Oddsmakers expect another ten win season

[auskip07 930]

lol gus is the mark richt of the SEC now. 

[AUwent 3,747]

1 hour ago, auskip07 said:

lol gus is the mark richt of the SEC now. 

Gotta be honest, I wouldn't mind posting Mark Richt-level results. Consistent 10-win seasons? Yes please!

Unfortunately, I think we're stuck with Gus even if this season turns out like 1998 (the reason for comparison: coach's sixth year, coming off being the SEC runner-up, young OL--on the bright side, Stidham is better than anyone we had at QB that year).

If we're able to get those two centers healed and have a smooth summer, I'm feeling pretty good about this season, though.

[auskip07 930]

11 hours ago, AUwent said:

Gotta be honest, I wouldn't mind posting Mark Richt-level results. Consistent 10-win seasons? Yes please!

Unfortunately, I think we're stuck with Gus even if this season turns out like 1998 (the reason for comparison: coach's sixth year, coming off being the SEC runner-up, young OL--on the bright side, Stidham is better than anyone we had at QB that year).

If we're able to get those two centers healed and have a smooth summer, I'm feeling pretty good about this season, though.

But the joke about mark richt is that he couldnt win the big game when he needed.   10 win seasons are nice  dont get me wrong but winning it all in a tournament atmosphere doesn't bode well for coaches that cant win the big game. 

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

On 4/6/2018 at 9:48 AM, lionheartkc said:

With their new QB, I would be shocked if bama had a down year. Georgia I could see, since they are replacing both of their key weapons from last year.

Of course Tua's immortal college fame at this point is based on one half of one game. Like "legendary Bama QB" Andrew Zow. Anyhow, the thread is just fun speculation. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

On 4/6/2018 at 5:30 PM, Beaker said:

Gus has never had a team ready to contend to open the season.   It is insane to believe this year is different.   I hope I am wrong.   

The real problem with our schedule is timing:

1. UGA: advantage:  nobody

we have to play 100% against UGA to win and thus we have shown basically everything to bama by then.  We typically are nicked up also, being a huge rival game.

2. bama game: advantage: bama 

the bama game seems to come down to a coaching match-up also....hmmm   

3. Atlanta/SECCG: advantage:  most likely not Auburn..... if a strong, physical team - not our advantage; we will likely wear down or kinda break down.

if we are fortunate enough to win and get to Atlanta, we have played 2 of our 3 most physical opponents and are surely bumped and bruised.  How we were injury-free in 2013 is beside me.   Also, within the past 2-3 weeks, the film from UGA and bama is out there and we don't have time to develop new wrinkles before SECCG.  Had we played one of those games a month ago, it would be a different story. 

crazy to think about getting through that 3 team gauntlet, only to have a playoff afterwards....most likely 5 straight games* against 5 teams ranked in the top 5.  Nobody else has to overcome those odds.   

 

*I know we have Liberty in between.   Not sure how much that will help.   

It’s frustrating ME that the SEC and our own BOT keeps allowing us to play significantly harder schedules than either UA or UGA. Start scheduling patsy openers, force the move to the East, beg for the glitch that forces us to play both UGA and UA on the road to be fixed, we just need something to be done 

[auskip07 930]

5 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

It’s frustrating ME that the SEC and our own BOT keeps allowing us to play significantly harder schedules than either UA or UGA. Start scheduling patsy openers, force the move to the East, beg for the glitch that forces us to play both UGA and UA on the road to be fixed, we just need something to be done 

 maybe we should just be a better team. 

[DAG 33,955]

2 hours ago, auskip07 said:

 maybe we should just be a better team. 

Pretty crazy right? I still remember prior to the game at least half the portion of the fan base saying UGA was overrated and they beat an overrated ND team and southbend. Now the synopsis has turned.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Earn your money Gus.

wde

[TigerFanAU 586]

On 4/6/2018 at 7:47 PM, Btiger1982 said:

I think it is crazy to have to play so many great teams in that amount of time.  I hope scheduling is changed soon.

Me too. The very least they could eliminate us having to travel to both Athens and Tuscaloosa every other year. Not even mentioning how difficult those games are, but from an economic perspective it seems like the town of Auburn suffers in the month of November because we travel to both UGA and UA with only the cupcake homecoming game (that struggles to draw attendance), and a conference game at the beginning of the month. I don't have any data to back it up, but just seems unbalanced on the surface. I also wouldn't be opposed to moving the DSOR to the first week of November when Bama/LSU play. Any additional time to heal before the Iron Bowl is important.

[McLoofus 35,182]

12 minutes ago, TigerFanAU said:

Me too. The very least they could eliminate us having to travel to both Athens and Tuscaloosa every other year. Not even mentioning how difficult those games are, but from an economic perspective it seems like the town of Auburn suffers in the month of November because we travel to both UGA and UA with only the cupcake homecoming game (that struggles to draw attendance), and a conference game at the beginning of the month. I don't have any data to back it up, but just seems unbalanced on the surface. I also wouldn't be opposed to moving the DSOR to the first week of November when Bama/LSU play. Any additional time to heal before the Iron Bowl is important.

Good point about economic impact. Might also affect the amount of money that folks spend while they are in town for the big games in the odd years, since they're so close together and only a month before Christmas. I mean, obviously people still show up and buy tshirts or whatever, but maybe they don't eat out quite as much, get a hotel room,  etc when they know they're coming back in 2 weeks (or were just in town 2 weeks ago). 

[Beaker 2,457]

10 hours ago, auskip07 said:

 maybe we should just be a better team. 

nothing personal, but this line of thinking will keep Auburn from being a consistent 10 win team.   Auburn should not have the toughest sched, WITH THE WORST TIMING, every single year.

 

New AD needs to fix some of this mess.  Auburn always has a tough schedule, but we need that schedule to be managed without accepting the mantras:

1. we need to be better

2. it's tradition

 

If you subscribe to either one, do not, do not, complain about 8-9 win seasons as highlights.

 

 

[auskip07 930]

59 minutes ago, Beaker said:

nothing personal, but this line of thinking will keep Auburn from being a consistent 10 win team.   Auburn should not have the toughest sched, WITH THE WORST TIMING, every single year.

 

New AD needs to fix some of this mess.  Auburn always has a tough schedule, but we need that schedule to be managed without accepting the mantras:

1. we need to be better

2. it's tradition

 

If you subscribe to either one, do not, do not, complain about 8-9 win seasons as highlights.

 

 

 

Then when the schedule changes  and suddenly the schools we have cherry picked to face are on and up swing you will be wishing we had our old schedule.  Running away from competition isnt how you win against the best competition if you subscribe to that then you really shouldn't follow sports.  This year was tough,  and it might get tougher  but it wont always be that way. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

On 4/9/2018 at 6:57 AM, auskip07 said:

 maybe we should just be a better team. 

Well seeing as how there wasnt a single team in the entire nation better than those two individually last year, asking us to be better than both in 2 out of 3 weeks seems a little ridiculous

 

edit: (and continue to be a functioning, non-beatentodeath football team)

[auskip07 930]

10 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Well seeing as how there wasnt a single team in the entire nation better than those two individually last year, asking us to be better than both in 2 out of 3 weeks seems a little ridiculous

Its what needed to happen that didnt.   so its not ridiculous to ask that.   Do you change the rules of the game when you cant win?   

 

[DAG 33,955]

8 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Well seeing as how there wasnt a single team in the entire nation better than those two individually last year, asking us to be better than both in 2 out of 3 weeks seems a little ridiculous

 

edit: (and continue to be a functioning, non-beatentodeath football team)

That wouldn’t have had been the case if we had NOT loss to LSU. We put ourselves in that position. We don’t lose to LSU , beat bama and UGA in the regular season and lose to UGA in the SEC championship game, I definitely see us still being in that final four with only losses to ACC champion Clemson and SEC champion Georgia .

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,641]

10 minutes ago, auskip07 said:

Its what needed to happen that didnt.   so its not ridiculous to ask that. 

 

It is because literally nobody could do that. No one could even beat them separately once. They were both on grandstanding walk off tours before playing us and then continue said tours right after. The fact that Auburn could pull off the task once should be more than enough, there shouldn't be a scenario where they have to play either twice

 

edit: I know alot of people feel like this just cause how the rankings went, but I dont see anyway we fall ahead of OSU who won their conference and also had a pair of elite ranked wins. Not on the same caliber but the margin is close enough to where beating Wisconsin as they did would logically ensure them a spot over a team who got dominated in the same situation. I could see us having a chance if we had beaten LSU though, just not a high one 

2 minutes ago, DAG said:

That wouldn’t have had been the case if we had NOT loss to LSU. We put ourselves in that position. We don’t lose to LSU , beat bama and UGA in the regular season and lose to UGA in the SEC championship game, I definitely see us still being in that final four with only losses to ACC champion Clemson and SEC champion Georgia .

[DAG 33,955]

5 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

It is because literally nobody could do that. No one could even beat them separately once. They were both on grandstanding walk off tours before playing us and then continue said tours right after. The fact that Auburn could pull off the task once should be more than enough, there shouldn't be a scenario where they have to play either twice

 

edit: I know alot of people feel like this just cause how the rankings went, but I dont see anyway we fall ahead of OSU who won their conference and also had a pair of elite ranked wins. Not on the same caliber but the margin is close enough to where beating Wisconsin as they did would logically ensure them a spot over a team who got dominated in the same situation. I could see us having a chance if we had beaten LSU though, just not a high one 

There is no way a two loss tOSU who got obliterated against an unranked Iowa team would get over a two loss AU team who only losses were to a playoff team in Clemson and another playoff team in UGA. Considering we had already beaten UGA as well. 

[Beaker 2,457]

23 hours ago, auskip07 said:

 

Then when the schedule changes  and suddenly the schools we have cherry picked to face are on and up swing you will be wishing we had our old schedule.  Running away from competition isnt how you win against the best competition if you subscribe to that then you really shouldn't follow sports.  This year was tough,  and it might get tougher  but it wont always be that way. 

Good point - UGA and bama have and will always be a BIG, PHYSICAL & rival games.  There is no ebb and flow here.   I am not advocating running away from competition.  I said we should ensure two biggest rival games not be scheduled so we are at a disadvantage for the SECCG.  

You did not read my post closely or just wished to post something different.   

I am not talking about ....was it 1983 when we had Maryland and Boomer Esaison here for Homecoming?  Those are one offs.  Also, I think when we did the home-home series with UVA about 10 yrs ago, that was at a peak of UVA.  Of course present times - Washington....This is part of the game and makes it fun!

My point is our UGA game helps bama for game planning and physically.   The bama game puts Auburn at a disadvantage for our SECCG - EVERY SINGLE TIME we get there.  If you don't care about that, ok.  

I do.  

I think Auburn should have an equal and level playing field every time to we go to the SECCG.   

How did it work out for us this year?  ( I know, I know - injuries are part of the game....I know, I know  Kirby and Saban shared analysis....I know, I know we need to be stronger and better....)   I wonder how it would have been if the games were spaced apart....totally different game.    

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

4 hours ago, Beaker said:

Good point - UGA and bama have and will always be a BIG, PHYSICAL & rival games.  There is no ebb and flow here.   I am not advocating running away from competition.  I said we should ensure two biggest rival games not be scheduled so we are at a disadvantage for the SECCG.  

You did not read my post closely or just wished to post something different.   

I am not talking about ....was it 1983 when we had Maryland and Boomer Esaison here for Homecoming?  Those are one offs.  Also, I think when we did the home-home series with UVA about 10 yrs ago, that was at a peak of UVA.  Of course present times - Washington....This is part of the game and makes it fun!

My point is our UGA game helps bama for game planning and physically.   The bama game puts Auburn at a disadvantage for our SECCG - EVERY SINGLE TIME we get there.  If you don't care about that, ok.  

I do.  

I think Auburn should have an equal and level playing field every time to we go to the SECCG.   

How did it work out for us this year?  ( I know, I know - injuries are part of the game....I know, I know  Kirby and Saban shared analysis....I know, I know we need to be stronger and better....)   I wonder how it would have been if the games were spaced apart....totally different game.    

 

I agree with your main point, but we played our best football in 3 of our 4 SECCG appearances.

[AUwent 3,747]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I agree with your main point, but we played our best football in 3 of our 4 SECCG appearances.

We've actually had six SECCG appearances.

[McLoofus 35,182]

7 hours ago, AUwent said:

We've actually had six SECCG appearances.

Thanks/whoops. 

*Last 4

[keesler 5,924]

On 4/9/2018 at 1:27 AM, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

It’s frustrating ME that the SEC and our own BOT keeps allowing us to play significantly harder schedules than either UA or UGA. Start scheduling patsy openers, force the move to the East, beg for the glitch that forces us to play both UGA and UA on the road to be fixed, we just need something to be done 

Auburn will never have the clout to force a damn thing on this conference.  AU can control their openers and they can schedule a patsy if they wish, but they can't cry when the CFP Committee fails to rank them with other teams that choose to schedule a power P5 opponent every year to showcase their team in prime time on the big stage.  Marque match-ups like our Clemson game last season were about as big as the stage gets for season openers, there wasn't another game in the country that was bigger in week 2.

Auburn will never get the votes to move to the East, and why would Mizzou or any other East team choose to move to a tougher division?  If AU had any say-so,  they wouldn't have allowed the "glitch" of playing both UGA/UA home and away to happen in the first place.  

UGA will never agree to play us earlier in the year because it benefits AUBURN - why would they do anything to help us gain an advantage?

 

 

 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

12 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I agree with your main point, but we played our best football in 3 of our 4 SECCG appearances.

In 2004, bama was 6-6, and while Georgia had a good record, we annihilated them, so we didn't have to face a juggernaut leading up to the championship game.

In 2010 we had Cam and South Carolina was WAY overmatched. 

In 2013, Missouri was overrated AND we still had a shoot-out on our hands. Had Mason not given 150% we might not have pulled it off.

In none of those years did we have to play both bama and Georgia away leading up to the championship, either.

This was the first year, I fear of many, where bama and Georgia are at the top of their games and we will be forced to beat Georgia twice in 3-4 weeks to win the SEC. While I agree that you need to man up and face the task in front of you, there is no doubt in my mind that the deck has been stacked in their favor, above and beyond their questionable recruiting practices and on-field antics.  At least this year we get Liberty between Georgia and bama.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, lionheartkc said:

In 2004, bama was 6-6, and while Georgia had a good record, we annihilated them, so we didn't have to face a juggernaut leading up to the championship game.

In 2010 we had Cam and South Carolina was WAY overmatched. 

In 2013, Missouri was overrated AND we still had a shoot-out on our hands. Had Mason not given 150% we might not have pulled it off.

In none of those years did we have to play both bama and Georgia away leading up to the championship, either.

This was the first year, I fear of many, where bama and Georgia are at the top of their games and we will be forced to beat Georgia twice in 3-4 weeks to win the SEC. While I agree that you need to man up and face the task in front of you, there is no doubt in my mind that the deck has been stacked in their favor, above and beyond their questionable recruiting practices and on-field antics.  At least this year we get Liberty between Georgia and bama.

Good points.

I'm all in favor of adjusting the schedule somehow if possible. It wouldn't be running away from anything.

I'm mainly in favor of the Washingtons and Clemsons just settling the hell down after we schedule them. 

[keesler 5,924]

26 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

This was the first year, I fear of many, where bama and Georgia are at the top of their games and we will be forced to beat Georgia twice in 3-4 weeks to win the SEC. While I agree that you need to man up and face the task in front of you, there is no doubt in my mind that the deck has been stacked in their favor, above and beyond their questionable recruiting practices and on-field antics.  At least this year we get Liberty between Georgia and bama.

BRUTAL!