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This is an opinion column.

Alex Golesh was the second choice for Auburn football, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be an incredible hire at the same time.

Al Pacino was the second choice to play Michael Corleone in “The Godfather,” and that worked out pretty well for everybody.

I’m not saying Golesh is the SEC’s new No.1 gangster, but he sounded like a budding mafia boss on Monday during his introductory news conference.

Some of his quotes had me, the hired geek, ready to chew nails and spit bullets for the cause. Listen to this stuff:

— “What you’re going to get from me, from our staff and as we get rolling with our players, is the hardest-working, toughest, grittiest program in the entire

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