Top running back in Alabama turns his back to Auburn...
What does this mean for the two programs?
Let's suppose your name is Gene Chizik. Yesterday, the top running back in the State of Alabama, perhaps the nation, was an AU commitment. That was big for a lot of reasons. First, he is a great player. Second, you beat your In State Rival to get him. Lastly, your First Team All-SEC running back has gone rogue and may never play another down for the Tigers. On top of all the above you literally gave up heaven and earth to try to convince Yeldon to stay. Reports from some suggest that the running back was informed about every offensive coordinator Auburn was going to interview. None of that mattered to T.J. Yeldon in the long run. The gifted running back wanted to play for Alabama and Nick Saban because he knew his future career in the NFL would be greatly enhanced by doing so.
BITTER PILL FOR THE TIGERS TO SWALLOW...
What a bitter pill to swallow for the Tigers. To Tide fans it only reinforced what they have believed forever - Auburn is a program not on the same level when compared to Alabama. I think it is only fair to say that most teams can't compare with Alabama. Think about this - The Auburn Tigers centered their entire recruiting class on getting Yeldon on board, only to find out that the young man made an informed decision about what was best for his career. It wasn't Auburn. It wasn't the Tigers even though Yeldon knew that Michael Dyer by many reports is finished at Auburn. The tough Tiger running back is suspended for the Chicken Sandwich Bowl game. Dyer is looking to transfer according to some people who claim to be in the know. Yeldon could have started on a team one year removed from winning a national championship. He could have been the center of the spread offense. He could have been the man. Instead, he decided that he needed the best coaching and the best program in the nation to hone his skills.
AUBURN COULD OFFER A LOT TO YELDON BUT NOT THAT ON BIG THING...
Most observers believe that Trent Richardson is leaving for the NFL. But that is not cast in stone. Yeldon also knows that Eddie Lacey isn't chopped liver and he will be back at Alabama. Despite all those things the five star high school All-American said no to Auburn. It probably isn't a good day to talk with your friends who are Auburn fans. They are still stinging from the slap in the face that Yeldon delivered today. The flip wasn't just the losing a great player. It was losing him to Alabama when you could promise the world to the player and it wasn't enough. When Bama lost Thomas to Georgia Tech he did so because he wanted to play quarterback. The Tide fans hated to see him go but wished him well and most understood why. Besides, at Alabama you can always find a comparable wide receiver or DB to take up for the loss.The Tigers can't do that. Tiger fans can shout "War Damn Eagle" til they are orange and blue in the face but Yeldon's commitment to Alabama just reinforced that gnawing feeling of inferiority that many on the Plains feel.
DARK DAY ON THE PLAINS...
Well, if you are an Auburn fan you better take a deep breathe because by all reports this season's recruiting class might be the best in Tide history. Auburn might also have their best recruiting class ever as well. The truth is that Bama's best and Auburn's best are vastly different. Despite Auburn closing the gap over the last 20 years or so it is a gap so wide the Tigers can never catch up. I'm not saying that AU doesn't have a good program or even a great program. Auburn's program compared to a lot of NCAA schools is great. Here's the truth - Alabama plays at a level that only a few program such as Texas, Southern California, Michigan, and Ohio State have attained. These programs have reached that rarefied air by decades of excellence. It isn't big news when those progams compete for national titles. It is big news when they don't.
So if you live in Alabama that old saying "the more things change the more they stay the same" is obviously true. There are those who do and those who want to do. Most objective people in this State understand that. I understand that. More importantly, TJ Yeldon understood that.
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What does this mean for the two programs?
BITTER PILL FOR THE TIGERS TO SWALLOW...
What a bitter pill to swallow for the Tigers. To Tide fans it only reinforced what they have believed forever - Auburn is a program not on the same level when compared to Alabama. I think it is only fair to say that most teams can't compare with Alabama. Think about this - The Auburn Tigers centered their entire recruiting class on getting Yeldon on board, only to find out that the young man made an informed decision about what was best for his career. It wasn't Auburn. It wasn't the Tigers even though Yeldon knew that Michael Dyer by many reports is finished at Auburn. The tough Tiger running back is suspended for the Chicken Sandwich Bowl game. Dyer is looking to transfer according to some people who claim to be in the know. Yeldon could have started on a team one year removed from winning a national championship. He could have been the center of the spread offense. He could have been the man. Instead, he decided that he needed the best coaching and the best program in the nation to hone his skills.
AUBURN COULD OFFER A LOT TO YELDON BUT NOT THAT ON BIG THING...
Most observers believe that Trent Richardson is leaving for the NFL. But that is not cast in stone. Yeldon also knows that Eddie Lacey isn't chopped liver and he will be back at Alabama. Despite all those things the five star high school All-American said no to Auburn. It probably isn't a good day to talk with your friends who are Auburn fans. They are still stinging from the slap in the face that Yeldon delivered today. The flip wasn't just the losing a great player. It was losing him to Alabama when you could promise the world to the player and it wasn't enough. When Bama lost Thomas to Georgia Tech he did so because he wanted to play quarterback. The Tide fans hated to see him go but wished him well and most understood why. Besides, at Alabama you can always find a comparable wide receiver or DB to take up for the loss.The Tigers can't do that. Tiger fans can shout "War Damn Eagle" til they are orange and blue in the face but Yeldon's commitment to Alabama just reinforced that gnawing feeling of inferiority that many on the Plains feel.
DARK DAY ON THE PLAINS...
Well, if you are an Auburn fan you better take a deep breathe because by all reports this season's recruiting class might be the best in Tide history. Auburn might also have their best recruiting class ever as well. The truth is that Bama's best and Auburn's best are vastly different. Despite Auburn closing the gap over the last 20 years or so it is a gap so wide the Tigers can never catch up. I'm not saying that AU doesn't have a good program or even a great program. Auburn's program compared to a lot of NCAA schools is great. Here's the truth - Alabama plays at a level that only a few program such as Texas, Southern California, Michigan, and Ohio State have attained. These programs have reached that rarefied air by decades of excellence. It isn't big news when those progams compete for national titles. It is big news when they don't.
So if you live in Alabama that old saying "the more things change the more they stay the same" is obviously true. There are those who do and those who want to do. Most objective people in this State understand that. I understand that. More importantly, TJ Yeldon understood that.
BACK TO TIDERINSIDER
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