Auburn and Hype

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I have no doubt our defense will get stronger and meaner now that coach Muschamp, TRob are back home and Lance comes over to the good side.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Good grief. Some of our fans are just never going to be happy. First they bitch and complain that nobody talks about us when it comes to contending for championships, then when a group or two actually do, they bitch about that too. This whole notion of us doing better as an underdog is just defeatist thinking, IMO. I'm definitely glad the players and coaches don't think that way. I wish for once our fans would embrace the hype (when we actually get it), expect to win, and expect to compete for championships EVERY YEAR.

What you have to understand, WT, is that the team's success every year hinges on our distant perception of whether or not the players are cocky.

huh? what kind of ridiculous idea is that? Our perception of the players has ZERO to do with the success of the program. That's just ridiculous.

That was one of the most obvious- and well-executed- examples of sarcasm I've ever seen on this site.

[Supernova88 0]

We relalstic. We are always going to be better as the underdog. Always have always will be. we always struggle with the hype. But it beats being the other guys every day of the week.

WDE!

[corchjay 5,311]

Why do we keep bickering back and forth about every topic on the board lately. Geez. People can have their own opinions and I have mine...

About the hype, I'm not one that relishes the underdog or the favorite. All I know is that of our last 8 games last season we went 3-5. We beat a very poor USCe team that but up a battle until the end against us at our house. We beat a decent Ole Miss team and there was a freak play turnover in the endzone that we benefited from. We beat a FCS Samford team.

In the 5 losses we were outscored 202 - 143.

For me I don't know where the hype is coming from. Any other team you look at replacing their QB, RB, 2nd WR, TE, C, and many members on the DL plus a Corner you'd say they are likely not to have a great season. Granted we've recruited well and hope some guys have gained some experience. That's my hope!

As always, War Eagle!!

[cooltigger21 0]

Why do we keep bickering back and forth about every topic on the board lately. Geez. People can have their own opinions and I have mine...

About the hype, I'm not one that relishes the underdog or the favorite. All I know is that of our last 8 games last season we went 3-5. We beat a very poor USCe team that but up a battle until the end against us at our house. We beat a decent Ole Miss team and there was a freak play turnover in the endzone that we benefited from. We beat a FCS Samford team.

In the 5 losses we were outscored 202 - 143.

For me I don't know where the hype is coming from. Any other team you look at replacing their QB, RB, 2nd WR, TE, C, and many members on the DL plus a Corner you'd say they are likely not to have a great season. Granted we've recruited well and hope some guys have gained some experience. That's my hope!

As always, War Eagle!!

It's largely based off of Gus and his offense combined with boom coaching defense. That's the sense I get for the hype and optimistic outlook.

[Tiger 8,823]

Does anybody think Ohio State or Oregon or FSU or any perennially successful program wishes the media would stop giving then hype? Media hype burns into recruits minds and helps tremendously in getting top level players. If we want to be playoff contenders each year pre-season hype should be welcomed. We have been to 2 championship games in the last 5 years, the level of expectation for the program should be risen.

However, I do agree that this team lost a ton of production from last year at key positions, and if the team fails to hit 11 wins it will be because of that and not because of anything the media said.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Does anybody think Ohio State or Oregon or FSU or any perennially successful program wishes the media would stop giving then hype? Media hype burns into recruits minds and helps tremendously in getting top level players. If we want to be playoff contenders each year pre-season hype should be welcomed. We have been to 2 championship games in the last 5 years, the level of expectation for the program should be risen.

However, I do agree that this team lost a ton of production from last year at key positions, and if the team fails to hit 11 wins it will be because of that and not because of anything the media said.

*applause*

[AUIH1 1,515]

Hype means nothing in terms of rankings. Criticism means nothing in term of rankings. The only thing that counts are wins and losses (while also staying clean off of the field). Winning generates hype.

wde

[DKW 86 7,419]

If Muschamp can field just a semi good defense then we will live up to being a good team. Unreal how the defense got worse last year. Hoping coaching change will result in dramatic improvement there.

I think we got stump broke (yes i mean stump broke) in the loss the TAMU.

We had the better team. We had the better coach.

We had everything going our way and we got mudholed by a first time starting Freshman qb.

I really think the D never recovered their collective manhood after that game. Maybe we had injuries that were hushed up, but we were never even close to being a D team after that.

Man, i could not watch our D. I literally could not keep the TV turned on when we were on D. We played like we were some bad video game defense we were so bad.

[ReidMcLain 75]

If Muschamp can field just a semi good defense then we will live up to being a good team. Unreal how the defense got worse last year. Hoping coaching change will result in dramatic improvement there.

I think we got stump broke (yes i mean stump broke) in the loss the TAMU.

We had the better team. We had the better coach.

We had everything going our way and we got mudholed by a first time starting Freshman qb.

I really think the D never recovered their collective manhood after that game. Maybe we had injuries that were hushed up, but we were never even close to being a D team after that.

Man, i could not watch our D. I literally could not keep the TV turned on when we were on D. We played like we were some bad video game defense we were so bad.

Spot on. I'm sure a lot of Auburn fans would like to forget that game ever happened. Because we were #3 in nation and that was a huge upset. I don't think Georgia was a better team than us, and certainly not 27 points better, but we were a deflated team, after that TAMU loss.

[AUIH1 1,515]

If Muschamp can field just a semi good defense then we will live up to being a good team. Unreal how the defense got worse last year. Hoping coaching change will result in dramatic improvement there.

I think we got stump broke (yes i mean stump broke) in the loss the TAMU.

We had the better team. We had the better coach.

We had everything going our way and we got mudholed by a first time starting Freshman qb.

I really think the D never recovered their collective manhood after that game. Maybe we had injuries that were hushed up, but we were never even close to being a D team after that.

Man, i could not watch our D. I literally could not keep the TV turned on when we were on D. We played like we were some bad video game defense we were so bad.

Spot on. I'm sure a lot of Auburn fans would like to forget that game ever happened. Because we were #3 in nation and that was a huge upset. I don't think Georgia was a better team than us, and certainly not 27 points better, but we were a deflated team, after that TAMU loss.

To me, making excuses for getting our @$$es kicked by our number 2 rival is ridiculous. There is NO excuse for not being motivated to play or prepared to play against uga. Had the team been properly prepared, they would have used the TAMU game as motivation instead of feeling sorry for themselves. Heck, South Carolina showed how bad our D was, not TAMU.

To the team's and coaching staff's credit, they did put on big boy pants against spuat and at least play with heart and give effort.

wde

[douggwilliams 61]

If Muschamp can field just a semi good defense then we will live up to being a good team. Unreal how the defense got worse last year. Hoping coaching change will result in dramatic improvement there.

I think we got stump broke (yes i mean stump broke) in the loss the TAMU.

We had the better team. We had the better coach.

We had everything going our way and we got mudholed by a first time starting Freshman qb.

I really think the D never recovered their collective manhood after that game. Maybe we had injuries that were hushed up, but we were never even close to being a D team after that.

Man, i could not watch our D. I literally could not keep the TV turned on when we were on D. We played like we were some bad video game defense we were so bad.

Spot on. I'm sure a lot of Auburn fans would like to forget that game ever happened. Because we were #3 in nation and that was a huge upset. I don't think Georgia was a better team than us, and certainly not 27 points better, but we were a deflated team, after that TAMU loss.

To me, making excuses for getting our @$$es kicked by our number 2 rival is ridiculous. There is NO excuse for not being motivated to play or prepared to play against uga. Had the team been properly prepared, they would have used the TAMU game as motivation instead of feeling sorry for themselves. Heck, South Carolina showed how bad our D was, not TAMU.

To the team's and coaching staff's credit, they did put on big boy pants against spuat and at least play with heart and give effort.

wde

Well the O did. The D was a no show, we had to intercept to keep it from being a blowout as they scored 55 pts. I consider it one of the worst performances from the D and the D coaching staff.

[bikeriderga 134]

I think the pre-season hype is warranted myself. We are one talented group and now that we have a proven defensive coaching staff to go with our outstanding offensive one, I see no reason to expect less than contending for the SEC championship at all.

The talent is here, the coaching is here, we are not starting with an unknown QB, and the backfield and receivers are as talented as ever. I have to ask the question what's not to like?

DEs -- Check all five stars.

LB - Cass and Frost are back. Plus another little 5 star in the rotation.

DT- Adams, 5 star beast with two years experience.

DBs -- Will be better with better coaching and better pass rush off the edges.

Safety - Matthews, a beast and starting SEC experience.

QB -Johnson has proven he can play and is deadly accurate in SEC and non SEC games.

WR - Duke Williams and Ricardo Louis

RBs -- Who would not love the # 1 JUCO player and two bona fide 5 stars in at least one recruiting service?

Line -- Same group minus Dismukes. Center is a huge position, but Golson will be here with starting SEC experience.

So what's not to like?

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

With very few exceptions, IMO the only thing that stops a Gus Malzahn offense is itself. That fact alone is a good basis for hyping his teams every year. The possibility of our D sucking less is just icing on the cake.