BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - All the questions surrounding Auburn didn't change the perennial high expectations.
The writers at Southeastern Conference Media Days picked the Tigers to win the West Division, although coach Tommy Tuberville wasn't especially pleased.
"I was really excited 'til I got up this morning (and saw) you guys picked us to win the West," he said. "Y'all are never right."
Auburn enters 2008 with new coordinators on both sides of the ball. The biggest change comes on offense, as Tuberville brought in Tony Franklin to install his spread offense.
In just a few weeks of practice before the Chick-fil-A Bowl last year, the Tigers managed to pick up enough of the offense to earn a 23-20 victory against Clemson.
"It's hard in this league to consistently pound and pound the ball," Tuberville said. "People were ganging up on us- eight, nine, 10 people in the box.
"I was looking for a way to help this football team score a few more points on the average, help the defense."
Center Jason Bosley enjoys the new offensive outlook.
"I can see a big difference," Bosley said. "It is fast paced now, which is a complete 180-degree turnaround."
There is even more unknown at the quarterback position, where Tuberville admits he has no starter heading into fall two-a-days, although he believes naming a starter is key to the team's identity.
"We will have somebody as our starting quarterback," Tuberville said. "I'm a true believer that your quarterback is the leader of your football team in terms of your locker room, your sideline, not just for your offense, but for your defense and your kicking game."
On the defensive side of the ball, Paul Rhodes will now be calling the shots, although Tuberville does not expect much veering off the path of the typical speedy Tigers defense.
"We won't make a lot of changes," Tuberville said. " I'm going to let [Rhodes] use his imagination in terms of what he thinks will help this football team with the talent that we have. But we still live on speed, putting as many people out there that can run as possible. I look at the defense from inside out, starting with the defensive line. You have to be good on the defensive line in this conference to have an opportunity to get to Atlanta."
Standout defensive end Sen'Derrick Marks will be a part of that key unit and has already seen some differences with Rhodes in place.
"It is a lot different than last year, and there is a lot of intensity. There is more coaching on the field. He will stop practice and come out to the field and coach."
Marks joked will miss one thing from prior seasons, however - seeing UF on Auburn's regular-season schedule.
"That put a good win on our schedule every year," he said.
