While I have to agree with that whole "$cam" thing negating any relevance you would have ever had for calling out anyone to step up their game, okay, how's this:

In 2009, we had 4 healthy scholarship linebackers. You know the Wade Christopher legacy? That was born because Auburn was so damned thin at linebacker. We had a 2 star true freshman starting at safety, and a twice surgically repaired quarterback leading the offense.

By the way, while we're talking first year success, how did Little Nicky do in his first year at Bama, again?

Last year, we lost 24 seniors and 2 juniors from the 2010 team. There were less than 20 scholarship juniors and seniors on the roster in total. Four seniors were starters at the beginning of the year. Eltoro Freeman started during the second half of the season after Jake Holland got hurt. Seven juniors started.

Translation: Not only do we have 19 returning starters (including the kickers) this year, we will also have at least 17 returning starters next year, 12 of whom will be starting for their third consecutive year. Since I know how much you guys are into recruiting rankings, 35 of those freshmen and sophomores were rated four stars or better.

So, to recap: In spite of being handed a more difficult situation, Chizik won more games in his first season at Auburn than did Nick Saban in his first season at Alabama. Then he won a national championship, and say what you will about Cam being the reason for it, but Chizik was responsible for recruiting him. Play "Take the Money and Run" over your loudspeakers all you want, but remember that the same NCAA that has put Auburn's football team on probation more than any other team in history (a fact which you guys used to love reminding us of) issued its first ever clean bill of health after an 18 month investigation. Something tells me it didn't take them nearly that long to find out about the textbook situation or that fishing trip with a booster, beer, and babes who were bought.

Then, while working with a team made up of approximately 80% underclassmen, Chizik won 8 games, and the five losses came to teams ranked in the pre-bowl top 20.

To bring everything full circle, the recruiting class Auburn is putting together this year already has three five star players in its defensive front seven.

He's also matching Saban blow for blow: Saban wanted to prove that he could get anyone he wanted, so he went into Auburn's back yard (Opelika) to sign Corey Grant, never intending to use him as a running back, rather planning to convert him to a DB and if he works out, great, if not, USA is only a phone call away. Aside from the fact that Corey saw through the facade and decided he'd rather sit for a year while paying his own way than to stick around at the Crapstone, Chizik countered, going into UAT's back yard (Muscle Shoals) and pulling a blue chip talent (you'll have to forgive our coach if he actually intends to make good, and proper, use of the kid).

Last year, Saban wanted to go for the knockout blow, so he orchestrated a flip of Auburn's top rated prospect, and Yeldon changed his commitment the day before the quiet period so that there would be no recourse. This year, Chizik answered by flipping Alabama's top rated prospect, and while Foster changed his commitment in July rather than December, he promptly went out and got a large AU tattoo, fairly well closing the door on the thought of him going elsewhere.

Oh, one more thing: Gene Chizik has been head coach of a BCS conference school for 5 years now. His records have been 3-9, 2-10, 8-5, 14-0, and 8-5. In Nick Saban's first five years as head coach of a BCS conference school, his records were: 6-5-1, 6-6, 7-5, 6-6, and 9-2. So even with the abysmal records at perennial doormat Iowa State, comparing the two records of the coaches within the same time frame of their respective coaching careers yields that Chizik has one more win, one more conference championship, one more national championship, and two more seasons of greater than seven wins.

You're right though. We don't have any reason WHATSOEVER to think that maybe, just maybe, Chizik is actually the right guy, or that Auburn is going to be more than the 8 win team that you morons swear we will be as long as Chizik is in charge. What am I thinking?

This post was edited on 7/14/12 at 8:16 am