🏈 I smell an upset coming...

[bama29fan]

I hate Cam Newton already. :lance: Dang Auburn for getting an all-world QB. The D will grow up but will it be fast enough and have enough bodies by year end? They have Stephens and a few other playmakers. They recruited some great defensive players last year (Ladarius Owens being one of them). I see improvement on their D this year unless injuries take its toll.

No way State beats Auburn. There is no way they can keep up with Auburn scoring. By the time State adjusts to what hits them it will be too late. I really see AU winning this easily. Ugh!

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so you are only optomistic about rival teams

 

[rtauburnsucks]

I hate Cam Newton already. :lance: Dang Auburn for getting an all-world QB. The D will grow up but will it be fast enough and have enough bodies by year end? They have Stephens and a few other playmakers. They recruited some great defensive players last year (Ladarius Owens being one of them). I see improvement on their D this year unless injuries take its toll.

No way State beats Auburn. There is no way they can keep up with Auburn scoring. By the time State adjusts to what hits them it will be too late. I really see AU winning this easily. Ugh!

Me too, I just dont see it happening. I think Auburn is a much improved team from last year.

 

[Duder]

I hate Cam Newton already. :lance: Dang Auburn for getting an all-world QB. The D will grow up but will it be fast enough and have enough bodies by year end? They have Stephens and a few other playmakers. They recruited some great defensive players last year (Ladarius Owens being one of them). I see improvement on their D this year unless injuries take its toll.

No way State beats Auburn. There is no way they can keep up with Auburn scoring. By the time State adjusts to what hits them it will be too late. I really see AU winning this easily. Ugh!

Forgive me for weighing in often on the Auburn issues. Cam Newton offers a better physical skillset than what Chris Todd offered a year ago but there is still work to be done. He threw too many passes off his back foot, which caused a bit of arc on the ball--against a solid SEC secondary that won't work. I would also love to see someone other than our QB lead the team in rushing. Although, a 6'6" 250# QB is able to taking a beating I would feel safer with him running less often.

As for the defensive questions we discussed earlier. When I say they saw playing time I'm not just referring to on special teams. Stevens, for example, played often on special teams (and looked great doing so, by the way) but was also in with our base D. I remember him lining up to Bynes several times. Jessel Curry saw PT at LB as well. Carter, Whitaker and Lemonier saw the field on the d-line throughout the game. We didn't play them heavily, but we played them to get their rep count up a bit before entering the meat of our schedule.

I'm not saying the freshman are going to be able to step in and immediately be playmakers or starters--if that is how my point earlier came across I apologize. That being said, the young defensive players that saw the field on Saturday night were not "game ready by default". Are they "SEC game ready"? Obviously the coaching staff thinks so or they would've carried a red shirt this year. Stevens put on some muscle over the summer. They will be forged in the fire, so to speak. They will have to grow up a lot as this season progresses but they are able to step in and spell the starters so we don't run into the situation we saw at the end of last year, not as bad anyway.