11/07 at 01:05 AM

If you saw Auburn players checking their wrists during last week’s win over Ole Miss, it wasn’t because they were late for dinner.

They weren’t wondering what time it was or nervous about the game going too long, causing them to miss the start of a Halloween party.

They were just reading.

And remembering.

See, a bunch of Tiger players wrote the word “Shhh ...” on their taped wrists, signifying that they weren’t going to talk, they were
going to shut up and play.

What a concept.

It was Trooper Taylor’s idea (who else?) to keep the Auburn players focused on acting like the team that started the season 5-0, instead of talking like the team that dropped three straight.

“It was just to be quiet and let our actions speak louder than our words,” starting middle linebacker Josh Bynes said. “That’s what we broke it down to, prior to the Ole Miss game. We just break it down to ‘Shhh,’ letting everyone know that we’re not fixing to talk about it, we’re going to go out there and be about it — show our actions on the football field.”

“Shhh” is the new “Do What We Do.”

Hey, whatever works. Because before Saturday, Auburn wasn’t.

With a young and impressionable team, focus is always an issue. Buying into hype and forgetting what got you there in the first place will leave you cold and lonely.

It’ll leave you 5-3, with three consecutive “what the heck just happened?” losses.

“When you think about it, we started out 5-0. I don’t know if it was because we were cocky or arrogant. I don’t know,” Bynes said. “But we were talking about it, but we weren’t being about it.”

So, it was back to the drawing board for the AU coaching staff. Back to basics. Back to a slogan. Back to work.

And it worked.

Shhh ...

Furman’s on its way into Jordan-Hare Stadium today for homecoming. Batten down the hatches. Focus is of the utmost importance when talking about a FCS opponent such as the Paladins.

No, seriously.

This is a Gene Chizik-coached team. Remember?

“I go back to us preparing like we do every week and really putting our blinders on and focusing on the opponent and playing that opponent and us being able to execute on Saturday,” Chizik said. “It doesn’t matter who it is. It doesn’t matter where we are playing.

“We have got to prepare the way we always have and if we do that, we have a chance to win.”

DWWD. Shhh. Working the plan. Day by day. Choppin’ wood.

Whatever.

Auburn’s all about Auburn.

Somewhere in the Tigers’ locker room Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Takin’ Care of Business” is on full blast.

Well, maybe not. But you get the point.

There are three games left in Auburn’s season. Every win is a better bowl game. Every win is more respect. Every win is more important than the previous one. Furman is just the next step up the ladder.

The players are saying playtime is over. Even if the Furman game could be considered recess.

“The thing about it is, it’s not that time anymore,” Bynes said. “It’s late in the season. It’s time to pick things back up and playing our behinds off. And that’s what we did the whole game (Saturday vs. Ole Miss).

“It’s something that we need to get back to going into these final three games of the season.”

If not, there will be plenty for everyone else to talk about.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at or 737-2513.