many as 12 early on, were outscored 59-21 in the final 26 minutes.

The Vols (12-3, 1-0), playing without four scholarship players that were arrested on gun and drug charges earlier this month, got a balanced effort from their four remaining starters. J.P. Prince and Bobby Maze both scored 14 points. Wayne Chism had 12 and Scotty Hopson added 11.

The Tigers shot a season-high 35 3-pointers. They made 11, although 10 of those came in the first half.

DeWayne Reed scored a team-high 19 points. Frankie Sullivan added 14 and Lucas Hargrove 10.

Auburn plays again Saturday against unbeaten No. 2 Kentucky at home. Tip-off is 4 p.m. ET.

It's a busy night for Auburn hoops.

The men travel to Knoxville to face a depleted but still talented Tennessee, which is fresh off an upset of No. 1 Kansas. The Vols are ranked No. 9 in the country. The Tigers are hoping for something good to happen in conference. Tip-off is 7 p.m. ET. Read my game advance here.

The women host Alabama at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers may have jumpstarted their season with an overtime win at No. 11 LSU last weekend. Tip-off is alos at 7 p.m. ET. Read all about them here.

We're coming to you LIVE from Panera Bread! Why? Because my (unnamed) apartment complex seems to think wireless Internet is a space age technology above its level of comprehension. Geniuses, I tell you. Geniuses.

To recap, so far we've done quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers and the secondary.

What's left? The specialists ...

(Of course, here's the obligatory Twitter plug. Follow the blog here. We're up to 398 followers!)

We'll do this in two parts: the kicking game ...

WHO'S GONE?

• Starters: Clinton Durst (P), Clayton Crofoot (H)
  
• Reserves: None
  

WHO'S COMING BACK?

• Seniors: Wes Byrum (PK), Morgan Hull (PK), Ryan Shoemaker (P), Neil Caudle (H), Josh Harris (LS)
  
• Juniors: Chandler Brooks (PK), Bailey Woods (LS)
  
• Sophomores: None
  
• Redshirt Freshmen: None
  
• Incoming freshmen: Cody Parkey (PK), Steven Clark (P)
  

And the return game ...

WHO'S GONE?

• Starters: Ben Tate
  
• Reserves: None
  

WHO'S COMING BACK?

• Seniors: Demond Washington, Terrell Zachery, Mario Fannin
  
• Juniors: Neiko Thorpe, Quindarius Carr, Eric Smith
  
• Sophomores: Anthony Gulley, Onterio McCalebb, Philip Pierre-Louis
  
• Redshirt Freshmen: None
  
• Incoming freshmen: Too early to speculate

It was an uneven year for Auburn's special teams under the guidance of first-year coach Jay Boulware. The good? Byrum returned to his freshman form, Durst quietly had a solid season and Washington emerged as a dynamic returner in all phases. The bad? Nobody on the roster could catch a punt and the coverage units lagged behind.

But first, let's look at the kickers. Byrum is back after going 14-for-15 last year, perhaps proving his sophomore slump was a fluke. He'll lock down the place-kicker position and (Auburn hopes) pass it along to the incoming freshman Parkey, the nation's No. 1 place-kicking recruit who had a regrettable performance in the Under Armour game a few weeks ago, when he missed two extra points and a chip-shot field goal. Still, the Tigers seem to think they have their future lined up at that position.

At punter, Durst might be gone, but Shoemaker, a scholarship player, remains on the roster, a welcome sight for a coaching staff that probably don't want to hand the job to the the incoming freshman Clark. Shoemaker has had an up-and-down career, losing the job to the former walk-on Durst and not playing at all last season. But he did earn a scholarship coming out of high school, so he must have some talent. Boulware thought he kicked the ball well, just not consistently last spring. Either way, 2010 appears to be his chance.

(Quick disclaimer on the class denotations above: I'm sure there are redshirt candidates from last year at the kicker/punter/holder/long snapper positions, but I don't want to speculate on how the coaching staff will handle that. For all I know, they want to get some of these guys through the program. So I advanced them all a year, whether they played or not.)

On returns, Washington was a godsend at the end of the year. Auburn had tried four other punt returners and a slew of kick returners, but none had the impact of the junior college transfer, whose 31.1-yard kick return average was sixth in the nation. Sure, he had his troubles fielding punts (perhaps he was just trying to fit in), but when he had the opportunity to make some plays on the fledgling return units, he did. That's what you ask of that position. Another year watching punts and their angles should help him eliminate the drops. If he can do that, Auburn has a legitimate weapon on both of its return units.

Fannin, McCalebb and Zachery figure to be in the mix on kick returns as well. Fannin never showed the burst that you want to see out of a kick returner, but coaches like his versatility, so I'd imagine they would continue to use him in that role. McCalebb, with his game-changing speed, seems like he would be the most effective of the group returning kicks, provided he can stay healthy. Others returners are sure to emerge from the freshman class, although it's too early to guess who that might be.

On kick coverage, the Tigers should benefit from an influx of scholarship players. Auburn was hamstrung by a unit made up mostly of walk-ons. The team's low number of touchbacks (5) didn't help either. The kickoff coverage hit a crisis point midway through the season, when a group consisting mostly of walk-ons looked clueless against Arkansas, giving up a long kick return for a touchdown that halted any notion Auburn had of a comeback. The problem surfaced again against Ole Miss before the coaching staff began to put more scholarship (read: experienced) players on the field on kick coverage. Expect plenty more of that next season.

Overall, Auburn has the chance to be OK next year on special teams. Byrum is a solid kicker and Washington an exciting returner. If Shoemaker can provide at least a fair approximation of what Durst did this year, the Tigers could be set in those three categories. But the fact remains that Auburn ranked 97th nationally in kick return defense and 106th in punt return defense last year. Unless those numbers improve dramatically, they'll overshadow anything positive being done on the other units.

We're approaching the finish line with these position-by-position breakdowns. So far we've done quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive line and linebackers.

Now for the secondary...

(Just as soon as you follow the blog on Twitter)

WHO'S GONE?

• Starters: Walt McFadden
  
• Reserves: None
  

WHO'S COMING BACK?

• Seniors: Demond Washington, Zac Etheridge (maybe), Aairon Savage (maybe)
  
• Juniors: Neiko Thorpe, Mike McNeil, D'Antoine Hood, Drew Cole, Mike Slade
  
• Sophomores: Daren Bates, T'Sharvan Bell, Anthony Gulley (maybe)
  
• Redshirt Freshmen: None
  
• Incoming freshmen: Demetruce McNeal, Jonathan Mincy, Chris Davis, Ryan White
  

No group on the team was as patched together by the end of the Outback Bowl as the secondary. The unit took its hits throughout the year -- starting with McNeil's broken leg last spring, continuing with Savages' Achilles' tear in the summer and peaking with Etheridge's neck injury against Ole Miss -- and still somehow pulled through at the end against Northwestern. Granted it had given up over 500 passing yards by that point, but the outcome is the important part, right?

Although there remain plenty of question marks next year, 2010 will at least provide a fresh start. It remains unknown how the injured players will return next year. McNeil practiced by the end of last year, so it appears he is not a concern, but Savage and Etheridge's comebacks are up in the air. Savage, who has suffered season-ending knee and Achilles' injuries the last two seasons, would need to apply and receive a medical hardship and then, toughest of all, return from an Achillles' injury. That's not easy. Tez Doolittle made it seem like it was a few years ago, but that's not the norm, especially for a skill position that requires as much cutting and shifting as cornerback/safety. I remain skeptical if he can shake off this latest setback.

Etheridge is another concern. He said he would like to return to the field shortly after the injury. Of course, he said that while wearing a neck brace that restricted him from moving his head form side-to-side. He has to wear the brace for four months, which would last until March. If you heard Etheridge speak, you wouldn't doubt that he would be back on the field. But neck injuries are a serious thing. Not just in a football sense; in a life sense. It's not something you can overcome without less than 100 percent certainty. I've seen someone who had a similar injury (Virginia safety Nate Lyles) return the following year and play decently, but the fact of the matter is it's a big question mark right now.

So who do we know will be back? Well, Thorpe shook off a few difficult games during the season to finish strong in the bowl game, reaching double digit tackles, including one on the Wildcats' final play, a fumblerooski, that preserved the win. Coaches think he has All-SEC potential. At the other corner, you would figure Washington moves back from safety. He showed a knack for being able to perform at any position he played last year and was gaining confidence in his pass defense skills before moving to safety. Losing McFadden's leadership is undoubtedly a concern, but Thorpe and Washington at least give Auburn two experienced starting corners, which is all you can really ask for.

Nobody outperformed expectations as much as Bates, the least-heralded member of the 2009 recruiting class but its most productive in his first season (funny how that works, huh?). He started every game and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to in the upcoming years. I can't see coaches taking the job away from him to give it back to McNeil. The question is who will start beside him. If Etheridge makes a complete return, he would likely get the nod. He was the unquestioned team leader of the secondary before his injury, someone teammates called a coach on the field. McNeil provides another good option, given his experience and physical attributes. If all three return, I can definitely see the possibility of a rotation among them, a luxury Auburn was never afforded last season.

The rest of the group will fill the gaps. Bell showed signs of life for the first time in the Outback Bowl, making two interceptions. Hood, who battled an ankle injury for most of the year, looked like he took a step back from his freshman year. Cole and Slade appear to be last-resort options. But let's not rule out Gulley, who could get lost in the wide receiver shuffle and might be able to better help the team on defense. Coaches seemed impressed by his ability to immediately catch on at everything he tried.

If all the players come back as expected, that's a fairly deep crew. (I have three "maybes" listed, and that's not including a guy who missed all of last season with a broken leg.) If not -- and really, there's a definite possibility -- it might be another year of playing newcomers and patching things together on a weekly basis.

Lane Kiffin's time in the SEC didn't last long. The coach bolted for the open position at USC after one headline-grabbin', NCAA rule-violatin', SEC coach-offendin' year at Tennessee. He'll be missed.

ESPN first reported the story. USC's athletic director confirmed it Tuesday evening.

Because my Internet continues to be on the fritz, this news just arrived to me via Carrier pigeon.

There's not much to say about this other than ... wow. Pretty surprising that he would leave after just one season, but he's got roots at Southern Cal and it's a choice job.

I'm not sure who will replace him, but I'm sure plenty of interesting names will be mentioned for the position. To think, there's been head coaching turnover this offseason at marquee schools like Notre Dame, Florida State, Florida, USC and now Tennessee. Crazy year.

Tommy Tuberville is quickly building his staff at Texas Tech, and there are some interesting names coming up in the process.

First, Tuberville has tabbed 29-year-old Troy offensive coordinator Neal Brown to run the Red Raiders' Air Raid, an interesting choice considering how his last hire from Troy went. Brown is a Tony Franklin protege, and if you'll recall, Franklin and Tuberville went together like oil and water in 2008. Perhaps this is a tacit admission on Tuberville's part that Franklin's system wasn't the problem that year, that it was more a matter of conflicting personalities between Franklin and Tuberville's longtime staff (aka the BBQ Bunch).

Then, there's this news out of Tuscaloosa: Tuberville is reportedly targeting James Willis to be his defensive coordinator. Willis worked as a linebackers coach under Tuberville when he was at Auburn. When Chizik was hired, Willis was initially retained before leaving for the linebackers job at Alabama. He won a national title there, so you can't fault him for that career move, especially if it helped him get this coordinator gig.

My Internet works! For now. So let's resume these position-by-position breakdowns of the 2010 roster. Here's what we've done so far: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line and defensive line.

Now for the linebackers ...

(Just as soon as you follow the blog on Twitter)

WHO'S GONE?

• Starters: None
  
• Reserves: None
  

WHO'S COMING BACK?

• Seniors: Josh Bynes, Craig Stevens
  
• Juniors: Eltoro Freeman, Adam Herring, Spencer Pybus, Wade Christopher, Ashton Richardson
  
• Sophomores: Jonathan Evans, Harris Gaston
  
• Redshirt Freshmen: None
• Incoming freshmen: Jessel Curry, Jake Holland, LaDarius Owens, Jawara White

No group on the roster needed an influx of young talent more than the linebackers. That's not to say that the group Auburn had last year wasn't good. Bynes and Stevens performed iron-man duties last year, rarely leaving the field because no backup could replace them without a considerable drop-off in performance. It culminated in the duo playing all 115 snaps of the Outback Bowl against Northwestern, a feat that was understated in the Tigers' thrilling win.

While Bynes and Stevens claim they don't care about coming off the field -- and their combined 204 tackles, 14 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and 2 interceptions suggest they are fairly comfortable with it -- it's still not a good idea to run two of your best players into the ground. Auburn did it out of necessity, true. But the coaching staff knows it has to recruit and develop players capable of stealing several snaps away from the duo. Just a little bit of rest every now and then would make Bynes and Stevens that much more effective on the downs they were in the game. Say what they will, but I'm sure they were holding back a little and leaving something in the tank knowing that they couldn't leave the game. When you consider that in 2011 neither will be on the Plains anymore, developing their eventual replacements becomes an even bigger priority.

On the weak-side, Freeman appeared to be making strides toward locking the position down. True, he didn't play much in the bowl game, but that was a response to Northwestern's spread offense, not Freeman's play or (we think) late-season ankle injury. When he was healthy and when his head was on straight, Freeman provided exactly what the Tigers needed at the weak-side, someone who could make plays and provide a big hit every now and then. True, he still missed assignments. True, he still missed some tackles. But as he proved at LSU, he can be a major player at the FBS level if he puts everything together. Put Bynes, Stevens and Freeman together, and that's a solid starting three.

It's the backup crew that will again be a concern. Look at the other list of juniors at the top of the post. Herring battled injuries all year and despite a desperate need for a weak-side linebacker during Freeman's short break, he didn't seize that starting spot. Who knows if Pybus will play again. Concussions can be tricky. And while Christopher and Richardson appear to be nice options on the practice field, they are walk-ons and probably will never do much more than appear on special teams in the game.

Of the freshmen last year, Evans looked like he had made some strides. He performed admirably against Alabama considering the circumstances and finished his season with 28 tackles. Gaston got even less playing time, despite a definite need for him to contribute immediately, leaving me to wonder whether or not either of these players will be major factors this season. The Tigers never had a bigger need for a backup linebacker to step onto the field than last year. And they couldn't really find anyone to do it until they were absolutely forced into the situation.

Perhaps this year's freshman class will have more success. Owens is a four-star recruit who is one of the best in the state, so he figures to have the best shot at competing right away. Curry is enrolling early, so going through an entire spring will help him get a jumpstart on next season. White, Holland and perhaps even two-way athlete Shaun Kitchens can be in the mix as well. At the very least it gives the coaching staff a luxury it didn't have last season: bodies.

So how will next year play out? I can't imagine Bynes or Stevens will have much less of a role on the defense (they're too good of talents to keep off the field), but they'll have to get more rest than they did this year. If Freeman remains healthy and focused, he'll obviously be the third starter. But what I do see is the coaching staff working younger players in more often -- especially in blowouts -- to give those starters a reprieve and set up for the future.

Auburn's KeKe Carrier was named SEC Player of the Week after her performances last week in the Tigers' double overtime loss at Florida and overtime win at LSU.

The senior center averaged 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds for the week.

She had 24 points and 12 rebounds at Florida, her fifth double-double this season.

Against No. 11 LSU on Sunday, she scored nine of her 17 points in the second half to lead Auburn to the victory. She also grabbed her 500th career rebound.

The Tigers (10-6, 1-2 SEC) host Alabama on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

(Programming note: because of continued Internet problems at my apartment complex, I'm pushing back the look at Auburn's 2010 linebackers to tomorrow and will finish out the position-by-position breakdowns the rest of the week. The blog apologizes for any inconvenience.)