Gus: Football Research Scientist

[tigeraddikt 1,590]

Here's the deal: Gus Malzahn is a football research scientist. His "philosophy" is akin to a hypothesis about what should make football work on the offensive side of the ball. Game days are his test labs. Whether the outcome is ugly (Saturday), beautiful (most of 2013), high (Arkansas last year) or low (Georgia last year), he feels affirmed regardless of wins and losses because he got to tinker with his instruments (players and plays) and see what does and does not work. How else can you explain the inexplicable...AU's offensive game plan vs. Clemson last year; Saturday's 2nd half; all the other head-scratching games where the so-called "offensive guru" made zero adjustments and looked completely inept.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Gus "likes" to lose, just like a research scientist doesn't particularly "like" to spend months of his life studying something that ends up not turning out as he guessed it would. But if he does lose, then it's not "the end of the world" to him.  I think the bottom line is that Gus cares deeply... about his thoughts and ideas pertaining to the game of football. Some ideas have worked, many have not. He is not a coach, and doesn't care to be one. He just wants to develop and maintain a system of getting to do his research on his terms while being funded handsomely to do so.

[caleb1633 1,418]

I don't think that's it. I think his offense is watered down because he can't be as creative while he's balancing out OC and HC duties. This also prevents him from doing in depth game planning and being able to observe the defense properly to adjust accordingly.

[weagl1 1,781]

I also wonder if he sits around reading some of the stupid crap we write on the forum and laughs his butt off.  We might even be part of his experiment!  

[AUFlyer99 647]

Gus is the smartest man in the room.   Just ask him.....

[gravejd 3,269]

The "How an Offensive Genius turned Offensive Retard: A story of Gus Malzahn". Book i'm working on if anyone is interested in buying a copy. only 19.99 while supplies last!!

Not to hurt book sells but i have 2 theories on what happened to Gus. 1. He had so many D coordinators come through and not perform well that he bought into the theory that fast offense and good defense can't co-exist. However he has no idea how to call plays without going HUNH so now he just sucks as a playcaller/ gameplanner

or 2. he just could care less about winning and losing games. He's made millions of dollars and will make millions more regardless if AU wins 10 games or 7 games so why all the fuss?

[AU Counsel 64]

I disagree with most of this.  Gus is simply broken.  There are many examples of athletes who slump due to mental issues, some recovering, but most never getting back to where they were.

Gus is a broken man.  He abandoned his own theories and greatest strengths.  No more HUNH besides that run up the middle after picking up a first down.  No orbit motion.  Fewer jet sweeps.  Awful timing on screens and ignoring screens when they best fit.  No more wheel routes.  Fewer creative shifts.  A complete change in blocking schemes.  Less confidence in QBs (I believe Cam audibled).  No zone reads when running the Wildcat (why not?).

A general sense of stubbornness with zero creativity at the half.

Whatever tactical strengths Gus had, he can no longer get it up...from the recesses of his mind, and he has effectively been emasculated.  Period.

[CullmanTiger 52]

7 hours ago, tigeraddikt said:

. How else can you explain the inexplicable...AU's offensive game plan vs. Clemson last year; Saturday's 2nd half; all the other head-scratching games where the so-called "offensive guru" made zero adjustments and looked completely inept.

Easy.....Gus can't coach

[leglessdan 1,934]

45 minutes ago, AU Counsel said:

I disagree with most of this.  Gus is simply broken.  There are many examples of athletes who slump due to mental issues, some recovering, but most never getting back to where they were.

Gus is a broken man.  He abandoned his own theories and greatest strengths.  No more HUNH besides that run up the middle after picking up a first down.  No orbit motion.  Fewer jet sweeps.  Awful timing on screens and ignoring screens when they best fit.  No more wheel routes.  Fewer creative shifts.  A complete change in blocking schemes.  Less confidence in QBs (I believe Cam audibled).  No zone reads when running the Wildcat (why not?).

A general sense of stubbornness with zero creativity at the half.

Whatever tactical strengths Gus had, he can no longer get it up...from the recesses of his mind, and he has effectively been emasculated.  Period.

I think you're spot on with this. His 2009 offensive version would be a perfect fit for the players we have currently. He has the talent to do great things with it, but pride and pressure are the two biggest killers in the SEC. I think 2014 killed him. Good offense scoring tons of points and a s*** defense that couldn't stop anything. Then 2015 comes along and supposedly heisman hyped JJ comes along and lays an egg, mean Muschamp gets the D somewhat turned around. He's lost all confidence in himself and due to that doesn't trust his staff to do a better job than him. Chips version of the O, looks similar to me of the 2009 Gus O. He has the roster to win it all, but he is so broken mentally he refuses to take risks. No great ball team has ever coasted to a championship. Along the way is a lot of luck, good bounces and risk taking. Gus used to be that type of coach. Hope he finds it again someday, just not at Auburn.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

Just my opinion . Gus’s HUNH offense was a new deal at this level when introduced. Most teams like uat and LSU were not ready for it. For years they were moving to bigger body defenses to stop the runs. Remember defenses running out of gas ? Well teams adjusted. Remember uat having their LBs trim down? Gus also used a lot of destracting movements so teams taugh their players how to not get caught up in it. So basically Gus came in with a new type game plan and it worked but just like always coaches on the other side made corrections. Unfortunately for Gus is hasn’t been able to adapt to a different style. It is never going to be successful again. He will win games over inferior talent but he won’t beat good talent.

[Beaker 2,457]

8 minutes ago, Eagle Eye 7 said:

Just my opinion . Gus’s HUNH offense was a new deal at this level when introduced. Most teams like uat and LSU were not ready for it. For years they were moving to bigger body defenses to stop the runs. Remember defenses running out of gas ? Well teams adjusted. Remember uat having their LBs trim down? Gus also used a lot of destracting movements so teams taugh their players how to not get caught up in it. So basically Gus came in with a new type game plan and it worked but just like always coaches on the other side made corrections. Unfortunately for Gus is hasn’t been able to adapt to a different style. It is never going to be successful again. He will win games over inferior talent but he won’t beat good talent.

Nailed it.

 

1 hour ago, AU Counsel said:

Gus is a broken man.  He abandoned his own theories and greatest strengths.  No more HUNH besides that run up the middle after picking up a first down.  No orbit motion.  Fewer jet sweeps.  Awful timing on screens and ignoring screens when they best fit.  No more wheel routes.  Fewer creative shifts.  A complete change in blocking schemes.  Less confidence in QBs (I believe Cam audibled).  No zone reads when running the Wildcat (why not?).

A general sense of stubbornness with zero creativity at the half.

this is a result of Eagle Eye's assessment.  

In the mean time, we are lowering the bar at Auburn from winning Conference Championships, to just beating weaker teams and if we lose to the likes of LSU, "It's not the end of the world."  

[wdefromtx 3,159]

If Gus is a Football Research Scientist he needs to have his funding pulled. LOL

 

As a Grant University we cannot let this inept scientist jeopardize funding for his fellow scientist!!! 

 

 

[leglessdan 1,934]

I don't necessarily disagree with anyone's comments, but I think ANY offense can beat any defense. The "Gus" offense was new at a time, but I think his biggest problem is he isn't incorporating the things that made those offenses unique. He's instead, running base BS in hopes of squeaking out a win. Once you're predictable it doesn't matter what offensive scheme you're running. He used to adapt by tweaking elements of the plays. That creativity is gone with him. You can see flashes of it from Chip and even Rhett. The scheme isn't dead, Gus is.

[WDE0007 166]

All we ask of Gus is to stay out of the way and let the coordinators do the job they were hired to do. Obviously he does that with Steele. But my belief about the offense is that Chip calls the plays...but only the plays Malzahn allows him to.

[keesler 5,924]

6 hours ago, caleb1633 said:

I don't think that's it. I think his offense is watered down because he can't be as creative while he's balancing out OC and HC duties. This also prevents him from doing in depth game planning and being able to observe the defense properly to adjust accordingly.

That tells me the man is in over his head for a job of this caliber, and that's alright.  The pressure, and stress of hold a HC position at a big time SEC football program with sky high expectations doesn't suit some men.  It's just too much for Gus, it's time to make a change.  It's nothing personal, strictly business.

[BJCrawford 1,568]

6 minutes ago, keesler said:

That tells me the man is in over his head for a job of this caliber, and that's alright.  The pressure, and stress of hold a HC position at a big time SEC football program with sky high expectations doesn't suit some men.  It's just too much for Gus, it's time to make a change.  It's nothing personal, strictly business.

Glad to see someone say it’s business. The name calling (idiot, retard, magoo) is juvenile and unnecessary.  Malzahn is a good man who simply cannot do the job.   

[caleb1633 1,418]

25 minutes ago, keesler said:

That tells me the man is in over his head for a job of this caliber, and that's alright.  The pressure, and stress of hold a HC position at a big time SEC football program with sky high expectations doesn't suit some men.  It's just too much for Gus, it's time to make a change.  It's nothing personal, strictly business.

I think he'd be exceptional if he took off the OC hat and just acted as HC. That's his problem— stubbornness and pride. If he could fix that, he'd be one of the best coaches in the SEC.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

1 hour ago, Beaker said:

Nailed it.

 

this is a result of Eagle Eye's assessment.  

In the mean time, we are lowering the bar at Auburn from winning Conference Championships, to just beating weaker teams and if we lose to the likes of LSU, "It's not the end of the world."  

I agree completely and it is where we have been headed. We don’t need to accept these kind of results just because some folks feel that Gus is a good guy. I agree Gus is a decent person, but we didn’t hire him to be a decent person we hired him to coach and win games. Very simple, look at his record and it is really bad against decent competition. And if you follow the trail it is headed downhill. 

[milehighfan 1,239]

I guess a lot of us feel Gus is a joke as head coach and for all intents and purposes he is. But I guess the joke is on all of us because Gus the Great is laughing all the way to the bank.