Auburn University beat reporter: Opelika-Auburn (Ala.) News

Mike is excellent people and a great boss who's done yeoman work in Sebring and Opelika.

That's a tough beat for sure. But nowhere near as difficult as dealing with the Nicktator in Tuscaloosa. Expect to be writing some Cheez-it job-in-peril stories soon. It's a definite great opportunity for a hungry young turk to build a rep and learn from one of the better guys in this business.

 

My intrigue level is very, very high

 

Job in peril, 13 months after the school's first national championship in more than 50 years?

 

Yeah, the last guy got four more years after going undefeated.

 

And Terry Bowden only got a half-season more than Tuberville after his undefeated-while-on-probation season.

 

Yes.
• Alabama, thanks to the Nicktator, is building a dynasty. They're amassing four- and five-star prospects like Whitney Houston popped prescription pills, cocaine, booze, no-doze and anything else she could swallow or snort. His program is built to last and win and win and win.
• How much of that championship was Cam Newton, Cam Newton and still more Cam Newton? How much was it the genius (or lack thereof) of Gene Chizik? His coordinators from the championship game are both gone, Ted Roof for UCF and Gus Malzahn for the oh-so-exciting Arkansas State head coaching job. Newton was a once-in-a-lifetime prospect, a real football Jesus, Superman playing in the SEC, etc. etc. etc. His great rookie season in the NFL bore this out and he's not even scratched the surface of what he's capable of. I don't think Cheez-it gets the benefit of the doubt like Bob Stoops, whose last appearance in a national championship game was a bloodbath.

 

Any updates on this gig?

 

I heard they interviewed a guy from Knoxville, Ala.

 

I won't leave you hanging. Well done.

 

This.

 

FYI this job got filled by a buddy of mine from college. He had been covering Northern Illinois the last few years.

 

Congrats to Mr. Wood