AUBURN TIGER FOOTBALL - Your complete source for information, articles, and top links covering Auburn Football

How about our Auburn Tigers ! Auburn Source plans to bring you all the information on Auburn Tiger Football and Auburn University Athletics throughout the year. War Eagle

The 10th ranked Auburn Tigers are headed to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas Texas to face off against the Big 12 runner-up Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-3) on New Year's Day on Fox. It is an early kickoff - the first of the day set at 10:35 CST. Auburn received the bid after beating up on their cross-state rival Alabama for the 5th time in a row. Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox and his offensive linemen posed at midfield, flashing five fingers while a photographer clicked away.

Auburn practiced for just longer than 90 minutes on Thursday and finalized the game plan for Nebraska.

After working out in Southern Methodist's Ford Stadium on artificial turf on Wednesday, the Tigers practiced on grass Thursday.

"It looks like we're going to get a little rain tomorrow, so we went on grass today and got off the turf, the artificial grass, to get our speed down a little bit," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said.

The Tigers will work out again today in shells ­ shoulder pads and helmets. Rain is forecast for today, which could impact Auburn's final full practice.

"We've got the game plan in. Now we just have to brush up on it the next couple of days," Tuberville said.

Tiger guard Tim Duckworth missed practice with a virus, Tuberville said. He became sick during Wednesday's practice, but Tuberville said he expects him back today.

Tuberville said he anticipates holding a scrimmage for redshirt players on Saturday.

Having fun

Auburn players were on their own Wednesday night while coaches attended a western theme party at Gilley's, a honky tonk made famous by the movie "Urban Cowboy." The real Gilley's was located just outside of Houston, TX in Pasadena but Dallas has their own now.

Many of Auburn's coaches rode the bull, with Eddie Gran staying on the longest and Terry Price being thrown the quickest.

Auburn safety Aairon Savage said the players went to Main Event, an arcade with a bowling alley and pool tables. Savage said he spent most of his time bowling. Defensive end Quentin Groves said he took his wife shopping. The Tigers participated in Lawry's Beef Bowl in the late afternoon, then took in a Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns basketball game Thursday night. They will visit a children's hospital today.

Making progress

Auburn tight end Cole Bennett said it's been a confidence booster to go out and practice this week.

Bennett has been out since the LSU game with a broken right ankle. He'll apply for a medical redshirt and come back in 2007.

"Just being able to practice definitely builds the ankle strength and gets my leg back," Bennett said. "They're letting me do more and more stuff. I'm doing individual, some skelly (7-on-7 drills) and may do some more contact."

Building his endurance again has been one of the areas of concentration for Bennett.

"I'm just getting used to running and cutting and all that stuff," Bennett said.

Bowl Prediction: Auburn 24 vs. Nebraska 17 - Cotton Bowl - Jan 1, 2007

WAR EAGLE!

Picture below taken the day after Shula was fired - the newly renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium