AUght2win

See my post pointing out that Malzahn lost his creative brain a long time ago.

#1 - petty? Sure. Immoral? Not so sure. A LOT of people think Golloway is a not-so-great guy. Who knows the whole story? #2 and #3 are the same. It's a terrible situation. A black mark to be sure. #4 is a Chuck Person problem. Not an Auburn problem. #5 and #7 are in no way an example of any immorality. Pathetically unorganized but why would you think this is immoral? Bad things are going to happen anywhere, including Auburn. As long as they are handled the right way, and not swept under the rug, that's all you can do. The athletic department should get a TON of flack for knowingly taking on Myers' son when they knew he had a problem at Arizona State.

Again, it's all about context. 2009 was not a good team. It was not a good roster. But Gus built a good offense that had a potent passing attack to compliment 1300 yards from Ben Tate. If he can do that with THAT level of talent, it's reasonable to think he SHOULD be able to do a lot more with the likes of Bo Nix, Schwartz, Seth Williams, and others. Alas, that's what's so frustrating about it all. Gus SHOULD have been able to air it out last year but he chose not to. He's lost the ability to be an offense architect.

And if we are pimping the stats that hard, Auburn's 2008 total TD/INT ratio was 7/13. Following year: 25/6.

What an arbitrary-ass way to look at that year. Following a 5-7 season and a full staff turnover, Gus takes a bare cupboard I-form roster and a busted-arm QB and manages to average 31 points a game and a school record year through the air. But nah. Nothin' special. The only true barometer is conference play TD-INT ratio. Don't forget that our defense was SOOOO bad back then. We were in dogfights nearly every game. Malzahn deserves credit for carrying that group. I get your argument. But it's contextually not very good.

Your numbers are wrong. He had 9 TDs in conference play. Also, why the weird barometer? You don't count the 4 TDs against 9-win West Virginia? Arguably Todd's best game. Keep in mind, this offense was also run-first with Tate at HB, and Tubberville recruited personnel. The point in highlighting '09 is to show that if Malzahn could milk 22 TDs out of Chris Todd and a bare bones receiving corp, what could he do with what we have now?

Nonsense. He set the single season Pass TD record with CHRIS. FREAKING. TODD. Darvin was 3 yards shy of 1000. Tommy freakin Trott was our starting tight end, but yet we still averaged 31 points a game. Had Bama and UGA on the ropes too but let 'em off the hook.

Surely Gus has to have that 2009 playbook lyin' around somewhere.

Ducks have been hyped by everyone, not just ESPN. Potential #1 overall QB Herbert decided to return. Cristobal has lots of momentum. Just about every way too early poll has them 11th or 12th.

I have always thought so too but so many do it! They say the applications went up like ten fold at FAU when Kiffin got there.

I have agreed with you several times on how we are a blueblood and should demand as much success as anyone. I still believe that. I was addressing the fact that in EVERY single thread on this forum, someone always turns that sentiment into: Let's go get a Saban, let's just cheat, let's get a guy like Briles, let's stop being so uppity about our morals and creed. Because, as they believe, Auburn is no different than any other soulless major power. So why hold ourselves to a higher standard? The ideas of Auburn being a special place with a special value system is an independent argument from the expectations Auburn fans should have. I believe Auburn fans should expect us to compete for titles in every sport, while ALSO keeping the school's creed intact. This is all I am trying to say.

McLoof saying we'd do things the same as Bama if we just had the "network and know-how", Kees saying everybody loves their school so we've got no need for a holier than thou attitude. I disagree on both accounts. Especially the first sentiment. As if Alabama has some shadowy, underground network of brilliant puppeteers that allows them to run their program dirty and not get caught? LMAO, Alabama runs its pay-for-play program about as clumsily and out-in-the-open as you possibly could. Look at Tom Albetar. Look at Albert Means. But currently, they are too big to fail and the NCAA is on THE SHAKIEST of ground, meaning they won't go after any money-making blueblood. I always say, if the speed limit is 50, the SEC is all doing 65. But Bama (and now UGA) are doing 120, drunk, with sixty kilos of coke and three dead hookers in the trunk. Auburn could absolutely run its program the same as Alabama right now, but it chooses not to. We aren't lacking a bunch of ingenius alumnus or money.

Some of you guys get such a kick out of insisting Auburn is nothing special. I really don't get it. It's not a perfect place, but it is an anomaly in the college athletics world and very unique.

It's a minor league NFL team. The only thing the guys in that locker room care about is the next level. Saban does a good job of keeping them laser focused. But most of those kids go there self-motivated and hanging on Nick's every word because they know he can get them to the league. I bet our recruits aren't so sure about this staff's ability to get them to the NFL.

You need to check out Saban's history man. This nonsense about how he vets players and won't let his assistants watch film until they know their character is pure BS. Look at Jon Taylor, a serial woman beater that Saban brought on campus from UGA. He was cut shortly after arriving for, ya guessed it, assaulting a woman. In the aftermath Saban claimed he did due diligence on Taylor's background and thought he deserved a second chance. Yet Mark Richt said Saban never even called him. Saban has also overseen a lot of guys who had major run ins with the law, like Reuben Foster, Rolando McClain, Hootie Jones, and Cam Robinson. Saban usually does nothing for punishment, citing that he "won't punish the team" for the players' mistakes. Hell, Courtney Upshaw was arrested for knocking his girlfriend around and never missed a day of PRACTICE. Don't cite Saban as a source of psychological prowess and discipline. He is just a guy who sweeps everything under the rug and will do anything to win. If Jovon Robinson, Duke Williams, Michael Dyer, or Sean White were at Alabama, they would never have missed a down. And their issues likely would have never even been made public.