Please read and help me understand...

[AubTiger14 0]

I understand we started off #6 in the country with a Heisman trophy contender and we were picked to win the SEC, so being 2-2 right now is a huge disappointment. I agree the offensive play calling has been questionable at times. The OL has struggled to protect the passer, and a few skill guys are falling short of expectations. The defense had a lot longer way to go than we thought under Muschamp.

What I don't understand is all the negativity I'm still hearing after Saturday. Can someone please enlighten me?

1. The defense started a bunch of young guys and we gave the best defensive effort we've given all year. (positive)

2. The run game showed some signs of life and consistently picked up chunks in the second half. (positive)

3. Sean White showed he is the future. I don't understand why everyone is questioning him or acting unimpressed. Heaven forbid the guy tries to make a play on his first drive as a college QB and throws a pick. Some people are saying he didn't look much better than JJ, they are unimpressed with his arm, and his ceiling isn't that high. Sean didn't put the ball in jeopardy after that 1 INT. Sean didn't look scared to get hit or unsure of where to go with the ball. Sean looked confident and in control. As far as his arm strength....I'm pretty sure his high school coach said it was well above average, and he can throw the ball 80 yards (correct me if I'm wrong). I'm also pretty sure his arm strength was good enough to win Elite 11 MVP and Under Armour All American Game MVP. Last time I checked Drew Brees never had an elite arm and his career has gone pretty well. Let's see how the guy does before we pick him apart. I know I'm a lot more excited to watch the rest of the season with him as our QB than I would be with JJ.

So considering how we looked in Baton Rogue, I feel better about this team even with the loss. I think we have a chance to use San Jose St. as a game to build some confidence, work on developing White and finding a rhythm offensively with him as our QB, get the young guys on defense some more experience, and most importantly get a W. Then we have a bye week before heading into Lexington. No we aren't going to make the playoff, and we probably don't run the table from here on out. But, I think that come November we can be a team that Ole Miss, A&M, Georgia, and Alabama do not want to play, and i thinking beating 1 or maybe even 2 of them is not an unrealistic goal.

[Stuntman 0]

I agree.

[bigbird 60,367]

we lost and many can not deal with that.

[ECHSfan 0]

I understand we started off #6 in the country with a Heisman trophy contender and we were picked to win the SEC, so being 2-2 right now is a huge disappointment. I agree the offensive play calling has been questionable at times. The OL has struggled to protect the passer, and a few skill guys are falling short of expectations. The defense had a lot longer way to go than we thought under Muschamp.

What I don't understand is all the negativity I'm still hearing after Saturday. Can someone please enlighten me?

1. The defense started a bunch of young guys and we gave the best defensive effort we've given all year. (positive)

2. The run game showed some signs of life and consistently picked up chunks in the second half. (positive)

3. Sean White showed he is the future. I don't understand why everyone is questioning him or acting unimpressed. Heaven forbid the guy tries to make a play on his first drive as a college QB and throws a pick. Some people are saying he didn't look much better than JJ, they are unimpressed with his arm, and his ceiling isn't that high. Sean didn't put the ball in jeopardy after that 1 INT. Sean didn't look scared to get hit or unsure of where to go with the ball. Sean looked confident and in control. As far as his arm strength....I'm pretty sure his high school coach said it was well above average, and he can throw the ball 80 yards (correct me if I'm wrong). I'm also pretty sure his arm strength was good enough to win Elite 11 MVP and Under Armour All American Game MVP. Last time I checked Drew Brees never had an elite arm and his career has gone pretty well. Let's see how the guy does before we pick him apart. I know I'm a lot more excited to watch the rest of the season with him as our QB than I would be with JJ.

So considering how we looked in Baton Rogue, I feel better about this team even with the loss. I think we have a chance to use San Jose St. as a game to build some confidence, work on developing White and finding a rhythm offensively with him as our QB, get the young guys on defense some more experience, and most importantly get a W. Then we have a bye week before heading into Lexington. No we aren't going to make the playoff, and we probably don't run the table from here on out. But, I think that come November we can be a team that Ole Miss, A&M, Georgia, and Alabama do not want to play, and i thinking beating 1 or maybe even 2 of them is not an unrealistic goal.

+this

[IronMan70 3,277]

Yep

[AUbooger 0]

Nobody saw it coming when JJ was asked what number we wanted, he'd pick 6....

[russnagel1 26]

I'm with you on your points AubTiger14. The reason we are getting so much negative press is these same people that are saying bad things about AU now were saying good things about AU three weeks ago. Now they don't look like 'experts' with inside information. They have been exposed for being talking heads that repeat each other's headlines. The only one I saw not buying in to what everybody else was saying is that former Georgia, or maybe Florida player on SEC Network. The guy that replaced McElroy. I saw him question all the AU preseason hype.

[TigerFreak 6]

Exactly. I don't understand peoples problem with Sean. I thought he played with toughness and confidence, something we have not seen from the position all year.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Lots of people raised the question of Auburn's inexperience before the season. I don't pretend to be any expert, but I followed Phil Steele's observation that Auburn lacked the experience championship teams usually have but seemed to have the talent to be exceptional.

Right now, I hold on to hope but am no longer optimistic. I can see why folks would see improvement from the LSU game. What I see is a team that wasn't crumbling like our guys did under the pressure of LSU's running game.

But here's the main thing. You are what you do. And we are 1-6 against FBS opponents since beating Ole Miss last year. Those six losses include a meltdown against A&M, a respectable and exciting showing against Bama, a close loss to a good Wisconsin team, and a close win against a not-good Louisville team, They also include getting humiliated by Georgia, LSU, and State. We are, by the way, 1-3 versus State since 2012 with a goal line stand in 2011. That's who we are.

That's a pretty stunning trend, if you ask me. As an Auburn person, I always hold hope. The young guys might clue in. But I'm not optimistic at this point.

[McLoofus 35,182]

I'm with you on your points AubTiger14. The reason we are getting so much negative press is these same people that are saying bad things about AU now were saying good things about AU three weeks ago. Now they don't look like 'experts' with inside information. They have been exposed for being talking heads that repeat each other's headlines. The only one I saw not buying in to what everybody else was saying is that former Georgia, or maybe Florida player on SEC Network. The guy that replaced McElroy. I saw him question all the AU preseason hype.

You just described our fanbase to a T.

[IronMan70 3,277]

Nobody saw it coming when JJ was asked what number we wanted, he'd pick 6....

Keep your day job, the comedian thing isn't working out.

row tahd Ole 57 posts

[Tiger 8,817]

I'm with you on your points AubTiger14. The reason we are getting so much negative press is these same people that are saying bad things about AU now were saying good things about AU three weeks ago. Now they don't look like 'experts' with inside information. They have been exposed for being talking heads that repeat each other's headlines. The only one I saw not buying in to what everybody else was saying is that former Georgia, or maybe Florida player on SEC Network. The guy that replaced McElroy. I saw him question all the AU preseason hype.

You just described our fanbase to a T.

haha i was going to post something similar

[alabamabrown14 9]

Most of the gripes I've seen have been about the offensive play calling...not really on the players...I think most people saw the team gave maximum effort...just some questionable play calling

[McLoofus 35,182]

Most of the gripes I've seen have been about the offensive play calling...not really on the players...I think most people saw the team gave maximum effort...just some questionable play calling

That has been refreshing. Much less questioning of the players' hearts.

I'm ok with folks calling the coaches stupid. The zeroes on their paychecks should cushion those blows.

[alexava 6,972]

we lost and many can not deal with that.

it's tough. Maybe because we lost our toughness and recruiting has appeared superb. How we got to this point is frustrating. We know what Gus can do. We just need to take a deep breath. I can't think of any coach i would trade for.

[gravejd 3,267]

the problem is we were expected to compete for the sec championship. Now it will be an upset if we don't finish dead last in the west. Take that a step further and it will probably take an upset or 2 to make a bowl game. I think people are still coming to grips with that and therefore it is hard to focus on these minor positives that you list. But I really hope we do get better as the year goes on and can upset a few teams. Just sucks to have to play the spoiler role when September isn't over yet.

[AubTiger14 0]

the problem is we were expected to compete for the sec championship. Now it will be an upset if we don't finish dead last in the west. Take that a step further and it will probably take an upset or 2 to make a bowl game. I think people are still coming to grips with that and therefore it is hard to focus on these minor positives that you list. But I really hope we do get better as the year goes on and can upset a few teams. Just sucks to have to play the spoiler role when September isn't over yet.

I agree it's frustrating that we never live up to they hype it seems. My main issue is with Sean White. The top thread on the board right now is about how JJ and Sean are basically the same and nothing is Sean did showed any promise really....the Kid had never taken a snap in a college game before and if about 3 plays go differently he probably beats the preseason 1st team all-SEC QB. He didn't do anything to make you say wow, but to me he looked a guy that can develop into star. He has confidence, a high football IQ, and is a competitor. To me he showed remarkable pocket presence for a first start. He's athletic enough to make plays with his legs and keep the defense honest, and he's an extremely accurate thrower.

[homersapien 11,347]

we lost and many can not deal with that.

it's tough. Maybe because we lost our toughness and recruiting has appeared superb. How we got to this point is frustrating. We know what Gus can do. We just need to take a deep breath. I can't think of any coach i would trade for.

Well, I bet this year will teach Gus to manage expectations a little better.

[Timeslider 6 269]

the problem is we were expected to compete for the sec championship. Now it will be an upset if we don't finish dead last in the west. Take that a step further and it will probably take an upset or 2 to make a bowl game. I think people are still coming to grips with that and therefore it is hard to focus on these minor positives that you list. But I really hope we do get better as the year goes on and can upset a few teams. Just sucks to have to play the spoiler role when September isn't over yet.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It is our expectations that decide if we are disappointed or not. The smart person learns to temper their expectations in order to not be on an emotional roller-coaster all the time. If you find yourself disappointed or frustrated a lot in life then reevaluate your expectations.

[alexava 6,972]

we lost and many can not deal with that.

it's tough. Maybe because we lost our toughness and recruiting has appeared superb. How we got to this point is frustrating. We know what Gus can do. We just need to take a deep breath. I can't think of any coach i would trade for.

Well, I bet this year will teach Gus to manage expectations a little better.

besides confirming he thought JJ would be a hiesman contender, i had no problems with his expectations. He said (that i remember) he really likes this team an it will get better every week. But i agree, he won't foget this scenario.

[McLoofus 35,182]

we lost and many can not deal with that.

it's tough. Maybe because we lost our toughness and recruiting has appeared superb. How we got to this point is frustrating. We know what Gus can do. We just need to take a deep breath. I can't think of any coach i would trade for.

Well, I bet this year will teach Gus to manage expectations a little better.

besides confirming he thought JJ would be a hiesman contender, i had no problems with his expectations. He said (that i remember) he really likes this team an it will get better every week. But i agree, he won't foget this scenario.

He also said we're very young, but folks 'round here didn't want to hear it.

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Expectations are surely a factor, but there's more going on here than expectations. Our team was poor at the end of last season, and it's poor right now. I'm hoping it'll improve rapidly, but the trends aren't good.

[FoundationEagle 637]

Expectations are surely a factor, but there's more going on here than expectations. Our team was poor at the end of last season, and it's poor right now. I'm hoping it'll improve rapidly, but the trends aren't good.

The trends are good if you look at them a positive way. We scored a lot of points under Gus pretty much every year he's been here. I expect that to continue. This year he had to back up and punt which wasn't expected by anyone. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a leap forward. Most of the issues (not all but most) last year were on D. Does anyone really believe that Muschamp isn't making that issue better? The "trends" are that Gus will likely get back to averaging 30 points a game and Muschamp will likely get us back to giving up less than 20 points a game. That's a winning recipe. I see this as some growing pains and adjustments to almost ensure that we have a lot of success in the future. I bet we lose 3 or 4 total this year and come into next year with a proven qb and a much improved D and start the season top 10 again (and it be accurate this time). Those are the trends I see.

[AubTiger14 0]

As Auburn fans we can never have expectations. We NEVER do well with expectations. I definitely never thought the season would go this South, but if you really watch what happened on the field Saturday and not just look at the scoreboard we seem like we maybe figured some things out. I'm just surprised many don't see it that way.

[OnthePlains 2,014]

As Auburn fans we can never have expectations. We NEVER do well with expectations. I definitely never thought the season would go this South, but if you really watch what happened on the field Saturday and not just look at the scoreboard we seem like we maybe figured some things out. I'm just surprised many don't see it that way.

I am trying to remain optimistic even though I am tremendously disappointed. I understand people wanting to vent and being frustrated but we really should be accustomed to it by now. This is and has been Auburn football for a long time. Great season, average season, crap season and the cycle starts over, usually with a new coach. I am encouraged by some things I saw Saturday night so I am trying to hold on to that but like DyeCamp said earlier in the thread the trends are not good going back to last year. We have all seen this movie before and we know how it ends(2012).