Ten Things You Must Do...

[keesler 5,924]

5 minutes ago, triangletiger said:

We got a taste of being at the pinnacle (2010 and 2013) and want more of it.  I think Alabama being as successful as they have been of late plays into it too.

They certainly play a part, but I've never thought their success has been some huge obstacle that impairs Auburn's opportunity for success.

They played no specific part in Gus' records of (2-3 vs LSU/0-2 vs CU/2-4 vs UGA/3-2 vs MSU) in his tenure.  Their success has had absolutely no part in AU going 1-4 in bowl games either.

If the only loss on AU's schedule every year was uat, we'd be sitting pretty with an annual top 5 program and we'd be in serious consideration for the CPF every single year.  A huge contract extension with a lucrative raise in salary would be 100% justified and CGM would have a whole hell of a lot more job offers than his home state of freaking Arkansas. 

[triangletiger 1,599]

40 minutes ago, keesler said:

They certainly play a part, but I've never thought their success has been some huge obstacle that impairs Auburn's opportunity for success.

They played no specific part in Gus' records of (2-3 vs LSU/0-2 vs CU/2-4 vs UGA/3-2 vs MSU) in his tenure.  Their success has had absolutely no part in AU going 1-4 in bowl games either.

If the only loss on AU's schedule every year was uat, we'd be sitting pretty with an annual top 5 program and we'd be in serious consideration for the CPF every single year.  A huge contract extension with a lucrative raise in salary would be 100% justified and CGM would have a whole hell of a lot more job offers than his home state of freaking Arkansas. 

I agree that Bama's success is no impediment to Auburn's success.  However, Bama's success (and UGA's, if they continue on their current trajectory) engenders a sense of urgency in the fan base based on the idea that if our biggest rivals are having all this success, we better up our game or we're going to be left behind.  Whether this should be the case is debatable, but I believe that, if Alabama was still performing at the level it was when Shula was the coach, there wouldn't be nearly as much pressure on Gus and Co. to compete at the highest level. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

22 hours ago, triangletiger said:

or unable to make adjustments (LSU, SECCG)

Not to nit pick, but it's unable to make adjustments (SECCG), unwilling to make adjustments (LSU). You could totally tell that he thought our D was going to shut them down, eventually, and he was sticking to his "run the clock" guns come hell or high water.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

18 hours ago, triangletiger said:

I agree that Bama's success is no impediment to Auburn's success.  However, Bama's success (and UGA's, if they continue on their current trajectory) engenders a sense of urgency in the fan base based on the idea that if our biggest rivals are having all this success, we better up our game or we're going to be left behind.  Whether this should be the case is debatable, but I believe that, if Alabama was still performing at the level it was when Shula was the coach, there wouldn't be nearly as much pressure on Gus and Co. to compete at the highest level. 

Truth... having our arch rival dominate football has dramatically raised the bar of expectations for a lot of fans. So has 2 trips to the national championship game in fairly short order. Back in the 90s the goal was to beat bama and we were happy with an occasional trip to the SEC Championship. Just making it to that game, win or lose, was considered a successful season. 

As for the, if bama was still performing as Shula level part... if that was happening, everything would be different, as we'd have one more win a year and have played in the SEC Championship game more often than not... winning it most of the time.

[I_M4_AU 7,801]

3 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Not to nit pick, but it's unable to make adjustments (SECCG), unwilling to make adjustments (LSU). You could totally tell that he thought our D was going to shut them down, eventually, and he was sticking to his "run the clock" guns come hell or high water.

The unwilling part is what is so frustrating.  It seems Gus has created a culture where there is no open communication on the sidelines during critical parts of the game.  There was an article, after the LSU loss, that was headlined as something like that loss could have cost us our jobs and it was one of the assistance that posed the concern.

It seemed, after that game, there was more opened communication in meetings than there has been in the past.  I say this because there were more innovative plays and Gus seemed to go for the throat and not hold back.  I liked that Gus, yes I said it, I liked that Gus.

He seemed to revert the last two games of the season.  I know KJ was hurt, no one on the sidelines could approach Gus to tell him KJ was a detriment to the team and not an asset?  The prep for the “business trip” bowl game was underwhelming, Frost ate his lunch.

I’m hoping the post LSU Gus shows up against Washington in September.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

1 minute ago, I_M4_AU said:

The unwilling part is what is so frustrating.  It seems Gus has created a culture where there is no open communication on the sidelines during critical parts of the game.  There was an article, after the LSU loss, that was headlined as something like that loss could have cost us our jobs and it was one of the assistance that posed the concern.

It seemed, after that game, there was more opened communication in meetings than there has been in the past.  I say this because there were more innovative plays and Gus seemed to go for the throat and not hold back.  I liked that Gus, yes I said it, I liked that Gus.

He seemed to revert the last two games of the season.  I know KJ was hurt, no one on the sidelines could approach Gus to tell him KJ was a detriment to the team and not an asset?  The prep for the “business trip” bowl game was underwhelming, Frost ate his lunch.

I’m hoping the post LSU Gus shows up against Washington in September.

Yes... I think Gus is a chess player... he spends countless hours analyzing his opponent, developing a thorough game plan, and then sets out to destroy them... BUT, when they throw him something he hasn't seen, or worse, when our guys don't execute the plan he put in place, he doesn't know what to do because he can't sit there and think about it for 20 minutes. He needs his assistants to fill in that role, and he needs to trust them when they do.

One thing we were missing this year was the Cam factor, and I don't mean the fact that he was a phenom on the field... I mean that he single handedly hyped the team up.  Heck he even did it with our basketball team once. We don't really have a coach with that personality (maybe Williams), so we need a player or group of players who can get the guys revved up. This year, the home crowd was the catalyst, so when we didn't have a home crowd, we were flat.

[AUsince72 11,084]

6 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Yes... I think Gus is a chess player... he spends countless hours analyzing his opponent, developing a thorough game plan, and then sets out to destroy them... BUT, when they throw him something he hasn't seen, or worse, when our guys don't execute the plan he put in place, he doesn't know what to do because he can't sit there and think about it for 20 minutes. He needs his assistants to fill in that role, and he needs to trust them when they do.

One thing we were missing this year was the Cam factor, and I don't mean the fact that he was a phenom on the field... I mean that he single handedly hyped the team up.  Heck he even did it with our basketball team once. We don't really have a coach with that personality (maybe Williams), so we need a player or group of players who can get the guys revved up. This year, the home crowd was the catalyst, so when we didn't have a home crowd, we were flat.

Ah... So he's Field Marshall Montgomery when we need General Patton.

.....yes, I just watched the movie again for the 100th time...

[DAG 33,980]

19 hours ago, triangletiger said:

I agree that Bama's success is no impediment to Auburn's success.  However, Bama's success (and UGA's, if they continue on their current trajectory) engenders a sense of urgency in the fan base based on the idea that if our biggest rivals are having all this success, we better up our game or we're going to be left behind.  Whether this should be the case is debatable, but I believe that, if Alabama was still performing at the level it was when Shula was the coach, there wouldn't be nearly as much pressure on Gus and Co. to compete at the highest level. 

He also wouldn’t have gotten compensated as much either. Overinflation .

[I_M4_AU 7,801]

13 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Yes... I think Gus is a chess player... he spends countless hours analyzing his opponent, developing a thorough game plan, and then sets out to destroy them... BUT, when they throw him something he hasn't seen, or worse, when our guys don't execute the plan he put in place, he doesn't know what to do because he can't sit there and think about it for 20 minutes. He needs his assistants to fill in that role, and he needs to trust them when they do.

One thing we were missing this year was the Cam factor, and I don't mean the fact that he was a phenom on the field... I mean that he single handedly hyped the team up.  Heck he even did it with our basketball team once. We don't really have a coach with that personality (maybe Williams), so we need a player or group of players who can get the guys revved up. This year, the home crowd was the catalyst, so when we didn't have a home crowd, we were flat.

To the bolded part, Gus needs a coach that can shoot from the hip, Gus has difficulty with decisions in a dynamic situation.  I hope CCL can grow into this role, but as you say, Gus must trust his coaches.  Kind of getting out of his comfort zone.  Maybe with his new contract he will have more confidence in experimenting in this area.

Time will tell.

[AUsince72 11,084]

5 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

To the bolded part, Gus needs a coach that can shoot from the hip, Gus has difficulty with decisions in a dynamic situation.  I hope CCL can grow into this role, but as you say, Gus must trust his coaches.  Kind of getting out of his comfort zone.  Maybe with his new contract he will have more confidence in experimenting in this area.

Time will tell.

To paraphrase Uncle Ben; With craploads of money comes great freedom.

Let's hope Gus trusts that lesson.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

10 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

To the bolded part, Gus needs a coach that can shoot from the hip, Gus has difficulty with decisions in a dynamic situation.  I hope CCL can grow into this role, but as you say, Gus must trust his coaches.  Kind of getting out of his comfort zone.  Maybe with his new contract he will have more confidence in experimenting in this area.

Time will tell.

My hope is, after a year with Chip as OC, they will develop more of a fluid relationship where he assists with the game plan but trusts Chip to massage as needed during the game.  When a Gus Malzahn game plan works the way it's supposed to, it's a beautiful thing to watch (unless you're on the other side of the field), but when it hits a snag, and we can't play through the snag (his usual tactic), it's pretty torturous.  

[AuMarine 1,372]

As far as I am concerned, I never worry about what bama is doing or what they are not doing.. I honestly do not care. WHEN Auburn puts a good product on the field, bama is not a concern for us. We all know the stat .. saban hasn't beaten a 9 win Auburn team. We just need a coach that can consistently put a good product on the field. I am hoping Gus has turned a corner.. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, AuMarine said:

As far as I am concerned, I never worry about what bama is doing or what they are not doing.. I honestly do not care. WHEN Auburn puts a good product on the field, bama is not a concern for us. We all know the stat .. saban hasn't beaten a 9 win Auburn team. We just need a coach that can consistently put a good product on the field. I am hoping Gus has turned a corner.. 

Amen, Marine. I'd gladly change that stat for a lot more 9+ win seasons. 

[DivisionN 102]

On 1/18/2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

 

Ten Things You Must Do To Play or Coach for Gus Malzahn:

 

 

Some real good stuff in there. There is a lot I admire about Gus Malzahn. However, his lack of flexibility, his inability to adapt to failure and his stubborn refusal to learn from mistakes is not admirable and hurts Auburn a lot. Gus says he learns from mistakes but he really sticks to his philosophy of doing the same thing over and over, no matter what. See the LSU game for an example. We would have been in the playoffs if Gus had adapted to the changes LSU made in the second half. 

[triangletiger 1,599]

4 hours ago, DivisionN said:

Some real good stuff in there. There is a lot I admire about Gus Malzahn. However, his lack of flexibility, his inability to adapt to failure and his stubborn refusal to learn from mistakes is not admirable and hurts Auburn a lot. Gus says he learns from mistakes but he really sticks to his philosophy of doing the same thing over and over, no matter what. See the LSU game for an example. We would have been in the playoffs if Gus had adapted to the changes LSU made in the second half. 

Well, to be fair, his conservative plan likely would have worked against LSU if not for the faux pas on special teams that allowed them to return a punt for a TD.  I agree, though, that if our play calling had been more dynamic, we likely could have overcome the punt returned for a TD.

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 minutes ago, triangletiger said:

Well, to be fair, his conservative plan likely would have worked against LSU if not for the faux pas on special teams that allowed them to return a punt for a TD.  I agree, though, that if our play calling had been more dynamic, we likely could have overcome the punt returned for a TD.

True, but surviving a special teams TD surrendered when you started with a 20 point lead wouldn't exactly be indicative of a game plan that "worked". 

What's crazy is how similar that game is to the 2013 BCSCG, except *worse*. In neither case was a it a game decided by one play, or even two. They were games decided by a few plays exposing a lot of bad second half coaching. 

Gus needs to learn that he shouldn't put his team in a position to have to be perfect in the 4th quarter if at all possible. It looked like he had learned that in November, and he certainly hasn't been in a position to protect a lead since, so there's room for measured optimism.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

7 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

True, but surviving a special teams TD surrendered when you started with a 20 point lead wouldn't exactly be indicative of a game plan that "worked". 

What's crazy is how similar that game is to the 2013 BCSCG, except *worse*. In neither case was a it a game decided by one play, or even two. They were games decided by a few plays exposing a lot of bad second half coaching. 

Gus needs to learn that he shouldn't put his team in a position to have to be perfect in the 4th quarter if at all possible. It looked like he had learned that in November, and he certainly hasn't been in a position to protect a lead since, so there's room for measured optimism.

The thing that got to me about the LSU game was that there was an overall level of cockiness... not swagger, but dumb headed cockiness... that cost us.  It started with Gus refusing to step on the gas after LSU scored and was very evident in the play of our D, going for home runs instead of containing and playing with discipline, and letting Guice make them look weak after contact. We had demolished all comers in the SEC, and they had lost to a FCS team, so we just thought "we've got this" and didn't come prepared to fight.  They shocked us with a punch straight to the jaw and we never regained our composure.

I expect no less than signs all over the locker room with pictures of that scoreboard and the phrase "Never Again" written on them.

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

It started with Gus

Finished there, too. 

[I_M4_AU 7,801]

19 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Finished there, too. 

Come on, McLoofus, you know it was the execution, it’s always about the execution. If we only executed the game plan.....

[triangletiger 1,599]

6 minutes ago, I_M4_AU said:

Come on, McLoofus, you know it was the execution, it’s always about the execution. If we only executed the game plan.....

I'm in favor of executing the game plan.  Do you prefer electric chair, lethal injection, firing squad, or guillotine?  ($1 to Coach McKay)

[AUIH1 1,515]

1 hour ago, lionheartkc said:

The thing that got to me about the LSU game was that there was an overall level of cockiness... not swagger, but dumb headed cockiness... that cost us.  It started with Gus refusing to step on the gas after LSU scored and was very evident in the play of our D, going for home runs instead of containing and playing with discipline, and letting Guice make them look weak after contact. We had demolished all comers in the SEC, and they had lost to a FCS team, so we just thought "we've got this" and didn't come prepared to fight.  They shocked us with a punch straight to the jaw and we never regained our composure.

I expect no less than signs all over the locker room with pictures of that scoreboard and the phrase "Never Again" written on them.

Pictures of the SECCG scoreboard and the Peach Bowl scoreboard should be all over the locker room with that phrase as well.

wde

[AUsince72 11,084]

1 hour ago, lionheartkc said:

I expect no less than signs all over the locker room with pictures of that scoreboard and the phrase "Never Again" written on them.

What you didn't expect was for them to be taken down after the bammer game. 

[leglessdan 1,934]

On 1/23/2018 at 9:04 AM, lionheartkc said:

Truth... having our arch rival dominate football has dramatically raised the bar of expectations for a lot of fans. So has 2 trips to the national championship game in fairly short order. Back in the 90s the goal was to beat bama and we were happy with an occasional trip to the SEC Championship. Just making it to that game, win or lose, was considered a successful season. 

As for the, if bama was still performing as Shula level part... if that was happening, everything would be different, as we'd have one more win a year and have played in the SEC Championship game more often than not... winning it most of the time.

The SECs dominance of the CFB landscape in the last 15-20 years has just as big of an impact I'd say. I think for us it started in 2004 when we had arguably the best team in the country and got the shaft in favor of more traditional favorites. Uat has fueled a ot of it more recently, as have our recent trips to the big dance.  I just feel not only bammers success,  but the SEC in general is the bigger fish to fry so to speak. We have all the resources to compete year in and out. Expectations are high.....as they should be given the circumstances. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

10 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

What you didn't expect was for them to be taken down after the bammer game. 

I don't think there were ever put up

[meh130 1,043]

Regarding #4: "Be good a few things." I think this is an area where Bama excels. Be good at blocking. Be good at tackling. Yes, it is best to be really good at your core plays, and it is insane to try to have too many plays in the playbook. Both 2010 and 2013 showed how successful we could be with a few plays. But there is a balance. If the core plays are not working, if you are not able to block, then you need to try something else.