Call him the comeback kid. Against the odds, Gene Chizik looks to have landed his third consecutive top 10 recruiting class. It may have taken three days beyond signing day to get there, but Auburn coaches have done the seemingly impossible.
With the signing of five-star offensive linemen Jordan Diamond on Friday, Auburn jumped significantly in all of the recruiting services rankings. Scout.com moved Auburn up five spots to number nine in its 2012 recruiting round-up. 247 Sports.com moved the Tigers from No. 17 to No. 13.
Auburn may not be finished yet. They remain in the running for Washington D.C, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Denver prep offensive lineman Alex Kozan. Diggs is said to leaning toward Ohio State, but Maryland and Auburn remain possibilities. As we go to press, Kozan is still considering Iowa and Auburn.
For those who remain skeptical about the recruiting services and their rankings, this article will give you more ammunition. I'm just saying...
Watching the spectacle of the Super Bowl last night, it makes you wonder why the BCS can't put on a similar show. Holding the game on a Monday night is plain stupid. Why not showcase college football and have the championship on a Saturday night? It's the sport's traditional day to play and fans would have the next day off. Seems so simple.
While Auburn has yet to officially release its 2012 football schedule, we have a good idea of how it will shake out. According to FB Schedules.com, the slate looks like this:
(Sept. 1) Clemson (Georgia Dome); (Sept. 8) at Miss State; (Sept. 15) Louisiana-Monroe; (Sept. 22) LSU; (Sept. 29) OPEN DATE; (Oct. 6) Arkansas; (Oct. 13) at Ole Miss; (Oct. 20) at Vanderbilt; (Oct. 27) Texas A&M; (Nov. 3) New Mexico St.; (Nov. 10) Georgia; (Nov. 17) Alabama A&M; (Nov. 24) at Alabama.
I don't know the people behind the website, Never to Yield Foundation.com. What I do know is that in recent weeks, they've pinned some of the best articles ever written about Auburn and its standing in this state.
If you haven't already, check out their story entitled, The Cult of Updyke. It's been posted on our Fanshots page for several days. When in mixed company, you often hear Alabama fans say alleged Toomer's Tree killer Harvey Updyke is the exception to the Alabama fan base.
The dirty little secret is that most (not all) feel exactly the way Updyke does and that's why he's treated like a rock star at Alabama sporting events. It's a very telling article and one I agree with completely.
Vigor defensive lineman Darius Philon learned a valuable life lesson last week. When you hang around trash, bad things happen. We've all heard the story by now. Alabama coach Nick Saban yanked his offer to Philon on Wednesday morning and left the talented lineman sitting broken hearted at his signing ceremony.
This is not the first time Saban has pulled this stunt. It's been well documented in the past. In fact, it happened last month with Georgia prep running back Justin Taylor. I'd like to say I feel sorry for Philon, but he should have known better. You can bet he was warned.
There's no arguing Saban's success. There's also no arguing he cares only about himself. He's never left a job on good terms and the same will likely be said when he leaves Tuscaloosa.
Montgomery Advertiser columnist Josh Moon nailed it when he wrote last week, "For years, Saban has treated college football like a cutthroat business. He's skirted recruiting rules, danced around scholarship limitations and been surrounded by more career ending injuries to third-string players than any coach in the history of organized athletics.
"Honestly, taking the high road from Saban is the easiest win Gene Chizik will ever get. It's like winning a Good Ideas for Space Exploration Contest over Newt Gingrich."
As legendary college football analyst Beeno Cook said recently, "He's (Saban) a great coach, but I wouldn't be his Bridge partner." Amen.
In the end, Philon signed with Arkansas, a place he's never visited. Despite all the publicity surrounding the snubbing, you can bet there will be more kids who find themselves in the same boat next year. When you play with fire...