Chizik Clarifies, World Continues On Normal Rotation...

((HT: ESPN/SEC))

In direct opposition to Danny Sheridan's nebulous rant and riff on the PFRN yesterday about bag men and the such, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik went on the four-letter and discussed the SanDestin incident with the NCAA and what he can't control...

Anish Shroff asks questions...

NCAA to Auburn: We aren't done yet...

Cam and Cecil Newton/Opelika Times

((ht: nytimes.com/thamel))

Interesting. The normally, somewhat placid SEC athletics meetings last month in North Augusta, South Carolina apparently had a little excitement in them.

No, Mike Price wasn't there, but the NCAA's VP of enforcement, Julie Roe Lach was.

And she had some interesting words with Auburn coach Gene Chizik. Now, in the interest of our Auburn contingent who reads us regularly, this probably is meaningless...but.

According to the New York Times, there was a bit of a testy exchange between Lach and Chizik when Chizik pressed her about the NCAA investigation into Cam Newton and Auburn recruiting. The quote was "You'll know when we're finished and we're not finished".


The Times confirmed this after talking to several people in the room at the time.

Read the full story RIGHT HERE (Might be subscription--just warning you)

Yes, we'll grant, this is news in large part due to the lack of news at the present time. We..and everyone else have gone into great detail of the why and what about the NCAA investigation into Auburn football and Cam Newton in particular.

This, we hope, means the NCAA is serious and not going to rush things just for the sake of it. They need to be sure that things were done right. This is an issue, they already haven't handled particularly well and they need to get it right. With the other outstanding investigations out there, they need for the schools to know they take this type of issue seriously and if you do something wrong, there will be repercussions.

Positive Pub's Week In The SEC: Chizik And Camp Sunshine

((HT: Positivepub.com))

FOSG ((and contributor)) Gil Tyree has been a very busy boy this summer before he heads back into the high school bunker...

He and fellow FOSG Lisa Weiss have been making the rounds checking in on all that is good about the people, places, and things of today...

Thus, the name of the gig- "Positive" Pub...

His first stop was checking in with someone who would make TBH very happy...
Auburn Head Coach Gene Chizik's new book is out- entitled "All In..."

Of course...
And here's where Lisa and Gil caught up with the man...

Positive Pub: Gene Chizik from CWI Viewer on Vimeo.

Item #2: The University of Georgia Bulldogs football squad went out to Camp Sunshine to hang out with kids who have a different fight on their hands- cancer. For the last three decades, Camp Sunshine has been a place where the "C" word is the last thing on family's minds and they get the opportunity to be treated like they should be 100-percent of the time...

As normal human beings...

Once again, here's Lisa and Gil...

Positive Pub: Camp Sunshine from CWI Viewer on Vimeo.

Schools Reach Out To Tuscaloosa

((HT: WVTM-TV Birmingham))

One thing is assured...

As TBH can attest, Alabamians may wear different colors on Saturdays but when it comes to the other days of the week- and, especially, in times in need- the colors you wear and the schools you support don't matter a whole lot...

Alabama student government chief of staff Nicole Bohannon says six schools have reached out to volunteer: Auburn, Louisiana State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Penn State and South Carolina.

Here's Coach Chizik and Trovon Reed helping out in the Alabama town of Pleasant Grove...


There is talk of a benefit concert at Jordan-Hare in the near future...
More when we know more...

Gene Chizik Is Mad As Hell At HBO, Jay Jacobs May Be As Well... But He's Being Diplomatic About It...

Auburn head coach Gene Chizik goes off on HBO. (Thanks The Birmingham News)



AD Jacobs put out a correspondence, that politely expressed the University's concerns...

Jacobs Sayeth Quote... Ahem...

As you have probably heard or read by now, HBO will air a segment on "The State of College Athletics" tonight at 9 p.m. CT. It will be a part of the cable channel's regular "Real Sports With Bryant Gumble (sic)" show.

An HBO producer contacted Auburn Athletics seeking a comment on claims made by several former Auburn football players who said they received improper benefits either while at Auburn or while being recruited to Auburn during the previous football staff's tenure here.

While HBO's producer conceded the network had "no proof" any of the claims are true, the producer indicated the network still intended to run the interviews as part of its “State of College Athletics” piece.

We declined to be interviewed by HBO, but the following statement was provided to the show’s producer last week.

“Auburn Athletics respectfully declines to comment on these alleged claims apparently made by a few former football players. Compliance with all NCAA and Southeastern Conference rules is a major emphasis and top priority for all of our athletic programs at Auburn University.”

** In addition, we have just released the following statement from me to the media.

"We are aware that four former football players have made allegations against Auburn. While HBO confirmed to us they have no proof that any of these claims are true, we contacted both the NCAA and Southeastern Conference as soon as these allegations surfaced. We have engaged outside counsel to investigate this matter and will spare no resources to find the truth."

Thanks to all of you for all that you have done and continue to do for Auburn. Let me assure each of you that we have and will continue to do things the right way.

God Bless and War Eagle,

Jay

1230 UPDATE: McClover also claims that he purchased his college car with $7,000 he got from a booster "that he knew." Junior Rosegreen, a teammate of McClover's, says he saw McClover purchase the car with his Pell Grant moneys.

From Rosegreen's interview with AuburnSports.com

"Stanley is bitter with everybody because he blew $1.2 million at the strip club. He went to the strip club three times a week. He was making it rain with 20-, 10-, 5- and 1-dollar bills and now he's broke. He shouldn’t get mad at Coach (Tommy) Tuberville, Coach (Eddie) Gran and the Auburn Family because he blew his money."

Rosegreen also says that McClover maintains he was paid $20,000 by HBO for his presence in their special...

More when we know more...

National Signing Day Wrap

The HQ understands about signing day...
It's kinda like this...
A - Always
B- Be
C- Closing

Always, be, closing...



But Georgia kept 19 players home in their 25 signee class... that's huge...
And Isaiah Crowell even brought props...
((HT: ESPNU))


FOSG Buck Lanford talks about the greatest hits...
((HT: MyFoxAtlanta))

It's High School Football Signing Day: MyFoxATLANTA.com

The national champs had a pretty good day...
Here's the Chiz watching the Enrique Florence signing...
((HT: WBRC-TV Birmingham/MyFoxAl.com))


Nick Saban's day is hyah...

Shelley Smith catches up with Jimbo Fisher...
Everyone thinks Florida State had the best class in the country...
The HQ isn't so sure...
((HT: ESPNU))


Donnitra Gilbert is at Thomas County Central to check in on the cross-state class, thanks to our friends at WCTV

Man-mountain Cyrus Kouandjio picked Auburn over Alabama- the place where his brother currently is.
((HT: ESPNU))


That didn't sit well with Cyrus' parents. After the selection at DeMatha ((MD)) High School and all the consternation, he left school to "figure things out..."

And, apparently, Cyrus was developing a nervous tick over the whole process...
((HT: Brooks via Kristen Kenney/Scout.com))


Clemson got top prep linebacker Tony Steward...
((HT: WSPA-TV))


And the HQ is still trying to figure out how the OBC got 30...
((HT: WSPA-TV))


And FOSG Jeff Hullinger turned an interesting piece on Ralph David Abernathy IV...
Yes, THAT family of Abernathy's...
((HT: WXIA-TV/11alive.com))


That should get you started...
More when we know more...

The Champ Is Here... Circa 1983

This photo is making the rounds, and yet while averting our eyes, we could not resist the sharing...

((HT: TheWarEagleReader))

And the HQ doesn't really know what to say after that...
We trust you will...

Auburn Did It. The SEC Has 5 BCS Titles In A Row

Once again chants of S.E.C!, S.E.C! are happening around the south, especially in Auburn, Alabama. The Tigers won their first national championship since 1957 defeating Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game 22-19.

"Well, obviously, you know, it is really hard for me to describe the feeling that I have for the Auburn family." Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said in the post game press conference. "I'm not sure if 15 weeks ago anyone believed that we could do this except us."

Auburn was no where near the national championship radar screen when the season kicked off in August. Cam Newton was just another SEC quarterback. 14 games and an intense NCAA investigation later Newton is the Heisman Trophy winner and Auburn wins the national championship.

"I don't want nobody to feel sorry for me because throughout this year didn't nobody feel sorry for Auburn." Auburn quarterback Cam Newton said in the post game press conference. "We got the last laugh."

Newton completed one of the best seasons by a college quarterback and accomplished the tri-fecta. SEC Championship, Heisman Trophy winner and now leading his Tiger team to a National Championship. Is the NFL next for Newton?

"I'm not going to make no decision right now." Newton said. "It is something I have to sit down with Coach Chizik and my family and just get the vibe of so many different people. We will go from there."

"He is a great football player, and he is a great human being." Chizik said of his starting quarterback. "We love him at Auburn and we got his back in everything that he does and everything that he stands for."

"He (Newton) is a great football player." Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said in the post game press conference. "I'm not into ranking guys. I wasn't there to see Sammy Baugh play, but in my career as a head coach, he's the best player I've seen."

While Newton and the explosive Auburn defense has received most of the attention this year, the Tiger defense was the difference in the game. Mike McNeil led Auburn with 14 tackles and Nick Fairley was all over the field. Oregon had a hell of a time accounting for Fairley throughout the game.

"Nick Fairley proved he was the best defensive lineman in the country." Kelly said.

Fairley ended up with five tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss.

"Man, our defense, we showed America everything we done each and every Saturday out there on the field." Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley said in the post game press conference. "Man, we have been doing this, like I said, for 14 weeks. We just went unnoticed throughout the year. Now that we got noticed out here on the big stand, we just showed what we can do."

Chip Kelly added, "I had a lot of respect for them defensively. I was really, really impressed with their front. We knew it was going to be a test for us."

Here's sound with Auburn QB Cam Newton after the game. (Thanks WVTM-TV)



Auburn's kicker Wes Byrum on the field after the game. (Thanks CBS Sports.com)



Photo Courtesy: Hal Yaeger/The Birmingham News

DEVELOPING TWTW: Bee-Cee-Ess Survives Another Year, It's Auburn And Oregon...

Looks like it'll be Oregon and Auburn in Glendale on January 10th...

Cam Newton passed for a career-best 335 yards and 4 TD's, running for 2 more, as top-alphabet ranked Auburn smoked South Carolina 56-17 for the SEC title at the Georgia Dome.

Newton will likely be picking up the Heisman Trophy next Saturday in New York City.

Here's some early highlights...
((HT: SEC on CBS/Youtube))


Oregon, on the other hand, has their spot for the first time in school history,
beating Oregon State 37-20 in the Civil War game.

LaMichael James ran for 134 yards and 2 TDs and Kenjon Barner had 133 yards with 2 TDs for the Ducks- now 12-0/9-0 in the Pac-10/11/12.

Here's the end of that game...
((HT: ESPN/ABC/Youtube))


The HQ admits that we liked that even the sports drink was green...

2010 Iron Bowl: Survive And Advance

Walking towards Bryant-Denny Stadium on the Tuscaloosa campus, it seemed neither side wanted to acknowledge there was a game going on.

Alabama fans had a sense of dread as if they were getting their ass haded to them and staring at a three-loss (gasp) season at the end of Friday afternoon. Auburn fans were going into the game feeling that, since they were the underdog, they must be the underdog after all.

There wasn't any smack talk on the boulevard. There were just merchants trying to sell "Scam Newton" and "Got Laptops? Cam Does" t-shirts.

By the way, the HQ now has a few of those for Festivus gifts.
They were on special after the game...

But when you see Mark Ingram run for nine without being touched, when Julio Jones is left to run free in a two-deep zone as corners think safeties are there for support and vice versa, and when Darius Hanks catches a 15-yard fade that everyone could see was going to work, it a 21-0 lead that took all of 17 minutes to put on the board.

Full disclosure... I went as a civilian this year. TBH got tickets in the endzone and I went since I had never gone in that capacity. It was wet. It was cold. And I couldn't get a cell signal out to save my life.

And when the lead was that big for Alabama, TBH wondered if the beating was going to be worse than the one in Tommy Tuberville's last year- 36-zip.

But it wasn't...

I reminded her that her team had been a second-half team all year- all 32 games they've played in, they've trailed. There were a half-dozen games where the Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles had trailed in the fourth quarter and had escaped. They were also getting two defensive starters back after they had thrown punches in the UGA game and had to sit out the first half. All the depth you would have had in the first half would be there in the second half.

But the two marquee defensive plays in the first 30 minutes, the Nelson punchout and the Nick Fairley bench press/fumble recovery, kept the team hanging around. Emory Blake caught the TD pass in the first half with all the confidence his father had on some Sundays as a quarterback ((Remember "throw up a moon ball and hope someone in the same colored jersey runs under it?")).

They got the ball at the start of the second half, and made the most of it. Terrell Zachery was the lucky recipient of an overplay in the Bama secondary to make it 24-14, and all the yards that Greg McElroy threw for in the first-half (something short of eleventy-billion), didn't mean a thing.

He threw for thirty-something yards in the second half before he was suplexed by Tasharvin Bell in a way that would have made Chris Benoit proud. From that moment on, McElroy thought he was Scott Hunter and wanted his mommy.

Evidence below...
((HT: SEC on CBS/youtube))


Compare/Contrast...
Continue...
((HT: WWE/youtube))


McElroy didn't get to finish- that was left to AJ McCarron. And we found out why he was a redshirt freshman who signalled in plays instead of ran them. Especially after getting his ass slapped and his ears chewed in the Miss State game by Nick Saban.

But the defensive adjustments made by Ted Roof and the staff were top notch in a season where there have been two ways Auburn had to win- come from behind and make Vegas mad, or outscore everyone and make Vegas money.

As all the Crimson people were leaving, it turned into a blue-and-orange celebration. All of the Bama fans were left with was a bunch of expletive-laden retorts on their way to a weekend's worth of sulk. For every win that the Tide thinks is "bought and paid for," all the Auburn fans had to do was point to a scoreboard. But it wouldn't be that simple, would it...???

It's a game where families are divided. It's a game where middle school principals wander over to former students on their way to concession stands and make fun of their allegiances. And, on the next play when things go south, the father of the student makes a point to race to the stairwell and offer an answer to the question previously posed.

None of it clean... for the next 365 days...

It's where Auburn fans sit next to Alabama fans and send their index fingers as close to their seatmates and second-guess their neighbor. It's a game where your color choice is looked at as nothing short of Goodwill-bought and there is never any Goodwill sold.

And the land where there is nothing short of a Paul Bryant Drive will make a point to reinforce that every coach on the staff should be drawn and quartered, after being shot and killed and not a moment before.

Monday will be a fun day... for half a state, anyway... because some coaches, probably, will...

Kirby Smart and Joe McElwain are looking for work...
And so is Nick Saban, but we aren't supposed to know that yet...

Right, Pawwwwlllll...??????

TWTW: Tide Beats Auburn In One Half, Loses Bigger In The Other

((HT: WVTM-TV Birmingham))

The HQ will have it's individual recollections of the game in a bit, but when you hold Alabama to 67 total yards and thre first downs in the second half of the Iron Bowl game, there's a good chance you'll win.

Auburn did, but they had to come from 24-0 down to do it in the first place.

Time to catch up with Gene Chizik again...


More in a bit...

Wednesday Newton Update: Has MSU Done Themselves In...???

((HT: al.com/Scarbinsky))

Kevin Scarbinsky's morning column raises some interesting questions about Miss State and their handling of the whole Cameron Newton-to-StarkVegas saga...

And it's the four-letter giving the rope...

Joe Schad's opening paragraph:

Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that Cecil Newton and his son, quarterback Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year.

Only coaches can recruit- legally. If it isn't an MSU coach that is a Schad source, that's an NCAA violation.

Schad's Paragraph 3:

"... one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take "more than a scholarship" to bring his son to Mississippi State, a request the source said the school would not meet. Cecil Newton also referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics, the source said."

From Scarbinsky:

The third person is unidentified, as are the specifics, but the implication is clear in the wake of last week's ESPN story that former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers was allegedly representing the Newton family and asking for money for him to sign with State.

The implication is that Cecil Newton was working with Kenny Rogers to pimp Cam Newton to the highest bidder. God help the Rev. Newton if that's true.

Item last...

Schad's Paragraph 2:

"Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to Southeastern Conference compliance officials in January, according to two other sources close to the football program."

The original story from November 5th written by Forde, Low, and Schlabach, Scarbinsky points out, has this information from the SEC their ownselves...

SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who oversees conference compliance, said the league received "specific information" regarding the Newton allegation in late July of this year.

"When we get information, we share it with the institution when it is involved," Sankey said.

So, Kevin Scarbinsky has just shot down the lead of Joe Schad's most recent efforts to advance the Cameron Newton story.

Now to ask: Who is withholding information ((or ignoring it))...??? Certainly the four-letter isn't implying that the SEC offices have misremembered when the MSU compliance officials gave them their initial information from investigating.

And, if the SEC had known something was fishy about Cameron Newton as far back as January, then why not pursue it...??? Let Auburn hang themselves...??? Or did Auburn ignore an initial shoulder poke by the conference office about Newton's eligibility and any questions surrounding it...???

AD Jay Jacobs and head coach Gene Chizik just went ahead and said: "To hell with all of you and what you say. We're playing the kid anyway for that all-important Arkansas State game."

And we now have four-letter reporters saying two separate tracks of information. Are we to believe the Schad track or the Forde-Low-Schlabach gambit...???

Or neither...

"This is a character assassination attempt," Cecil Newton told AuburnUndercover.com Tuesday. "Who stands to profit in the smearing and character assassination? Who is going to profit and why are they are going to profit? We sure don't. Any logical thinking individual should stand back and say 'what is really going on here?' "

"I think there is a group of people who have a hidden agenda and don't want to see him as a Heisman nominee, let alone the Heisman winner. All of a sudden, all this starts leaping out of the corner and out of the dark.

"I'm going to use every waking breath in my body to contradict that."

The HQ is showing this again, because frankly, it's too cool not to...

Auburn's Gene Chizik defends Cam Newton

We haven't seen solidarity like this since the dock workers strikes in Poland.
There is no truth to the rumor that Lech Walesa is now going to be the Newton's attorney...
((HT: Youtube))


PM UPDATE: Dan Mullen was asked about the Schad-backing of his information in the Cameron Newton saga...

From Charles Goldberg and al.com:
When asked if anybody recruited at Mississippi State besides coaches, Mullen said, "No."

Mullen steered cleared of at least three questions about Newton.

"I'm much more concerned about beating Alabama," Mullen said.

Again on Newton, Mullen answered: "We deal with players on our program that are on our team. Nothing else. That's what we deal with at Mississippi State University."

So, then to follow Schad's identification of sources through logic, it was an MSU coach that told Schad that the academic issues at Florida were coming to the fore as a reason he left...

There are 14 individuals "listed" as coaches currently on the MSU staff. Five of those individuals have ties to schools that were, in one way or another, interested or active in the recruitment of Cameron Newton at one stage or another- three from the University of Florida, one from Auburn, and one from Oklahoma. The other nine coaches are in very short tenure runs, to date, with Mullen and the MSU staff.

Once again, make of the information whatever you like...
Jus' puttin' it out there...

TUESDAY PM UPDATE: More Newton Charges From MSU "Sources"

((HT: ESPN/Schad))

Here's Joe Schad's attempt at a late update on the four-letter's flagship news and information program late Tuesday night...


For those of you that don't want to watch the whole thing, the gist of the back-and-forth with SVP is: Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that both Cecil and Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations that they would play wherever they could get paid the most for their services.

Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to the SEC in January, according to two other Schad sources.

From Schad:

After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret that he wouldn't be going to Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."

In other posts here at OSG, we have relayed the notion that Florida head coach Urban Meyer has denied being the leak of anything resembling an academic record from Newton's time at the University of Florida.

Sources close to OSG have conveyed that it is a violation of federal law to have those kinds of academic records and/or questions about same exposed to the public. Newton, it is said by some, was up on some sort of academic cheating charges at UF and was set to appear in front of a student-faculty review. He then withdrew from school and transferred to Blinn ((TX)) Junior College.

You know the rest...

Since Newton never did appear, the topic should be irrelevant and/or moot. Meyer may very well deny he was the leak, but it could very well lead to former individuals associated with Meyer who are at other jobs at present- and could still have very close ties to Gainesville.

Make your own conclusion there...

Our same sources relay that since those involved with the academic council on the Florida campus admitted that since the Newton issue never came up and the case never came before them- that can only mean one thing. Someone close to the athletic department, with direct knowledge of the allegation, would have to have been the person who sent material where they deemed fit.

Again, draw your own conclusion as to the "who"... the number of individuals there are very scant in number. And it's a safe bet the same individuals, or associates of those individuals, were the same ones that may have allowed the Newton situation to get out of control at the University of Florida- allowing Newton the opportunity to get in trouble more than once within the same class instead of ceasing the alleged behavior after one report of an academic violation.

TMZ's Sports wing is reporting that the FBI now wants to speak directly with John Bond to determine the answer to the following inquiry:

"We are interested in whether young men are being shopped to colleges."

You'll have to excuse them. The HQ thinks they're just catching up to the realities of college athletics...

Two journalistic issues before we go: Chris Low of the four-letter credits a recent Cecil Newton quote addressing the situation to a visit to the Paul Finebaum Radio Network... problem- it never happened...

It was a two or three-day old sound bite from the beginning of the fray...

Second: The Thayer Evans/Fox Sports piece, highlighted earlier in the day by OSG, has the following quote from a "source" to the cheating gambit being played by sour-grapers...

The committee could have levied sanctions against Newton that included suspension and expulsion from the university.

“He knew that he was facing a bad outcome,” the source said.

But, once again, the HQ re-emphasizes the committee never saw it. So, technically, it never happened. It's an un-story...

As is 130-percent of all of this to date... although we do like the show of
Solidarity by women's hoops coach Nell Fortner ((photo, thanks al.com)) during her media day.

Charles Goldberg and al.com caught up with her...

"I think he has represented this university well,'' Fortner said. "At Auburn, this is our athletic family. It's our family, and it's time to step up and it's time for everybody else to start stepping up and say, 'Hey, man... I think this story, it has no legs, and it's just ridiculous that is has gone on this far. So that's my opinion, and I'm just ready to step up and say enough's enough."

Either this is one of the largest frauds perpetuated in recent memory that EVERYONE in Auburn is in on, or point your collective noses toward Starkville for your answers until further notice...

Oh, and Thayer Evans...???

Two words: Jamarkus McFarland...

Look it up...

More Cam Newton...will this ever stop?

Cam Newton/File

We posted thoughts on this after we saw the FoxSports report from overnight implicating Auburn QB Cam Newton as an academic cheat while he was at Florida.

We realize at this point, everything Cam Newton is becoming a lightning rod, everyone is talking about it and seemingly everyone has an opinion.

While the truth in the latest allegations remains to be seen...and actually may never be seen, we've come to a conclusion. They are largely irrelevant. Why? Because it happened in 2008 and at another school. And according to indications, there hasn't been such an issue at his current school.

Here is Cam Newton today at Auburn's weekly media day. Thanks auburnchannel.com:


Does that make it right. No. It doesn't. But we are just amazed at the timing. And like everyone else, very curious about it too.

On the heels of the FoxSports story, read what the New York Times has to say as well...RIGHT HERE

For their part, the folks at Auburn are beside themselves mad...and probably have a good right to be. They don't know how...or where all of this is coming from...or why it is being put out there 9 games into the 2010 season.

The other half of this, is there has been a pretty serious backlash at all of this reporting. There are now national level reporters calling each other names and making accusations about each other. You know, generally acting like 3-year olds. Sorry, this isn't that "Earthshaking" of a story.

Oh....and before we forget. According to several published stories, John Bond, the guy who alleges that Newton was being shopped around and according to the 4-letter (espn).com was called by Kenny Rogers who supposedly offered Newton to Mississippi State for $180,000. Well, it turns out, Bond never spoke to Mr. Rogers. He, on the radio Friday, told WCNN radio...and it was confirmed by his attorney, that "There were two people between him and Mr. Rogers. Hmmmm...

Read this EXCELLENT story from Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com RIGHT HERE

Do we think that there are agendas at play here? Absolutely. That includes the University of Florida's. If these most recent allegations are true, then somebody broke a law. And we are pretty sure it could be tracked down if someone was interested in doing such a thing. Strangely, there is dirt starting to accumulate on Urban Meyer on this too. We hope he isn't involved, but it doesn't smell very good.

Read Meyer's "Statement" to the Gainesville Sun RIGHT HERE

The end result here is this. Despite being the best football player in all the land this year. Newton will not win the Heisman Trophy. His name has now been tainted enough to kill that. No, he...nor any of the schools involved have been proven of doing anything wrong, but it doesn't matter. Even if these allegations are proven true (and the evidence...at least publicly is flimsy)....there doesn't seem to be an NCAA violation in any of it.

Here is Auburn Coach Gene Chizik talking about the latest round of allegations. Thanks Al.com:

Auburn's Gene Chizik defends Cam Newton

TWTW: Auburn Outsprints Ole Miss 51-31

((HT: NBC13 Birmingham))

And, as a result, they'll probably stay on top of the alphabet standings for another week.

This time, we found out that Cam Newton can throw, run, and catch...
Nothing like variety for the Trophy voters at the end of the year...

Here's our weekly visit from Don Hawes...


Next up for TBH and her Plainsmen is a visit from Chattanooga...

Not the city, just the Mocs football team... and Auburn fans would be more than happy to surrender their top ranking to Oregon since they've got to worry about Georgia and Alabama before the SEC title game, anyway...

Ess-E-Cee Media Daze Day Last: Aairon Savage Rules With His Dapperness...

((HT: al.com/McAlister))

Just look... don't even listen to the interview questions...
Just continue to be dazzled by the sartorial splendor that is Aairon...

Auburn's Aairon Savage speaks at SEC Media Days

Thanks to TBH for that heads-up, by the way...
Since she is all things Auburn...
Here's Evan Woodbery's blurb on Savage...

Oh, here's Coach Chizik talking up his team...

Auburn's Gene Chizik speaks at SEC Media Days

War Eagle ABC's: Auburn, Barbee, Chizik...

All in one place...

The HQ was pleased to tag along with TBH's alumni club for the first post A-Day meeting of the faithful. The Auburn Club has a lot of these alumni groups. The Atlanta metropolitan area has 30,000 alums just waiting to hear just how much every other alum in the area hates Alabama.

But you gotta give the Atlanta Auburn Club special extra credit for bringing in one of those freeway banners as a backdrop. It's an excuse to meet fellow Auburners, bid on some really cool auction items, and get your picture taken ((and get autographs with)) anyone who shows up...

This time it happens to be new basketball coach Tony Barbee and not-so-new head football coach Gene Chizik... ((pictured, thanks to me))

Each one of you who is a big football fan for your Alma mater/school closest to where you live knows the idiosyncrasies of the program. FSU has the war chant, the flaming spear, and the appaloosa. Arkansas has their pig-based chants. Florida has that stupid chomp. But with Auburn, it's a greeting of varying degrees...

It's either "War Eagle" or "War Damn Eagle." It depends on whether or not there's a normal conversation or some emphasis that's needed within the conversation as to which applies.

The first version is something that can substitute for a "hello." And when your football coach greets you that way, you return the favor louder. There's a receiving line ((where yours truly left the Chiz hanging a little bit before greeting him)) and a lot of picture-taking.

But Coach Barbee ((pronounced like the blond doll, and the HQ is waiting for the first actual "Barbee Doll"- which better be a bobblehead)) got in the first dig for the evening- relaying a story from a recruiting visit.

He was visiting a high school in the Atlanta area with his new job title chasing after a rising senior. Barbee said that when the principal of the high school realized Anthony Grant wanted to talk to this particular kid and that Barbee wanted to as well- guess who was asked to leave. The principal is an Auburn grad...

The HQ does have some constructive criticism for Barbee, though...
It's "AW-burn," first syllable, not "Aw-BURN..."

TBH held her own introducing the emcee for the evening- a local sports-talk radio alum. She even threw her other-half under a few buses, which was pretty funny.

The emcee introduced the caretaker of Nova, the eagle of record on campus, every athletic letterman in attendance, and opened the runway for Chizik.

The coach went for fifteen minutes rallying the troops...
His first two acts were to make sure the crowd knew his better half was the one in charge and that he had an issue with Barbee already. Someone got his press conference in a new arena while someone else got a press conference in a really small building. But there were plenty of things that impressed Chizik.

"A-Day was a phenomenal day," Chizik admitted. "We had 63-thousand people there, and 23 of the 26 players from the All-Decade Team." He said that quite impressed with what the school was able to do for that Saturday.

"Our goal," he continued, "is championships and graduating players. That, and to bring the Auburn family together." He knew he was facing a tall order when he took the job on the Plains.

"We've got to get them to a Game Day," he said. "When they leave, we want them to have a whole different view of the Auburn family."

Chizik concluded with the same points he'll make all across the southeast over the Spring: "Our future is really, really bright. We'll keep recruiting hard in Alabama and Georgia and ask, 'Who is the best athlete?' "

He did knock out a nice stat before he left: Of the 119 D1 schools, only 7 kept their staffs in tact. Auburn was one of those seven. Chizik has the foundation now, but what he does as he builds the house will be the most important acts he has over the next few seasons...

And since the HQ is done talking about our ABC's, time for another version of the alphabet and its importance to other folks...at the 3:00 mark or so...

Which kinda applies to college football all year long until National Signing Day...
((HT: Columbia/Tri-Star Pictures))
((and, yes, it's always NSFW))

TWTW: Auburn "Misfires" Lead To 21-Point Arkansas Win

((HT: al.com/Goldberg))

Auburn coach Gene Chizik said the Tigers weren't good enough in any phase of the game to beat an SEC team Saturday, and that helps explain how Arkansas beat the Tigers 44-23 Saturday in Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

Arkansas rolled up 495 yards, returned three kickoffs for 145 yards and enjoyed a 34-3 lead midway through the third quarter.

``You can't do the things that we did today and win a game against a very, very good team,'' Chizik said. ``We did all the classic things that you can't do, certainly on the road, and certainly in this league.''

Auburn trailed in its first four games and came back and won. The Tigers closed to within 11 points on the Razorbacks after falling way behind, but got no closer. Auburn fell to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC. Arkansas improved to 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the league.

Here's your post-game from The Chiz, thanks to al.com

Gene Chizik talks about Auburn's loss to Arkansas

A Great Opportunity For Iowa State

OK Cyclone fans, let it go. Your football program deserves better than Gene Chizik. The Iowa State job is a tough one but one that can be overcome. You have a patient fan base who wants to win and an athletic director in Jamie Pollard that will give you a reasonable amount of time to get the job done.

Think of this as a great opportunity to bring a coach in that is committed and can calm an enraged fan base. Forget Gene Chizik, he's Auburn's coach now.

Now go after Turner Gill. He's a Big 12 North guy coming from Nebraska. Gill knows the territory and has the demeanor to endear himself to the Iowa State family. Most importantly he has proven to be a winner. What Gill has accomplished at the University of Buffalo is remarkable. In 1996, Gill took over a program that had won 7 conference games since joining the MAC in 1999. 2 years later the Bulls are MAC Champions and going to a bowl game.

Becoming the head football coach at Iowa State might be the perfect long term marriage for both Gill and the Cyclones.

If that doesn't work out let me throw another name at you. Bobby Houck at Montana. As a young TV sportscaster working in Flagstaff, Arizona I got to know Houck when he coached linebackers at Northern Arizona University. Our paths haven't crossed since however, Houck has build a solid resume.

In 6 seasons at his alma mater, Houck's Montana teams have won the Big Sky championship every year. This year Houck has led Montana to the Football Championship Subdivision national championship game against Richmond. It might be time for Houck to make the move to the big show of college football and Iowa State might be the right place.

Turner Gill Photo Courtesy: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Bobby Houck Photo Courtesy: Todd Goodrich and Tess McEnroe/Montana
Grizzlies.com

Chizik Told Pollard Twice He's Staying...

So much for that idea...

In a press conference today in Ames, Iowa on the ISU campus, Cyclones AD Jamie Pollard told the media that he was informed twice by Gene Chizik he was not leaving.

We know what happened...

Pollard says he hired Chizik in large part because of his character and values. He also says he's having a hard time reconciling Chizik's recent actions with the character he had shown the past two years.

Pollard says Chizik interviewed at Auburn last Thursday and told him afterward that he wouldn't take the job.

Chizik called Pollard on Saturday to tell him he was leaving.
Neat...

Our coverage from our friends at WOI-TV and myabc5.com continues with the standard fan piece expressing the standard amount of wonder and displeasure...
Hillary Mintz has the honors...

Followed by the full interview Dave Wazilinski had with Chizik before he bolted...