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Sporting News, The, March 4, 2005 by Matt Hayes

The e-mails came pouring in from the Plains the day after Southern California disposed of Oklahoma and secured the national title. Auburn was robbed. Auburn would've given the Trojans a better game. Auburn this, Auburn that. Auburn, Auburn, Auburn.

At this point, I'll introduce Pat Hill. You know him as Fresno State's brash and bold coach, a guy who has built a program from the scrap heap and will play anyone, any time, any place to gain respect.

So I placed a call to Hill last week and told him Auburn just added a home game against Division I-AA Western Kentucky to complete its 2005 schedule. And before I could ask the question, he gave the answer.

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"We called them," Hill interrupted. "We wanted to play them. I guess their schedule was already filled."

No, it wasn't. Fresno officials called before Auburn added Western Kentucky, and Hill is speaking with a politically correct tone because, well, he'd love a shot at Auburn somewhere down the road. Yeah, good luck with that. Auburn has bigger fish to flop.

Like The Citadel. Or Western Kentucky. Or big, bad Ball State.

This is why Auburn wasn't one of two teams playing in the Orange Bowl national title game last season, why the Tigers were stuck in the Sugar Bowl politicking for respect.

Respect? Play someone with a pulse outside your conference, then we'll talk.

Wait, I take that back. Aubie played USC in the 2002 and '03 seasons and lost by a combined 47-17. The Tigers also played Georgia Tech in 2003 and lost 17-3. Hence, the reason for last year's brutal nonconference slate of Louisiana-Monroe, The Citadel and Louisiana Tech. And the reason the Tigers weren't playing USC in the Orange Bowl.

Look, Auburn shouldn't have to apologize for its schedule; it plays in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football. But like it or not, teams must prove themselves outside of their conferences to earn style points. It's as much a beauty pageant as it is a demolition derby.

Auburn was put in this predicament after Southern Miss bailed out of a game because of conflicts with the new Conference USA schedule. But here's the hitch: Southern Miss informed Auburn last September. University officials knew for five months--through a magical unbeaten season, through the controversy of not being able to play for the national title because of a pathetic nonconference schedule--that they needed a nonconference game for 2005, yet they chose to continue down the same path.

A university spokeswoman says Auburn needs seven home games per season to make budget. Fresno State didn't want a game in return--"We usually play on the road; we know that," Hill says--but Auburn steered clear of a team that is 10-8 against BCS teams since 2000.

Fresno State eventually signed up to play at two-time defending national champ USC--which also will play nonconference games at Hawaii, against Arkansas and at Notre Dame. Notice the lack of cupcake directional schools.

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Change was staring Auburn in the face not so long ago. And the choice was Western Kentucky.

speed read

Tyrone Willingham's biggest problem at Notre Dame was his inability to recruit and sell the program. It's playing out again at Washington. The state's top three players--all top 100 recruits--went to Oregon, Nebraska and California.

INSIDE DISH

New LSU coach Les Miles already has had to rein in super quarterback recruit Ryan Perrilloux. Perrilloux has been boasting about winning the starting job next fall and says LSU's players don't believe in current quarterbacks JaMarcus Russell and Matt Flynn. If Russell--who had elbow surgery last month--is healthy for fall camp, Perrilloux doesn't have a chance to win the job. Russell is a big-time talent, and without the threat of graduated quarterback Marcus Randall hanging over his every mistake, he will flourish in coordinator Jimbo Fisher's scheme. > San Diego State running back Lynell Hamilton is healthy for the first time in 15 months. He broke his ankle at the end of his freshman year, and the Aztecs struggled without him last season. If Hamilton returns to form--he was being compared to former SDSU star running back Marshall Faulk--the Aztecs could make a jump in the watered-down Mountain West Conference. > North Texas won't push RB Patrick Cobbs (5-9, 205) early in spring practice because the staff wants him to gain confidence in the knee he injured last fall. The nation's leading rusher in 2003, Cobbs missed much of last season and watched freshman Jamario Thomas (5-11, 195) win the 2004 rushing title. The staff wants to find ways to play both at the same time, though neither has the size to play fullback. > Don't be sold on Southern California making it a cakewalk to the Rose Bowl, the national title game this season. The Trojans lost their offensive coordinator (Norm Chow), quarterbacks coach (Carl Smith) and defensive line coach (Ed Orgeron). And what were USC's strengths the past two seasons? The passing game and the defensive front.

2005 Ad

Sporting News, The, March 4, 2005 by Matt Hayes

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