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The post What Can Auburn Expect from Byron Cowart: A Scouting Report appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
Byron Cowart became the highest ranked recruit in Auburn's modern recruiting history, capping off a push by the last three Auburn coaching staffs to crest the hill into "elite" recruiting territory that is typically reserved from landing a top recruit. Many of you have read my past articles on my own blog, and know that I am typically skeptical of the modern age of recruiting. Games aren't won and lost by stars. They are won by the recruits who are sometimes overshadowed by their rankings, who can be coached, and who fit a system. Sometimes I think that even the coaches fall victim to the recruiting services, recruiting players for a mythical NSD Championship instead of recruiting another, less highly ranked kid who fits the system.
While Nick Saban has revolutionized the art of recruiting, and it's hard to deny his prowess in churning out lots of wins and NFL-picks, it hasn't directly translated NSD championships to National Championships. If that were the cast, he would have six or seven rings to show for his efforts.
Instead, there are plenty of five-star busts who never achieve their goals or live up to their lofty billing. And, there are plenty of three-stars that win National Championships and go on to NFL careers. It's interesting to note that there wasn't a single five-star recruit on either of the NFL teams represented in the last Super Bowl. Just think about that for a second.
But, if you want to win, you do need the best players you can get, those who can be coached and fit your particular system. But how do they stand up to those mythical rankings?
Don't misunderstand. I am not a professional scout. Aside from playing high school ball, getting whipped in flag football every fall by college kids, and watching my TV, that's really the extent of my qualifications. So, read this post and try not to roll your eyes and think "This guy."
One of my habits in the off-season has been to watch video on these recruits. While it helps me pick out exactly for whom to wait in line at A-Day for an autograph, it is also educational and prepares my expectations.
As we noted, Cowart is the highest ranked recruit in Auburn history, and he will probably hold that ranking for some time. As an Auburn fan (or a rival fan?), some of you are undoubtedly satisfied that, based upon his high school ranking and priority within the coaching staff, this guy is an immediate impact player and future star. But some of you may not be sold. Some of you may be skeptical. Many of you are interested in exactly what Auburn is getting. I'd like to weigh in on the topic.
Eleven different thoughts after the jump:
First, let's reference Yahoo! Rivals for all of his measurables and basic information, which you can find here:
Rivals.com – Byron Cowart
He is listed at 6′ 3″ and 252 pounds. Most recruiting services have him listed at running between a 4.60 and 4.89 40-yard dash. That is fast for a big man. It is worth mentioning, however, that straight line, 40-yard sprints are not what he is going to need. Rivals has him rated a 6.1, which is the maximum ranking. He is the best player in his position as well as the entire class.
247Sports.com rates his traits, and among them, his first step and hand quickness are ranked nine out of ten. Interesting.
In the two years that his stats were accumulated, he had 140 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and 24 sacks. Perhaps the most impressive is his seven forced fumbles, two of which were returned for TD's.
Though no stats are given on his physique and strength in terms of measurables, you can read in an AL.com article by James Crepea that senior LB Kris Frost had this to say:
"He's a really big guy," linebacker Kris Frost said. "I tell you they make them bigger and bigger every year I don't know where they came from, but it's amazing seeing him out there running around. … We feel like he's going to be great for us this year. We trust and we know that once he gets our systems, the sky's the limit for him."
Size, speed, and strength can't be coached. Cowart has that and in spades. But, what of his gamesmanship? His motor? That can be found on game footage.
The footage doesn't lie. Seeing these guys live is the best thing, which most all the coaches get for the high profile players. All the fans have is the game footage of highlights. It's worth mentioning that game footage can deceive, especially since the highlights represent so few of the actual snaps each player will take in his career. That being said, I watched his highlights on Rivals and Hudle.com
Just like a recruiter, I watched all the vids, wrote notes, watched them again. Stop. Slow motion. Repeat.
I came away with 11 different thoughts:
Many of you think I may be a little critical. Perhaps. Not that I would know (being 5′ 3″, 130 pounds in high school), but being his size and speed and playing against kids much smaller does make it hard to have form tackling. I am sure it's hard to explode "from the bottom up" against a kid that gives up a foot and 80 pounds to you. I see the same thing with ball carriers who are going to project to the college level. To be a legitimate running back in college football, you have to be 6 feet and 200 pounds. Many of these guys are that size in high school, but their opponents are not. As a result, pad level isn't something they have to worry about.
Many of the other things are very coachable. The question is, is he coachable? We have read about the last two players that were in his shoes and how their coaches dealt with them (Clowney/Nkemdiche). In both situations, coaches commented that coaching these guys was markedly different than coaching other players. They didn't elaborate too much on exactly what they meant. Fans are left wondering if that means a player receives special treatment. We now know that Clowney was able to refuse training and discipline. We do have some knowledge into Muschamp's plans for game-day integration, as we saw with both Clowney and Nkemdiche. Both players were eased into their own roles before the role expanded as a sophomore. Is that what we should expect from Muschamp on Cowart? It would seem so. In Crepea's article, we read the following:
"What coach Gus Malzahn had to say: "We feel very good about him being able to come in immediately and help us, obviously rushing the passer. Our defensive staff did an excellent job recruiting that young man."
What defensive coordinator Will Muschamp had to say: "Byron puts pressure on himself as a player, and we'll certainly bring him along, and when he's ready to accomplish the things he wants to accomplish, we'll make sure he's in position to do that."
Fans want the best 11 players on the field at all times, but in cases like this, the best talent may not be the best player.
So, what should be expected?
As a junior and senior in high school, his best plays were speed rushes off the weakside edge. I didn't pay attention to the down and distance, but in the SEC, that is typically going to be a 2nd and short or 3rd and long situation. That would work out extremely well for Cowart as an incoming true freshman. We already know that he is going to be either a D-end or a "buck", both cases being an edge rusher. With his need to improve in the above areas, it is a safe bet that he isn't going to be a 3-down player. It would be a perfect situation to pair him on the far side of Lawson on throwing downs and allowing him to use his superior speed and hand placement to put pressure on the backside of the opposing quarterback. He will be an excellent balance to dual-threat and spread offenses where the QB is going to roll out to the left side of the field where Lawson may be double teamed. Cowart's speed, as well as usually being single-blocked, will give him a chance to cut down those strung out plays that would otherwise give a mobile QB time to find an open man or tuck and run.
But, again, Cowart has a lot of work to do if he wants to see the field on a 3-down basis. There are doubts that he is going to be able to pick all of these habits up in fall camp, which is why I don't think he will be a 3-down guy until at least next year. Not only will that be the best thing for his development, but how he deals with being a situational player for an entire season will say a lot about the young man's character.
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The post Can Auburn Regain Defensive Competence? appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
A-Day was great. But they were allowed to stack 8 in the box and blitz…
War Eagle, everybody! July is nearly at an end, and fall camp starts in about a week. By all accounts, there's been a sense of urgency in Auburn this summer, and the players should be in prime condition as fall drills begin.
After six pretty miserable Auburn defensive seasons where Auburn gave up 24 or more points per game each season, I think folks would like to know if we can hope for better this season. The hire of Will Muschamp to run the Auburn defense once again brings hope. We know from our own history in 2006 and 2007 that Muschamp can motivate kids to play at an unreal intensity level. We also know that those defenses were prone to getting stomped by Georgia, giving up 82 points to the Bulldogs during that span.
There is debate as to whether head coach Gus Malzhan's hurry-up no-huddle style hurts the team's defensive prospects. Honestly, I think the hype on this is overblown. Auburn ran right around 70 plays per game last season, which is pretty typical. Honestly, Malzhan doesn't really go hurry up that much. Usually last season, they'd check to the sideline endlessly, and wait till the play clock was down nearly to zero.
Can Muschamp get Auburn back under 20 points per game scored against? I think it's going to be difficult to obtain that number. Auburn plays some wicked offenses, this year. Yep, we've got LSU in the bayou this year, and then the best returning starting quarterback in the league, Dak Prescott, a week later. Kentucky will sling the ball around, and Arkansas will try to trickily pound it. Then there are spread deals like Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Georgia and Bama will be tough in their pro-style leanings.
My honest take is that Auburn will need some favorable injury luck in the defensive arena to make improvements. Auburn's walking wounded on the defensive line are by all accounts recovered nicely, and we can look forward to Carl Lawson and Devonte Danzy stalking SEC tackles. Incoming all-world end Byron Cowart looks every bit the part, and he'll provide a boost on the line. Will this unit be able to develop quality depth?
At linebacker, seniors Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost remind me very much of Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens from the 2010 national championship team. They were capable, hard hitting, and durable. The problem during that era was Auburn's third LB, or nickel back. We are looking at the same problem in 2015, as Auburn struggles to find either a run stopper or designed cover guy in the bunch of newcomers.
Up front and in the secondary, Auburn is quite solid, but depth may be an issue. It is certainly good to hear praise for incoming 5-star freshman Byron Cowart in spring drills. He'll be needed! With the promise of a more physical fall camp this year, Auburn will likely need some depth to field a ready team on defense. Given the team's injury history, two or three depth-guys will need to start this fall at some point.
What constitutes "good" in the SEC defensive world these days? At Florida the past four years, defense was not considered an issue under Will Muschamp. How well did he do against SEC (mostly East) competition? In 2011, Florida gave up 18.75 points per game. In 2012, it was a ridiculous 9 points per game. In 2013, Florida gave up 20.38. Last season with Muschamp on the hot seat, Florida gave up 25.75. Aside from 2012, those numbers are respectable at best, especially considering the talent on hand at Florida. At Auburn, coordinators have struggled to keep it under 30 points per game against SEC competition, for comparison.
My feeling this season is that 25 points per game is the mark to achieve. If Auburn can keep teams near this mark with a brutal schedule, they'll have great success. It does remain to be seen whether this is possible.
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The post "Weagle, Weagle, War Damn Eagle!" appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
You love it, or you hate it. I have never seen anything in between from the Auburn faithful. By now, you may have guessed from this article's title to what I am referring–one of our great traditions on the Plains, the cheer we all know as "Bodda Getta." Auburn fans who can't stand it usually point out that the words are incredibly stupid and convey almost no meaning; those who love it probably do so, like me, for the exact same reason.
When I heard this cheer at my first AU game as a freshman, I was mostly clueless as to what was actually being said. Fortunately, an AU cheerleader was one of the denizens of CDV Extension where I lived, and he explained to me what the words actually were – or at least how they were pronounced, for even after the cheerleader's personal explanation, I still wasn't sure exactly what the words were.
For those who might still be wondering what the words actually are, even after spending four or more years at Auburn, I present them below:
Bodda getta, Bodda getta
Bodda getta, bah
Weagle, weagle
War Damn Eagle
Kick 'em in the butt, Big Blue
According to Kelly Kazek in her book Hidden History of Auburn, there was no official spelling of the cheer until it appeared on officially-licensed T-shirts sold at J&M Bookstore. Trey Johnston (the "J" in J&M) had to come up with the spelling himself as there was no extant written record.
The cheer's origins are equally obscure …
… The first determination by Kazek was that the cheer had its birth in the mid-sixties with the AU marching band, as an invention by the band "rats" (or "Rookie Auburn Tigers") who were required each year by veteran band members to come up with a new cheer for the band to use during games. Kazek notes that this might be a continuation of an even older tradition documented back to 1897, where each class of seniors would likewise try to top the previous class by concocting a cheer, some including variants of "rah-rah-rah" and "sis-boom-bah."
All those cheers have a noble pedigree at the Loveliest Village. In fact, per Clyde Bolton in the 1973 edition of his book War Eagle, The Story of Auburn Football, the first Auburn cheer, as recorded in contemporaneous news reports, went as follows:
Rah-Rah-Ree, Rah-Rah-Ree
Alabama AMC!
This pithy expression of enthusiasm and loyalty harkens back to an earlier official name of Auburn, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama, and was shouted throughout downtown Atlanta hotels by Auburn partisans on the eve of the first Auburn – Georgia game in 1892.
Kazek was informed later of even more specific origins of Bodda Getta; in the early sixties, the cheer's first two lines along with the very last line were developed in a slightly different form by members of the Lee County High School band in Montgomery. However, in the height of irony, one of original authors of the Lee County band cheer actually ended up graduating from Alabama! More clear-minded Lee County band alumni came to Auburn, where they modified their high school cheer and brought it to the Auburn band.
I am now going to risk any perception of journalistic credibility since I can't find one source I read a long time ago and must trust my memory (hey, if it works for Brian Williams…). In my Internet peripatations, I seem to remember a blog post which noted that the AU band director at pre-season band camp instructed the band members to "put some body" or "get some body" into their playing. This statement might have stirred the memories of those Lee County alumni to develop their old high school cheer into their new "rat" cheer that we now know as Bodda Getta.
Of course, "rah" as a cheer has been around since who knows when, and "sis-boom-bah" is probably nearly as old. Putting those two together seems pretty natural. As a side note, I first remember hearing "sis-boom-bah" used as a cheer in the Saturday morning cartoon version of "Gilligan's Island" (don't ask me why I remember stuff like that).
The current search is on to determine who came up with the "Weagle, Weagle" line (a line I still mispronounce as "Regal, Regal", what I thought it was the first time I ever heard it).
Certainly, Bodda Getta ranks as one of our greatest traditions, and even if it is not one of the oldest, it has roots that go back to the very beginning of football on the Plains. We all have some great memory of it, and I bet we are making new memories with it as well, as I did here:
And just for a little narcissism, here is another (although I think I got five of those pounds back):
So, I'll just leave you with a question of my own: What are y'all's memories of this Auburn tradition, and are you making any new ones for yourself?
Michael Val
(who says "Kick 'em in the butt, Big Blue"–especially if it is an elephant butt!)
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More position by position break downs after the jump.
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The post Byron Cowart Keeps Things Quiet appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
Almost lost in the buildup to this season is Auburn's highest ranked recruit in school history. Little is written these days about Byron Cowart, the defensive end that ESPN and Rivals calls the top incoming freshman for 2015. Although he's the Tigers future, Jeremy Johnson and Co. are the here and now.
Cowart has kept his head down this summer, understanding that on campus he's at the bottom of the pecking order. Sort of. How Auburn handles the heralded freshman will go a long way in determining whether it gets another one anytime soon.
Gus Malzahn has said little about Cowart this summer, understandably wanting to take pressure off the immense expectations. During SEC Media Days, Malzahn said only that Will Muschamp had a good game plan for the Florida native. Muschamp has followed Cowart since middle school, and that relationship above anything else is what got him to Auburn.
"We had Carl Lawson two years ago, very similar situation," said Malzahn. "Will (Muschamp) has a great plan for him. He is a guy that's going to play and is going to help us. We'll bring him along the right way; he's a very talented young man."
One thing is a near certainty: He will see action against Louisville. Coaches have raved about his summer conditioning. At 6-foot-3, 277 pounds, he has the build to play immediately.
He is not a freshman who'll need to get in the weight room and put on muscle before contributing. His summer workouts have amazed linebacker Kris Frost.
"He's a really big guy," said Frost. "I tell you they make them bigger and bigger every year. I don't know where they came from, but it's amazing seeing him out there running around. … We feel like he's going to be great for us this year. We trust, and we know that once he gets our systems, the sky's the limit for him."
For Cowart's part, he's saying all the right things. "Being the No. 1 recruit, it was great for the high school level, but I want to kind of leave that behind going to college," he said to reporters earlier this year. "It's not about what you did, it's about what you're going to do."
Cowart will be watched this season in much the way South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney was in 2011 as the nation's top-rated player. He'll also draw comparisons to Ole Miss star Robert Nkemdiche, who was tops in 2013.
For every success though, there are more flameouts, something that's not lost on SEC coaches.
"You have to handle him (Nkemdiche) a little bit differently," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze told AL.com. A lot of it depends on the kid also. I'm not a fan of the way recruiting has gone right now and the social media, I think, it kind of creates a false sense of really what's real and what's not to some young men. Sometimes that can affect them negatively."
A lot is riding on Cowart. It's impossible to get into the young man's mind, but it's hard to argue that Muschamp isn't the person to get him ready to play. He has the trust of Byron and his family, something that can't be underestimated during this critical period when a player is getting acclimated to college life and huge expectations.
In a little over a week, Cowart can put away those stars and hype and concentrate on football. That has to be a lot easier than answering all those questions.
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The post The Legend of Lutz: Honoring 43 appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
As I have been doing for the past month or so, I take note of how many days or weeks until kickoff and I post a picture of a current or former Auburn player to commemorate the date. Yesterday marked six weeks until the Thursday night kickoff game. That one was easy. No. 6 Auburn quarterback and future star Jeremy Johnson.
Today marks 43 days until Auburn tees it off against Louisville. No.43 isn't a hard one to put a number with a face, is it? I'd venture a guess that besides Bo and Cam, Lutz may be the most remembered face in modern Auburn football.
Last year on the week of his death, I wrote this article. Take a read …
I feel for anyone and everyone who did know Lutz. I can't imagine how they felt about losing him. If I feel as bad as I do about losing a great man, I can't imagine what they feel. I'm not writing this article for you to feel sorry for me or for Auburn fans, and I certainly don't want you to think it's just some other article out there trying to get some attention. I just feel like I, as a fan, owe him a few words and thoughts after what he has given me.
Coach Saban had been at Alabama for a little over a year. In that short year, Auburn fans like myself had become educated to just how important recruiting was in winning football. It wasn't that Coach Tuberville had done a bad job, it was just that Saban had revolutionized the National Signing Day. I had begun to keep up with recruiting a fair amount in 2008. While there was zero doubt that Tuberville had a lock on top defensive talent, the offensive woes of 2008 didn't look like they would improve much in 2009, as the the cupboard seemed bare and the class of 2008 was missing offensive playmakers. Except for one player.
Not that I am a talent expert, but there was one offensive player on the list of Auburn recruits that I could draw a circle around and label "can't miss." Philip Lutzenkirchen exhibited all of the play making abilities that Auburn needed, and he did so in more ways than you might expect. While different positions push their agenda with a skill or two: receivers showcase their speed and hands, running backs their power and moves, the man we called Lutz showcased a skill set. He blocked inline. He blocked on the perimeter. He made catches in space. He made catches in traffic. But he wasn't just a workhorse tight end, as he also had a fair amount of circus plays of his own, which made him an internet sensation. But, I had rarely seen a highschool kid that brought such a complete game with him. We always hear about how receivers have to learn route reading or running backs have to pick up blocking schemes, which is why so few make it on the field early. But, there was zero doubt in my mind that Lutz would be a guy who could understand it all and implement it quickly.
With the closing whistle of a blowout loss to Alabama, the word was already out that Tuberville and Franklin were out the door. While that wasn't a surprise, what would be a surprise was the decision for the #3 tight end in the country to remain steadfast to his commitment to Auburn. To many, it seems simple hindsight that I would label him so important to Auburn football, but the truth is that in 2009, the player that I had the most apprehension about signing was Lutz. That's saying something, since the class of 2009 was littered with NFL talent like McCalebb, Nick Fairley, Emory Blake, Daren Bates and Dee Ford. I don't mean that as a snub to any of them in the slightest. But, if I had been given a list (and I was, thanks to Rivals) of incoming freshman and asked to circle the one that would be a certain major impact, Lutz was the one. With the infusion of Coaches Chizik and Malzahn, he decided to stay an Auburn commitment. I breathed a sigh of relief.
2009 exhibited an offensive explosion of the likes I had never seen. The combination of two future NFL talents in Ben Tate and Ontario McCalebb proved to be deadly out of the backfield while the unlikely QB, Chris Todd, put up some amazing numbers. Lutz found himself behind a 4 year starter in Tommy Trott, who had been a decent threat to defenses each year, being the most prolific tight end that Auburn had seen in my lifetime. Trott held the bar for Auburn tight ends with his career 45 catches and 4 TDs.
Yet, it didn't take long for Lutz to become a contributor, as he snagged his very first college pass in the 3rd quarter against Mississippi State for a touchdown. I was there. And while Kodi Burns was the official player of the game with his 3 TD runs and 1 TD toss to Lutz, it was an official changing of the guard at tight end and the development of a real weapon at tight end. I recall going back to my best friends house after the game and replaying the whole game on Tivo and talking about the importance of these new recruits, such as Blake, Lutz, and McCalebb.
In 2009, he snagged 4 passes for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns.
With Cam and the explosive National Championship team, he caught 15 balls for 185 yards and 5 TDs, easily overshadowing (in my mind) any Auburn tight end in my 30 years as a football fan. But it wasn't the stats that made him the premier tight end in Auburn lore. After all, Andy Fuller set the bar extremely high in 1993 with one of the biggest catches in Auburn history against #1 Florida. Fuller had a terrific career himself, catching 33 passes for 513 yards and 5 TDs.
In fact, what catapulted him to the top for Auburn tight ends isn't one play, but two… at least.
The first play that will live forever in Auburn fan's minds is the TD grab in Bryant-Denny to cap one of the greatest comebacks in all of college football. I have written my thoughts in The Cam-back: Iron Bowl 2010 on this game, including the pure elation that exploded after his catch to seal the game. After most big time TDs (and especially those not so big ones), we see some form of practiced choreography. We sigh chestbumps and high steps. We see players spiking the ball. It's all usually thought out and practiced. What we are seeing is players celebrating for themselves. Not for the game. And not for the fans. But that wasn't Lutz's reaction. After the simple half dozen high steps that Lutz threw down after his biggest catch, he exploded into a heartfelt blast of emotions because he KNEW and UNDERSTOOD what this game meant. The catch was never about him. It wasn't about stats. It wasn't about NFL draft stock. It was about his team and his fans. You can see it in the dance, but more importantly in his eyes and the pure unadulterated scream of ecstasy after the Lutzie.They had done something so few teams had done or ever would do. They had gone into Big Brothers house. Had gone under the knife. And had clawed out to deliver a knock out blow that was the defining moment of this generation's Iron Bowl fans. And he knew it. He felt it. Because he authored it.
How about the one-handed grab and dive against Ole Miss. Take a second to watch:
It was truly an amazing play from beginning to end. But what most people don't know or remember is what that TD cost him. He tore his labrum early in the year, but he played through it. It is an injury I have experienced myself. When it first happens, it isn't too bad. But, the more you do, the worse it gets until you have the last straw. I believe it was in his dive into the endzone in this play that was the end. Perhaps his greatest feat of personal accomplishment on the field is overshadowed by just what it cost him. While all of us in the stands or at home clapped each other on the back and talked about the Great Lutz, we should see it in a different way: that this one play exemplified his love and devotion to Auburn Football. To the point where he would give his body for each of you. And he did.
It's easy to remember the high points. It's easy to recall the the things we want to remember. But we should also remember that Lutz gave us more than just an Iron Bowl win and near record breaking stats in all categories as a tight end. He sacrificed his body for the Auburn Family. He gave up potentially millions for each and every one of us. Lutz could have left after the 2011 season for the NFL as one of the top graded tight ends in the country. He had wrapped up the greatest season for an Auburn tight end with 24 catches for 238 yards and 7 TDs on one of the most inexperienced teams Auburn has fielded in recent history. And he did all of that playing through injury. It would have been easy to say goodbye and enter the draft and cash in on his hard work. I would have and so would you. Even in a plagued 2012 campaign where he had serious injuries all throughout the year and the ball just wouldn't come his way, he never gave in. He fought until his body gave out. He could have hit the bench and tried to salvage an NFL draft pick. But he didn't. This man had different priorities. He had the right ones.
Lutz loved Auburn and Auburn loved him. He is one of the few players we will ever see that stayed in school because he loved his University and fans. Along the way, he did what so few NFL prospects ever care about doing: he got his degree and, he stayed completely out of trouble. There was zero doubt in anyone's mind who coaches would send to SEC Media Days. And, just as he was reliable on the field, he was reliable off of it, staying completely out of trouble, something sorely missing in the modern age of major college athletics.
His love for Auburn was so great that despite having graduated only months before and experiencing NFL life, he was back at Auburn as an Ambassador for our great University. Typically, it takes years for people of such stature to even begin to care about giving back to their school, yet here Lutz was, recruiting for the school, hoping to find a spot as a coach. Just two years after he had left. Amazing, really.
And while detractors may point out that ultimately football is about self-gratification and "making it," Lutz proved to be about more than making millions in the NFL. He was invested in his friends and fans and loved giving them time. Lutz was a force on social media, never above interacting with his fans. He would let you know where he was and when he would be there. He had such a zeal for life that he shared through social media. My wife and I constantly found ourselves laughing at his antics. Lutz was his own man and he believed in being true to himself and his fans. While his accomplishments on the field are evident and his plays immortalized forever, that's not how we should all remember him.
Lutz is the embodiment of everything we want to see in our athletes. He was fiercely loyal to his University. He loved his fans. He believed in doing things the right way. He displayed courage and character in his play on the field and his life off of it. He
Believed in Auburn and Loved
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The post Why Jeremy Johnson Doesn't Have to Run and Why We Shouldn't Care That He Won't appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
Has anyone else noticed the amount of articles being posted on social media pertaining to Jeremy Johnson and his running/lack of running ability? I have. And it's getting pretty old and played out.
People say he can. People say he can't. People say he should. People say he shouldn't. And, Gus and Jeremy sometimes weigh in on the subject.
I'm hear to tell you that his ability to run…or not run…doesn't really matter.
The comparisons to one Cam Newton began before Johnson was ever on campus. There are some similarities. Namely, the overall size of each of these men is very similar. And, both can chunk the ball a very, very long way. But, to be perfectly honest, that's about the limits of the comparisons, in my eyes.
Jeremy Johnson is already on par to college-age Cam Newton in his throwing ability. Which means he doesn't HAVE to run. Did you raise your eyebrows?
His ability to throw the ball was well known when he was in high school. He was described by many people, Gus Malzahn included, as having a real-deal NFL arm. In limited action in his first two years, he has shown that he has the gift. Not only does he have the ability to make all the throws, but he has the brains to make the decisions on exactly which throw he should make. Of the 2 INT's he has tossed, I recall one being a WR at fault. I can't recall the other. As a sophomore, he was nearly perfect in his limited action.
In this year's A-Day game, Johnson was nearly flawless in his overall execution. The only flaws I saw in his game occurred in a particular series in which he was locked on to Duke Williams. He missed Duke on the sideline on one throw and shorted a dig route that nearly found the ball going the other way. But, after that series, Johnson opened up his playbook and began making some fairly unbelievable reads. He checked down into the flats. He threw a wheel route to a fullback. He looked a safety off and completed a perfect pass for a TD to Myron Burton. He avoided a sack, stepped up into the pocket, and fired a 50 yarder to Louis.
And that's where the differences between Cam and Jeremy really start to glare. Don't get me wrong. Cam was almost perfect all year in 2010 throwing the ball, especially down the stretch. But, anyone who understands the game will tell you that his arm wasn't the only thing completing those passes. Defenses were more terrified of his (and Dyer's) ability to run it down their throat than they were scared of his ability to beat them in the short game throwing. So, how did Cam end up with 30 TD passes? Well, the defenses stacked the box. Cam ran play-action passes. And then he threw it as far as he could to a (usually) wide open receiver. However, Cam struggled making reads and finesse passes. Never was it more evident than his early games. But, again, it quickly became evident that he didn't have to pass.
Bear Bryant made one of the most astute observations about the game when he said that "3 things happen when you pass and two of them are bad." Why throw it short when you can run it? To sum it up, Cam was perhaps the greatest running quarterback in modern football history. Yes, Tebow owns a lot of records and all, but Cam churned out the greatest single-season road grade that any of us will ever see. He was, by all definitions, unstoppable.
Can Johnson run it? Sure. There have been some leaks that Johnson runs a 4.49 50-yard dash. Doubtful, but I am sure he's close. Can he run the zone read? Well, yeah. He has undoubtedly practiced it for the 2 years he has been on the Plains. And, honestly, it doesn't matter how fast you are when you are that big. If you make the right read, a 6′ 6″ guy can fall forward at the line of scrimmage for 3 yards. I'm not great with math, but that's pretty good.
The other thing that many pundits are considering is how the offense was …
run with Nick Marshall. The nimble-footed Marshall was more like Cam than most people will ever admit. The difference is that the handoffs went outside for Cam as opposed to inside with Nick. Cam was a battering ram that it took 3 defenders to tackle and had a long stride that was nearly impossible to match. Nick was elusive around the edge, but just as fast. He might go down with the first defender, but that defender had to catch him, which was usually a tall order….especially in the backfield. Marshall and Cam were more alike in the throwing game than anyone will ever admit as well. Both could throw the ball as far as it needed to be thrown. Both struggled at times to check it down. Both had issues with fitting the ball into windows in the short game. But, both these quarterbacks took Auburn to National Championship games and lit up the stat sheets and scoreboards.
Which is why everyone immediately assumes that for Auburn to have success, JJ must be able to run. If he doesn't, the Gus Bus will derail.
Though Malzahn's offenses at Auburn have been mostly top-level offenses, we sometimes forget that the offenses that put him on the map were not run by true dual-threat QB's. His QB's were polished passers who didn't have to run. And, the overall offenses weren't just spread offenses that didn't have a run game.
Chris Todd set several Auburn records in his single year under Malzahn at Auburn.
Paul Smith, under Malzahn in 2007, threw for 5,000 yards and 47 TD's in a season! He ran for under 200 yards.
David Johnson, while at Tulsa in 2008, threw for over 4,000 yards and 46 TD's while running for less than 200 yards.
Ryan Applin, with Gus at Arkansas State for a single season, threw for 3,300 yards and 24 TD's against a VERY tough schedule. He ran for 430 yards.
And yet, each of these offenses had something you wouldn't believe. They featured a running back with at least 1,000 yards. In fact, his two offenses at Tulsa featured one back who ran for 2,700 yards in those two seasons.
Seems to me that maybe the assumptions that are being made might be a tad over inflated. Seems to me that we are trying to fit Gus' offense into our idea of an offense instead of letting him mold his own. In fact, there is a lot more truth to that than you might think. Marshall and Newton were elite athletes….and that's a word I don't throw around lightly. Both were players who had a wide skill set that Gus didn't have enough time to mold into his ideal quarterback. They were the exception and not the rule. So, he fit an offense around them that would work for the team he had. And, he did a fantastic job. Up next is Johnson, and we make all of these assumptions. He has to do this like Cam. He has to do that like Marshall.
As much as I love Cam and Nick, both struggled with check downs. Both were off and running when the edge blitz came. And, it's amazing that both of them lasted whole seasons (though it's worth noting that Cam was hurt in the National Championship game, and Nick Marshall missed extensive time). Why? Because they were run first.
There is another critical aspect of the game many people forget. Auburn frequently ran to run the clock…not just to score. Both the 2013 and 2014 defenses were some of the worst defenses fielded on the Plains. The 2010 defense wasn't exactly a dominating unit, either. The same can be said for every stop that Gus Malzahn has made. That will change in 2015, it would seem. Gus won't …err….shouldn't….have to worry about clock management anymore. Scoring will be his primary purpose. And, that means a lot of throws.
Johnson doesn't have to run. And, he probably won't, at least not to the level that we saw with the two aforementioned QB's. And Auburn is going to win a lot of games, anyway. Why? Because Johnson is a true pocket passer, and even a casual observation of his in-game play will show that. Just as I said earlier, he has all the tools. He looks off the secondary. He checks down. He uses the whole field. He steps up into the pocket and delivers the ball. And, most importantly, he is scary accurate.
So, I just laugh when I see these comparisons to the two great Auburn QB's. Who really cares if he can run the zone read when he can throw the ball 30 times a game and go 22 – 30 for 350 and 3 TD's? Really? Let's not forget that Auburn has one of the most talented and high-potential backfields anywhere in the country. I firmly believe that Roc Thomas will take the place of the traditional QB in the zone read. Instead of making JJ run the ball, he has two potential reads…inside to a Barber/Robinson or outside to Thomas.
Sure, it puts the offense at a slight numbers disadvantage in terms of "helmet on helmet" numbers, but so does losing your QB when you need him most. Let's not forget that Auburn has always had a capable backup on those good offenses who was a veteran (Burns with Todd, Caudell with Newton, Johnson with Marshall). Auburn doesn't really have that this year.
Johnson also has the most potential at the WR core than any previous QB has had at Auburn under Malzahn. It's going to allow him the ability to spread the ball and create mismatches, which hasn't been possible at Auburn since 2004. That is, of course, if the WR's live up to their potential.
To sum up, Johnson has a very talented backfield top to bottom as well as a high-potential WR corps. Though White looks like he will be a solid QB in the future, he is pretty new and untested. Running the ball with your QB, regardless of the talent and ability, is risky. Malzahn won't have to run the ball to manage the clock. If Muschamp does what we all think he will, Malzahn will have the luxury of being able to throw it 30 times a game without worrying about time management or 3-and-outs. Lastly, Johnson is already a more polished passer than either of the run-first QBs that Auburn has found success with (Newton/Marshall) and his game film already proves that. Now, can he do it a whole season? That remains to be seen. But, when I look at all of these bits of information, I see a QB that doesn't have to…and shouldn't…run the ball. It isn't his strength, and the offensive game plan shouldn't need it. So, can we stop with all the questions about his ability to run, already? If I didn't know any better, I would think the media called the plays, not Gus.
The post Why Jeremy Johnson Doesn't Have to Run and Why We Shouldn't Care That He Won't appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
The post Best 5 Questions I Would Have Asked Malzahn at SEC Media Days appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
The post Best 5 Questions I Would Have Asked Malzahn at SEC Media Days appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
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The most talented Ole Miss team in years visits Auburn.
(Photo by Acid Reign.)
War Eagle, everybody! It's time now for another Auburn opponent preview. On October 31st, Auburn will host the Ole Miss Rebels. These two teams have fought close battles the past two seasons, and this one should be no exception. The Rebels return probably their most talented team in history. The main question is at quarterback, where a trio of inexperienced guys are battling it out over the summer. Last season, the difference between the first 10-win season since Eli Manning and a Houston-Nutt-like 9 – 4 finish was the 15 picks thrown by Ole Miss quarterbacks. In a spread offense, you've got to be able to throw the ball. If Ole Miss is to break into 10-win territory this year for only the second time since 1962, it must have more reliable quarterbacking.
For this game, Auburn returns home from a difficult trip to Fayette-nam and the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Prior to that, Auburn will have played Louisville in Atlanta, Jacksonville, then LSU in Baton Rouge before home contests against Mississippi State and San Jose State. The Tigers then take a Saturday off before traveling to Lexington Kentucky for a Thursday night prime timer. The second of the Tiger off Saturdays follows before the trip to Fayetteville. The Ole Miss schedule ramps up quickly. A laugher against Tennessee Martin opens the season, followed by a visit from Fresno State. Then the Rebels travel to Alabama to face a team sure to be thinking revenge for last year's upset. Ole Miss then hosts woeful Vanderbilt before traveling to Gainesville to play the Florida Gators. Homecoming follows against New Mexico State, then a trip to Memphis to play the resurgent Memphis Tigers. Ole Miss then hosts Texas A&M, followed by the road trip to Auburn.
The Rebel defense loses stars Senquez Golson, Cody Prewitt, and D. T. Shackelford to the NFL on defense, but the Rebels have recruited well and should be able to fill the holes. This was a stout defense last season before injuries took a toll, and this year's bunch should be deeper thanks to great recruiting by the Rebel staff. Judging from the Rebel spring game, Ole Miss will once again be able to stuff the run, pressure the quarterback, and lock down receivers. The past two seasons, Ole Miss has signed the top JUCO cornerback in the nation. These guys looked wicked in the Ole Miss Grove Bowl this past spring and made the quarterback candidates miserable.
In the front seven, Ole Miss has tweaked the lineup by moving senior defensive end C. J. Johnson back to middle linebacker where he started his career. Anchoring a tough defensive line will be junior tackle Robert Nkemdiche. His older brother Denzel Nkemdiche will fill out a dangerous linebacker corps.
Ole Miss returns all 5 starters on the offensive line, but that unit might have been the least productive unit on the field for the Rebels last season. There is hope that experience will translate to improvement this season, but there were some guys on that line still banged up in the spring. Reviewing the numbers, the Rebels were 10th in the SEC last season in rushing and 12th in sacks given up. In the Rebel's spring game, quarterbacks put up mediocre or worse numbers and faced a lot of pressure.
Rebel skill players should be pretty good. By all accounts, star wide receiver Lequon Treadwell should be fully recovered from his gruesome leg injury by fall camp. He's joined by a veteran talented cast of receivers. Senior running back Jalen Walton is a threat every time he touches the ball, and he's joined by a pair of younger backs that are bigger and more powerful than what we've seen out of Ole Miss lately.
Ole Miss was very young on special teams last season and had some bumps early. Moves were made, and the Rebs were playing pretty well here at the end of the season. Almost all skill players return on this unit, and they should be a strength of the team in 2015. Ole Miss has recruited back-to-back good classes, and that tends to load up special teams with talented coverage and blocking guys.
Unit matchups, after the jump!
Auburn defensive line vs. Ole Miss offensive line: The difference between a shaky Auburn defensive line and a good one will depend upon the health of recovering defensive ends Carl Lawson and DeVonte Lambert. If both are healthy, along with junior tackle Montravius Adams, Auburn has 3 potential All-SEC starters up front. Most of the rest of the Auburn linemen are very young. The approximate Rebel line depth chart right now features junior Laremy Tunsil at left tackle, senior Aaron Morris at guard, senior Ben Still at center, senior Justin Bell at right guard, and senior Fahn Cooper at right tackle. Ole Miss didn't have much luck running the ball against Auburn last season aside from the scrambling of Bo Wallace and gave up 5 sacks against an anemic Auburn pass rush. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn linebackers vs. Ole Miss backs: Auburn's likely starting linebackers coming out of spring drills are seniors Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy. Both are veteran, athletic SEC players, looking to make the next move up. The Tigers took a blow when likely starter Derrick Moncrief elected to transfer a few weeks ago. True freshman Tim Irvin and sophomore Nick Ruffin are one and two on the post-spring depth chart. Auburn showed signs of improvement this past spring, but after really shaky efforts last season against Georgia, Alabama and Wisconsin down the stretch, I'm not 100-percent confident. Senior Jalen Walton is at the head of the pack of Ole Miss backs, and he'll be spelled by sophomore Jordan Wilkins, a guy that started to come on late in the year in 2014. Akeem Judd was redshirted last season with turf-toe issues but has been a physical runner this spring. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn corners vs. Ole Miss receivers: For the first time in years, Auburn is looking for depth at corner. Senior starters Jonathan Jones and Joshua Holsey are veteran, talented players. Finding a third corner or nickel back will be a priority this fall. The Tigers got a huge boost this spring when the transfer of veteran senior Michigan cornerback Blake Countess was announced. He'll likely compete for a starting job right out of the gate. Auburn will need 3 or more capable corners to defend the Rebels. If he is fully recovered by Halloween, junior Lequan Treadwell is a nightmare to defend. He's fast, long and has great hands. Junior Quincy Adeboyejo moves into the other starting outside spot. There is talent coming in behind those guys. Advantage: Even.
Auburn safeties vs. Ole Miss secondary receivers and quarterback: Auburn returns the speedy and athletic senior safety Jonathan "Rudy" Ford at one spot, and he'll be joined by veteran Georgia transfer Tray Matthews. Again, Auburn's depth here is shaky, but the starting 4 in the secondary are all very, very good. The Ole Miss guys to watch here are senior Cody Core and junior Evan Ingram. These two inside guys combined for 79 catches last season and get open easily in the flats. Sophomore Markell Pack brings some depth to the slot position, but the Rebels are hurting at tight end. Ingram is more of a receiving tight end than a blocker, and the second guy on the depth chart is former junior lineman Jeremy Liggins. Will defenses be able to diagnose run or pass, depending upon which tight end is in the game? Coming out of spring, the Rebels haven't decided on a starting quarterback. Coach Hugh Freeze has said that sophomore Ryan Buchanan has a slight edge, but most observers believe the job is junior JUCO-transfer Chad Kelly's job to lose. Kelly is the nephew of former Buffalo Bills/Houston Gamblers quarterback Jim Kelly. By all accounts, he has the arm and the physical ability to do well. He needs more timing and practice with the Rebel Bear receiving corps, if his spring game performance is any indication. Advantage: Auburn.
Punting: Auburn left spring practice without a starting punter being named. Last season, sophomore kicker Daniel Carlson handled the majority of the punts and managed a healthy 42.0 yard average. He got stronger and stronger as the season progressed. The coaches would like Carlson to focus solely on kicking, but if Auburn played tomorrow, Carlson would likely punt. For Ole Miss, sophomore Will Gleeson averaged 42.9 yards per punt, and looked even better this spring. Ole Miss was very good covering punts last season, giving up only 3.5 yards per return. Auburn gave up 7.8. Markell Pack didn't exactly light things up as punt returner last season for Ole Miss, but he's a veteran presence back there. Auburn will likely go with junior Marcus Davis as the punt returner. Advantage: Ole Miss.
Kickoffs: Daniel Carlson was very good kicking off last season, notching 50 touchbacks on 81 kickoffs. When Carlson's balls were returnable, Auburn gave up 21.7 yards per return. For Ole Miss, sophomore Gary Wunderlich had just 13 touchbacks on 35 kickoffs, and Ole Miss gave up 21.3 yards per return. Auburn was expected to be dangerous returning kicks last season, and instead was pretty anemic, averaging just 20.0 yards per return. Top return man Corey Grant graduated as well. Leading candidates to take over return duties are Ricardo Louis and Roc Thomas. Senior Jalen Walton gives Ole Miss experience here. Walton averaged 21.3 yards per return last season. Based on the touchbacks, it's Advantage: Auburn.
Place kicking: Auburn sophomore Daniel Carlson is the man for Auburn. Carlson was 18 of 24 on field goal attempts and perfect on his extra points. It's nice to have some experience back. Ole Miss had some kicking issues early, but Gary Wunderlich stepped in to solve those. He was 6 for 8 on field goals, and hit all of his extra points. Advantage: Even.
Auburn offensive line vs. Arkansas defensive line: Auburn returns 3 starters on a road-grading, violent offensive line. There is depth behind the starters as well. From left to right, the current starting line features junior Shon Coleman, sophomore Alex Kozan, sophomore Austin Golson, sophomore Braden Smith and junior Avery Young. Ole Miss counters with a dangerous lineup. Senior Issac Gross and junior Robert Nkemdiche hold down the fort inside. Junior Fadol Brown and sophomore Marquis Haynes should bring it from the edge. There is depth off the bench, also. Last season, this was a much hyped matchup. In the end, Auburn gave up no sacks, rushed for 248 yards, and piled up 502 yards on a cold night in Oxford. At home, I see no reason not to expect a similar result. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn backs vs. Ole Miss linebackers: No starting backs were named at Auburn coming out of spring drills, but talent was on display on A-Day. Runners Roc Thomas, Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson should all see action against Ole Miss. H-backs Kamryn Pettway and Chandler Cox likewise should play. The return to middle linebacker of senior C. J. Johnson is interesting to say the least. I figure it's due to his experience. He'll be joined by senior Denzel Nkemdiche in the Rebel two-linebacker scheme. Last season in Oxford, Cameron Artis-Payne, Corey Grant and Roc Thomas all averaged over 5 yards per carry against a more experienced group. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn receivers vs. Ole Miss corners: Auburn's outside receivers are headlined by senior D'haquille "Duke" Williams. The other likely starter is senior Ricardo Louis. These are both big guys that can really run, and Williams has shown the ability to haul in anything in his relative ZIP code. There is talent behind the starters, too. Ole Miss will have a couple of guys out there starting in this one that don't have any SEC experience prior to this year, but both are JUCO All-Americans. Juniors Tee Shepard and Tony Bridges looked pretty good in the Grove Bowl this past spring. I'll take the experienced guys playing at home, thanks. Advantage: Auburn.
Auburn secondary receivers and quarterback vs. Ole Miss safeties: Auburn does not have a tight end with playing experience returning. Sophomore Chris Laye is atop the depth chart, but Auburn may well just go with multiple wide receivers a lot of the time against a depth-challenged Kentucky secondary. Auburn's top slot receiver is Marcus Davis, who's quite shifty and has good hands. On A-Day, senior Jonathan Wallace played a good bit, and showed surprising blocking skills. There are a number of talented receivers on the roster that could see time here as well. Junior Jeremy Johnson will start at quarterback for the Tigers. He's played a good bit as a backup over the past two season, and preseason prognosticators have him on All-SEC teams. He is surrounded by talent. Junior Tony Connor is the returning Ole Miss nickel back. He was second on the team with 79 tackles, but only had 3 passes defended in 13 starts. Senior safeties Trae Elston and Mike Hilton combined last season for 130 total tackles, and 14 passes defended. Advantage: Even.
When Ole Miss has the ball, on paper it looks like a significantly Auburn-favored matchup. However, Ole Miss has made a living the past 3 seasons moving the ball against superior talent. The success of this team will really come down to consistent offense this year, I think. Turnovers just KILLED Ole Miss, last season.
I believe Ole Miss will be a strong team this season, but I'm afraid Auburn pretty much matches up against them across the board. The last time Ole Miss beat an SEC team on the road that had a winning SEC record was when they knocked off eventual national champion Florida way back in 2008.
Prediction: Ole Miss is not scary on Halloween in Auburn. The Tigers romp, 38-13.
The post Scary Halloween in Jordan Hare! (eighth in a series of AU opponent previews) appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
The post Tradition, Tradition…TRADITION! appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>
"War Eagle!" "Roll Tide!" "Sic 'Em!" "Hotty Toddy!" "Two Bits!"
We all hear those and other phrases in Jordan-Hare Stadium, as well as other venues, as those gladiators of the gridiron in Orange and Blue take on the teams lined up against them. Even as those contests play out on the green, green grass below us, we know that what happens on the field is only a part of the wonderful world we experience as college football.
I mused in a lengthy article a few years ago that there is definitely something beyond the mere game that attracts us to college football and makes us loyal to Auburn itself. That something is the feeling of being a part of a community beyond ourselves–a community with its own culture and its own traditions.
I discovered the world of sports blogs, including Track 'Em Tigers, during our 2010 championship run. Being out of work that whole season, I had time to surf around and discover more about not only Auburn history and traditions but also those of our SEC and other historic rivals as well. I was considerably impressed with all of those traditions and realized how deep those traditions run throughout the whole world of sports.
As the laziest member of the TET staff, I realized I needed something to get me writing more regularly. As a mere fan in the stands, I don't have the football chops to bring you the insightful analysis like the other writers here (who have, I say in all honesty, the most astonishing football minds I have ever seen). Consequently, I thought that I would try to share some of my own memories and observations on our most cherished Auburn traditions, as well as look into the traditions of some of the teams we will meet this year.
I plan to start a series on college football traditions right here, beginning next week. Perhaps this will stimulate a few of your own fondest memories and bring into even more focus what makes–and keeps–Auburn special to all of us.
By the way, some of you might recognize the title of this article as coming from an old Broadway musical. Oddly enough, the narration at the beginning of the number pretty much summarizes how most of us feel. After all, college football isn't just a SPORT – it's a RELIGION!
Michael Val
(who says "WAR EAGLE!" and "BODDA GETTA!" and "IT'S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER!")
The post Tradition, Tradition…TRADITION! appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.]]>


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Times: Letters to the Editor: Local Public House and Provisions owner touts advantages of live music
Times: Editorial: The real impact of climate change
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PolitiFact: Marco Rubio: "Forty percent of people in this country, illegally, are overstaying visas."
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Sayfie Review Featured Columnists
Dr. Susan MacManusDistinguished University Professor of Public Administration and Political Science University of South Florida
Dr. Susan A. MacManus, who received her M.A. from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. from Florida State University, is Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Political Science in the Department of Government and International Affairs, University of South Florida. For the last five election cycles, she has served as political analyst for WFLA-TV (Tampa NBC affiliate) and the state's leading station. She was a blogger for TBO. com during the 2004 and 2006 election campaigns.
MacManus is the co-author of Politics in States and Communities, 13th ed., with Thomas R. Dye (Prentice Hall 2009), Florida's Politics, 2nd ed., with Thomas R. Dye and Aubrey Jewett (Florida Institute of Government, 2007) and Florida's Politics: Ten Media Markets, One Powerful State with Kevin Hill and Dario Moreno (Florida Institute of Government, 2004). She is also the author of Young v. Old: Generational Combat in the 21st Century? (Westview, 1996) and Targeting Senior Voters (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004). MacManus and her mother, Elizabeth, are the authors of two local Florida history books published by the University of Tampa Press: Citrus, Sawmills, Critters & Crackers (1998) and Going, Going, Almost Gone: Lutz-Land O' Lakes Pioneers Share Their Precious Memories (forthcoming, 2008). MacManus is from a citrus-growing family in Pasco County.
She served as Chair of the Florida Elections Commission from 1999 to 2003 and helped the Collins Center For Public Policy, Inc. draft Florida's Help America Vote Act state plan (voter, election official, and poll worker education section) required by Congress to quality for federal funding under the Help America Vote Act. She also served as an advisor to the Florida Division of Elections on the development of its statewide poll worker training manual. In 2008, MacManus was appointed by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to two working groups: the Election Management Guidelines Development Working Group on Elderly and Disabled Voters in Long-Term Care Facilities and the Working Group on Media and Public Relations.
MacManus was a Fulbright Research Scholar at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, in 1989, received USF's Distinguished Research Scholar Award in 1991, and was honored as the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society's USF Artist/Scholar in 1997 and designated as a Distinguished University Professor in 1999. She received the first biennial Diane Blair award for "Outstanding Achievement in Politics and Government" from the Southern Political Science Association in 2001. In March, 2002, the Florida Political Science Association gave her its Manning Dauer Distinguished Florida Political Science Award. She has been a Reubin O'D. Askew Fellow of the Florida Institute of Government since 1995.
MacManus is unaffiliated with any political party.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Texas Rangers Rumors: Nelson Cruz May Be Staying After All
For months, it has been widely assumed that Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz will not be on the team in 2014. His name is not even on the depth chart. The 34-year-old Cruz, who is coming off a 50-game drug suspension, wants a muliyear deal. So far, only the Seattle Mariners have been willing to oblige. Months of speculation and contract talks have failed to materialize in an offer, and some speculate that Seattle's interest may be waning, especially in light of the Robinson Cano signing a few months ago.
The Rangers have had a qualifying offer on the table since last November: $14.1 million for one year. Back then, Cruz thought his options were a one-year deal with Texas or a multiyear deal with basically any other American League team that needed a slugger. Now, three months later and on the cusp of Spring Training, it appears that Cruz's options may be a one-year deal with Texas or hope that the phone rings later.
The Dallas Morning News recently speculated that the Rangers may want to bring in Cruz as the designated hitter for one year. To save some money, part of his $14 million salary could be deferred. Cruz may also agree to a lower-risk deal that features a low base salary and various incentives clauses based on number of at-bats, postseason appearances, postseason awards and the like.
Such a move may make popular veteran and current DH Mitch Moreland expendable. Several teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, have a need at first base. A trade could be good for both the player and the club: Moreland can play in the field (most players do not like being a DH, because of the extended down-time and perception that a DH is not a complete ballplayer) and the Rangers can free up some salary room. If available, Cruz is a better option than Moreland, because Cruz is a more aggressive hitter.
Currently, there are no ongoing talks between the Rangers and Cruz.
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The Rockies finally traded shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, but it came at a price. The front office lost all credibility with their players and that could ruin the team. Read More


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An up-to-date file searcher. Based on the GNU General public license.0 weekly downloads
FIX Pusher
FIX protocol administration tool12 weekly downloads
FMailer is a simple stand alone application to send a plain text email (Designed and tested on windows XP, 2003, 2008, Vista, 7)2 weekly downloads
FOXopen is a 4GL, feature-rich XML framework which facilitates the rapid development of web-based applications with sophisticated workflows. For more information and help, see http://www.foxopen.net/70 weekly downloads
FS-Inspect is an easy to use tool designed to give you an overview about your files and directories (Disk Usage). On start up, it reads recursively the inspected directory and presents the content in two useful views: * The folder view, shows the directory tree, sub-folders are sorted by size. * The type view, shows all file types found, sorted by the total size. In the post scan, the utility start searching for duplicates. All duplicates are listed in the file view, colored depending on their MD5-checksum. It is possible to configure the duplicate search in the settings. To optimize the duplicate search, hashes are stored in a database. If a directory is inspected many a time, there is no need to compute the performance-expensive check-sum again.4 weekly downloads
FTPstats is a log analyzer and stats compiler for FileZilla FTP Server. It generates usage statistics from log files and presents them in a user-friendly fashion.21 weekly downloads
Fast Wipe
Fast Wipe3 weekly downloads
Feed Launch .NET
Feed Launch .NET is a feed editor for RSS 2.0 and ATOM 1.0 feeds.1 weekly downloads
File Transfer Tooling3 weekly downloads
File Fisher
Copy/Move files of required extension easily11 weekly downloads
File Report
Simple utility to do folder and file searches which can be exported.2 weekly downloads
File Splitter
A free file splitting tool that cuts large files into smaller parts and a merge-script which you can copy to otherwise-too-small memory sticks etc and then put them together on the target computer.61 weekly downloads
File System Tracker .NET
File system change tracker.1 weekly downloads
File Transfer
Transfers files/folders P2P over LAN or Internet137 weekly downloads
File Watcher Utilities
File system/directory monitoring utilities with loggin and task processing support (can execute files or make a WCF service call). Multiple configuration options. Source code libraries can be used to create a custom file system monitor.102 weekly downloads
File Wiper .NET
Tool written in C# to safely delete existing files.7 weekly downloads
Locate any file in your Windows system!2 weekly downloads
File monitor (Local or Network) + optional backup1 weekly downloads
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A file manager to sort huge collections of files.1 weekly downloads
A powerful, cross platform, SQL database system19,997 weekly downloads
FirebirdConfig provides you with a friendly user interface in order to configurate the firebird database operation modifying the firebird.conf file with the most intuitive and functional graphic.16 weekly downloads
Firefix is a small tool written in python that solves the firefox audio issue I detailed here: http://zarindenatrose.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/fixing-sound-firefox-vista/1 weekly downloads
Firefox + Group Policy Object
An extension to push Firefox configuration settings using GPO4 weekly downloads
Flash Imager
Windows disk image reading and writing software. This application is intended for use as a reader/writer for small flash drives. It is compatible with raw and gzipped disk images, including those used by m0n0wall.1 weekly downloads


text:
5.6 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 24" Built-In Capability, 2 Full-Width Glass Shelves, 1 Crisper Drawer, 3 Door Shelves, Beverage Can Dispener In Door and Freezer with 2 Ice Cube Trays
Our Price
After Savings
24" Outdoor Undercounter Beverage Center with Adjustable Glass Shelves, Internal Fan, LED Lighting, Digital Thermostat, Door Lock and Commercially Approved
4.5 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 2 Adjustable Glass Shelves, 2 Door Bins, Two-Level Storage in Bottom Freezer Drawer and Frost Free Technology
24" Undercounter Beverage Center with 5.0 cu. ft. Capacity, Adjustable Chrome Shelves, Open Door Alarm, High Temperature Alarm, LED Lighting and Door Lock
19" Undercounter Beverage Center with 4.3 cu. ft. Capacity, 124-Can Capacity, Glass Shelves, Digital Thermostat and Blue LED Display Lighting
4.4 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 2.5 Adjustable Wire Shelves, Tall Bottle Storage, CanStor Beverage Dispensing System, Interior Light and Reversible Door Hinge
24" Built-in Beverage Center with 5.4 cu. ft. Capacity, 85 12-oz. Bottle Capacity, 105 12-oz. Can Capacity, 16 Wine Bottle Capacity, LED Lighting and Star K Certified
5.5 cu. ft. Compact Beverage Center with Glass Shelves, Interior Light, Adjustable Thermostat, Door Lock, ADA Compliant and Commercially Approved: Base Model
5.3 cu. ft. Undercounter Refrigerator with 4 Chrome Plated Wire Shelves, Glass Door, Interior LED Lighting, Reversible Door Swing, Door Lock and ADA Compliant
24" Built-in Outdoor Refrigerator with 5.2 cu. ft. Capacity, 123 12-oz. Bottle Capacity, 185 12-oz. Can Capacity, Door Lock Included and Stainless Steel Construction
24" Built-in Beverage Center with 11-Bottle Capacity, 112 Beverage Can Capacity, Electronic Controls and Reversible Door: Black with Stainless Steel Door Trim
24" Beverage Center with 150 Can Capacity, 12 Bottle Capacity with 126 Can Capacity, Spillproof Glass Shelves, Beechwood Front Wine Racks, Interior Display Lighting, Tinted Glass Door and Built-in Capability
24" Freestanding Compact All-Refrigerator with 5.5 cu. ft. Capacity, Adjustable Glass Shelves, Door Storage, User-Reversible Door and ADA Compliant
4.1 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 20" Width, 2 Adjustable Glass Shelves, Door Lock, Manual Defrost, ADA Height Compliance and Jet Black Cabinet
24" Undercounter Beverage Center with 5.5 cu. ft. Capacity, Adjustable Glass Shelves, Door Lock, Aluminum Door Trim and Commercially Approved: Base Model
4.4 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 2 1/2 Adjustable Glass Shelves, Full-Width Freezer Section, Integrated Tall-Bottle Door Shelving, CanStor Beverage Dispenser and Reversible Door Hinge
4.1 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 20" Width, 2 Adjustable Glass Shelves, Crisper Drawer, Keyed Door Lock, Manual Defrost and Jet Black Cabinet
4.4 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 2.5 Adjustable Glass Shelves, Tall Bottle Storage, CanStor Beverage Dispensing System, Interior Light and Reversible Door Hinge
4.5 cu. ft. Compact Refrigerator with 2 Adjustable Glass Shelves, 1 Glass-Covered Crisper Drawer, 2 Door Bins, 1 2-Liter Bottle Door Bin, Mechanical Thermostat Dial, Automatic Defrost and Reversible Door
20" Compact All-Refrigerator with 4.1 cu. ft. Capacity, 3 Adjustable Wire Shelves, Reversible Door and Factory Installed Lock
4 - 5.9 (cu. ft.)
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1. This is Myles Crosby. He's the newest member of the Southern Methodist University football team. He's also a world famous male model.
You may recognize Crosby from the pages of Esquire or GQ. As a high-schooler, Crosby became a renowned male model for Calvin Klein products, and models.com currently ranks him as the 11th in a list of the top 50 working male models. According to the Dallas Morning News, he could pull in a six-figure income if he chose to — but Crosby's also pretty good at football.
Crosby racked up more than 100 tackles in his senior season at Colleyville Heritage in Texas, a 5-A school. So instead of chasing money, Crosby's going to put his very valuable body on the line and keep playing football.
This modeling crap could only last another year and then I'd have no education and never get to play football. I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
4. You might think Crosby will be picked on by teammates and opponents for being a male model, but… his work speaks for itself. He'll probably post this on his locker.
H/T David Just at the Dallas Morning News.
- Dylann Roof pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges in the Charleston church massacre.
- The World Health Organization says that an interim analysis of a potential Ebola vaccine shows "100% efficacy in individuals."
- Beijing won its bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. It's the first city to host both the summer and winter games.


text: W dniu 1 lutego 2010 20:28 użytkownik Bryan Hoyt | Brush Technology <bryan@...> napisał: > Thanks, Ted, for the update on the DBus stuff. > > Yes, Krzysztof, it would be nice if DBus extensions could work in a similar > manner on Windows. Does DBus actually work on Windows at all? I'd imagine > that even if it did, it would be nice to have a lightweight Windows > alternative for live extensions, so that the Windows people wouldn't be left > out, or required to download (and compile?) extra dependencies. > > Doesn't affect me directly, since I almost never use Windows, but it's nice > to have things work everywhere. > > That said, I plan to factor the PixelSnap code in such a way that it will > work both with & without DBus in exactly the same way as far as possible. > > - Bry There is a winDBus port here. It appears to be maintained. http://sourceforge.net/projects/windbus/files/ D-Bus isn't too large (a few megabytes when unpacked). I'll try to get it working once I'm done with midterm exams (next week). Regards, Krzysztof


text:
HONOLULU As President Barack Obama cut short a Christmas vacation to resume talks to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of automatic year-end tax hikes and spending cuts, the White House on Wednesday called on congressional Republicans not to stand in the way of a resolution in the U.S. Congress.
"It's up to the Senate Minority Leader not to block a vote, and it's up the House Republican leader, the Speaker of the House ... to allow a vote," a senior administration official told reporters traveling with the president.
Obama is seeking a stripped down deal to prevent tax rates from rising on all but the wealthiest Americans and to stop steep across-the-board spending cuts.
The White House last week proposed a broader package that would have let tax rates stay low for those making up to $400,000, a compromise from the president's previous rate hike threshold of $250,000.
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner was unimpressed with the offer and sought unsuccessfully to push his own proposal through Congress, but members of his own Republican Party balked at rate hikes of any kind. Talks broke down after that and the president and lawmakers left town for the holiday.
The focus will shift to the Senate for a deal, where Obama will rely on an ally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to work out a bill that the top Senate Republican, Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, will not obstruct. The House must also pass the measure.
A broader effort to trim the nation's massive budget deficit will have to wait, the official said.
Congressional stubbornness risks again damaging the fragile economy, just as the nation's near-default in 2011 - the result of a stalemate over raising the national borrowing limit - dealt a nascent economic recovery a setback, the administration official said.
"If you think about the possibility of Congress failing to act to avert the fiscal cliff, combined with the abomination of what occurred in the summer of 2011, hits to our economy aren't coming from external factors, they're coming from congressional stupidity," the official said.
(Reporting By Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stacey Joyce)
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With the Nifty breaching 8,500, sentiments are again bullish. But markets have been in the 8,200-8,600 range for some time and stocks across the board do not give the required confidence except for the liquidity factor. Many frontline stocks are not participating on the upside and the core sector is in a downtrend, writes Ambareesh Baliga. Column
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text:
LABOR candidate for Wide Bay Lucy Stanton has slammed Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss over the cost of chartered flights between Canberra and Brisbane last year.
In a statement to the media, Ms Stanton said "Warren Truss as Deputy PM has trumped Bronwyn Bishop with outrageous spending of taxpayer dollars".
Ms Stanton's comments refer to $21,570 Mr Truss spent on chartered travel between Canberra and Brisbane on 13 and 14 May 2014.
In her statement, Ms Stanton said Mr Truss claimed more than $20,000 in expenses to attend a conservative breakfast fund-raiser where he spoke of taking steps to ensure the Government is living within its means and to rein in the age of entitlement.
Ms Stanton said she believed Mr Truss, who is the Federal Member for Wide Bay, scheduled the breakfast event knowing Parliament sat during budget week.
"Then he decided to charter a flight for $21,570 to ferry him in luxurious style to the fund-raiser rather than take a commercial flight," she said.
A spokesperson for the Deputy Prime Minister said Mr Truss is "assiduous" in the spending of his Parliamentary entitlements and confirmed no commercial flights were available to meet "Mr Truss's ministerial duties on 13 and 14 May 2014."
"In fact, on 13 May Mr Truss was required to be present in Parliament for the handing down of the 2014 Federal Budget," the spokesperson said.
"Mr Truss had official commitments in Canberra until about 9pm that evening and was then required to travel to Brisbane to meet another budget-related commitment early the following morning (14 May).
"Parliament was sitting on 14 May, and Mr Truss was required back in Canberra by midday to fulfil ministerial responsibilities.
"Again, timely commercial flights were not available, and Mr Truss legitimately used his charter budget to meet his Parliamentary obligations. This travel was undertaken in strict accordance with the minister's duties and responsibilities."
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text:
Reliable news sources -- including CNBC, the Kauffman Foundation, US News & World Report, and others – have published articles about the boom in entrepreneurship. While it may make for a great story, a quick look at the numbers shows otherwise.
According to recently published statistics from the U.S. Labor Department, just 3.6% of Americans under 30 own equity in a business, a drop of over 66% since 1989, when the US population was 247 million compared to the current 327 million. That's a drop of almost 15 million individuals.
A number of factors can help explain this long-term trend.
· Debt from student loans Money spent to repay student loans means it takes longer to save money to self-fund a business. With high student loan default rates and flat or minimum increases in wages it's difficult to save enough money to start a business.
· Post-recession fallout Prior to the Great Recession, Millennials had generally grown up in an economy which was stronger than the historical average. Seeing job losses and company closings is scary for those undergoing their first economic downturn. Safety and stability often become more desired than controlling one's destiny by starting a business. It takes time and maturity to understand that the economy is cyclical.
· Fear of failure Some social scientists have pointed out that over-protective parents with a risk-averse mentality cannot possibly create a home environment conducive to the curiosity and joy of discovery needed by entrepreneurs.
· Lack of exposure to conventional business models Starting on a shoe-string budget, slowly building revenues, taking on little or no debt or investor capital, and being profitable from the beginning are business attributes seen as boring by many Millennials. Ignoring business models in non-tech industries reduces the number of opportunities available to potential entrepreneurs.
· The political environment Anti-business activist groups ignore the many positive contributions made by small and startup businesses. Lack of exposure to positive contributions by businesses reduces the desire to be an entrepreneur.
· Fewer workers and more independent contractors As companies outsource more jobs to independent contractors, many workers are self-employed yet have few or no benefits and low pay, factors which contribute to an inability to grow their independent contractor businesses.
Trends like this don't turn around overnight but there have been positive signs lately. Lower gas prices have increased American's confidence in the economy according to the University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment, up 13.5% in 2014 compared to 2013 and up 5.4% in December, 2014 compared to November, 2014. Confidence in the economy generally means an increase in the number of business startups.
More Millennials are moving from their parent's homes into their own dwellings. This requires the purchase of household items which gives an overall general boost to US GDP. This also contributes to consumer confidence.
The "Internet of Things", which brings technology to items typically thought of as non-tech, opens many opportunities for those who have grown up with, and are comfortable using, technology.
More colleges and universities are now offering degrees in Entrepreneurship which can hopefully give potential entrepreneurs some of the skills and confidence they'll need to start businesses.
Just as the Depression spawned the mindset of The Greatest Generation, I'm confident the Great Recession and the slow recovery have taught potential entrepreneurs how to be resourceful, which is one of the most powerful skills an entrepreneur will need.


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All Schools
(11) All Schools
(11) High Schools
(5) High Schools
(5) Elementary Schools
(10) Elementary Schools
(10) Preschools
(3) Preschools
(3) Public Schools
(22) Public Schools
(11) All Schools
(11) High Schools
(5) High Schools
(5) Elementary Schools
(10) Elementary Schools
(10) Preschools
(3) Preschools
(3) Public Schools
(22) Public Schools
There are 11 private schools in Franklin, TN, serving 2,150 students.
Minority enrollment is 11% of the student body, which is less than the TN state average of 17%.
The student:teacher ratio of 10:1 is equal to the state private school average of 10:1.
Franklin, Tennessee Private Schools
- School Location Grades Students
Franklin336 Ernest Rice Lane
Franklin, TN 37069
(615)794-3501(Non-sectarian)Gr. K-12 | 879 students
Franklin2422 Bethlehem Loop Rd
Franklin, TN 37069
(615)791-6467Special Education SchoolGr. 3-12 | 70 students
Franklin207 Gothic CT
Franklin, TN 37067
(615)465-2081Montessori SchoolGr. NS-PK | n/a students
Franklin810 Del Rio Pike
Franklin, TN 37069
(615)790-8556(Christian)Gr. PK-12 | 163 students
FranklinPo Box 157
Franklin, TN 37065
(615)559-9229(Christian)Gr. 5-12 | 98 students
Franklin1215 Hillsboro Road
Franklin, TN 37065
(615)595-5337(Christian)Gr. K-12 | 129 students
Franklin3279 Southall Rd
Franklin, TN 37064
(615)591-3017(Christian)Gr. K-7 | 64 students
Franklin244 Noah Dr
Franklin, TN 37064
(615)794-0567Montessori SchoolGr. NS-6 | 71 students
Franklin1820 Downs Blvd
Franklin, TN 37064
(615)595-0324(Christian)Gr. K-7 | 194 students
Franklin533 Sneed Road W
Franklin, TN 37069
(615)662-4044(Roman Catholic)Gr. K-8 | 450 students
Franklin4092 Carters Creek Pike
Franklin, TN 37064
(615)790-1975Gr. 1-9 | 32 students
Area Statistics
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Recent Articles
Updated July 12, 2015
Many parents tend to dismiss the idea of sending their children to private school without exploring it in depth. We explore this and several more related subjects.
When it comes to choosing a private school, there are so many choices to consider that the project can be a huge challenge to most of us. We offer some help and advice to help you get started.
Sending your child to a foreign language school makes good sense when you have been posted to this country from abroad and in other circumstances as well.