AUwent

Technically we overperformed expectations last year, even if it didn't feel like it. http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2016/07/auburn_picked_to_finish_xxth_sec_west_media.html I think it goes without saying that we were a pick six away from most people considering last year a "successful season." I wonder what would have happened that afternoon in Athens had we ran a formation of JF3 under center surrounded by combinations of Cox, Stove, Martin, Kerryon, and Truitt, optioning it every play. (Michigan did sort of underperform expectations--I think they were the best team in the nation over the first half of the season, but man, talk about a team with bad luck.)

^Hey, neither poll ranked is in the top 10, so we're good.

I don't think it's THAT tough a schedule. It helps that Ole Miss is likely returning to its usual form.

On the other hand, it gives people more incentive to come to a game that wouldn't be well attended. That said, the notion that HC HAS to be against a cupcake is largely a state of Alabama thing. In 2010 Missouri, the school that invented HC, played #1 Oklahoma and beat them. Can't quite remember who became #1 the following week.

His fault for not being able to recruit with them when these QBs were recruited when Gus was hot stuff. As previously mentioned, going after JF3 instead of Evans was idiotic beyond words. With Evans we for sure beat Georgia and likely Clemson. That said Malik Miller looks like he might actually be Gus's first HS success.

^True. 2012 was doomed from the start, so while I still don't think he's an overly good coordinator, I'm gonna have to give Loeffler some leeway.

Um, no. '03 team and '12 team don't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. Granted, I wasn't following football in '03, so I don't remember the collective extreme disappointment of that season. The two hottest games I've ever been to were Clemson '10 and Arkansas '14.

...and for the "inspiration" video (for those who don't know what that means, it's the video right AFTER the team takes the field and right before Zombie Nation plays and the team actually lines up for kickoff--generally more orchestra/epic music, I'm 99 percent sure the famous "Auburn Will Rise" video was this), how about this? I loved the use of "Dream Is Collapsing" from Inception in 2010, so why not use the score of another Nolan original movie a couple months after it came out? (I still really need to see this movie!)

^Yeah, they have 5 SEC away games as well--and one of the non-away games is a neutral site. We're their biggest home game. Last year's scheduling debacle really, really angered me. Foley was able to manipulate the SEC offices, when in 2005 in the same situation, LSU played a Monday night game. USCe and Georgia played on Sunday. FSU and Miami played that Saturday! As did NC State and ND, and they played in the storm!

It's amazing how close LSU was to possibly getting a shot at the playoff last year. If three plays go the other way (or two plays and Sankey makes Florida play that game Sunday or Monday night (10/9 or 10/10) in Gainesville)...

Neither would I.

Since it was used in Spider-Man: Homecoming (and therefore has recent familiarity/significance), how about Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones? HEY HO! LET'S GO!

He seems good. I was worried about him after the way Penn State's O-line had performed but I think he was a smart choice. I really wish he'd stop doing OL shuffling--I firmly believe it cost us a game early on last year. Can you please give us an update about Marlon?

Coming from you, no news is good news.

We have three returning starters that are seniors. I can't think of a single Auburn team with a young OL that's had a *great* season.