A (New) Day Awaits

I'll admit that A Day has snuck up on me a little this year. But now that the week has arrived, I'm looking forward to being back on the Plains to catch up with friends, watch some spring sports, and be back in Jordan-Hare again.

As deflating as the end of last season was, there's a renewed since of optimism that reminds me of what happened two years ago. That feeling begins with the return of Will Muschamp, who if nothing else guarantees more energy and intensity from the sidelines. The general feeling seems to be that Coach Boom can at least make modest improvements on a unit that underachieved down the stretch a year ago.

Nick Marshall was an incredible quarterback for Auburn (no one brings that up more than me), but it's hard to fight the feeling that Jeremy Johnson is as ready as anyone can be to jump in and lead a team into the gauntlet of SEC play. A retooled offensive line and three new running backs seem more than capable of continuing the success of Running Back U. Oh yeah, and Duke Williams decided to stick around for another year.

There's plenty to be excited about when we all think ahead to 2015. The schedule flips and brings four of our toughest opponents to Jordan Hare. We will have a gaudy video board which I'm still struggling to visualize.

Spring games are not meant to be dissected or analyzed. I plan to simply enjoy a few hours around thousands of other Auburn people, hope for zero injuries, and watch some of the guys who have changed positions this offseason.

Optimism will abound as September approaches, and for good reason. Gus Malzahn has managed to have Auburn playing in November games with national championship implications in back to back seasons. The Tigers seem to have the talent to be in that position again in 2015.

The journey towards that goal begins this Saturday. Let optimism run rampant on the Plains!