Visitors list for the weekend looking great!

[WFE12 9,191]

 

[fredst 9,064]

13 minutes ago, WFE12 said:

 

T-Will is the absolute man! Dameyune Craig without the attitude and baggage (and I'm a big D Craig-the player fan)! War Damn T-Will!!!!!

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, fredst said:

T-Will is the absolute man! Dameyune Craig without the attitude and baggage (and I'm a big D Craig-the player fan)! War Damn T-Will!!!!!

Heck of an analogy right there.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

We'll never be on equal footing with the true blue bloods, but we should at least get invited to the party. 

Why get an invite when crashing is way more fun?

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, lionheartkc said:

Why get an invite when crashing is way more fun?

Because crashing, in this analogy, is by definition having fun less often. 

In reality, and with regards to this thread, it means that our coaches have to work harder for less. With regards to the CFB fan experience overall, ask bama fans which titles they want to give back so that the other ones could be more fun. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Because crashing, in this analogy, is by definition having fun less often. 

In reality, and with regards to this thread, it means that our coaches have to work harder for less. With regards to the CFB fan experience overall, ask bama fans which titles they want to give back so that the other ones could be more fun. 

Since Mac and I started the whole conversation, it's all about respect, not about records. It's that we never get the respect we are due, not that we aren't due the respect to begin with.  Heck, Penn State gets the "blue blood" respect and they have no better championship record than we do... plus they have a horrible scandal. Notre Dame gets it and they haven't been truly relevant in 20 years.

In any case, I think it's way more fun to beat the teams no one thinks we can beat then it is to be expected to beat them. I love this series of articles:

Sunday: bama looks to finalize their perfect season by beating Auburn.
Monday: 10 reasons bama will beat Auburn.
Tuesday: Remembering other times bama beat Auburn.
Wednesday: The smart money is on bama this weekend.
Thursday: Will Auburn fire their coach after they lose to bama?
Friday: Nick Saban is God
Saturday morning: bama fans plan their trip to the SEC Championship.
Saturday night: Auburn beats bama.
Sunday: Multiple accounts of bama fans doing stupid stuff because they can't handle getting beat by Auburn... again.

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Since Mac and I started the whole conversation, it's all about respect, not about records.

Actually, you started it in a response to Canuck, and it is 100% about recruiting. "Crashing the party" isn't more fun when we can't pull kids that other schools can.

4 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

It's that we never get the respect we are due, not that we aren't due the respect to begin with. 

And my point is that we actually do get the respect we are due. We don't deserve any more respect than we get when all we do is "crash the party" once every 5 years or so. 

It's not perception. We're not a blue blood program and the only way we can be is if we start winning consistently. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

10 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Actually, you started it in a response to Canuck, and it is 100% about recruiting. "Crashing the party" isn't more fun when we can't pull kids that other schools can.

Crashing the party in recruiting is landing Derrick Brown, Monte Adams, or any other recruit who we weren't supposed to be good enough to land.

10 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

And my point is that we actually do get the respect we are due. We don't deserve any more respect than we get when all we do is "crash the party" once every 5 years or so. 

Top 20 college football program of all time (#16 to be exact) according to the NCAA. Seems to me like that deserves some respect, but I guess my standards are too low.

10 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

We're not a blue blood program and the only way we can be is if we start winning consistently. 

Winning consistently won't make us a blue blood, it will make us an upstart. No school, no matter their record, has ever been invited to sit at the blue bloods table if they weren't there back in the day. We will still be treated like an outsider just like the blue bloods who haven't been relevant for years are still treated like blue bloods.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

28 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Winning consistently won't make us a blue blood, it will make us an upstart. No school, no matter their record, has ever been invited to sit at the blue bloods table if they weren't there back in the day. We will still be treated like an outsider just like the blue bloods who haven't been relevant for years are still treated like blue bloods.

^^^^^^ 100% ^^^^^

[McLoofus 35,182]

51 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Crashing the party in recruiting is landing Derrick Brown, Monte Adams, or any other recruit who we weren't supposed to be good enough to land.

Come on, man. Nobody said we can't land the occasional 5*. But what you said, and what I agree with, was:

23 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

Still, until you pay attention, you don't expect to see a school that half the country thinks is in Georgia compete with the schools who's gear is featured in every sporting goods store, coast-to-coast.

So you do agree that Auburn can't pull the same guys that some other schools do, unless you've changed your mind. 

 

 

52 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Top 20 college football program of all time (#16 to be exact) according to the NCAA. Seems to me like that deserves some respect, but I guess my standards are too low.

Who said anything about no respect? Why are you speaking in absolutes and hyperbole? Anyway, 16... yeah. Kinda makes my point. We get the respect we deserve. 

 

 

58 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Winning consistently won't make us a blue blood, it will make us an upstart. No school, no matter their record, has ever been invited to sit at the blue bloods table if they weren't there back in the day. We will still be treated like an outsider just like the blue bloods who haven't been relevant for years are still treated like blue bloods.

You think so? This is just the first thing I clicked on. 

Quote

2. Clemson Tigers

Business as usual for Dabo Swinney. The Tigers will suffer losses to the NFL Draft, but Kelly Bryant is back, running back Travis Etienne is a value pick for the Heisman Trophy and the defensive line can re-tool around Dexter Lawrence. The arrival of five-star freshmen Trevor Lawrence and Xavier Thomas only reinforces the point: Clemson isn't going anywhere.

 

If you must make it about semantics, then no, we won't ever be a bama or a Michigan or a Notre Dame. We won't be a "blue blood". But my point, which I guess wasn't as clear as I thought, was that we are going to continue to get the respect that we deserve... but to get the respect that we all want, we need to win a lot more consistently. And that would be a hell of a lot more fun than occasionally climbing a hill just to plummet down the other side *each time.

*No, I'm not being 100%, written-in-blood literal. But for the most part... yep. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

22 hours ago, McLoofus said:

23 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

Crashing the party in recruiting is landing Derrick Brown, Monte Adams, or any other recruit who we weren't supposed to be good enough to land.

Come on, man. Nobody said we can't land the occasional 5*. But what you said, and what I agree with, was:

On 3/27/2018 at 1:04 PM, lionheartkc said:

Still, until you pay attention, you don't expect to see a school that half the country thinks is in Georgia compete with the schools who's gear is featured in every sporting goods store, coast-to-coast.

So you do agree that Auburn can't pull the same guys that some other schools do, unless you've changed your mind. 

Come on Loof. I never once said we couldn't pull them, I said that no one expects us to pull them. No matter what we do, the nation of football fans, as a whole, refuses to respect Auburn. That's what crashing is all about, looking the naysayers in the face and showing up to the party anyway.

[McLoofus 35,182]

Just now, lionheartkc said:

Come on Loof. I never once said we couldn't pull them, I said that no one expects us to pull them. No matter what we do, the nation of football fans, as a whole, refuses to respect Auburn. That's what crashing is all about, looking the naysayers in the face and showing up to the party anyway.

I disagree. Again, see Clemson. Notice how quickly "Clemsoning" went from being a thing to not?

If we put together 2 consecutive good seasons and still get no respect, then I'll change my mind. (Of course, we'll all still perceive less respect than we're getting, but that's only a tangentially related conversation). 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

5 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I disagree. Again, see Clemson. Notice how quickly "Clemsoning" went from being a thing to not?

If we put together 2 consecutive good seasons and still get no respect, then I'll change my mind. (Of course, we'll all still perceive less respect than we're getting, but that's only a tangentially related conversation). 

I would literally be willing to bet money that when we put two playoff seasons together that one of our rivals will fabricate a story about how we cheated to do it and the nation will buy the story even when the NCAA says we're clean... see 2010.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

I would literally be willing to bet money that when we put two playoff seasons together that one of our rivals will fabricate a story about how we cheated to do it and the nation will buy the story even when the NCAA says we're clean... see 2010.

Certainly not outside the realm of possibility. There at least was a story in 2010, but it definitely took a lot of animosity and gymnastics to turn it into an Auburn story. (I have so many other thoughts on that... maybe we should have a pinned 2010 thread, lol.)

[lionheartkc 6,150]

16 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Certainly not outside the realm of possibility. There at least was a story in 2010, but it definitely took a lot of animosity and gymnastics to turn it into an Auburn story. (I have so many other thoughts on that... maybe we should have a pinned 2010 thread, lol.)

Yea... the fact that Mississippi State never even got a sideways glance from all of that still chaps my hide.

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

Yea... the fact that Mississippi State never even got a sideways glance from all of that still chaps my hide.

Former player, current street agent. Evidently has a line of communication with the entire staff. Quoted an odd number that was conveniently an even number minus an agent's standard 10%. Nah, nothing to see there. 

[Tigger1985 806]

Not a glance twice as they goy TWO players that took cash from Ole Miss. No problems to see here Dan Mullen

[blueridge 29]

On 3/27/2018 at 2:04 PM, lionheartkc said:

It's because we don't have the pedigree to go along with the crowd we run with. As much as some of the old guard hate it, we're one of the few schools who can always hold our own when the cleats hit the turf, and, just to grate on them just a little more, we have always done it our way and not theirs. Still, until you pay attention, you don't expect to see a school that half the country thinks is in Georgia compete with the schools who's gear is featured in every sporting goods store, coast-to-coast.

You don't have thepedigree to go along with whatever it is you're trying to say. Auburn football has an outstanding pedigree. 

[toddc 13,194]

Any news out about visitors for the A-day game yet? I haven’t seen much on the subject.

[GwillMac6 20,656]

13 minutes ago, toddc said:

Any news out about visitors for the A-day game yet? I haven’t seen much on the subject.

A lot of our recruits are going to the Masters this weekend. Going to be a smaller group than usual.

[lca408 366]

On ‎3‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 11:49 AM, lionheartkc said:

Winning consistently won't make us a blue blood, it will make us an upstart. No school, no matter their record, has ever been invited to sit at the blue bloods table if they weren't there back in the day. We will still be treated like an outsider just like the blue bloods who haven't been relevant for years are still treated like blue bloods.

Sure it will. Auburn was a very respected program in the 2005-2007 time frame because Tubs had us winning 10+ games a year average and at the top of the SEC in those years. Then came 2008 and the last 10 years have been nothing but chaos. We were nationally respected in the late 80s when Dye won those 3 straight SEC championships. While it's true we won't ever reach the level of championship success that Notre Dame or Alabama has had, it doesn't mean we can't be considered an elite program over time with consistent success. Just think about Florida - certainly not a blue blood with virtually no success up until the 90s. They've been up and down since but are still considered a place of legends and past greatness because of those 10-12 years under Spurrier, and Meyer's championships in 2006 and 2008 helped add to that. FSU and Miami are two others - didn't really win big until the 80s/early 90s but have a reputation for excellence as a result, even though now, they have clearly fallen on hard times - you won't watch a broadcast of either team without hearing the announcers at least mention their former glory.

Clemson has a long way to go to be considered a blue blood but if they stay consistently good for the next 10-15 years and win another championship, they'll probably be considered a power program in football within a decade or two. Auburn could be as well, but we have to have consistent success over time, rather than our "flash in the pan" championship teams here and there. No one disputes that teams like 1993, 2010, or 2013 weren't good, but they weren't indicative of a program at an elite level because we couldn't maintain that success. Tuberville's 2004 squad didn't win the MNC, but they did pave the way for the 2005 and 2006 seasons where Auburn got a lot of respect and was able to continue that success even with the offense looking ugly by the end. We need to win a championship, preferably this year :), and then follow that up with more 10 win seasons for a while. Prove that we aren't going to fall back into mediocrity after another year and we'll establish some national respect. But that's easier said than done.

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 minutes ago, lca408 said:

we have to have consistent success over time, rather than our "flash in the pan" championship teams here and there. No one disputes that teams like 1993, 2010, or 2013 weren't good, but they weren't indicative of a program at an elite level because we couldn't maintain that success

Yup.

Also, when we do lose, we should really try to avoid completely embarrassing ourselves. 116 total yards of offense against Clemson. 20 point lead over LSU blown. 7 points scored in the SECCG. Lost to UCF. Any single one of those things would be a pretty nasty stain on a season. We did all of them in one season. 

We're always going to have one of the toughest schedules in the country. We can't hope to pile up absurd numbers of wins year in, year out. But damn. Be ready to play each week. Don't do stupid stuff. 

[lca408 366]

Sometimes that's unavoidable. Even great coaches bungle it up at least once a year. Auburn is no different but letting it happen more than once per year is concerning, especially since its been happening at least 2-3 times a year since 2014. Those kinds of things will definitely keep the outside world's perception of Auburn on the lower end. Fix it by being more prepared for the situation. Auburn under Malzahn has always had the ability to play up to the competition level of anyone they face (or beyond it) and level the playing field at any given time, even against more talented teams. We did this at least 4-5 times last year in a significant way and it proved that Malzahn does indeed have what it takes to make Auburn beastly on the field. But when he reverts, it's bad and it concurrently makes the program look hapless too.

Hopefully . . . HOPEFULLY, now that Malzahn has this nice big contract and knows he's not being fired anytime soon, he'll let loose and go nuts with letting Chip call the plays, go for the jugular, etc. rather than seize up and get conservative. A guy can hope. If so, Auburn will become nationally relevant REAL quick.

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, lca408 said:

Sometimes that's unavoidable. Even great coaches bungle it up at least once a year. Auburn is no different but letting it happen more than once per year is concerning, especially since its been happening at least 2-3 times a year since 2014. Those kinds of things will definitely keep the outside world's perception of Auburn on the lower end. Fix it by being more prepared for the situation. Auburn under Malzahn has always had the ability to play up to the competition level of anyone they face (or beyond it) and level the playing field at any given time, even against more talented teams. We did this at least 4-5 times last year in a significant way and it proved that Malzahn does indeed have what it takes to make Auburn beastly on the field. But when he reverts, it's bad and it concurrently makes the program look hapless too.

Hopefully . . . HOPEFULLY, now that Malzahn has this nice big contract and knows he's not being fired anytime soon, he'll let loose and go nuts with letting Chip call the plays, go for the jugular, etc. rather than seize up and get conservative. A guy can hope. If so, Auburn will become nationally relevant REAL quick.

Good post, and I think you have a valid point here. With the exception of Iron Bowls played at home, Gus has been at his worst when the pressure is high. (See: Clemson, LSU, uga except once. (No, we didn't actually play very well against them in 2013.)) A lot of people assume that the contract will make him lazy, but it's equally possible that a relaxed sphincter will make him a more effective head coach. 

[ArgoEagle 1,770]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Good post, and I think you have a valid point here. With the exception of Iron Bowls played at home, Gus has been at his worst when the pressure is high. (See: Clemson, LSU, uga except once. (No, we didn't actually play very well against them in 2013.)) A lot of people assume that the contract will make him lazy, but it's equally possible that a relaxed sphincter will make him a more effective head coach. 

And some baby butt paste for the rash.