Chizik has Auburn on fast track

<p>At this time a year ago, he was considered a questionable hire, a real reach.</p><p> By the end of the 2009 season, he was being hailed as a great hire, a real catch for Auburn.</p><p> Gene Chizik's journey is further proof that winning changes everything (especially perceptions) in a hurry in the SEC.</p><p> Of course, now that he's won in a hurry (eight victories in his first season), Chizik probably will be expected to take the next step at Auburn in a hurry — win big.</p><p> Chizik was quick to point out to the media (and Auburn fans) at SEC Media Days on Friday that building a championship program is not something that happens in a hurry. It's a process that is going to take time, he said.</p><p> "We want to put a championship team on the football field," he said. "That's been the goal at Auburn long before I got there and will be the goal long after I leave. But the foundation of what we're trying to do is extremely important.</p><p> "We had to come in last year and win the trust and respect of our senior class. We had to recruit a class once we gained that trust and respect of our football team. And we did that.</p><p> "What we did at the end of the day, with eight wins, and an exciting New Year's Day bowl win, we just feel like there were a lot of things laid in place for what we're trying to do down the road."</p><p> Chizik's foundation is off to a strong start.</p><p> The Tigers surprised many with their success last season. They won their first five games and closed the regular season by pushing eventual national champion (and heated rival) Alabama to the brink before falling 26-21. They started 2010 off right with a 38-35 overtime victory over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.</p><p> An Auburn program that appeared way behind Alabama a year ago now appears fairly close.</p><p> Chizik said the next step is to start building consistency this season.</p><p> "We want to be a more consistent team, and we want to, on a consistent basis, play better than we did last year," he said. "Consistency is going to be the name of the game for us being better and really laying the second brick in the foundation of what we're trying to do."</p><p> Helping lay the next brick will be a former Gator — quarterback Cameron Newton, whose legal issue in Gainesville (he was arrested for being in possession of a stolen computer) forced him to leave Florida.</p><p> After leading Blinn Community College in Texas to the junior college national championship last fall, Newton signed with Auburn. He won the Tigers' starting quarterback role in the spring.</p><p> "Cameron is a phenomenal young man," Chizik said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do both on and off the field. You can see Cameron physically when he walks through the door, you know he's very athletic, a very talented young man.</p><p> "It's a good thing that he's had a little bit of experience in this league, just traveling around and being in different stadiums, seeing it, knowing it.</p><p> "The fact he was able to lead his team to a national championship, I think that was big. I think that's all kind of the recipe of getting Cameron ready to play in this league consistently."</p><p> In his brief time at Florida, Newton was a better runner than passer. As a passer, he struggled with consistency and accuracy. He's improved those aspects of his game, Chizik said.</p><p> Now, it's a matter of having him go play and see how he does.</p><p> "There's question marks in terms of what he's going to do and how he is going to function playing in front of 90,000 (fans)," Chizik said. "Obviously, that's the question.</p><p> "But he's done everything we've asked him to do. He's worked at it, a lot on his own. The thing that excites me about him is he wants to be a great football player. He really, really does. He's got to go on the field now and deliver. That's the last piece of the puzzle and the most critical part. We're excited to see what he does."</p><p> If Newton succeeds and the Tigers keep winning games this season, it's another important brick in Chizik's foundation that started forming with 2009's success.</p><p> The idea is to keep building in 2010.</p><p> "This is a long-term plan," he said. "This is a long-term vision.</p><p> "We feel like we have the football team going in the right direction based on last year. That doesn't mean we've arrived, and we know that."</p><p><i>Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or andreur@gvillesun.com.</i></p>