The Auburn Observer

Friend of the program Dan Peck makes his return to the Observer podcast to fill in for Painter and recap Auburn’s 42-16 win over Mercer.

The guys discuss the nights for both T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford, look at the overall performance of the multi-pronged rushing attack and the new-look offensive line and discuss which position group impressed the most despite not putting up deep numbers in the box score.

They switch over to the defensive side of the football, headlined by Cam Riley’s career night and a great display from the defensive front against an overmatched opponent. The episode ends with a look forward at what all Auburn could correct heading into Week 2 and a look around at the major action in Week 1 of the college slate — including some big results involving SEC teams.

Follow Dan (@DanielAllenPeck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

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Photo Credit: Zach Bland/Auburn Athletics

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Justin and Painter open the show by saluting former Auburn center and all-around good guy Nick Brahms after his medical retirement from football. They then switch over to T.J. Finley’s confirmation as Auburn’s new starting quarterback and his first time in front of the media Monday afternoon.

The bulk of the episode is a position-by-position breakdown of the Tigers’ two-deep depth chart ahead of the season opener against Mercer. Which position groups have improved the most? Which ones are the biggest question marks heading into the fall?

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics

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Justin and Painter open the show by looking at the Week Zero schedule in college football and letting you know which games you should spend your time watching before the main event next week.

Then it’s a rundown of what we’ve learned so far in Auburn’s extended game week preparation for the opener against Mercer, including the latest on the quarterback battle and the offensive line situation.

The guys spend the second half of the show looking at how a certain advanced ratings system views the Tigers heading into the season — and why it’s important to look at Auburn’s schedule in the proper context. Painter further professes his love for Ellis Johnson’s hair.

They make a vow that this will be the last time they run through the same old offseason storylines again, because actual football happens soon. Thank goodness.

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Auburn Athletics

Justin opens the show complaining about turf and potentially irritating Arkansas fans even further with an honest Wikipedia mistake. Painter considers the Mississippi Phenomena once more.

They spend most of the episode talking about the two most intriguing parts of Auburn football’s depth chart heading into an extended week of game prep — the closing stages of a quarterback race led by T.J. Finley and the uncertainty surrounding the center position up front.

The guys also discuss Damari Alston’s recent rise, Keionte Scott’s impressive start, the observations from Auburn’s open Saturday practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium and who might be named team captains later this week.

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

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Photo Credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics

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Justin and Painter get right down to business and discuss what all they learned from Auburn football’s first scrimmage of fall camp. The quarterback performances — and the order they were listed by Bryan Harsin — take the headline spot, which flows into a conversation about development and what the Tigers’ staff needs to prove in the fall.

The guys talk about the standout freshmen from the scrimmage, take a three-level look at where Auburn’s defense stands and points out the areas that could see some movement on the depth chart before Friday’s second scrimmage.

The episode ends with some love for Takeo Spikes and the proud town of Loachapoka, Alabama.

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Auburn Football/Twitter

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Justin and Painter discuss the merits of marching bands, the harmonica, relearning the trombone, the smaller buttons on Rock Band guitar controllers and #TheShirt.

In more pressing matters, the guys recap what they learned from Auburn basketball’s three-game tour in Israel — opening with two blowout victories and closing with a hard-fought loss to the senior national team. Which players stood out the most? How much of this can be carried into the regular season? And why was K.D. Johnson screaming at that basketball?

Then it’s a move over to the first weekend of Auburn football fall camp, including updates on a pair of true freshmen who are making serious waves and a breakdown of what could realistically be expected from a completely retooled passing attack. There’s also a discussion of SEC West schedules and why Mike Leach teams can get weird in Year 3.

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

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Photo Credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe

Wendell Green Jr. and Bruce Pearl via @icyywen on Twitter.

Folks, we’re back. This time it’s forever. Pablo Escobarner and Dave McKinney join the Observer for good. Ohana means family.

The boys talk about all the sports stuff happening right now.

Follow Pablo (@PabloEscoburner), Dave (@DaveCMcKinney) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

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Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover makes his Observer podcast debut to talk about what went down for Auburn football during Big Cat Weekend and what to expect in the near future on the trail.

Christian breaks down the Tigers’ two 2024 commitments — cornerback A’mon Lane and quarterback Adrian Posse — and discusses which 2023 players could be the next to join the fold. What’s going on with Bryan Harsin and his staff’s recruiting strategy? Are the low numbers a reason to panic, or should there still be some optimism among the fan base? Christian answers all these questions and more.

The episode concludes with a look at Auburn basketball’s upcoming tour of Israel, which tips off Tuesday with a matchup against the U-20 national team in Jerusalem. What are the guys wanting to see from the Tigers overseas, and what do they expect from the four newcomers in orange and blue?

Follow Christian (@CClemente247), Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

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Photo Credit: @AmonLane2/Twitter

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Note: Due to the Media Days schedule, we’re unlocking both our premium SECMD recap episode from Friday and our Roster Draft episode from a couple of weeks back, in place of the usual free Monday episode.

Justin and Painter keep you up-to-date with the latest important football transnational news, then dive into what they learned from Auburn’s trip to SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Thursday.

They talk about Bryan Harsin’s bluntness in his time on the main stage and the top-down message he’s sending about his 2022 team. They also discuss the Tigers whose stock rose this summer, led by a new wide receiver, a returning defensive lineman and — somehow — the most talented offensive player on the team.

The episode wraps up with some basketball talk, as Auburn finalizes its plans for the upcoming Israel tour that will be televised on SEC Network and Bruce Pearl promotes a longtime support staff member to a new role.

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

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Photo Credit: Jimmie Mitchell/SEC

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe

Note: This podcast was originally a premium, subscribers-only episode posted on July 14. We’re unlocking this episode, along with the SEC Media Days recap, for all of our free listeners.

For the third offseason in a row, Justin and Painter give their thoughts on the Auburn football roster via a head-to-head snake draft — each coming up with their own first-team offenses and defenses for a hypothetical showdown in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Who got the edge in the early rounds? How did Justin fall victim to Painter’s early strategy? Who is Painter’s new favorite breakout candidate? Which newcomers for a specific position group were completely forgotten by one of the hosts? And who picked Landen King? Listen to find out the answers to all of these important questions.

Follow Justin (@JFergusonAU) and Painter (@paintsharpless) on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn Athletics

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe