Seasons can change in blink of an eye

By Staff
Justin Schuver, Sports Editor
The great thing about college football is that one moment you can go from feeling at the bottom of the barrel to being on top of the world. Just ask fans of the Auburn Tigers.
Just two weeks ago, Auburn was 1-2 and had two losses that were causing reactions ranging from "pull Brandon Cox" to "fire Tommy Tuberville."
Two weeks later, and Auburn is the darling of college football after upsetting Florida for the second straight year. All those Alabama fans who were picking fun at the downtrodden Auburn fan base should be prepared to be ridiculed right back now the Tide have dropped two losses in a row.
After all, two weeks ago Alabama was 3-0 and ranked in the AP and Coaches' Polls and Nick Saban was the savior of Tuscaloosa. The bloom is off that rose a little after two straight losses and now you're even hearing the reaction of "pull John Parker Wilson." (I have yet to hear "fire Nick Saban," but you never know…)
It just goes to show that you can never get too high or too low on your team. It also serves as a reminder of just how quickly a turnaround can come, even when it looks as if things are never going to get better. Fans of the Hartselle Tigers can keep this in mind – yes, the team is 1-4, but there are several winnable games still on the schedule and the playoffs are still there for the taking if the Tigers can take care of business against their remaining region opponents.
Will that turnaround start tomorrow night? Here's my picks.
Brewer Patriots (3-2, 1-2 in Region 8) at Hartselle Tigers (1-4, 1-2): The Tigers faced a gauntlet of tough opponents in the first half of 2007 – three of Hartselle's losses came to teams ranked in the Top 10 in Class 5A. The schedule gets a little easier in the second half, but not by much. It all starts with a game against Brewer, a program that has taken significant strides forward after winning at least three games for the first time since 2000 (the Patriots were 4-6 that year). Hartselle can't afford to take the Patriots lightly, as Brewer's offense has shown the ability to run the ball with great success so far. This one should be a win for Hartselle, but don't be surprised if Brewer competes for at least a while…Tigers 38, Patriots 14.
Priceville Bulldogs (2-3, 1-2 in Region 7) at DAR Patriots (1-4, 0-3): It's early, but right now North Jackson, Madison County and East Limestone appear to be locks for the playoffs with 3-0 region records. That means every game from this point on is pivotal for the Bulldogs if they want to make the postseason for the first time in school history.
Priceville can get off to a good start toward that goal with a win against a DAR program that picked up its first Class 4A win last weekend with a 23-22 victory against 0-5 Douglas…Bulldogs 42, Patriots 10.
Madison Academy Mustangs (3-2, 2-1 in Region 7) at Danville Hawks (0-5, 0-3): It's been another season of heartbreakers for the Hawks' faithful, as Danville has come up just short in its last two games against Vinemont and Priceville. Danville will hope to use a strong homecoming crowd to its advantage this Friday, but Madison Academy's balance on offense will be too tough to overcome…Mustangs 28, Hawks 7.
J.B. Pennington Tigers (3-2, 2-1 in Region 5) at Falkville Blue Devils (3-2, 2-1): There is a logjam in the Region 5 standings, where four teams currently have identical 2-1 records in region play. Two of those teams face off Friday night in Falkville, where the Blue Devils have stated their goal this season is to host a playoff game. They'll need to win games like this in order to accomplish that goal, and the Blue Devils should have just enough to get it done in front of their home fans…Blue Devils 27, Tigers 24.
Houston Cougars (2-2) at Alabama Crimson Tide (3-2): Poor Houston gets the opportunity to face an Alabama team that won't be in a very good mood after two straight close losses. The Cougars have struggled to replace quarterback Kevin Kolb, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. Houston's quarterbacks have combined to throw nine touchdowns but seven interceptions…Crimson Tide 31, Cougars 10.
Vanderbilt Commodores (3-1, 1-1 in SEC) at Auburn Tigers (3-2, 1-1): This is a very interesting game as the Jekyll-and-Hyde Tigers try to prove that last weekend's win at Florida was a sign of a complete turnaround and not simply a fluke. Auburn has played poorly at home so far this season, although that South Florida loss doesn't look quite as bad anymore. Vanderbilt has a strong passing-catching combination with Chris Nickson at quarterback and Earl Bennett at receiver. The Commodores are more than capable of pulling off the upset, but I think Auburn will keep its head straight and continue its winning streak …Tigers 28, Commodores 23.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-5) at UCLA Bruins (4-1): It's my column and I'm going to continue to pick the games of my alma mater no matter how bad its record gets. And it's only going to get worse as Notre Dame falls to 0-6 against a UCLA team that rushes for nearly 200 yards a game – bad news against an Irish defense that ranks 109th in the country against the run…Bruins 35, Fighting Irish 23.