Auburn defenders respectful of Tide WR

AUBURN — Members of Auburn’s secondary would be lying if they said they didn’t know what to expect from Alabama’s Julio Jones.

He was only one of the most highly touted recruits of the 21st century.

But those same members of the secondary aren’t ready to anoint the freshman wide receiver as the toughest matchup to date. That’s tough to do just two weeks removed from trying to shut down Georgia’s Mohamed Massaquoi and A.J. Green.

“Whoo man. I really don’t know,” cornerback Walter McFadden said. “A.J. Green, he’s a great receiver. I think he has quickness over Julio, but I can’t say right now because I haven’t went against him. He could be just as quick as A.J. Green when it comes to Saturday.”

All the Tigers have on Jones is a year’s worth of tape, but it’s plenty enough to know that Jones will be a difficult matchup, no matter who is guarding him or how many Tigers are running with him step for step.

Jones, at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, is significantly taller and bigger than McFadden and cornerback Jerraud Powers. He’s even bigger than both safety Mike McNeil and strong safety Zac Etheridge.

“He’s physical. He’s going to fight with you the whole game,” Powers said. “He’s going to push off. He’s going to get physical with you, so you’ve got to match that physicalness with him, and if not, he’s going to win every play.

“Other than that, he’s just a big-play receiver.”

Jones leads all Crimson Tide receivers with 43 catches for 687 yards and four touchdowns. He’s given fifth-year senior quarterback John Parker Wilson a target that hasn’t been seen in Tuscaloosa for years.

“He creates separation and makes big catches,” defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said. “He’s a hand catcher. He catches the ball away from his body and thus away from the defensive player.”

BC-Mess? Depends who you talk to: If there’s anyone with a legitimate right to throw dirt on the current BCS system, it’s Tommy Tuberville.

But Tuberville, who seems to get reminded about his undefeated 2004 season that didn’t even get the Tigers invited to the BCS Championship on a weekly basis, has consistently held back on slamming the system.

“Someone is going to get left out as they always do,” Tuberville said Monday. “Sooner or later, we’re going to figure this thing out, but for now, this is the only opportunity that we have to get No. 1 and 2 to play at the end of the year.”

At 5-6 and needing a win just to eligible for a bowl such as the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., Tuberville said he’s finding humor in this year’s potential

BCS controversy and the teams’ respective coaches stumping for their team.

“It’s always interesting to hear things for the last few weeks and to hear different people complaining about when they get their foot into the ring,” Tuberville said. “It feels like they might have a chance to get in, but it might look like they get left out.”

Study buddies: Offensive play-caller Steve Ensminger and quarterback Kodi Burns each said they took advantage of their extra week of Iron Bowl preparation by watching every single Alabama game from this season.

Ensminger said he even watched a good amount from previous seasons to pick up tendencies of the Alabama secondary.

“It’s a chess match,” Burns said. “I think the more film I watch, the better prepared I’ll be for what they have.”