Realistic expectations for our defense 2015..

[AUClassof19 0]

Ive got a lot of faith in the young guys coming in. I believe our defense will be much improved and will play with a very high intensity.

Realistically we should be in the top half of the SEC

[Man on Fire 11]

If the Defense can hold opponents to 25 or less, Auburn wins about 99% of the time. To hell with yardage stats, we need turnovers and a highly ranked scoring defense. Boom installs a defense that has built in checks for situational football, i.e. pattern matching trips formations with 4 over 3 (4defenders vs 3 wrs), where the goal is to match pattern distribution with more defenders than routes run which counters flood concepts. He also has awesome checks in the red zone http://jameslightfootball.com/2015/05/20/red-zone-coverage-banjo-triangle-box-concepts/ There will be automatic checks for nearly everything, including those damn unbalanced heavy sets that LSU, turds and GA ran down our throat last year, and our defense never shifted to equalize strength... That should become a rarity. We may get whooped on some plays, but not because there's 6 blockers on 4 defenders.

Boom can't dress out for games so the kids are going to have to be self motivated, but the teaching will put them in position yo make plays, if they so desire to be great AU will finish top 5 in total defense (SEC). Gonna have to get lucky with injuries, but every other SEC team is in the same boat.

[Dixie1860 27]

If the Defense can hold opponents to 25 or less, Auburn wins about 99% of the time. To hell with yardage stats, we need turnovers and a highly ranked scoring defense. Boom installs a defense that has built in checks for situational football, i.e. pattern matching trips formations with 4 over 3 (4defenders vs 3 wrs), where the goal is to match pattern distribution with more defenders than routes run which counters flood concepts. He also has awesome checks in the red zone http://jameslightfoo...e-box-concepts/ There will be automatic checks for nearly everything, including those damn unbalanced heavy sets that LSU, turds and GA ran down our throat last year, and our defense never shifted to equalize strength... That should become a rarity. We may get whooped on some plays, but not because there's 6 blockers on 4 defenders.

Boom can't dress out for games so the kids are going to have to be self motivated, but the teaching will put them in position yo make plays, if they so desire to be great AU will finish top 5 in total defense (SEC). Gonna have to get lucky with injuries, but every other SEC team is in the same boat.

Good post!

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

If the Defense can hold opponents to 25 or less, Auburn wins about 99% of the time. To hell with yardage stats, we need turnovers and a highly ranked scoring defense. Boom installs a defense that has built in checks for situational football, i.e. pattern matching trips formations with 4 over 3 (4defenders vs 3 wrs), where the goal is to match pattern distribution with more defenders than routes run which counters flood concepts. He also has awesome checks in the red zone http://jameslightfootball.com/2015/05/20/red-zone-coverage-banjo-triangle-box-concepts/ There will be automatic checks for nearly everything, including those damn unbalanced heavy sets that LSU, turds and GA ran down our throat last year, and our defense never shifted to equalize strength... That should become a rarity. We may get whooped on some plays, but not because there's 6 blockers on 4 defenders.

Boom can't dress out for games so the kids are going to have to be self motivated, but the teaching will put them in position yo make plays, if they so desire to be great AU will finish top 5 in total defense (SEC). Gonna have to get lucky with injuries, but every other SEC team is in the same boat.

Really good post

[war eagle6 0]

Indeed, a very true post at that.

[lutzintheredzone 0]

We have to avoid injuries at DT,CB,S and defense will be fine. A pass rush makes secondary alot better by default.

[war eagle6 0]

And having a good dcoordinator makes a huge difference as well

[AUwent 3,748]

Going beyond our defense, I'll label this season a success if we win 10 games--including a bowl game, so I'll take a 9-3 reg. season with a bowl win.

[Man on Fire 11]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

[alexava 6,973]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

are you referring to Roc as most talented since Cadillac?

[Mikey 16,579]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

I carefully craft my posts for broad appeal I appreciate your content as well. WDE

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

I carefully craft my posts for broad appeal :)/> I appreciate your content as well. WDE

Thanks man!

[Barnacle 9,064]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

I carefully craft my posts for broad appeal :)/> I appreciate your content as well. WDE

Thanks man!

[McLoofus 35,182]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

I carefully craft my posts for broad appeal :)/> I appreciate your content as well. WDE

Thanks man!

Get in here, Barnacle, there's plenty of love to go around

[Barnacle 9,064]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

I carefully craft my posts for broad appeal :)/> I appreciate your content as well. WDE

Thanks man!

:kiss3:/>

>:D/>

Get in here, Barnacle, there's plenty of love to go around

Aw, shucks. You mean it?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=h21oVbjRG4GKsQX36YBw&url=http://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D25QyCxVkXwQ&ved=0CCAQyCkwAA&usg=AFQjCNHe_Z5DBBk8VPKHZIF-YhwigRxZxg&sig2=5bYMEEog4jXJ4gPhAj-CiQ

[McLoofus 35,182]

I rarely LOL in real life from reading things on the internet.

[caleb1633 1,418]

Hmmm...9-3 is always a good season in the SEC West, but with a passer as accurate as JJ, and for that matter Sean White, the most talented runner since Carnell (the other 2 backs are real damn talented too), Duke et al. (Ray and Louis can stretch the field, 80 is very underappreciated, and 84 Looks the part of a star in the making), two great athletes at Hback, what should be yet another productive offensive line, and an improved Defensive unit (a guess at this point), I won't be able to hide my disappointment at a 9 win regular season.

Or: No proven QB, no proven RB, an overhauled O-line, one top of the line WR and a defense that has been little better than an embarrassment for three years. So it depends, but I think a lot of improvement will have to be made before 9-3 could be considered under-achieving.

I agree with both of you somehow. I guess it just depends on what time of day I'm asked to offer an opinion. Hmm, now that I think of it, I wasn't really asked to offer one here. But...

...It's hard for me to worry about the offense. We will always be measuring Gus against himself, which means that we could have a "down year" and still be one of the most lethal offenses in the country. Even as our defense completely imploded last year, our offense almost won every game (except for UGA, which is the one asterisk that looms large in my mind).

But this thread is about defense, of which I think we should expect a lot. We are providing a big salary to a big name for results, so we should expect them. And last time I checked, we are still Auburn. We should always expect a respectable defense. Sure, we'll still see a lot of growing pains this season- the occasional blown coverage, missed tackle, etc- but I think it is a 'realistic expectation' that we will be able to isolate this defense's mistakes to individual plays like we could the last half of '13 and the first half of '14 (as opposed to drive after drive of agonizing ineptitude in the earlier and later parts of those seasons, respectively).

TL;DR: Don't expect great this year, but absolutely expect good. Auburn is writing checks big enough to justify at least that.

I probably agree with you on just about every post that you post.

I carefully craft my posts for broad appeal :)/> I appreciate your content as well. WDE

Thanks man!

:kiss3:/>

>:D/>

Get in here, Barnacle, there's plenty of love to go around

Get outta here a-holes! Barnacle is mine!

[war eagle6 0]

Get a room

[bikeriderga 134]

I expect us to be middle of the pack this year with the potential to have a top 3 defense. I know "potential" is a tricky word but the talent is certainly there. We've got playmakers at each level of the defense and solid coaches. I don't buy into the whole "it takes a few years for the players to buy into/learn _____'s scheme." These coaches are paid millions of dollars to come in and make an immediate impact. I fully believe that's possible this year with our defense.

I'd be happy with a top 5 defense and absolutely thrilled with top 3.

If we finish in the top 3 defensively this year, we will be undefeated and in the National Championship game. With this offense, that will be a given.

[AUEngineer2016 407]

I'll be honest, I'm afraid that we're being overhyped this season. Traditionally, we have done well when we have come into the season ranked low and with a chip on our shoulders. When we are ranked high, we usually don't end the season that way. Yes, JJ is a very good QB and has put up good numbers, but we have to remember that those numbers were produced in limited time. Jovon and Roc were both highly ranked when they signed, but neither has seen much/any meaningful playing time for us. We lost 2 of our best OL and we're transitioning to a much different defensive scheme.

Don't get me wrong, I think that we are absolutely a top 25 team right now, maybe even top 15. It just scares me that we are starting the season ranked #3 with a QB, RBs, C, and RG who have never played a full SEC game. And that is just the offense!

[AUbritt 611]

I'll be honest, I'm afraid that we're being overhyped this season. Traditionally, we have done well when we have come into the season ranked low and with a chip on our shoulders. When we are ranked high, we usually don't end the season that way. Yes, JJ is a very good QB and has put up good numbers, but we have to remember that those numbers were produced in limited time. Jovon and Roc were both highly ranked when they signed, but neither has seen much/any meaningful playing time for us. We lost 2 of our best OL and we're transitioning to a much different defensive scheme.

Don't get me wrong, I think that we are absolutely a top 25 team right now, maybe even top 15. It just scares me that we are starting the season ranked #3 with a QB, RBs, C, and RG who have never played a full SEC game. And that is just the offense!

Interesting .... I am starting to feel the opposite: more and more comfortable with the preseason hype. I know the offense has some unproven players; but they have a ton of potential. I think we will get better every week. That's a really good formula for winning.

Moreover, I am in complete agreement with IronMan: the success of the team will depend in large part on the performance of the D. The underlying intuition is that the O will score points, no matter what. So, we need a D that is 'good enough'. Gus brought in Boom to make that happen. With the incoming players, I am beginning to be optimistic that the D will be good enough this season.

I think top 5 in scoring defense in the SEC would be good enough. I also think that's a realistic expectation.

[PatBoCamRob 30]

I have every expectation that- due to improved schemes, better play calling, and a massively more intense coach- Auburn's defense will begin the season as better than adequate; and that by the end of the season they will have gelled and developed swagger, and that they be the source of major embarrassment for dinky-bear and company.