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Auburn opens brutal 6-game stretch vs No. 15 LSU

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — The Auburn Tigers are gearing up for a brutal stretch that could either bury their hopes of repeating as Southeastern Conference champions or establish them firmly as national title contenders again.

The fifth-ranked Tigers start the parade of games that includes five opponents ranked in the Top 15 with No. 15 LSU on Saturday. It’s just Round 1 of survive and advance time that follows a 45-17 win over Louisiana Tech.

Receiver Quan Bray is confident Auburn can handle it and cites the “13 seconds better” mantra after losing to Florida State in last season’s BCS title game on a touchdown with that amount of time remaining.

“It’s not going to be hard for us to win the SEC championship,” Bray said. “We’re the defending SEC champions, and we’re going to try to defend that. And we’re going to try to move on and be 13 seconds better.

“We’re going to earn it. We put in the grind for that, so we’re definitely going to come out and play ball. They’re going to have to take it from us.”

The list of contenders is long in the SEC West, where six teams are ranked. Auburn’s six-game stretch also includes East Division teams South Carolina, which just fell from the rankings, and No. 13 Georgia. Making the situation tougher is the uncertainty of three starters who were hurt against Louisiana Tech: Right tackle Patrick Miller and linebackers Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy.

Offensively, Auburn (4-0, 1-0 SEC) has struggled the past two games with consistency and converting third downs, something that had been a strength. Coach Gus Malzahn said the perfect record is the most meaningful statistic but knows that “we’re fixing to enter the grind.”

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Malzahn said. “We’ve got to keep improving. We did that last year. That’s hard to do. Very few teams can do that, and that’s our challenge.”

LSU (4-1, 0-1) is coming off a 63-7 win over New Mexico State and represents Auburn’s toughest challenge yet. If injuries are Auburn’s big question mark coming into this game, LSU’s centers on the quarterback situation.

Sophomore starter Anthony Jennings had two completions for 11 yards in five attempts Saturday night, while throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. Freshman Brandon Harris’ seven drives all culminated in touchdowns. He was 11-of-14 passing for 178 yards and three touchdowns.

“I’m not looking past his performance at all,” Miles said. “Seven straight scoring drives and he did the things we ask him to do. No turnovers and operated the offense effectively. We enjoyed that very much.”

Less enjoyable for Miles and Jennings were the boos and chants of “We Want Harris” cascading from the student section.

Miles didn’t indicate who would start against Auburn. He said he’ll talk to Jennings about the situation this week but that it’s no secret the quarterback position “is a lightning rod for college America and certainly all of the NFL America.”

LSU plans to continue practicing first-team defense versus first-team offense as it did last week following a loss to No. 12 Mississippi State.

“We will practice very much like we practiced this week,” Miles said. “We will pipe in some noise and get a game plan ready for those guys (Auburn). It is going to be a lot of fun to prepare for a quality opponent at their house.”

Auburn players insist they’ve been taking the “one game at a time” mentality and not dwelling on the upcoming stretch. Auburn follows this game with road trips to Mississippi State, No. 11 Mississippi and Georgia along with home games against South Carolina and No. 6 Texas A&M.

And that doesn’t even count the regular-season finale with No. 3 Alabama.

“It’s time to step it up,” Auburn cornerback Jonathon Mincy said. “This is what we came to Auburn to do.”

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.

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Follow John Zenor on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jzenor

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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