• QB Cam Newton: Offensive POTW against Arkansas State, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia, Alabama
• DT Nick Fairley: Defensive POTW against Mississippi State, D-line POTW against Louisiana-Monroe, Arkansas, LSU, Alabama
• LB Josh Bynes: Defensive POTW against Clemson
• DT Mike Blanc: D-line POTW against South Carolina
• PK Wes Byrum: Special teams POTW against Kentucky
• CB Demond Washington: Special teams POTW against Ole Miss
• RB Mike Dyer: Rookie OTW against Ole Miss
• LG Mike Berry: O-line POTW against Georgia

I touched on this in the game story for Saturday's paper, but here's a longer look at Auburn's positioning in the national title race with one game to go:

AUBURN, Ala. -- Gene Chizik isn’t in to statement games, so a question regarding what kind of a declaration Auburn made in a 28-27 come-from-behind win in the Iron Bowl Friday was met with a typical lack of flair.

The Tigers coach stated the facts, plain and simple.

“I don’t know what kind of statement it will make, but we’ve got one more to win,” he said. “If we win that one, then the statement would be that we’re worthy of playing for the national championship.”

All that remains between Auburn (12-0, 8-0 SEC) and its first Bowl Championship Series national championship game appearance is the SEC title game in Atlanta on Saturday against South Carolina.

Win that, and the Tigers, who are currently ranked No. 2 in the BCS rankings, assure themselves of being in one of the top two spots that guarantee a national title game appearance

We've had some time to soak in what happened at the Iron Bowl last night, and, in hindsight: wow, what a game. Nothing in the cooling off period has diminished how thoroughly entertaining that was. Probably one of the top-five games I've covered.

The comeback is complete, and what a comeback it was. Probably the best I've seen. There's a long drive back to Auburn from Tuscaloosa tonight, but here's a peak at tomorrow's game story:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Auburn has had its share of stunning comebacks this year, erasing double-deficits in wins against South Carolina, Clemson and Georgia.

They all pale in comparison to Friday's.

The No. 2 Tigers rallied from a 24-point first-half deficit to pull out a 28-27 win against No. 11 Alabama, ending the No. 11 Crimson Tide's 20-game unbeaten streak at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

"That was a game that will certainly go down in history," Tigers head coach Gene Chizik said, with no hint of hyperbole.

Auburn (12-0, 8-0 SEC) kept its national title hopes alive in the process, with an SEC title game matchup against South Carolina next week in Atlanta all that separates the Tigers from a date in Glendale, Ariz., for the BCS title game.

Although Auburn has come from behind in eight of its 12 victories this season, the 24-point deficit was the largest comeback in school history.

"We've been like situations like this all the time," linebacker Eltoro Freeman said. "We never point fingers. We never do none of that, man. We just stick together. We've been in this situation before."

Well, not quite like this. The three double-digit comebacks earlier this year all happened in the cozy confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium, before a friendly crowd in temperate weather.

Friday's was by far the most daunting — Auburn trailed 24-0 after 22 minutes — took place in chilly, sometimes drizzling weather, and happened before a Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd of 101,821 that Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) hadn't lost in front of since 2007.

It was all Crimson Tide early. Quarterback Greg McElroy threw for 315 of his career-high 377 passing yards by halftime, completing two touchdown passes. Receiver Julio Jones, who had 199 receiving yards, got lost behind a confused Auburn secondary on a broken coverage on one of them for a 68-yard score.

Jeremy Shelley's 20-yard field goal made it 24-0 at the 8:01 mark on the second quarter.

But the Tigers didn't crack.

"The strength of this group is the team," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. "That's what makes it so fun. They care about each other and they play for each other."

Auburn's defense got timely turnovers when Antoine Carter and Nick Fairley forced fumbles near their own end zone, preventing the Tide from putting the game away in the first half.

The Tigers' offense couldn't solve Alabama early — "They were whipping our butts early," offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn said — but finally got in gear midway through the second quarter.

Quarterback Cam Newton engineered the comeback. He completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Emory Blake to cut the halftime lead to 24-7, then had a 70-yard hookup for a score with Terrell Zachery on the second half's second play.

A 1-yard touchdown plunge by Newton cut the lead to 24-21 before another Shelley field goal, following a fumbled punt by Quindarius Carr, pushed Alabama's lead back to 27-21.

It was but a mere hiccup in the comeback. On the ensuing possession, Auburn faced a fourth-and-three at the Alabama 47 with 13:49 remaining. After a timeout, the Tigers lined up in a pooch punt formation, but Newton dropped back and fired a 9-yard pass right on the sideline to Darvin Adams for the first down.

"We came here to win the game," Chizik said. "We did not come here to tie. We didn’t come here with our hat in our hand. We came here to win the game. Sometimes you have to make those calls."

Five plays later, Newton threw back across the field to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen for a 7-yard touchdown. Wes Byrum's extra point gave the Tigers their first lead at 28-27 with 11:55 left.

Newton didn't have eye-popping stats but finished with 216 passing yards and three touchdowns and 39 rushing yards and another score.

"He's a special player," Malzahn said. "He found a way to lead us to victory."

The lead held up. Auburn allowed only 62 yards in the second half. T'Sharvan Bell's cornerback blitz resulted in a sack that pushed the Tide out of field goal range on its second to last drive, knocking McElroy out with a concussion.

Alabama got the ball back with 51 seconds left, but backup quarterback A.J. McCarron threw four straight incompletions to give Auburn the win.

"That's the thing about this team," linebacker Josh Bynes said. "We fight adversity. They had all the momentum in the world, but we know how to fight back."

The victory puts Auburn one step away from the national championship game. Chizik was asked afterward about the BCS national title game, and whether a one-loss SEC team should be considered.

He didn't get into hypotheticals, boiling it down to the simplest terms.

"If we’re lucky enough to win the SEC Championship," he said, "then we’ll be playing for it."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Auburn might have dug a hole even it can't dig out of.

The No. 2 Tigers have been overwhelmed after 30 minutes, trailing No. 11 Alabama 24-7 at halftime at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The Crimson Tide raced to a 24-0 lead, out-gaining the Tigers 314 to 2 midway through the second quarter.

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy carved up the Auburn defense, going 19-for-23 for a career-high 335 yards and two touchdowns. Julio Jones had seven catches for 174 yards and a score.

The Tide, which hadn't score a first quarter touchdown in the Iron Bowl since 1996, scored three Saturday to race to a 21-0 lead.

Mark Ingram scored on the opening drive from 9 yards out before a busted coverage left Jones wide open on a 68-yard score.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Auburn tackle Nick Fairley allowed the Tide to convert on fourth down on the next drive. A few plays later McElroy hit Darius Hanks on a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0 after 13 minutes.

Auburn, which entered the game with the No. 6 offense in the country, didn't get a first down until 18 minutes in.

Cam Newton, the SEC's leading rusher, had nine carries for minus-10 yards. Auburn, which has topped 300 rushing yards in six straight SEC games, has minus-10 yards as a team as well.

The Tigers showed some signs of life before halftime. After Alabama's Jeremy Shelley made it 24-0 with a 20-yard field goal, Newton hooked up with Emory Blake for a 36-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 24-7.

You're looking LIVE at an empty Bryant-Denny Stadium, a little less than three hours before kickoff in the Iron Bowl.

Despite great weather yesterday, it's cold out. It's 44 degrees, according to weather.com, but feels like 38. Although it rained intermittently on the drive up from Auburn, there's no rain falling right now. The field looks in great shape, so I don't know if slipping will be an issue.

Have I mentioned it's cold? Well, it is. Open air press box too. But we'll tough it out. Follow along at Twitter for updates throughout the day.

And if you've got a spare minute, read today's game advance and a breakdown of the matchups.

And check back to this post periodically leading up to the game. I'll be updating it with any pertinent (and some non-pertinent) information.

Minutia -- who wants it? Coming at ya:

• Alabama leads the all-time series 40-33-1. But Auburn is 6-1 all-time in Tuscaloosa.
• Eighteen of the last 22 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.
• Auburn has not allowed a first-quarter touchdown to Alabama since 1996.
• The Tigers are third nationally in rushing offense (307.9 ypg), fifth in scoring offense (42.8 ppg) and sixth in total offense (505.2 ypg).
• QB Cam Newton leads the SEC and is ninth nationally in rushing (117.9 ypg) and is the only player in the country with five games of 170 yards or more.
• Newton 20-20 watch: He has 21 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing.
• RB Mike Dyer's 859 rushing yards are sixth-most nationally among freshmen.
• LT Lee Ziemba will break the schools consecutive starts record by making his 50th career start today.
• DT Nick Fairley leads the SEC and tied for eighth nationally with 18 tackles for a loss. It's tied for fourth-most in a season in school history.
• Alabama is 8-2 against teams in the Associated Press top 10 in the last three seasons. Prior to its loss against South Carolina, the Tide had won nine straight against AP top 25 teams.
• Bama has won 20 straight at Bryant-Denny Stadium, dating back to a 2007 loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
• The Crimson Tide leads the SEC and is ranked third nationally in points allowed (12.8 ppg). Alabama has allowed only two offensive touchdowns at home this year.
• Alabama has the No. 2 pass efficiency defense nationally (96.02). It has intercepted 21 passes, most in the country.
• The Tide has allowed only four 100-yard rushers since head coach Nick Saban arrived in 2007.
• WR Julio Jones is two catches shy of the school record for receptions in a season. He needs 115 yards for 1,000 this year.
• One gambling note: Alabama is a four-point favorite at most places right now.

UPDATE, 12:02 p.m.: Well, Cam Newton is here, so rest easier Auburn fans. Alabama's musical choices for when Auburn took the field? "Take the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band and "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield. There's no punches pulled in the Iron Bowl.

UPDATE, 12:32 p.m.: Another Newton note: as he was leaving the field with the other quarterbacks after the pre-game walkthough, some Alabama fans from the student section threw what appeared to be fake dollar bills near him. They fluttered to the ground as Newton walked by, a state trooper escort in tow.

UPDATE, 1:08 p.m.: No injury updates, but CB Neiko Thorpe doesn't have that huge brace on his left arm anymore. He's wearing short sleeves, in fact.

UPDATE, 1:14 p.m.: Here's the fake dollars that were thrown at Newton.

It'll be a long drive to Tuscaloosa this morning, so here's some pre-game reading to pass the time. And be sure to read the matchups blog post from Wednesday by clicking here.

AUBURN, Ala. -- The popular cliche among Auburn fans during Iron Bowl week is that it doesn’t matter whether the Tigers’ record is 11-0 or 0-11, beating Alabama defines the season.

More than just bragging rights are on the line this year, however.

The Tigers (11-0, 7-0 SEC) have bigger goals in mind when they travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium this afternoon. At No. 2 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, their national title hopes hang in the balance.

“It’s one of those games where if we win, it’s like everything we did was really worth it,” running back Mike Dyer said. “If we lose, it’s like I don’t really know if 11-0, 10-0, 9-0 is really that big of a deal.”

I hope everyone is having a Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully this Gus Malzahn story from today's newspaper can tide you over until the Iron Bowl. Here's how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. -- His system is fast, but on the field during the pre-game, Gus Malzahn is slow and meticulous.

Auburn’s second-year offensive coordinator is in his own little world as he walks every inch of the field, pacing up and down the yard lines while inspecting each blade of grass, a thousand football thoughts no doubt racing through his head.

“His football mind doesn’t have an off switch,” offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. “His mind is always on. That’s one of the things that makes him great. He’s so driven toward success and so focused in his approach.”

Once derided for his recent background as a high school coach, Malzahn, one of the hottest coaching commodities currently in the college game, is not hearing those kind of insults now.

The system many said would never work against the athletic defenses of the SEC currently ranks sixth nationally in total yards.

With three games remaining, Auburn has already set the school record for points in a season (471) and is poised to be only the fourth SEC team in the last decade to average more than 40 points a game for a season.

I was going to save this for Thursday, but there's not a lot going on today, so I figured I'd put it up now.

Here's a video from tonight's interviews with coaches. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes and safeties coach Tommy

It rained during Auburn’s practice Tuesday night, but the Tigers didn’t mind.

With Friday’s Iron Bowl forecast calling for a high of 52 degrees and a 30 percent chance of showers, Auburn made the most of the wet conditions.

“We certainly could have gone indoors if we wanted to, but we felt like us being able to handle a football that was wet (was good),” Tigers head coach Gene Chizik said. “We haven’t had many opportunities to do that. You never know what the weather conditions are going to be on game day.”

Unlike last year, when thunderstorms dotted Auburn’s schedule, this year’s slate has been rain free.

While there were concerns about players possibly slipping and pulling a muscle, Auburn coaches thought the reward outweighed the risk.

Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said his group didn’t have many dropped balls, although he was most impressed by tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen’s hands.

“He can catch the ball whether it’s wet, dry, or you can drop it out of a plane,” Taylor said. “I try to tease (the receivers), saying, ‘It’s a shame the tight end’s got the best hands on the team.’ They can’t stand that, now.”

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Unfortunately because of the short week there will be no chat. But I can imagine people are traveling for Thanksgiving, so it probably won't be a big deal.

Here are some other notes and quotes from tonight's interviews with Chizik and assistant coaches:

• Chizik was named one of eight finalists for the 2010 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday. The winner, which is voted on by the Football Writers Association of America, will be announced Dec. 6. After going 5-19 at Iowa State, Chizik is 19-5 at Auburn, the second most wins through 24 games of any Tigers coach. “To pin that on one guy or to think that one guy is responsible for that is untrue,” Chizik said. “It’s all the assistant coaches, it’s all the players, those are all team awards. I think we all try to look at it like that. It’s certainly nice, but by no way, no means is that award reflecting on one guy.”

• The other seven finalists are Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema, Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh, Oregon’s Chip Kelly, TCU’s Gary Patterson and Boise State’s Chris Petersen.

• When he takes the field for the Iron Bowl, Auburn left tackle Lee Ziemba will break Will Herring’s school record for consecutive starts with 50. “I’ve never been around one that’s done that,” offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said. "No. 1, it’s incredibly difficult just to start as a true freshman. No. 2, to have been able to do that consistently for all those games without missing any? That’s pretty unbelievable for a guy to have played in the trenches.”

• Ziemba, a preseason All-SEC pick, has lived up to his billing. “He said it’s not the number of starts; it’s the quality of starts,” Grimes said. “That says something to me about how he was looking at it.”

• Grimes is impressed by the Crimson Tide's defensive line. "I don't see much of a dropoff in terms of what they're doing on defense," he said. "They've been able to pick up. They've played really well. You check a play. They check a play. You motion. They check out of one blitz into a totally different blitz or coverage. They do an extremely good job."

• Safeties coach Tommy Thigpen holds Alabama’s passing game in high regard, particularly quarterback Greg McElroy and receiver Julio Jones. Thigpen thinks Alabama has broadened what it does with McElroy, who has a 70 percent completion percentage, 2,390 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. “Last year I thought the quarterback was just decent,” Thigpen said. “And now he’s probably one of the premier quarterbacks in the conference.”

• He called the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Jones the strongest receiver Auburn has faced this season. “He’s fast, he’s strong, you can see him out there strong-arming defensive backs. He’s a difference-maker," Thigpen said. "They’re doing a lot more this year than they have in the past. Looks like he’s more of a go-to guy than we’ve seen. Last year at this time he only had maybe 500, 600 yards, this year he’s approaching the 1,000-yard mark. They’re throwing the ball at some points you think he’s not going to get it, and the quarterback is zinging it in there and he’s making some big-time plays."

• Oddsmakers have Auburn as 4- to 5-point underdog. Chizik was asked if his team feels like underdogs. Guess his response? "My focus is just on the game. All of the other things, that’s for everybody else to talk about. That’s not what we talk about.”

• Curtis Luper was asked about how effective his running backs have been this year. "The big addition was the big tailback, the quarterback," he said. "That accounts for about 130 a game."

• Lots of good stuff on offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who I plan to write about for Thursday's paper. Here's a taste from Grimes: "His football mind doesn't have an off switch, that's for sure. I may get a text from him on a Saturday afternoon at 2:30and it'll say: 'Have you thought about this?' His mind is always on. That's one of the things that makes him great. He's so driven toward success and so focused in his approach. "

• Bonus rain quote from Trooper: "I cranked up the (JUGS) machine pretty high just because Cam (Newton) has such a strong arm. And when we first get out there to test it, the first guys really don’t want to ease out there because they don’t know if it’s a split finger or a fastball. So I try to see who’s going to be tough enough. And usually the guys that go up there first are Kodi Burns and Darvin Adams. They jump up there right off the bat. And T-Zach. I couldn’t say one guy’s different."

• Although not an Alabama native, Trooper is impressed by the fans' knowledge of the game. "They understand when to make noise, when not," he said. "I know it’s tough on the quarterback to get the play called. We didn’t no-huddle, like we do now, so it was more difficult. Because when you got in the huddle, they got louder. They didn’t wait until you broke the huddle to start getting loud."

• Trooper went to the "Hoosiers" well with one of his quotes about the Iron Bowl tonight: "One thing we talk about is the football field’s not getting any bigger, any wider. It’s going to be the same. We’ve got to go out there and execute regardless. People outside of the football team make it bigger than what we’d like for it to be. We want our guys to focus on alignment, assignment and effort. Not who you’re playing. To sit here as a coach and say there’s not going to be more enthusiasm or hype about it, obviously that’s not going to be true because of what’s at stake. You hear everybody say all the time, ‘Throw (out) the records.’ No matter what they are, when you go out there and play these two teams together, it’s going to be a physical, tough football game. I’m looking forward to it."

• He thinks having plenty of veterans -- including 24 seniors -- will help out. "As a coach, I don’t have to say anything. If a kid drops a pass, those older guys are already telling him that’ll get us beat. Guys not getting lined up when we’re pacing, going fast-paced, no-huddle and we get a penalty because somebody’s not in their stance right, those older guys are getting on him."

• Anecdotal evidence, you say? Here it is: "The offensive linemen do a great job policing each other. It was funny, I was watching tape and you know how (Brandon) Moseley’s been downfield a couple times on some naked calls, a little play we call naked, and you watch the film from behind and (Ryan) Pugh is holding him up by his jersey. I’m saying, ‘What is he doing?’ He’s making sure he doesn’t go downfield. That kind of experience and that kind of, it seems funny but to that kid it makes him think about it and keeps you from making the same type of mistakes over and over. And that’s the kind of leadership we have on this football team. We’re fortunate that we have as many seniors that we do, because they’re talking and coaching just like the coaches are.”

We spoke to defensive coordinator Ted Roof and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn after tonight's practice. Here's a short video.

Alabama might have had to retool its defense after winning the national championship last year, but Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn doesn't think the group has lost a step.

"There's no weaknesses," Malzahn said.

Alabama is No. 1 in the SEC and third nationally in scoring defense (12.8 ppg). It's allowing 293.5 yards per game, ranking second in the league and seventh nationally.

"They're very good up front," Malzahn said. "Their linebackers, they're as big as some defensive ends and they can flat-out run. On the back end, they're extremely talented. No. 4 the (Mark) Barron kid, he's good as anybody in our league, great tackler, great instincts, good ball skills.

"They're going to make you earn it. It seems very similar to last year when you look at them on film."

Defensive end Marcell Dareus might not have eye-popping stats (28 tackles, 8 TFLs), but Malzahn said not to overlook his contributions.

"He's a disruptor," Malzahn said. "Even if he doesn't make the play, he disrupts so many things. If he doesn't make the tackle, usually he's influencing someone who does make the tackle."

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• It's going to be loud in Bryant-Denny Stadium Friday, louder than anything Auburn has faced, Malzahn thinks. "We've done some things last week and this week to try to prepare," he said. "Our guys are going to have to be very mature and they're going to have to do a good job of their communication. They're going to have to be very disciplined."

• While the physical rest of the bye week usually gets all the attention, Malzahn said not to overlook the benefits of a mental break, eve if it's for one Saturday. "It's been a grind, I'm telling you," he said. "From a coaching standpoint, it was also good to get somewhat refreshed."

• Despite the extra time, Malzahn doesn't want to put too many things in the playbook. "Just like a bowl game when you've got three weeks to a month, you've got to be careful about doing too much," he said.

• Malzahn on getting TE Philip Lutzenkirchen back last week: "He provides a lot of flexibility for us. He's one more option in the passing game. And I tell you what, he does a great job with the run blocking, too. It's very important to have him back and have all of our weapons going into this thing."

• Although Mike Blanc won’t be at his disposal for the first half Friday because of an NCAA-imposed suspension for getting ejected against Georgia, defensive coordinator Ted Roof said he still expects to rotate reserves in. “That’s what we do,” Roof said. “That’s what some of our kids have earned, so we’re going to stick with our plan and keep guys fresh in the ballgame the best we can and go from there.

• Freshman Jeffrey Whitaker, who has six tackles in 10 games, is the first tackle off the bench with Blanc out. “We knew when we recruited him that he was a very talented player and a guy who was very mature for his age,” Roof said.

• Roof has seen both sides of the Iron Bowl (he was a GA at Alabama back in the day). "Well, it’s a fierce, fierce rivalry, and it’s one you live with 365 days a year in this state," he said. "It doesn’t let go. It stays with you. It’s certainly the fiercest I’ve ever been a part of.”

• Roof went to Georgia Tech, so he's aware of the Tech-Georgia rivalry. "That’s a great rivalry as well," he said. "But in this state, it’s just different. I can’t really explain it. I can just tell you it’s different, because I’ve lived it.”

• Auburn held Alabama to 73 rushing yards last year. Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram finished with 30 yards on 16 carries and a bruised hip. “They were very, very physical, and they tackled well," Roof said of his defense. "Any time do that, you have a chance to do good things against the run game."

• Roof, on Ingram and Trent Richardson: "They’re explosive. They complement each other very well. When you want to line up and run the ball in this league, you’ve got to have some depth. They’re both very physical in the way they run the football, and we’ve got a lot of respect for them."

• Roof said not to forget about WR Julio Jones. "He's a physical receiver," he said. "He's a guy that makes plays in the clutch for them. And he seems to have a knack for making big plays when they need them most. And he's had a great year and has caught a bunch of balls and has made some big plays."

• He said the defense makes minor tweaks when facing different kinds of receivers but it still boils down to execution. "It comes to getting lined up and playing hard and executing technique and executing the defense called and playing harder than you think you can play," he said.

Here's a video from today's pre-practice interviews with tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, linebacker Craig Stevens and running back Mike Dyer.

Back with more after tonight's interviews with coordinators Gus Malzahn and Ted Roof.

Gene Chizik has come and gone. Here's what he said:

• "Obviously very excited to be hear for Iron Bowl week. It's going to be a really exciting game for our fans and coaches. This is the kind of game you love to play in. This is what college football is all about."

• On Bama's passing game, he cited stats: No. 3 scoring offense in league, QB throwing 70 percent completion. "He has some great receivers to throw it to. The quarterback is really doing a good job of throwing the football. And (Greg) McElroy has only thrown five interceptions."

• Chizik on the possibility of a high-scoring game: "I'm never into a track meet. I'd like for it to be a track meet for our offense, but this is the No. 1 scoring defense in the country. They're giving up under 13 points a game, which is unbelievable."

• On the rivalry: "Certainly this is one of the greatest in college football. It's important to everybody."

• Went out of his way to say he would only talk about Cam Newton in the first 11 games when asked an innocuous question about the quarterback's preparation for this game.

• On Saban and his staff: "It's a very talented team on the defensive side of the ball. There's no question about that. They're very well coached. There's no question about that."

• The top-five SEC West teams are 34-1 in SEC games when they're not facing each other: "This is one of the years where it's brutal to survive in the West. You've got great coaches. You've got great players. This year might be the best it's been in some time."

• On Nick Fairley being off limits to the media: "Don't really know the answer to that." Then he said he makes the decisions about who talks. OK then ...

• He elaborated some: "That's up to my discretion and we have a lot of different reasons. But if someone's not talking, I assure you there's a good reason."

• On LT Lee Ziemba: "That's one guys we probably don't speak about enough. He's been a rock. He's been great."

• On playing on the road: "We have to be cognizant of the fact that it will be distracting if we let it be distracting."

• On Mike Blanc understanding he hurt the team with his ejection: "I think all our players understand."

• "There's nothing more important in my opinion than making sure your guys are mentally and physically fresh."

• Asked about rivalries he grew up with. Gave vague answer about state rivalries and didn't mention anything specific. Eventually coaxed into saying Miami, Florida State, Georgia. (He went to Florida.)

• Fear or doubts about Newton playing in the Iron Bowl? "I'm not talking about Cam Newton unless it's about his play or performance in the first 11 games." It's a recording at this point.
  

Here's a video I put together from tonight's interviews. It's got head coach Gene Chizik, linebacker Josh Bynes and left guard Mike Berry. Enjoy.

Auburn linebacker Josh Bynes is from Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., so he’s long had an appreciation for the Miami-Florida State rivalry.

It’s nothing like the Iron Bowl, he said.

“Coach (Gene Chizik) said they separate a line in the elementary schools and it’s either you’re Auburn or Alabama,” Bynes said. “You’ve got to choose one or the other and it’s going to be hatred for the rest of your life when they play each other.”

It’s with that as the backdrop that the Tigers (11-0, 7-0 SEC) resumed preparation for the Crimson Tide (9-2, 5-2) Sunday, going through a 90-minute full-padded practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn had a bye the week before the Iron Bowl last year, so it is following the same schedule. It has the added benefit of no classes because of Thanksgiving break.

“I think our guys know what to expect starting tonight,” Chizik said. “With them not having school tomorrow knowing how we want to organize it, the mentality of them being able to come over here in the morning and watch film on their own (is there).”

Things get dialed up a notch in the rivalry, which has been the teams’ regular season finale in all but one year since 1948.

“It’s downright nasty,” Bynes said. “The game is physical. And you’re playing for more than yourself. You’re playing for all the millions of people who love Auburn and the other millions who love Alabama. So whoever wins that game gets that 365-day bragging rights.”

It doesn’t take long for out-of-state players like left guard Mike Berry, who is from Antioch, Tenn., to realize the gravity of the game.

“You inherit this rivalry and the hate for the other team,” the senior said. “Grown men cry over this game. It’s amazing.”

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And read some more notes and quotes from a light night of interviews Sunday:

• Auburn is a 4-point underdog in the game, despite being ranked No. 2 and being 11-0. "Even though we've had a winning record this year, people still expect us to lose," Berry said. "We still carry that as a chip on our shoulder."

• One more Bynes quote on the rivalry: "Your whole body changes. Everything. Your emotions, when you get into this game, because you know for a fact that everybody is watching. From the NFL to high school to Little League to the family, friends. People who don't watch football, they'll watch this game, because this is the most important game."

• Last year's game wasn't decided until the final minute, after Alabama drove the length of the field and pulled out a 26-21 win on Greg McElroy's touchdown pass to Roy Upchurch. "That don't really stick to me at all," Bynes said. "We just know that last drive, we had some mistakes of our own in coverage, and that cost us them getting all the way down the field to get that game-winning points. But this year we have a whole different scheme. Some of us looked at the game from last year and seen some good things and seen some bad things, but I'm really more focused on what we need to do this year to stop them. I think we're a better defense than last year, especially up front."

• The Tigers expect things to be loud at recently expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium, the fifth-largest stadium in the country now that it seats 101,821. They’re preparing as such. Auburn has occasionally practiced in the John H. Watson Fieldhouse, cranking up the music to high decibels. The coaches choose the tunes. “Sometimes it’s good,” wide receiver Darvin Adams said. “But sometimes it’s just a whole bunch of noise and you don’t understand what it is.”

• Auburn’s players don’t find such noise too disruptive when coaches relay in plays. Everything is based on hand signals. As for the snap count, the Tigers have plenty of options. “You just make adjustments,” Berry said. “If we can’t hear, maybe we’ll go maybe with (center Ryan) Pugh saying the snap count. It hasn’t been a big issue for us year. I don’t really expect it to be.”

• Chizik said practice focused on Auburn more than Alabama. "Now it’s about us," he said. "It’s about us executing things. It’s about us executing the same plays, executing better. The practice time where we’ve been able to look back at some things we haven’t been as successful on as we would like and some things we have been good at. But for the most part, really just working on us.”

• Chizik's take on Alabama this year compared to last year: "I don’t think they’re very different at all. I think they’re very physical on both sides of the ball. You can tell that’s what they hang their hat on, having a very physical run game. They’ve got some great people on the perimeter who can catch the football. Defensively, very physical in the front seven. Great athletes on the perimeter. I don’t see a lot of difference. It’s obviously a very well-coached team and a very physical football. There’s just not a lot of difference from what I see.”

• Adams said fellow wide receiver Terrell Zachery is "the best receiver in the nation" when he has the ball in open space. "When you get him one-on-one with somebody, 10 times out of 10 he’s going to win that battle," Adams said. "Good moves. Hard to bring down. If he turns the corner and get his shoulder squared, it’s going to be a tough time getting him down."

• When did Auburn players think this season might be not just good, but something special? "I mean, we all thought we could go all the way, but we started clicking as a team after the Arkansas game," Adams said. "The defense refusing to lose and the offense refusing to lose."

• A few players admitted to sneaking thoughts about the national title game. "Yeah, it’s hard not to think about, in the back of your mind you’re probably thinking about it," Zachery said. "But you’ve got to keep pushing. Just keep pushing like coach Chiz says one game at a time."

• Berry knows the problems with looking ahead. "If you look too far ahead," he said, "then you get beat and then you're out of it."

Auburn was off Saturday, but I wrote a story about head coach Gene Chizik, who has turned around the program much quicker than anyone would have anticipated. Here is how it starts:

AUBURN, Ala. — When the weather changed for the worse at an Auburn practice last week, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor fully expected to move to the more restrictive indoor facility.

Instead, head coach Gene Chizik pulled a rain plan from his pocket and quickly began directing players to different stations on the outside fields.

“I’m going, ‘Who does that?’” Taylor said. “He never ceases to amaze me when it comes to that.”

Chizik has always had a plan in four years as a head coach, one from which he hasn’t deviated. The only thing that’s changed recently is his record.

Two years after his hire from Iowa State, where a 5-19 record prompted an overwhelming outcry from message boards to airport tarmacs, Chizik has won over the Auburn fan base.

He’s flipped his career record, going 19-5 on the Plains and leading the Tigers into the national title picture with an 11-0 record this season, a quicker turnaround than even the most optimistic Auburn backers could have hoped for.

Senior Ryan Shoemaker will get the nod at punter for Auburn to start the Iron Bowl next Friday.

“Unless he gets into a funk,” special teams coordinator Jay Boulware said. “We’re going to pretty much go with him for right now. He’s a senior. Hopefully, he can get out there and do a solid job for us.”

Auburn has juggled its punters this year. Shoemaker started the year but was mediocre, giving way to freshman Steven Clark in the sixth week.

Clark averaged only 34.9 yards per punt, prompting the coaches to go back to Shoemaker two weeks ago against Chattanooga.

The senior averaged 42.5 yards on two punts against Georgia, although one that should have been downed at the 1-yard line was knocked into the end zone.

Auburn’s net punting ranks 99th nationally. Boulware said his punters kick it better in practice than games, which is frustrating.

“Not with Steven so much,” Boulware said. “He’s a young kid. He has a lot of technical things he has to fix. It’s really hard for a freshman punter to play … and do really well.

“Shoemaker — he’s inconsistent. I’ve been working really hard with him the last couple weeks trying to get him up to speed.”

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Here are some more notes and quotes from Thursday's practice:

• Injured safety Aairon Savage won’t return in time for the Iron Bowl, head coach Gene Chizik said. Savage had surgery after breaking a bone in his right ankle against Arkansas. His hope was to get back in time for the Alabama game, although Chizik said a more realistic goal is the bowl game. “Don’t know that we’ll get there or not, but we’ll continue to try to work in that direction,” he said. Savage was granted a sixth year of eligibility after losing back-to-back seasons to ACL and Achilles’ injuries.

• Defensive line coach Tracy Rocker didn’t mince words when it came to senior defensive linemen Michael Goggans and Mike Blanc getting ejected at the end of the Georgia game for throwing punches. “Just meeting with both of them, I made it clear that it was an embarrassment,” Rocker said. “That’s not what we teach, it’s not what we’re about. And just to let them know that you affected this team. And y'alls selfish act affected this team. Everybody’s looking at it as a defensive line, but it affects the team. On from that, I have to get it done, get it cleaned up and get the young players ready to go and just keep moving ahead.”

• Rocker said the reps some of the younger players got this year will help. "The deal is, back early in the year Jeff (Whitaker), Corey (Lemonier), Kenneth Carter, a lot of those guys were all wondering, ‘Am I going to get more snaps?’" Rocker said. "They come in the office, ‘Coach, I only played six snaps. I only played seven.’ I said, ‘I guarantee you by November you’ll be up to 18.’ And they’re all at 18 so I feel good about that and the thing is they understand the game, they’ve been on the road, they’ve played on the road now, they’ve played at home, they’ve been in close knit games so now it’s just a matter of going out there and doing the things within the structure of the defense and performing."

• Auburn has spent the last two nights practicing at Jordan-Hare Stadium instead of at the athletic complex and will continue to do so leading up to the Iron Bowl. “It’s good to practice under the lights, a little bit of change of venue,” Chizik said. “We’ll continue to do that. Change of pace. Haven’t done it all year.” Chizik said it didn’t have anything to do with construction on the new indoor practice facility, which has begun on the outer portion of the practice fields behind the complex.

• Auburn has a walkthrough today before taking Saturday off. The Tigers resume practice Sunday and will go through Wednesday. Thanksgiving will be a walkthrough in the morning, followed by a team function. “Then give them a little bit of time away before we get on the buses and head out,” Chizik said.

• Chizik said there’s a small window for players who live close by to go home and see their families. “What usually happens is their families come here,” he said.

• Chizik said he'll help anybody on the staff get another coaching job somewhere else. "They understand that if they're fortunate enough to get a different job than this one that, as I've said many times, I want them going out of here kicking and screaming because they love this place so much," he said. " If guys have opportunities, we want them to be great opportunities that they just couldn't pass up."

• Tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen on his first touchdown catch, which Cam Newton threaded into tight coverage: "Cam threw an unbelievable ball. Even after watching the replay, I’m not sure how he got it there. It was a freak play on his part and I was on the receiving end of it."

• Linebacker Daren Bates said he popped his right shoulder out and injured his AC joint against LSU, which caused him to miss a few games. Did it hurt? "It did," he said. "It felt like my arm was numb. Felt like I didn’t have an arm for a second."

• Boulware on Wes Byrum being 2-for-2 in recovering surprise onside kicks: "We do it all the time. That's something we do weekly. We're always looking for ways to take advantage of the opposing team. We have a number of trick plays out there for special teams. We haven't even begin to use even half of them yet. We have used that little thing twice. We've run a couple fake punts. We have a number of plays we practice each week and it's just a matter of when we feel like they're up."

• Lots of line drawing in the sand about this rivalry. "Coach Chizik said it best on Sunday during our team meeting," Lutzenkirchen said. "If you’re from the state of Alabama, when you’re on the playground at 6 years old, you draw a line and one side is Auburn and one side is Alabama. It’s just a real personal game. It’s going to be a war, so that’s what we’re preparing for."

A good day of chatting, mostly about Cam Newton stuff. If you missed it, here's the replay.