Last season’s final rankings revealed the strength of the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
Five of six teams from the division finished ranked No. 15 or better, with Auburn sitting on top at the 14-0 mark.
The SEC West also boasts three of the last four national title winners, the other being Florida from the SEC East.
So it’s no doubt that all eyes turned to the podium when last year’s Coach of the Year Award-winner took the stand to address his 2011 squad.
“It’s been an incredible journey for myself, our assistant coaches at Auburn, our players, our fans [and] our Auburn family,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “There’s been a lot of great things that have been happening at Auburn, but I know we’ve all moved