Auburn coach Gene Chizik said anybody who doubts Fairley should be a candidate for national honors like the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy just needs to watch last weekend’s LSU game. "I don’t think there’s any way you can say he isn’t," Chizik said. "Anybody that watched the game would have a hard time denying the fact that he’s one of the best defensive linemen in the country. Does he play like that every play? I don’t know about that. But I know that he makes an impact on a lot of games. And he has been doing that consistently all year. It is what it is. The facts are the facts."
Fairley had 2 1/2 sacks, one body slam and one quarterback casualty in Auburn’s 24-17 victory against previously unbeaten LSU. Overshadowed by other SEC defensive linemen like LSU’s Drake Nevis and Alabama’s Marcell Dareus before the season, the 6-foot-5, 298-pound Fairley has been the league’s most productive tackle statistically. His 7 1/2 sacks trails only Georgia linebacker Justin Houston in the SEC (9.0). Fairley is first in the league and third nationally with 17 tackles for loss, one of only three defensive tackles ranked among the top 14. "He’s at the top in my book because he’s athletic,” said Mississippi’s Houston Nutt, whose Rebels host the Tigers on Saturday. "He’s not just a plugger. There’s been a lot of great linemen who can fill up gaps and let your linebacker make the play. But this guy is different. He’s very quick and athletic. He has receiver moves, he can give you a head and shoulder fake." "I know he played basketball somewhere down the line because he’s nimble and quick. He’s always disruptive in every ballgame."
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