The Works, Game Week-style

First, a programming note. If you're looking for the Arrested Devopment supplement post (the one I first promised would be up late last week, then promised it would be up over the weekend), it's not up yet. There's been some headway made, but (unlike this one ... work, she is a Harsh Mistress) it's not a post I'm going to half-ass. That one deserves to be a whole-ass post and it'll get done when I'm not desperately trying to finish preview hoo-ha before Saturday. Sorry.

Also: If I have to start an espresso drip and pull all-nighters from now until Saturday, a final analysis of Auburn's schedule, an official prediction, some SEC prognosticatin', and a few thoughts on the national picture that no one cares about will all be up this week. Stay tuned.

For now ... it's finally GAME WEEK! You know what time it is, Auburn? It's time to Walk Hard, damn it.


Let's go play Machete Fight!

Auburn will be well-rested, at least. Anyone who thought the departure of the Irons brothers meant the end of clever quotes from the Auburn locker room was sorely mistaken:

"Me and Montez were having a competition to see who could sleep the longest. He won. Montez sleeps like a polar bear."

Robert Dunn was clearly paying attention to his freshman English instructor when they told him that phrases like "sleeping like a bear" was nice, but could be improved by being even more specific. Bully for him.

Coincidentally, polar bears are also known to suffer from hamstring problems.

Your mandatory Phillip Marshall links. Apparently, Marshall believes great things are ahead for the Auburn o-line ... eventually. Here he says the Tigers will wind up stronger across the line at four out of five positions but he goes on to only grade AU out at about a B-minus collectively. It's not really contradictory--B-minus now, better grade later I'm sure is the thinking--but it does represent the uncertainty that even seasoned Auburn watchers, ones who have likely watched more Tiger practice than anyone outside the coaching staff, still have over what we're going to see out of this unit on Saturday.

Speaking of Saturday...

Bring on the Cats. I say that not only because, well, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Auburn's defensive line can accomplish against an o-line that Ron Prince basically comes right out says is the chink in the Cats' already-creaking offensive armor, but because that's the name of the K-St. blog you'll need to follow this week. Blogger TB is trying to wear a brave face himself in the light of K-St.'s rocky off-season, which is admirable, but he's also borrowing the face and other assorted assets of Marissa Miller, which from here seems even more admirable.

Did you hear the one about Auburn's basketball schedule? Actually, you wouldn't have. I mean, you could theortically call this slate a joke, but as it's not funny at all it'd be misleading. The Jeff Lebo Project won't play a single power-conference NCAA tournament team outside the SEC. Xavier is one of only three teams on the nonconference schedule to even make the NCAAs, and they were an 8 seed and Auburn plays them at home. (G-dub was a 14, TAMU-CC a 15.) Auburn isn't filling the void left by the likes of Pitt with good mid-majors (TAMU_CC potentially excepted): Three SWAC teams, two dregs from the Atlantic Sun in Mercer and Kennesaw, and then Presbyterian, who's not even a full-fledged D-I school yet. One or two of these games? Fine. But this many is going to be a giant anchor on Auburn's RPI and the SEC--where the West was a disaster zone last season and at this point in time doesn't look improved a lick--isn't going to do much to help. This schedule isn't just embarrassing and cowardly-looking (particularly when you consider this should be Lebo's best team by a mile), it will actively damage Auburn's NCAA chances. Someon, be it Lebo or Jacobs or both, should have been trying harder.