I told you so (gratuitous self back-patting)

[triangletiger 1,599]

Here's what I posted on October 23:

I'm happy to see that Gus has figured things out; I did not want to have to go through a coaching search this cycle.  Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for future seasons and we won't see Gus 'coaching scared' ever again.

[BornAU76 392]

I'm with you, I hate the coaching search.  And, right now, with so many jobs open in the SEC it's just not a good time (and really never is).  As you stated, I hope Gus is turning the corner.  He's only been a head coach for 6 seasons now so he's still learning.  I think the 2nd half turn-around, the hand-off of the O to Lindsey and his swagger have brought him back to the positive side of the fanbase and administration.  

[DAG 33,949]

Viper continuous to live on through his disciples 

[aubiefifty 16,658]

gus just needs a decent qb to get the job done. not sure i like the slow starts and not sure about the o line shuffle beginning each year but it seems to pan out. i think gus has made huge strides. i was upset after lsu and vented but i never dogged him the way others did. when gus has been slammed the worst he rose above the crap and delivered. and if it is true he told kirby he would see him in the championship game i believe he has his confidence back. as for kirby they say he replied he would tell saban. i love the new and improved gus.

[aubiefifty 16,658]

2 minutes ago, DAG said:

Viper continuous to live on through his disciples 

who is viper?

[gr82be 14,401]

10 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

who is viper?

An asp. 

[triangletiger 1,599]

23 minutes ago, DAG said:

Viper continuous to live on through his disciples 

Seriously, though, it's not as if it takes a genius to recognize that beating highly-touted Georgia and Alabama teams would go a long way in getting the monkey off Gus' back.  That was one of the key complaints - Gus can't compete against our biggest rivals. 

[Auctoritas 2,826]

22 minutes ago, gr82be said:

An asp. 

Ok, this post won today. Everyone can go home now. 

[meh130 1,043]

6 hours ago, BornAU76 said:

He's only been a head coach for 6 seasons now so he's still learning.  I think the 2nd half turn-around, the hand-off of the O to Lindsey and his swagger have brought him back to the positive side of the fanbase and administration.  

I think every HC goes through this moment. It is a defining moment for many coaches.

I remember when Dye was forced to dump his OC, Jack Crowe and his DC, Frank Orgel. Orgel was Dye's roommate when they played together for UGA, so it was a big deal. Dye adjusted, and the result was a three-peat of SEC Championships.

Tubberville faced a similar situation when he replaced Al Borges with Tony Franklin, but he handled it badly. Tubberville needed to replace more than just Borges to allow Franklin to implement his Air Raid offense, but he did not. The result was a disaster.

Same for Chizik. There was not enough room on the sideline for both his and Malzahn's egos, so Malzahn had to move on. Chizik was forced to fire Ted Roof. But like Tubbs, Chizik apparently continued to micromanage his assistants.

Malzahn was an offensive genius, and it is hard for him to let go of his system. He will forever be the coach who merged traditional power running plays with the shotgun spread formation. But like Borge's West Coast offense, defenses catch up, and the offense has to adapt. The same thing happens on defense.

Let's hope Malzahn has turned his personal corner in his coaching career, and this year evolved from being a new major college head coach role to being an established major college head coach.

[abw0004 10,102]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

Viper continuous to live on through his disciples 

I never really understood the reference to him because he never agreed with us.  Maybe I am missing something?  

[triangletiger 1,599]

1 minute ago, abw0004 said:

I never really understood the reference to him because he never agreed with us.  Maybe I am missing something?  

Viper was notorious for tooting his own horn.  Hence the comparison.

[DAG 33,949]

6 minutes ago, triangletiger said:

Viper was notorious for tooting his own horn.  Hence the comparison.

@aubiefifty

[doverstutts 1,643]

Gus Malzahn, today, is the same man that almost put me in the hospital after the LSU game.  My anger just boiled up from a place that i didn't know that i had, and i could not control it.   All of the games that he lost because of arrogance, inexperience, or whatever just kept popping up in my head, all of the wasted talent and other things just coming to mind and my wife was close to calling 911 due to my blood pressure.   It was not a venting,ranting type anger, it was an anger that, i guess, people get right before they kill somebody, lol.    i didn't watch the arkie game, i just listened because i couldn't handle it due to being kinda' out of sort all that week, and i just did not want to look at gus malzahn.    I am not a violent person, more of a happy go lucky, playful, easy going ( some of you on this board don't recognize tongue in cheek stuff) so i don't know where that evil anger came from, but it really soured me....having said all of that, ya'll can pat yourself on the back that stayed on the gusbus, but don't get too slap happy, because i really can't trust him fully just yet, but i do have hope that he learned something from LSU, because he does not look like the same man that started the season....Since the LSU debacle, he has actually looked like a major league coach and I will fully support, while not trying to jump on the bus just yet, a raise, extension, and large buyout, plus FULL CONTROL of the football program.   Damn, I can't believe I just typed this and meant it!   I won't eat crow because I was not wrong about him, and ya'll know it, but he changed, and now its my turn to change too...ya'll ride the bus, but i'll be like the guy working on the garbage truck that hangs on the outside and rides in the cold air and does not get the benefits of riding in the cab.   He gets exposed to the elements, but he is still moving forward.    By the way, don't call me a "fair weather fan" because I have not missed a game in 57 years, as of two days ago,either by attending,radio or tv, none of you can say that......m

[DAG 33,949]

The thing is I don't have any problems with these type of threads. When you are right, you are right and when you are wrong you are wrong. I only wish people would be able to say when they are wrong. That is why I have mad respect for 23. When is right, he says it but even better when he is wrong, he is still around to admit he was wrong, never wavering. If you are going to dish it, you got to be able to take it. Eat your crow and not disappear or spin it.

[abw0004 10,102]

58 minutes ago, DAG said:

The thing is I don't have any problems with these type of threads. When you are right, you are right and when you are wrong you are wrong. I only wish people would be able to say when they are wrong. That is why I have mad respect for 23. When is right, he says it but even better when he is wrong, he is still around to admit he was wrong, never wavering. If you are going to dish it, you got to be able to take it. Eat your crow and not disappear or spin it.

Well put my friend.  I would also put put lionheartkc in that mix as well, even with his leave of absence.  Very calm, even when others try to get in his face.

[Beaker 2,457]

Not sure I need to eat crow.  I have always wanted Auburn and Gus to be successful.  I have been on the 'fire the coach' side as long as the coach is micromanaging and hurting the team.  

Are we "there" yet?    I hope so.

I saw the same conservative trend reemerging with a few minutes left in the 3 QTR and all the runs up the middle in the 4th Qtr.    I loved how we stayed open in the UGA game.  We did not stay open vs bama and we were getting our D gassed.  We were not in a good spot late in the 4th with bama driving our and D gassed.  Great for the coaching staff to review that quarter.

Will we start the season and look like we know what we are doing?   Gosh I hope so.

 

Gus is learning and progressing.  I did not think he would or could.  I will eat my humble pie of crow and smile.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

Things I got right: Jeff Holland, Kerryon Johnson, Kerryon throwing an important TD pass out of the wildcat, Casey Dunn, Ryan Davis (though not to the degree that @ValleyTiger did), Will Hastings.

Things I got wrong: NCM, Gus learning after the LSU debacle. 3rd time isn't a charm, but I guess the 6th or 7th time is. 

Edit: I remain convinced that NCM is as good as advertised. Maybe we'll use him more next year.

[Gowebb11 9,298]

This is not an either/or situation in my opinion. Gus can obviously coach but his refusal to let his assistants coach was costing us dearly. The LSU game was the breaking point for many of us, myself included. To Gus’s credit he learned and evolved past his shortcoming. I like to think pressure from the fans and administration played an appropriate role in that. Over the past several weeks, Gus has likely exalted his ability to coach for championships and sustained success. As AU fans, we have learned that it is possible for coaches to continue to improve and evolve and have bought back in. Both Gus and fans learned something and are better for it. It probably has helped knowing the AD is changing, too. What ever you believe, beating number 1 ranked UGA and Bama is historic and phenomenal. Let’s go test drive the Benz in Atlanta, and hang another SEC Championship banner. 

[AUApostle 7,648]

6 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Things I got right: Jeff Holland, Kerryon Johnson, Kerryon throwing an important TD pass out of the wildcat, Casey Dunn, Ryan Davis (though not to the degree that @ValleyTiger did), Will Hastings.

Things I got wrong: NCM, Gus learning after the LSU debacle. 3rd time isn't a charm, but I guess the 6th or 7th time is. 

Edit: I remain convinced that NCM is as good as advertised. Maybe we'll use him more next year.

I've been hoping to see him making these catches up the sideline that he made on ADay:

 

[oldaufeller 367]

Time and Perspective

I never got as emotionally deep (read this as "bubble too far off center") into my opinions on Gus as a few others but took the attitude that support the team and let the coaches follow the course.  I primarily targeted my resistance to the boycott crowd - and I was doing all I could to stop it as I thought it may damage the team and program.  There was a very specific post saying my attitude is the reason we have 8 win seasons and always lose to our rivals.  Understand what I am typing now is not a call out or a chest thumping post.  That post against me was/is correct.  My attitude is the reason.  Understand I am older and I have time that has added perspective.  I like to think of my approach to football as a body of work.  Since I played sports (not named football) I buy into the relationships between teammates and coaches that extend beyond the gridiron.  This season is a wonderful example that we need both.  Address what is happening now and where we are headed.  There are times of "how's this going to be - go big or go home - man up and decide."  LSU changed more that just the coaches and players.  It altered a dynamic.  I think we're on the edge of something more than a one hit wonder.  I have no idea where we'll end the season ( I have my hopes! ) but breaking through is not as hard as sustaining.  Our attitude and our approach not only contribute to game-day but I believe deeply in recruiting.  And coaching. And culture.  I like where we are.  Let's not forget our lessons.  And don't ignore the more vocal or emotionally vested that call out boneheaded decisions - that's necessary too.  WDE OldFeller

[lionheartkc 6,150]

52 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Things I got wrong: NCM, Gus learning after the LSU debacle. 3rd time isn't a charm, but I guess the 6th or 7th time is. 

Edit: I remain convinced that NCM is as good as advertised. Maybe we'll use him more next year.

Did you sleep through the first scoring drive?  It was almost all NCM making the plays for the receivers (well, 2 great catches and a drop).

I think the main issue for Nate is that he does have a reputation for being dangerous, so he is usually covered. As for the Iron Bowl, the speed of the game required the speed of Davis... and Hastings once.

The only negative I have to say against Nate this season is that he owes Stidham a INT, for the one that he let a defender take from him when he was in front of the defender and just didn't put in the effort.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, lionheartkc said:

Did you sleep through the first scoring drive?  It was almost all NCM making the plays for the receivers (well, 2 great catches and a drop).

I think the main issue for Nate is that he does have a reputation for being dangerous, so he is usually covered. As for the Iron Bowl, the speed of the game required the speed of Davis... and Hastings once.

The only negative I have to say against Nate this season is that he owes Stidham a INT, for the one that he let a defender take from him when he was in front of the defender and just didn't put in the effort.

Huh. Didn't realize one drive equals an entire season of productivity. 

Odd response.

[TAYLORKEETON 784]

5 hours ago, triangletiger said:

Here's what I posted on October 23:

I'm happy to see that Gus has figured things out; I did not want to have to go through a coaching search this cycle.  Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for future seasons and we won't see Gus 'coaching scared' ever again.

Be careful man, somebody will call you out for saying "I told you so."

[lionheartkc 6,150]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Huh. Didn't realize one drive equals an entire season of productivity. 

Odd response.

Dude... seriously... when did you get so negative? It's almost like talking to Meta anymore.

Did you miss when I talked about the fact that he is being covered because teams know he's got big play ability? That refers to a whole season and points to the fact that the lack of targets is what's effecting his numbers more than his ability. Yes, he needs to work on his routes so he can find ways to get open, but lets face it, he's basically a red shirt freshman since he was out most of last year.

In any case, it was one drive that set the tone for the game. He came up big when he needed to. Making the clutch play when you need to, especially right after a drop, says a lot about him.

Are you expecting him the be the next Calvin Johnson? If so, he's on the wrong team because Chip isn't calling a game plan to make a star out of a wide receiver. The Iron Bowl was the first game all season where a receiver really broke out and Nate isn't built to do what Ryan does.

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Dude... seriously... when did you get so negative? It's almost like talking to Meta anymore.

Did you miss when I talked about the fact that he is being covered because teams know he's got big play ability? That refers to a whole season and points to the fact that the lack of targets is what's effecting his numbers more than his ability. Yes, he needs to work on his routes so he can find ways to get open, but lets face it, he's basically a red shirt freshman since he was out most of last year.

In any case, it was one drive that set the tone for the game. He came up big when he needed to. Making the clutch play when you need to, especially right after a drop, says a lot about him.

Are you expecting him the be the next Calvin Johnson? If so, he's on the wrong team because Chip isn't calling a game plan to make a star out of a wide receiver. The Iron Bowl was the first game all season where a receiver really broke out and Nate isn't built to do what Ryan does.

Don't even know where to begin. So I won't. Peace.