Auburn's 2000 Schedule
by the Sports Geniuses
Van Plexico & John Ringer

Okay, here we go!

First: Van's rant on the Top 25

Auburn is ranked in the Top 25 already, but FIVE SEC teams are ranked ahead of us, not including Arkansas and Miss St!!!

So we could beat everyone we're "supposed" to beat, lose to the teams ahead of us, as we're "supposed" to, and still end up at about 5-6.

And here's the thing I rail about every year-- at that point, we'd be UNRANKED, wouldn't we? I mean, surely they wouldn't rank us in the Top 25 if we were 4-7 or even 5-6. Yet they have FIVE SEC teams ahead of us! This is the perfect example of how I think the polls are screwed up. THEY DON'T TAKE SCHEDULE INTO ACCOUNT AT THE START!!!

All you have to do is look at our schedule to see that we face tough teams and, according to our final record (projected), we should NOT be in the Top 25, based on projected final record.

On the other hand, if you DISREGARD THE RECORD and go by how good the team itself is, then we should end the year about 5-6, having beaten everyone we were supposed to, and be ranked. But you know we won't be!

In sum, they rank us NOW based on how GOOD they think we'll be, but then as the season goes on, they rank us according to RECORD. So it ends up looking like we DECLINED in quality, starting the year in the Top 25 and ending up out of it. But actually, we'd have only lost to the teams ranked AHEAD of us!!!

It's so inconsistent!!!! AGGGHHH!!!

On to the games:

Aug. 31 Wyoming Auburn 7:00 p.m

john: Not a pushover game, but not UVA either. A good tuneup for the SEC and maybe a game to bust out the new improved offense on TV.

Van: I seem to recall these guys looking good against Marshall (?) last year. And after App State last year, I'm not taking anything for granted. But we should shock them with our new offense and get it done.

1-0

Sept. 9 Mississippi Oxford, Miss. 6:00 p.m.

john: I think Ole Miss will be the 2nd best team in the West next year after bama and they still have the incentive to beat TT.

Van: I'm not sure what the Rebs have coming back, but this is a game I'm sure the coaches and the team have had circled on the calendar for months. I look for AU to extract a measure of revenge against Ole Miss, in Oxford. Heck, I'd love to go to this game if not for the distance involved. Give AU the win:

2-0

Sept. 16 LSU Auburn 6:00 p.m.

john: LSU does not have that much talent.

Van: Agreed. They want revenge but it won't happen this time. But I am curious to see what Saban does with this team. It seems like such an odd fit. Then again, they hired Gerry DiNardo, too...

3-0

Sept. 23 Northern Illinois Auburn 6:00 p.m.

john: Another game to fine tune the offense.

Van: And the defense. If we're going to play midwestern directional schools, they darned better be pushovers, or else what's the point? I don't want to come into game week and discover that Northern Illinois is defending Division I-AA National Champs or anything (which is about what happened with App State last year)!!

4-0

Sept. 30 Vanderbilt Auburn 1:00 p.m.

john: hey - this looks a lot better than UT coming to town. But Vandy is not a pushover anymore - this will be a decent game but auburn should win at home.

Van: If we can't beat Vandy, I'll give up right now.

5-0 and hey, we're already even in wins with last year! Amazing what the schedule can do!

Oct. 7 Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. TBA

john: auburn seems jinxed against this team and will probably find a way to lose against a solid MSU team.

Van: They've had our number recently, but then again, recently, our numbers have been something like "3-8" and "5-6" and "1.2 yds per game rushing." Should be close, should be tough, and I agree we'll either lose this one or Ole Miss.

5-1

Oct. 14 Florida Gainesville, Fla. TBA

john: A shoot-out is very possible but auburn might lack the defense to pull off a 1994 upset.

Van: Our offense, at least this year, should be on something of a par with the Gators. I see it coming down to depth-- as in, can our defensive depth hang with Florida late? It'll all depend on how our secondary does in covering that passing game, and--yes, they don't just pass--how the new line can stop their backs. We won't have a handle on this game until we see how our defense comes together. I feel lucky (at least this year). But John doesn't, so...

5-2

Oct. 21 Louisiana Tech Auburn 1:00 p.m.

john: a decent team and hopefully a chance to run up some points and rest the starters

Van: After their game with bama last year...! I think we'll win, but I'll show up for it and be scared till it's over.

6-2

Oct. 28 ARKANSAS Auburn 1:00 p.m.

john: a key game for the season - arkansas will be down this year after losing Stoerner and Lucas but does return some solid players. This is a game auburn needs to win at home to have a successful season.

Van: I'm surprised to see them out of the preseason Top 25. Has the Nutt Lustre faded so soon? They spanked us good last year, but I think we'll pull this one out. But I'm already nervous about it.

7-2

Nov. 4 Open Date

John: good time for a break before the home stretch - auburn can once again put in some wrinkles to mess with UGA

Van: Glad to have a week off between those two.

Nov. 11 GEORGIA Auburn 1:00 p.m.

john: could be another shoot-out down to the wire game - but UGA owns us in Jordan-Hare.

Van: They'll once again find some way to score yet another miracle TD at the end and win. Ugh. I mean, Uga.

7-3

Nov. 18 Alabama Tuscaloosa TBA

john: Sure, we would all love to win this one, but not likely given bama's returning talent and the home field advantage.......

Van: No chance. We haven't won in Legion Field since before the series came to Auburn. There's no way we'll win in Tuscaloser the first time in a hundred years. But wouldn't it be sweet?

What would be even sweeter, if we win, is for some bama fan to walk up to me and spout off, "Well, this wasn't really the first time you played here," to which I could respond, "You're right-- and we won the other two, too!"

7-4

John: So I see 7-4 and a lower level bowl with losses to UF, UGA, bama and either MSU or Ole Miss. The games agains the Mississippi teams and Arkansas are key ones for auburn.

Van: Yeah, the mid-level teams are the key. Win what you're supposed to, and win the toss-ups, and you have a good year. Should set us up for a great run in 2001, especially if some of the other teams are down. And I look for maybe the Music City Bowl. Depends on how many really good records the league produces this year-- a bunch of 10-2s, as we just about had the last couple of years, or a nice scattering of 7-4s and 8-3s...