What is telling...

[FHeal 4]

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(thanks)

[cole256 17,050]

Whenever I hear "We have nothing to lose" in respect to one of my teams I hunker down because a whuppin' is on the way. Nothing to lose means you've had a lousy season and there's nothing left to play for. The 2014 Auburn Tigers are way, way above the "nothing to lose" category.

The 2014 Auburn Tigers are unfortunately the epitome of nothing left to play for. At some point, we got to stop considering the Iron Bowl as a championship of sorts.

Smh. Everyday you say something more ridiculous than the last statement. Do you believe yourself though?

[mcgufcm 4,096]

For once, cole and I agree completely.

Mikey, I disagree that motivation dictates execution. In fact, there are a number of times a team gets too amped to play a game and their execution suffers. Those two are nearly mutually exclusive.

[AUbritt 611]

For once, cole and I agree completely.

Mikey, I disagree that motivation dictates execution. In fact, there are a number of times a team gets too amped to play a game and their execution suffers. Those two are nearly mutually exclusive.

I agree with Mikey that motivation and execution are connected.

It seems possible to be motivated, yet not to execute, though, as mcgufcm points out.

Maybe the relation is something like this:

Unless the players are motivated, their execution will probably suffer. Good execution can also reinforce motivation (perhaps this captures much of what we mean by 'momentum'). However, too much motivation (being overhyped) can stall execution. But there is no such thing as 'too much execution'. So, insofar as we all want maximal execution, we should hope that the players achieve just the right amount of motivation. I think that's something to which coaches and the players themselves -- through self-motivation and by motivating each other -- have to find.

[AURealist 2,185]

For once, cole and I agree completely.

Mikey, I disagree that motivation dictates execution. In fact, there are a number of times a team gets too amped to play a game and their execution suffers. Those two are nearly mutually exclusive.

I agree with Mikey that motivation and execution are connected.

It seems possible to be motivated, yet not to execute, though, as mcgufcm points out.

Maybe the relation is something like this:

Unless the players are motivated, their execution will probably suffer. Good execution can also reinforce motivation (perhaps this captures much of what we mean by 'momentum'). However, too much motivation (being overhyped) can stall execution. But there is no such thing as 'too much execution'. So, insofar as we all want maximal execution, we should hope that the players achieve just the right amount of motivation. I think that's something to which coaches and the players themselves -- through self-motivation and by motivating each other -- have to find.

Motivation can be complicated. Just as one can be complacent in one's lack of motivation (apathy), one can also be paralyzed by too much motivation (fear of failure). Or one can be highly motivated to have the team succeed, yet just go through the motions because of a lack of faith that one's efforts will make a difference in the ultimate outcome (despair).

Good coaching includes the ability instill and nurture in a player, unit or team, a healthy amount of positive motivation as well as recognizing and remedying negative motivational problems.

Having watched AU's penalties and execution problems this season on defense and then on offense, I've wondered, and others have speculated, about there possibly being some serious player, unit or team motivational problems. Looks like it's possible, but only someone on the inside would really know for certain.

[war eagle6 0]

Indeed^^

[StatTiger 3,188]

You guys really think lack of effort and motivation is to blame for our losses to MSU and A&M? I think that's the most ridiculous commentary I've seen all year.

I'll agree the team seemed flat and uninspired against UGA, but that was a team faced with losing all of its season goals 7 days prior. I don't love it, but I can certainly understand a lack of motivation in that situation. Motivation and drive were not lacking against A&M. Execution was. The defense busted coverages early. The offense spilled the ball on the first play and on the goalline and on the last drive. That wasn't a lack of motivation. That team showed a ton of heart and drive and whatever other cliche you want to use. They clawed back into a game that looked lost. When it didn't pay off, the were flat the next week.

I thought of this the night they lost to TAMU. It was going to be a major challenge for the coaching staff to motivate the team moving forward with their 2 primary goals basically gone after losing to the Aggies.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

You also heard it from the players. At least two players used the "can't let one loss turn into two" phrase. They didn't get over the lost goals. They played with fire in their gut until the end of the A&M game. The first two losses had nothing to do with lack of motivation or drive.

[wareagleguy 1,393]

I agree with some others that our first two losses were not a result of lack of effort or motivation. As I posted on another thread, even the UGA loss I thought the team played hard, but maybe with a more fragile psyche than before. We just were hurt by turnovers, penalties . . . you know the drill. I'm not saying there was some hangover effect, I think there probably was.

I do think the TAM affected us and the proverbial one loss turned in to two losses. Having fallen out of the top four and seemingly losing some of those goals had an effect.

But, the positive is that the coaches are holding those standards up to the team (i.e. competing for and winning championships) and the players have bought into it, believing they are able to do it. I would rather have those expectations then just hoping for winning seasons or a marginal bowl game. High expectations are a two-edged sword though and, when you fall short, it can be hard to get back up and keep fighting.

I think our guys will. The seniors have a chance of doing something special. They still have a shot at finishing the season with 10 wins, which is nothing of which to be ashamed.

So WDE and beat the Tahds!