"This game will likely cost us our jobs"

[BigWhiskey91 632]

4 minutes ago, StatTiger said:

From 1981-2008, 45.2% of Auburn's scoring (3903/8639) came during the second-half.

Under Gus Malzahn's offense, 45.2% of Auburn's scoring (1475/3257) came during the second-half.

In before "Gus does it against weak defenses though!!!". 

[StatTiger 3,188]

18 minutes ago, alexava said:

This is what I've been saying. We had Tate omac fannin ,,,, motion shifts.. it was hard to find the ball. Defenses worn out in the first qtr. and yes short to mid range passes with a dead armed qb. We were anything but predictable. 

Go back and watch the number of bodies in the box in 2009 against Auburn's offense. When Auburn came out in a 3 or 4-WR set, the opposition had to defend it like you would traditionally. Over time and especially after the 2013 seasons, the opposition figured out that Auburn rarely threw to their slot-man on 1st down. Because Auburn was such a monster running the football in 2013, teams began to gamble with extra bodies in the box. There were times they would not even cover the slot guy once the ball was snapped. As each year passed from 2009, the opponent new Auburn would run the ball nearly 80% of the time on 1st down so If you played run on 1st down every time, you would be right 80% of the time.

[BigWhiskey91 632]

5 minutes ago, StatTiger said:

Go back and watch the number of bodies in the box in 2009 against Auburn's offense. When Auburn came out in a 3 or 4-WR set, the opposition had to defend it like you would traditionally. Over time and especially after the 2013 seasons, the opposition figured out that Auburn rarely threw to their slot-man on 1st down. Because Auburn was such a monster running the football in 2013, teams began to gamble with extra bodies in the box. There were times they would not even cover the slot guy once the ball was snapped. As each year passed from 2009, the opponent new Auburn would run the ball nearly 80% of the time on 1st down so If you played run on 1st down every time, you would be right 80% of the time.

Off the top of my head, there are a few instances of this against Ole Miss in 2015. Specifically in the red zone. In one instance, we actually checked to the sideline after the corner creeped down to the OL. If I recall correctly I think in this particular instance, we did check into a pass but the WR was still run blocking.

[IronMan70 3,277]

1 hour ago, IronMan70 said:

I read your entire post but only commented on the part I quoted. It's the same because we had a very good lead and lost both. There are many reason we lost those games after a good lead, on both O&D, but lose them we did. 

 

1 hour ago, FullBloodedTiger91 said:

The fact that we lost after having such a large lead is indeed similar but the reason most are flaming about it is because they see we only scored 10 points in the second half against FSU and immediate thing Gus sat on it. The whole point to the rest of my post after your bolded section was to point out that being upset about the LSU loss and blowing the lead is a very acceptable response. I dont think there is a single Auburn fan that isnt mad about that. But that is where the similarities stop. 

The second half of the LSU game was simple grind the clock and play defense. No pace, no motion and only passing was done on third down with deep balls. That is not even close to what happened in the second half of the FSU BCS Title.

There is no question that our offense was better in the '13 NCG compared to our offense in the '17 LSU game. In one game it was the defense that couldn't hold up and in the other it was the offense. But both had big leads and both were lost.

[BigWhiskey91 632]

2 minutes ago, IronMan70 said:

There is no question that our offense was better in the '13 NCG compared to our offense in the '17 LSU game. In one game it was the defense that couldn't hold up and in the other it was the offense. But both had big leads and both were lost.

And that is where the comparison stops. 

The reasons for the collapse are different. The 2013 defense was facing one of the best offenses in the country and held them to season low output. FSU just happened to have the football last (meaningful possession anyways). 

The LSU game was self inflicted. A deliberate deviation from the initial game plan that was working caused the stalling of the offense. The defense actually played better in the second half, but the punt return really broke the game open. This was an LSU team that lost to Troy and barely escaped a very battered Florida team. 

I am fine that people are mad at blowing a lead. It sucks. It sucked in the national title and it absolutely sucks in this LSU loss. However, the 2013 loss was nowhere near as embarrassing because of the quality of opponent and the performances both the offense and defense had for the ENTIRETY of the game.   

[OnthePlains 2,014]

Good grief who freakin cares which loss was worse?  Our coach is stupid either way and its time for a change. 

[AURealist 2,185]

1 hour ago, FullBloodedTiger91 said:

If stubbornness isnt what cause Malzahn to make the decisions he has made, then are we saying that he is simply not a smart guy?

You can be stubborn and successful. I am not saying that successful coaches aren't stubborn, you made that connection or assumed that is what I meant. Between the 2015 and 2016 offseasons, Malzahn replaced the OL coach, WR coach, and the OC/QB coach. In those 3 positions he had the opportunity to reach out and get the best available. Instead he decided to get Herb Hand, Kodi Burns and Chip Lindsey. All 3 of these coaches have Malzahn connections. Herb Hands connection comes from Tulsa, and his tenures at Vandy and Penn State featured pretty poor OL performances. What did Auburn get in 2016 and 2017 to start the year? 4 games of being one of the worst lines at allowing TFLs. Kodi Burns replaced DC who was an ace recruiter. Its too early to tell how he is doing in recruiting and so far the WRs have been the same if not better than when DC was here. No complaints, but I do think there were more qualified coaches for that role. Then comes the OC hire. Out of all the people we couldve brought in to make serious overhauls to the offense, we hired a guy who was a grad assistant 4 years ago. Do we think that if Gus had brought in a real OC, that we wouldve had the issues with "Gus is still calling the plays"? 

 

So tell me how that isnt stubbornness and how those hires dont show signs of distrust? You keep saying your points have merit but mine dont, even though all I was doing was providing reason for your points. The stubborness and lack of Trust has caused the choking in the games. The stubborness of not wanting to give the backup QBs real reps in mop up duty have come back to bite us in 2015 and 2016 when our starting QB was hurt and we had no viable options to turn to. 

 

Youre being obtuse. Your original comment was snarky from the get go and simply said that choking and not having the players ready for big games is what will get him fired. My response was that the cause of his firing is deeper then that. Simply saying he chokes in big games and his teams are unprepared are blanket statements. Why does he choke? Is it him being conservative? Is it a lack of knowledge? Is an unwillingness to change? Why do his teams seem unprepared in big games? Is it because of the inexperienced staff he hired? Is it because he surrounded himself with yes men? 

 

Again, let me reiterate that I am not advocating that Malzahn shouldn't be fired or that I think when he is fired that the press conference should say "Gus is stubborn, we need a coach who isnt stubborn". Nick Saban is very stubborn, but you know who made the decision to hire a spread guy and implemented an up tempo style offense despite hating it? Nick Saban... You can be stubborn and make changes against your own preference or tendencies. Or, you can run the ball continuously into 10 man fronts. 

To your point about not being able to coach players up or develop/evaluate QBs, what metric do you use to evaluate this? As far as evaluation, Cam Newton and Nick Marshall were great. Stidham so far has shown promise and looks to be as advertised. I think we did a fine job at evaluating those guys. Notable misses were JF3 and JJ. JF3 was a bigger evaluation miss IMO. 2 schools had him and he didnt start at either school. JJ had all the measurable's and even played at a high level in the meaningful snaps he was given. However in 2015 the turnover machine made its debut. I think what Malzahn did with Sean White was good as well. Before being injured, he was leading the SEC in passing efficiency in 2016. He was a much better passer in 2016 than 2015. Chris Todd is another example and those are just QBs. Can you name another coach that has had as many consecutive 1000yd rushers as Malzahn has had? Malzahn has had atleast 1 1000yd rusher every year he has been at the college level. Many of those backs played in the NFL as well. 

 

Again, next time I will be sure to spell everything out since you require all gaps to be filled. If anything else needs to be explained, let me know. If you wish to continue being obtuse and condescending, Ill do the same. 

 

Well, now you're off course .  You're making no point and just want to feel as though you've won something, right?  

You can project whatever motive/personality traits you choose for Gus making decision that make him a failure.  I think he's fearful and has been since FSU-13.  I don't think timidity was the only cause for losing that particular game, but I think his mindset was changing and I think "TnTXIII" shows that. You're free to think his problems are obstinance and surliness.  Whatever. 

When looking for 'coaching conservatism' nobody is going to fault Gus for resting his players and "going conservative" against weak teams.  (And I'm pretty sure 17 1st down running plays should not be the threshold.)  In fact, it's stupid to risk your best players against a compass campus.  And since AU is going to score anyway and win those, it's not going to show up much in the numbers. I think the games where it would show most and count most would be UGA, uat, LSU and bowl games.  These are the times for puckering.  And I don't see that quarter really matters, either.  Pat Dye would get up by 7 and start playing turtle in the second quarter. But time control was a big part of his offensive philosophy, so he did it every game as policy.

So for my argument (fearful play-calling, lack of preparedness), the only stats that matter are the ones against teams that can actually beat Auburn.  As I remember Stidham was Heisman caliber against some little school I can't remember, but his numbers dropped a little against Coach Orgeron's defense.

Gus owes Cam and Nick half his millions. I contend that they were great athletes at the right place at the right time.  Gus can't recreate anything like that and can't run an offense well enough to take advantage of a great QB if he could.

Somehow I knew this would come back to JJ at some point and that you'd be one of those who thought he was going to be great. And doesn't think the whole debacle was a Gus screwup.  BTW, you left out "we all saw it" and "there's no way anyone could have known." I saw something different at the time and made a number of posts stating my own opinions of JJ's skills and play and Gus' (total lack of efficacy) 'developing' him.

Sean White was a better QB before coming to AU and would have been more successful elsewhere.  Stidham was also quite good before reaching Auburn.  If he wants to be truly successful, he should probably fake an injury and transfer out. 

You're attempt at insult makes me laugh.  As does most of what you've typed.

[IronMan70 3,277]

7 minutes ago, FullBloodedTiger91 said:

And that is where the comparison stops. 

The reasons for the collapse are different. The 2013 defense was facing one of the best offenses in the country and held them to season low output. FSU just happened to have the football last (meaningful possession anyways). 

The LSU game was self inflicted. A deliberate deviation from the initial game plan that was working caused the stalling of the offense. The defense actually played better in the second half, but the punt return really broke the game open. This was an LSU team that lost to Troy and barely escaped a very battered Florida team. 

I am fine that people are mad at blowing a lead. It sucks. It sucked in the national title and it absolutely sucks in this LSU loss. However, the 2013 loss was nowhere near as embarrassing because of the quality of opponent and the performances both the offense and defense had for the ENTIRETY of the game.   

Actually the comparisons not only don't stop there, they go even further. In both games we lost a big lead. In both games we had a DB show lack of situational awareness and instead of keeping the receiver in front of him and making a sure tackle on 5 yard pass, he allowed it to turn into a 50 yard gain. Both occurred with little time on the clock, both at critical points in the game, both allowed the opponents' offense to get to the RZ and both resulted in an eventual TD. In both games there was a breakdown on special teams on a kick which resulted in giving up a TD. There are more but suffice it to stay the loss after a big lead isn't the only one.    

[caleb1633 1,418]

1 hour ago, alexava said:

This is what I've been saying. We had Tate omac fannin ,,,, motion shifts.. it was hard to find the ball. Defenses worn out in the first qtr. and yes short to mid range passes with a dead armed qb. We were anything but predictable. 

Freshman RB OMAC got 22 carries his first game. Now we never hand the ball to a frosh. We also threw to the tight end quite a bit. Novel concepts.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

13 hours ago, bigbird said:

What I see happening this week is Gus will step back and let Chip run the O. We will look like world beaters and we will all become even more incensed over last weeks loss. That or Gus will run things, we will lose and look inept doing so, leading us to become more incensed he was not fired this week.

 

Either way, it won't be a good week for AU fans.

Same thing that happened after Mercer. We’ll look like a top ten team until after A&M and everyone will go into the UGA game thinking we have chance. We’ll go up 24-0 at half and Gus will run the ball 37 times in a row in the second half. 

[bigbird 60,505]

56 minutes ago, ClaytonAU said:

Same thing that happened after Mercer. We’ll look like a top ten team until after A&M and everyone will go into the UGA game thinking we have chance. We’ll go up 24-0 at half and Gus will run the ball 37 times in a row in the second half. 

As of now, I'm not convinced we'll make it past TAMU either way we run things

[csgau 7]

21 hours ago, AURealist said:

It's not just this loss that is losing them their jobs:

2014 : BCS NC Game : Auburn leads 21-10 at the half.  Auburn implements the Desperation Turtle Offense and loses game 34-31 inside the last minute.  The first time in BCS Championship history a team scores first and yet loses the championship game.

2017 : AU vs LSU : Auburn leads 23-14 at the half. Auburn implements the Desperation Turtle Offense and loses game inside the last 3 minutes.  I'm sure we set some sort of school record for LSU comebacks or something...

This is who Gus Malzahn is.  He is a choker.  He has not changed one whit in 4 years!  And he seems unable to change, even when his career is on the line!  That is what's losing him his job and losing them their jobs. 

Honest mediocrity with a real chance for improvement is better than this choking clown show.  Fire Gus Malzahn today.  

 

-Sorry.  Still angry.

This!

[Slammer1 409]

15 hours ago, caleb1633 said:

I don't know where Gus deviated. I went back and watched highlights from games in 2009, and his offense was totally different. There were intermediate throws, hurry up offense, other plays on first down after a big gain besides running up the gut, the wildcat would actually hand the ball off to the jet sweep. I don't get it. I don't get how he doesn't see how ridiculous some of the stuff he does is.

I totally agree, the offense he is running now has no resemblance to what he ran when he first came on board. HUNH has all but ceased to exist and all we have now is Johnson up the middle and bombs down field which is 50/50 at best. No screens, no intermediate throws. Our offense was exciting to watch because back then you didn't know what was coming next but now every team in the league knows what is coming. I just for the life of me don't know why he can't see this. As what has been mentioned several times on this board, he is scared of losing and goes into a shell with a lead. He needs to throw caution to the wind and go for the jugular but I don't know if he capable of doing that. We will see now if his modus operendi will change after the LSU game. I hope so or he is gone.

WDE

[BigWhiskey91 632]

10 hours ago, AURealist said:

Well, now you're off course .  You're making no point and just want to feel as though you've won something, right?  

You can project whatever motive/personality traits you choose for Gus making decision that make him a failure.  I think he's fearful and has been since FSU-13.  I don't think timidity was the only cause for losing that particular game, but I think his mindset was changing and I think "TnTXIII" shows that. You're free to think his problems are obstinance and surliness.  Whatever. 

When looking for 'coaching conservatism' nobody is going to fault Gus for resting his players and "going conservative" against weak teams.  (And I'm pretty sure 17 1st down running plays should not be the threshold.)  In fact, it's stupid to risk your best players against a compass campus.  And since AU is going to score anyway and win those, it's not going to show up much in the numbers. I think the games where it would show most and count most would be UGA, uat, LSU and bowl games.  These are the times for puckering.  And I don't see that quarter really matters, either.  Pat Dye would get up by 7 and start playing turtle in the second quarter. But time control was a big part of his offensive philosophy, so he did it every game as policy.

So for my argument (fearful play-calling, lack of preparedness), the only stats that matter are the ones against teams that can actually beat Auburn.  As I remember Stidham was Heisman caliber against some little school I can't remember, but his numbers dropped a little against Coach Orgeron's defense.

Gus owes Cam and Nick half his millions. I contend that they were great athletes at the right place at the right time.  Gus can't recreate anything like that and can't run an offense well enough to take advantage of a great QB if he could.

Somehow I knew this would come back to JJ at some point and that you'd be one of those who thought he was going to be great. And doesn't think the whole debacle was a Gus screwup.  BTW, you left out "we all saw it" and "there's no way anyone could have known." I saw something different at the time and made a number of posts stating my own opinions of JJ's skills and play and Gus' (total lack of efficacy) 'developing' him.

Sean White was a better QB before coming to AU and would have been more successful elsewhere.  Stidham was also quite good before reaching Auburn.  If he wants to be truly successful, he should probably fake an injury and transfer out. 

You're attempt at insult makes me laugh.  As does most of what you've typed.

The whole issue is your continued insistence that I am trying to insult you. I am only defending my original comment.

You said that I keep changing my point and say now I am off course, but your original argument has now changed in your last post. Originally you said choking and being unprepared are the factors. But now you’ve added fearful play calling? 

I have provided my examples for my observations. I explained how the stubbornness and lack of trust has caused the choking and what you describe as unpreparedness. There isn’t any drive to “win” an argument. I’m just defending my point of view and listed evidence to back my claims. 

 

So lets start over and go line by line.

1) If the fearful play calling started in 2013, why was the 2014 Offense more aggressive? You can pick the metric and I’ll respond based on whatever metric you pick.

2) Since you have stated that Malzahn chokes, what causes the choking in these games? 

3) Being unprepared. What games do you specifically want to mention for this one? After you pick the games, what do you think we’re the causes for being unprepared?

 

TL:DR - My whole point was searching for what causes the issues rather than just listing them out. Anyone can point out issues but finding the solutions for them proves to be more difficult for others.

[keesler 5,924]

11 hours ago, FullBloodedTiger91 said:

If stubbornness isnt what cause Malzahn to make the decisions he has made, then are we saying that he is simply not a smart guy?

 

You nailed it dude!

He is simply not a smart guy, and it has been proven over '(15) and over ('16) and over (mid-season '17.)

Auburn's experimental project for the past 5 yrs code name >>> "Head Coach in Training" has been exhausted.  CGM has been measured and tested, adjustments have been made staffers have been replaced.  Once Gus had his staff and his players, the variables were measured and tested again.  He has been found deficient in numerous areas that fall under the umbrella of a HC's responsibilities.

Gus is in over his head!  Evidence shows that the experimental project receives a solid C-.  Auburn expects better - Auburn deserves better.

 

 

[BigWhiskey91 632]

10 hours ago, IronMan70 said:

Actually the comparisons not only don't stop there, they go even further. In both games we lost a big lead. In both games we had a DB show lack of situational awareness and instead of keeping the receiver in front of him and making a sure tackle on 5 yard pass, he allowed it to turn into a 50 yard gain. Both occurred with little time on the clock, both at critical points in the game, both allowed the opponents' offense to get to the RZ and both resulted in an eventual TD. In both games there was a breakdown on special teams on a kick which resulted in giving up a TD. There are more but suffice it to stay the loss after a big lead isn't the only one.    

Auburn had several possessions after the Carlton Davis dive attempt on the hitch to rebound. The defense locked down in the second half but the offense did as well.

Against FSU, Auburn had seconds to try an pull another miracle out. Besides I remember two defenders colliding with the FSU receiver which sprung him free. What sucked about that was not only the gain, but the 15yd penalty for the horse collar. 

The comparison that was being made in my original response was that the FSU and LSU losses were both conservative Gus decisions. That’s why I said that comparison stops after the large blown leads.

[BigWhiskey91 632]

3 minutes ago, keesler said:

You nailed it dude!

He is simply not a smart guy, and it has been proven over '(15) and over ('16) and over (mid-season '17.)

Auburn's experimental project for the past 5 yrs code name >>> "Head Coach in Training" has been exhausted.  CGM has been measured and tested, adjustments have been made staffers have been replaced.  Once Gus had his staff and his players, the variables were measured and tested again.  He has been found deficient in numerous areas that fall under the umbrella of a HC's responsibilities.

Gus is in over his head!  Evidence shows that the experimental project receives a solid C-.  Auburn expects better - Auburn deserves better.

 

 

In terms of actual intelligence he is plenty smart. He has a masters degree and has been coaching football for a long time. 

Now inexperienced is absolutely a valid claim. No argument there. 1yr at Ark State before coming to Auburn. We knew going in that there would be growing pains. 

Like you said, once he made staff changes and doubled down on his way or the highway, he sealed his fate. He either had to win and be right about his decisions, or now he has to own every single loss because of the coaching hires he made. LSU was a no excuses game. Healthy QB, healthy KJ, strong defense and one of the best kickers in CFB. We built up a big lead and tried to coast on it. Whatever the reason was, it failed in the end. In a must win game, he decided to chance riding the defense instead of continuing to push on offense to build a larger lead. Had the last two FGs been TDs in the first half, we aren’t having this discussion. It sucks and everyone is justified for being mad.

[Shady Hollow AU 64]

I do think Gus is intelligent, in an idiot savant kind of way. He proves it with his orchestrated first drives and man, anybody recall the 2011 Bowl game versus Virginia? Our offense was led by a savant. It was a beautiful thing.

But to the idiocy, Gus must think he's tiring the defense by running the same stupid play on first down over and over and over...Like Balboa's strategy of letting Apollo tire himself out by smashing his face repeatedly. Problem is, that was fiction.

If Gus knew what to do, he'd have done it. I'm afraid it's just time..

[keesler 5,924]

32 minutes ago, FullBloodedTiger91 said:

In terms of actual intelligence he is plenty smart. He has a masters degree and has been coaching football for a long time. 

 

His actual football intelligence has been called into question for several seasons now.  He's been coaching football long enough to recognize his own inadequacies, yet his refusal to deviate from his own stubborn system calls his intelligence further into question. 

[keesler 5,924]

7 minutes ago, Shady Hollow AU said:

If Gus knew what to do, he'd have done it.

I know, right?  A guy that's been coaching for a long time and has a masters degree should know what to do.

[auskull 239]

Landry's comments magnifies our complete lack of experience running an offense against power 5 competition, a complete simpleton. The reason this is credible is because of Landry's acknowledged experience and easily pointing out the adjustment to counter-act LSU's defensive adjustment. Instead of having a thorough working knowledge on game planning and adjustments throughout the game, we have only a basic knowledge. The difference between a proven HC and supporting staff and junior league ability. JJ is ultimately responsible. He is just as inept at managing and hiring for this football program.

[BigWhiskey91 632]

6 minutes ago, keesler said:

His actual football intelligence has been called into question for several seasons now.  He's been coaching football long enough to recognize his own inadequacies, yet his refusal to deviate from his own stubborn system calls his intelligence further into question. 

Fair enough. Like you said, he’s doubled down and is going to live and die by the sword. Right now it’s not looking good for him.

EDIT: Man this is why I was so excited by the Borges hire. People can say what they want about Borges offenses, but the man could create ways to get guys open. 

[AURealist 2,185]

2 hours ago, FullBloodedTiger91 said:

The whole issue is your continued insistence that I am trying to insult you. I am only defending my original comment.

You said that I keep changing my point and say now I am off course, but your original argument has now changed in your last post. Originally you said choking and being unprepared are the factors. But now you’ve added fearful play calling? 

I have provided my examples for my observations. I explained how the stubbornness and lack of trust has caused the choking and what you describe as unpreparedness. There isn’t any drive to “win” an argument. I’m just defending my point of view and listed evidence to back my claims. 

 

So lets start over and go line by line.

1) If the fearful play calling started in 2013, why was the 2014 Offense more aggressive? You can pick the metric and I’ll respond based on whatever metric you pick.

2) Since you have stated that Malzahn chokes, what causes the choking in these games? 

3) Being unprepared. What games do you specifically want to mention for this one? After you pick the games, what do you think we’re the causes for being unprepared?

 

TL:DR - My whole point was searching for what causes the issues rather than just listing them out. Anyone can point out issues but finding the solutions for them proves to be more difficult for others.

You're right.  My original point is that Gus chokes under pressure.  It was in another post where I listed all the reasons he's a poor coach.

Oh good God, no..  Let's not go over it all again. 

I say he chokes.  You say why he chokes.  Fine.  Gus chokes.  Let's bury this hatchet before we forget the plot completely.

I think the choking is due to specific personality traits that are not necessarily a matter of willfulness or spite. And the ways to choke are myriad and sundry. Play repetition, lack of play adjustments, poor clock management, team or coaching disarray on the key plays...  Savant is a good description, but that implies some sort of genius.  I think Gus has a maximum number of things he can track at any one time and stress amplifies the limitation.  But, whatever the real reason, this type of argument is moot and can go on forever...

What it's all come down to for me is that I no longer trust Gus.  He makes every game a suspense/thriller/mystery.  I hate it.  In the most basic sense, my enjoyment of the game has devolved into to being decided by who I'm yelling at, why, and how often.

If I were to find myself complimenting our players and opposing players a lot, even if we still lost, that's a good game and no big deal.

If I'm yelling repeatedly at few of our guys that they "need to make that play" - that's on those players, but again, that's football.

But if I'm yelling at the entire front line or the entire receiver corps - that's a coaching issue.

So, if I'm screaming, "C'mon Gus.  What was that?!" while thinking "WTF???!!!!!" a lot,  that's indicative of leadership/coaching failure.  At its worst, this is accompanied by an ominous feeling a dread that however much time is left, Auburn is going to lose the football game.  Such cases have occurred several times over the years, most recently against LSU.  It happens far too often with Gus at the helm, leaving me with only one thought:  Gus has got to go.

 

[BigWhiskey91 632]

13 minutes ago, AURealist said:

You're right.  My original point is that Gus chokes under pressure.  It was in another post where I listed all the reasons he's a poor coach.

Oh good God, no..  Let's not go over it all again. 

I say he chokes.  You say why he chokes.  Fine.  Gus chokes.  Let's bury this hatchet before we forget the plot completely.

I think the choking is due to specific personality traits that are not necessarily a matter of willfulness or spite. And the ways to choke are myriad and sundry. Play repetition, lack of play adjustments, poor clock management, team or coaching disarray on the key plays...  Savant is a good description, but that implies some sort of genius.  I think Gus has a maximum number of things he can track at any one time and stress amplifies the limitation.  But, whatever the real reason, this type of argument is moot and can go on forever...

What it's all come down to for me is that I no longer trust Gus.  He makes every game a suspense/thriller/mystery.  I hate it.  In the most basic sense, my enjoyment of the game has devolved into to being decided by who I'm yelling at, why, and how often.

If I were to find myself complimenting our players and opposing players a lot, even if we still lost, that's a good game and no big deal.

If I'm yelling repeatedly at few of our guys that they "need to make that play" - that's on those players, but again, that's football.

But if I'm yelling at the entire front line or the entire receiver corps - that's a coaching issue.

So, if I'm screaming, "C'mon Gus.  What was that?!" while thinking "WTF???!!!!!" a lot,  that's indicative of leadership/coaching failure.  At its worst, this is accompanied by an ominous feeling a dread that however much time is left, Auburn is going to lose the football game.  Such cases have occurred several times over the years, most recently against LSU.  It happens far too often with Gus at the helm, leaving me with only one thought:  Gus has got to go.

 

In my original post, I stated that it’s fine that Auburn fans are melting down about the loss. It sucked, it was uncalled for. I even said that it was extremely likely that he gets fired from it. The whole point of he original post was that with as many things Auburn fans have to complain about with Gus, that it was silly at how many people are grasping for anything to throw in the fire.

The FSU title game and the Audible talks are silly and blown way out of proportion. StatTiger even referred to that and had data behind it. The offense averaged more yards per play in the second half vs FSU than it did in the second half.

 

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I think our problem is centered around the lack of experienced and proven coaches at all levels in the Offense and special teams. Hank Stram was the first and most successful coach of the Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs. Stram never had an offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, or special teams coach during his career with the Texans and Chiefs. He is the only one I am aware of to be successful as a HC and oversee, plan, and implement all aspects of the game plan. I cannot think of another successful modern day HC, especially in a power 5 conference who can handle coordinator duties and be successful. If Gus is heavily involved with the planning, managing and operation of both the offense and special teams. then the odds of success are truly against him in this day and time. He should hire coordinators who he can learn from and grow as a head coach.