SZVETITZ COLUMN: Auburn’s stock rising, but who’s buying?

RADIO HOST: We’ll be back in a minute with more from our SEC Championship pregame show from Atlanta, where the Auburn Tigers have made a miraculous run, shocking the college football world to get here.

CUE COMMERCIAL: Hi, this is Auburn University head football coach Gene Chizik. I just want to tell all of you Tiger fans one thing: SLOW DOWN! PLEASE!

It’s not that Chizik isn’t confident enough in his team to have a successful season, it’s just that, well, Chizik isn’t confident enough in his team. Not yet, at least.

As you know, he’s not ready to buy stock in his team. He’s not shelling out a dollar of his $1.9 million contract toward his young, inexperienced Tigers. Even though they are 2-0 and have one of the top offenses in the country.

He’s just not buying. So, you might not want to book those Atlanta hotel rooms just yet.

Don’t believe me? Ask Chizik.

“As I said earlier in the week, we’re not ready to buy stock in Auburn football yet,” Chizik said during his weekly press conference. “It’s just not where we’re at. We’re just so far from that ...”

Sure, about 95 percent of that is coach-speak. Chizik is trying to light a fire under his team, whether it need it or not. He wants his players to believe it’s them against the world. He wants them to believe that they are the only ones who believe they’re any good, and how everyone can’t wait to bring them down.

It’s the underdog mentality, and Chizik is playing the tune perfectly.

But then there’s that 5 percent of the head coach who also has his doubts.

Think about it. His team is well under the full allotment of 85 scholarships. He also has a bunch of freshmen and inexperienced players playing in key roles. And the depth just isn’t there.

Chizik has his doubts. No doubt. Maybe it’s more like 90/10 or 80/20.

Even his players are buying into not buying into Auburn.

At least not yet.

“No, you shouldn’t buy anything into us,” said senior cornerback and resident Auburn mouthpiece Walt McFadden, “until we are in the SEC championship.

“I mean, I wouldn’t spend my money on us. That’s how I feel. But like I said, we’ve got a lot to do. We’ve got a lot to prepare. We’re a good team, but we’re not great yet. So we have to get to that point to be great.

“So once we become a great team, then you ask me that question and maybe you’ll get a little bit more.”

As one reporter said to McFadden after that comment, we’ll take you up on that, Walt.

A chip off the old block. The player speaking like the coach.

And that’s what Chizik wants. He wants his team never to be satisfied.

“You just can’t talk about it,” offensive lineman Mike Berry said. “You’ve got to go out there and prove it. Most definitely.”

And the Tigers will get their chance tonight in the biggest game of Chizik’s young Auburn career to date.

West Virginia is good. Better than La. Tech. Better than Mississippi State. They’ve got talent everywhere and know how to use it.

If both the Bulldogs were tests for the Tigers, then the Mountaineers are a midterm.

It’s time for the Tigers to play a team like this.

And Chizik not only knows it, he can’t wait for it.

“I love it, he said. “I really love this because this is a great challenge for us and a great way to see where we are at. It comes at a great time. We are ready to play this type of game right now.

“I don’t know if we would open with them. I think it is time for us to play a team that is this good and just see where we are Sunday morning. I think it will be a great challenge for us.”

It’s just one more step in the process. Auburn’s schedule works out really well for those game-by-game evaluations.

“Oh, there’s no question about it,” Chizik said. “It’s really just as the way the schedule would unfold, it’s really interesting. It’s a building block every week for a better team or a team that, you know, gives you different issues. ... Which has been great for our team. And I think that after Saturday night we will have another step in the direction of knowing who we are.

“Because again, we are a work in progress, and I’m not sure who we are yet.”

RADIO HOST: That Public Service Announcement was brought to you by Auburn and its head coach, Gene Chizik.
Now, let’s get back to the SEC Championship pregame show. Up next is Walt McFadden ...

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at or 737-2513.