The Works, Rhoads? Where we're going, yes, we do actually need Rhoads-style

Country (?) Rhoads, take us home. One of the nice things about the hire of Paul Rhoads was that he wasn't only familiar with West Virginia's offense, he put together a game plan last year that stopped it dead in its SEC-defense-chewin' tracks. (Yes, Pat White's thumb injury probably didn't hurt. Well, it hurt for him, yeah. You know what I mean.) So it's time to just trot out the same game plan this year, sit back, and watch the tide of victory wash in, right?

Maybe. There's two hiccups: the Mountaineers changed up a lot of their offensive schemes, and Rhoads isn't able to just transplant the 2007 scheme into Auburn's defense with nary a seam showing. His explanation:

"This (game) is under completely different circumstances," Rhoads said. "New program here. Doing new things here, and them the same way.

"I had a brief look at their offense with the new coordinator and the way they're doing things, there's some similarity but it's far from being the same thing."

So that's the bad news. The good news is that 1. Rhoads is always going to downplay how much he knows to these needling reporter types 2. It's not like the changes on offense have exactly set the world alight (No. 79 overall as of this typing.) So no, Rhoads won't know exactly what's coming the way he might have if Rodriguez had stuck around. But yes, Auburn and Rhoads should still have a pretty good shot at stopping whatever does happen to come at them.

Internet polls blow. Not that you didn't know that, but it's worth mentioning when Charles Goldberg offers Auburn's fans the chance to pick from the following options for their new, bye-week improved offense:



How exactly is "the Tony Franklin System" different from "Variation of the spread, mostly passing"? When three of the choices are specific kinds of offenses (even if two of those are the same), why is the fourth "power football," which could mean anything from Rodriguez's WVU spread-n'-shred to the single wing? Would you really expect to learn anything from a poll where only option offers any semblance of balance? Wouldn't it be more interesting from a polling perspective to ask fans to choose between "I-Formation, 50-50" and "Oklahoma St.-style Spread, 50-50" so we could find out if it's really the formation that's bothering people so much? Right? Right? For the record, voters went with "balanced" over "not-balanced," if you can believe that.

And oh, Auburn's players are SUPER-EXCITED over their new old offense, which they will be until it gains 45 yards in the second half tomorrow night, at which they point they will grumble into the offseason until a new OC is hired at which point they will be SUPER-EXCITED again. (This is my exceedingly cynical way of saying "I'll believe it when I see it.")

Breathe easier? Ray Cotton, Auburn's Great QB Hope if Kodi Burns ends up not being the Great QB Hope, reaffirmed his commitment recently, as you very likely already know. There's more thoughts on the recruiting situation here, where Tom Luginbill says no one's jumped from Auburn's careening ship yet, but that the OC hire will be key. Stunner! This next item will have information you didn't know, I promise.

Grotus is skeptical, for instance. He remains generally unimpressed by the recent defense:

In our four most recent games, the defense has given up an average of 19 points via 303 total yards (153 through the air and 150 on the ground.) If we were to take our team over those four games and give it independent rankings, it would be #35 in points per game, #21 in total yards, and #41 in rushing defense*.

There's something to this--as you'll recall, the LSU game in particular was not a bright shining moment for the Auburn D--but virtually all of those 20 teams who would rank above Auburn in total defense, for instance, would do so partially on the backs of cupcakes whic hthe "last four games" requirement denies Auburn. Besides, 303 yards and 21st in the country's still nothing to sneer at; 19 points is a makeable hurdle for all but the most incompetent offenses. Not to disagree with Grotus's basic point--the defense still has room for improvement--but I've got so much worry invested in the offense I just can't bring myself to spare any for the other side of the ball.

Also out there in the blAUgosphere: J.M. at TWER puts up part 2 of his must-read report from Tubby's visit to watch Cotton, in which he meets (and discusses the weather with) the man himself; Pigskin Pathos engages in a little pot-meets-kettle fun at West Virginia's expense; and the Auburner offers a photorealistic artist's rendition of Josh Bynes.

Please retain some level of sensibility, please. I think I took about as much delight in Florida and LSU's undressing of the Buckeyes the last two Januaries as anyone, but let's be honest, that second edition wasn't really all that intimidating and I bet if you ask one of these impartial media types they'll tell you the same thing. Chris Low, your thoughts?

I just think there's a level of defense played in the SEC with the speed, athleticism and power that is unmatched anywhere else in the country. And, yes, the last time I checked, SEC defenses were too much for an Ohio State team supposedly brimming with offensive playmakers in the past two BCS National Championship Games.

Yes, because when I think of that 2007 Ohio State squad, with the explosive Todd Boeckman firing passes to only-hope-to-contain-them talents like Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie, the phrase that always springs to mind is "brimming with offensive playmakers."

Cripes. To give some credit to ESPN's cadre of bloggers when it's due, however, I'll direct you to this takedown of the Big 12's scheduling policies from a Pac-10 writer who wants his conference to wave the light flag. Of course, Blutarsky's summation of the situation is even better. And honestly, rather than everyone playing pansy schedules, you know what would be even better? If pollsters would just punish teams that did so accordingly instead of buying in.