re: Auburn's offense from 2008 to 2009

"Chizik seemed to change after the national title. It’s not uncommon for coaches to write books after that kind of season, but his - “All In: What It Takes to Be the Best” - was far more about him than about the team.

On the field in 2011, Chizik began to assert himself more in the game plans, especially on offense, where he wanted Malzahn to slow down the offense to protect the defense. Chizik’s meddling combined with Malzahn’s desire to be a head coach led to Malzahn taking a pay cut to take over at Arkansas State. His 8-3 Red Wolves will play Saturday against Middle Tennessee for the Sun Belt title.

Auburn did manage to win ball-control defensive struggles against South Carolina and Florida last season, which helped reinforce Chizik’s belief that it was time to ditch the spread offense in favor of more of a pro style. After Malzahn left, Chizik completed the switch by hiring Scot Loeffler as offensive coordinator.

How did hiring a coach with one year’s experience as a coordinator, combined with Chizik’s continuing involvement in the offense, work out? Auburn scored 224 points in 12 games this season. During the 2010 regular season, the Tigers scored 499 points."