Those on the plains want to remember the 2004 season, where Gene Chizik was Tommy Tuberville's defensive coordinator on the unbeaten team that went 13-0. Chizik went on to run the Texas defense and guide it to an unbeaten 2005 season. He eventually went to Iowa State, where he was head coach of the Cyclones the last two seasons, ending up with a 5-19 record and 10 straight losses. Perhaps it was a surprising hire, especially given that Tuberville, despite winning or sharing five SEC West crowns in 10 years, resigned under immense pressure after a loss to Alabama (his first after six straight wins). Chizik brought in offensive guru Gus Malzahn from Tulsa and plucked Ted Roof from Minnesota, where he dropped the Gophers' ppg from 36.7 to 24.8 in his one season in Minneapolis.

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The Tiger offense averaged a shade of 300 yards per game and only 17 ppg, but no clear answer in spring came about who the QB will be once the season starts. Wideout was also unsettled, though the O-line should be bigger and RB Ben Tate appears ready to shoulder the running load. The Aubbie defense should once again (17 ppg last four seasons) be stingy. Up front, last season's young bunch allowed 4.1 ypc, the highest since 1995! Three starters return and there figures to be a marked improvement. All four starters return in the secondary, as well as two of the three linebackers.

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