Is Gus coaching for his job against A&M?

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

3 minutes ago, The Freak said:

I know right. 1 quarter against a powderpuff defense and we're back on track.

[AURealist 2,185]

1 hour ago, Swamp Eagle said:

Auburn will beat aTm...book it.

From your keyboard to God's ears.  No way I want to go down lose to another first season coach, least of all Jumbo Fissure.

[gr82be 14,402]

14 minutes ago, AURealist said:

From your keyboard to God's ears.  No way I want to go down to a first season coach, least of all Jumbo Fissure.

 

[AURealist 2,185]

15 minutes ago, gr82be said:

* Something missed *

This is Jimbo Fisher's first season @  aTm.  

I don't want Auburn to lose to him.  

I don't think they're all that good, but we need this win.

[Guest WarEagleSteve]

Before the Ole Miss game I would've said that Auburn had no chance to win any of its final three SEC games. Now, I'm not so sure. We're definitely not beating Bama but I think A&M is definitely a winnable game and I wouldn't sleep on us in the Georgia game (young team, lack of senior leadership, Jim Chaney is still their OC, they still can't convert 3rd & long). As for Gus' job status, I don't have the foggiest idea. He's going to finish the regular season .500 at minimum and there are so many outside factors that I think it's impossible to speculate at this point. 

[gr82be 14,402]

2 minutes ago, AURealist said:

This is Jimbo Fisher's first season @  aTm.  

I don't want Auburn to lose to him.  

I don't think they're all that good, but we need this win.

I knew that but we've already lost to Moorehead and Pruitt. That's why I asked. 

[AURealist 2,185]

1 minute ago, gr82be said:

I knew that but we've already lost to Moorehead and Pruitt. That's why I asked. 

You're so right.  I think I made that very point in one of my earlier anti-Gus rants.

Fixed now...

 I really dislike Jimbo.  Dunno why exactly.  It's visceral. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

5 hours ago, aucom96 said:

Why? The buyout will still be huge and next year is going to be a rough season. We'll still be thin on the OL, likely be breaking in a brand new QB and will lose several playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. If Gus is kept around, there will also likely be the usual firing of the scapegoat and we'll break in another coordinator. We'll be on the road for Oregon, A&M, Florida and LSU...pretty brutal. I don't see where the crop of available coaches will be any different if we make a move in a year, either. 

If Gus' buyout is protecting him, we're in for a long, ugly haul before he's gone...and Leath needs to precede him out the door. 

Honestly, some things have kind of gone against us this year. While I’m very disappointed in us for not turning things around sooner and he is at least partially to blame, I don’t think the blame for this season is squarely on Gus. At least this year, nobody can honestly say with 100% confidence that our record was solely Gus’s fault. Next year, the whole OL comes back and all the key skill players pretty much return. With or without Stidham, I don’t think Gus has an excuse next year. If we underachieve again, it is his fault, and there’s no question about whether or no we’d be better off with someone else.

This year, we’ve underachieved. Gus may be responsible, but chances are some of it is beyond his fault.

[alexava 6,973]

I don’t see Tex AnM as anything worse than a pickem. Uga is not unbeatable either. Try to enjoy the last stretch. 

[DAG 33,955]

I think it's best for Gus to start thinking that he is coaching for his job every game. Maybe that would light a fire under him.

[Mikey 16,550]

2 hours ago, saminbama said:

Any of you insiders heard any rumblings about Leath being shown the door?  Since he's responsible for this mess. 

 

First, I'm not an insider. However, there's a lot more to being the university president than the football team. Maybe if he were the general manager of a pro team and his decisions kept on being poor he'd be fired. But Leath is not the GM of a pro team, he's the president of a major university. His job involves a lot more than just football.

[OnthePlains 2,014]

8 minutes ago, Mikey said:

First, I'm not an insider. However, there's a lot more to being the university president than the football team. Maybe if he were the general manager of a pro team and his decisions kept on being poor he'd be fired. But Leath is not the GM of a pro team, he's the president of a major university. His job involves a lot more than just football.

 

[Rednilla 5,383]

To answer the question, no, Gus is not coaching for his job against TAMU. If we lose by two touchdowns or more, he might have to pull a rabbit out of his hat and beat UGA or UAT to really be safe, but the only way I see there being even a semblance of a chance that he gets fired after this season (barring a loss to Liberty) is if we lose handily to all three remaining SEC opponents. Even then it would be a surprise, despite the consternation of the message board mafia.

As far as next year goes, the entire O-line returns, and they'll all have a full year starting under their belts (aside from Brahms, who is two games shy of that...and I expect his learning curve to be the highest of any starter on the line). That amount of talent, along with the possibility of Ashley and/or Troxell being ready to step in, means that barring injuries, our line should be a fair slice better. Beyond that, the freshmen who have been garnering all the attention will be back, and while we may not close recruiting particularly strong, I think we'll hold onto the core of the current class and still make the top 15 even if the season goes to pot. Another youth movement next year to go along with the one this year would go a long way toward currying favor for Gus, regardless of the record.

However, the line will, again, be more experienced, and they've looked good in spots recently in the run game. Boobee and Worm both return next year to provide a nice thunder/lightening combo running the ball, and as I've been saying for years, when Gus has experience up front, his offense is worlds better. Therefore, no matter who is playing QB, he should have a solid running game to compliment a bevy of talented receivers, and if it's not Bo Nix starting as a true freshman, then we should have a true dual threat under center, further complicating defensive scheming for opposing DCs (not sure as to Bo's legitimacy as a dual threat). 

On defense, there will still be plenty of talent in the front 7 despite whatever departures we have. Remember all we lost from the 03 defense, only to have the 04 group rise to one of the best defenses ever for a school that has been known for defense since the 1913-1914 teams combined to give up something like 7 points in two seasons? It's late, and I  don't feel like looking up exactly how many the '13 squad gave up, but the '14 team gave up 0 all year. Sure, the game was different then, but that's still a legacy worth mentioning.

This year's defensive secondary has looked solid to me, what with the front 4 not getting hardly any rush on the passer unless there was just no one open (which is called a "coverage sack"). We have 4 big time players in their first year back there (Monday, Smoke, Igbinoghene, Sherwood), plus Dinson, Dean, and Davis to provide veteran leadership, so I expect them to be good...not to mention Rodney Garner's proclivity to get great things out of the linemen he recruits. Oh yeah, and the number 1 outside linebacker recruit in the country (time will tell if he's ready and if he pans out, but it's worth mentioning). So veteran leadership and a ton of talent in the secondary, questionable depth but top notch talent starting up front...sound familiar?

All of this to say that the future is still very bright after this season, so barring a complete meltdown, no, I don't think Gus will be even close to being shown the door, no matter what the Monday Morning Quarterbacks have to say on here. Saw one prediction of no better than 6-6 next year, too, which is about as negative nancy as you can get. Bottom line is that Gus is here to stay for AT LEAST one more season. If he screws the pooch next year, yeah, he might well be gone, but then again he'll know that, and it's you guys who keep saying he coaches best with his job on the line (not that I disagree).

So maybe just wipe the table clean. It's a good time for that, with this being the bye week. We're 5-3. If we take on the challenging task in front of us, maybe reevaluate the negativity about Gus and chalk the first three losses up to having a new offensive line and no proven running back to get pressure off Stidham. It's certainly a tall task, but say we finish the regular season 3-1 to go 8-4. Say then we ride the momentum to a bowl win, with the nasty taste in our mouths from losing to a Group of 5 school that shouldn't have been on the same field as us, their record be damned, and the players realize that no matter who they're playing they have to bring their A game. Don't think the coaches won't drill that one home pretty hardcore. A win in the bowl would give us a lot of positives to build on in the offseason, having gotten up off the mat and finished strong. The players are closer because of having to be to pull it off. Maybe all the speculation about Malzahn being kicked to the curb makes them rally around their leader, strengthening the team bond even more. More than likely we bring in a new OC, one with some new ideas of how to use the talent.

Yes, that last paragraph is speculation, but it's not too far fetched, and it mirrors the close of 2003. LSU showed up UGA last weekend, the same LSU that took a last second field goal to beat us. The players are fired up for Malzahn after his on field rant that cost him 15 meaningless yards but went a long way to endear him to the team's playmakers. It's not so hard to see a lot of things going right over the last third of the season. 

So how about we put the not buying tickets thing on the back burner and show up loud and proud for A&M. Make sure Jordan-Hare is rocking from beginning to end. Not for Malzahn, but for Auburn, for the players donning the orange and blue. Those are our boys out there, after all, no matter how the season is going. Rise up, ye Auburn men and women. Remember the Creed and believe in Auburn. And let's show those Aggies what the 12th Man is REALLY about.

[AUBourne 425]

I get tired of people saying the offensive line is not executing. When the coaches run the most predictable offense with glaring tells based on trends and formations the players don't have a chance to execute because the other team knows what happening before the ball is snapped.  The coaches are responsible for self analyzing and giving our players a chance. And it should not take 3 games or 7 games to adjust. The UCF game should have been a wake up call. I remember Gus fought to make Chip his OC. He had a chance to bring in a respected coordinator to help provide guidance and install an actual legit passing game to go with his run game. He chose to bring in a yes man instead. This reoccurring mess of dysfunctional play calling and vanilla play design is a sum of Gus' brand. I don't see any improvement in the trajectory of the program since CCL was brought in. In fact the SEC record since 2013 is not good and I see no reason to think the program is heading in the right direction. And getting beat by MSU again, in year 6, and whipped by a terrible UT team tells me exactly what type of quality our coach is. 

 

[OnthePlains 2,014]

3 hours ago, Rednilla said:

To answer the question, no, Gus is not coaching for his job against TAMU. If we lose by two touchdowns or more, he might have to pull a rabbit out of his hat and beat UGA or UAT to really be safe, but the only way I see there being even a semblance of a chance that he gets fired after this season (barring a loss to Liberty) is if we lose handily to all three remaining SEC opponents. Even then it would be a surprise, despite the consternation of the message board mafia.

As far as next year goes, the entire O-line returns, and they'll all have a full year starting under their belts (aside from Brahms, who is two games shy of that...and I expect his learning curve to be the highest of any starter on the line). That amount of talent, along with the possibility of Ashley and/or Troxell being ready to step in, means that barring injuries, our line should be a fair slice better. Beyond that, the freshmen who have been garnering all the attention will be back, and while we may not close recruiting particularly strong, I think we'll hold onto the core of the current class and still make the top 15 even if the season goes to pot. Another youth movement next year to go along with the one this year would go a long way toward currying favor for Gus, regardless of the record.

However, the line will, again, be more experienced, and they've looked good in spots recently in the run game. Boobee and Worm both return next year to provide a nice thunder/lightening combo running the ball, and as I've been saying for years, when Gus has experience up front, his offense is worlds better. Therefore, no matter who is playing QB, he should have a solid running game to compliment a bevy of talented receivers, and if it's not Bo Nix starting as a true freshman, then we should have a true dual threat under center, further complicating defensive scheming for opposing DCs (not sure as to Bo's legitimacy as a dual threat). 

On defense, there will still be plenty of talent in the front 7 despite whatever departures we have. Remember all we lost from the 03 defense, only to have the 04 group rise to one of the best defenses ever for a school that has been known for defense since the 1913-1914 teams combined to give up something like 7 points in two seasons? It's late, and I  don't feel like looking up exactly how many the '13 squad gave up, but the '14 team gave up 0 all year. Sure, the game was different then, but that's still a legacy worth mentioning.

This year's defensive secondary has looked solid to me, what with the front 4 not getting hardly any rush on the passer unless there was just no one open (which is called a "coverage sack"). We have 4 big time players in their first year back there (Monday, Smoke, Igbinoghene, Sherwood), plus Dinson, Dean, and Davis to provide veteran leadership, so I expect them to be good...not to mention Rodney Garner's proclivity to get great things out of the linemen he recruits. Oh yeah, and the number 1 outside linebacker recruit in the country (time will tell if he's ready and if he pans out, but it's worth mentioning). So veteran leadership and a ton of talent in the secondary, questionable depth but top notch talent starting up front...sound familiar?

All of this to say that the future is still very bright after this season, so barring a complete meltdown, no, I don't think Gus will be even close to being shown the door, no matter what the Monday Morning Quarterbacks have to say on here. Saw one prediction of no better than 6-6 next year, too, which is about as negative nancy as you can get. Bottom line is that Gus is here to stay for AT LEAST one more season. If he screws the pooch next year, yeah, he might well be gone, but then again he'll know that, and it's you guys who keep saying he coaches best with his job on the line (not that I disagree).

So maybe just wipe the table clean. It's a good time for that, with this being the bye week. We're 5-3. If we take on the challenging task in front of us, maybe reevaluate the negativity about Gus and chalk the first three losses up to having a new offensive line and no proven running back to get pressure off Stidham. It's certainly a tall task, but say we finish the regular season 3-1 to go 8-4. Say then we ride the momentum to a bowl win, with the nasty taste in our mouths from losing to a Group of 5 school that shouldn't have been on the same field as us, their record be damned, and the players realize that no matter who they're playing they have to bring their A game. Don't think the coaches won't drill that one home pretty hardcore. A win in the bowl would give us a lot of positives to build on in the offseason, having gotten up off the mat and finished strong. The players are closer because of having to be to pull it off. Maybe all the speculation about Malzahn being kicked to the curb makes them rally around their leader, strengthening the team bond even more. More than likely we bring in a new OC, one with some new ideas of how to use the talent.

Yes, that last paragraph is speculation, but it's not too far fetched, and it mirrors the close of 2003. LSU showed up UGA last weekend, the same LSU that took a last second field goal to beat us. The players are fired up for Malzahn after his on field rant that cost him 15 meaningless yards but went a long way to endear him to the team's playmakers. It's not so hard to see a lot of things going right over the last third of the season. 

So how about we put the not buying tickets thing on the back burner and show up loud and proud for A&M. Make sure Jordan-Hare is rocking from beginning to end. Not for Malzahn, but for Auburn, for the players donning the orange and blue. Those are our boys out there, after all, no matter how the season is going. Rise up, ye Auburn men and women. Remember the Creed and believe in Auburn. And let's show those Aggies what the 12th Man is REALLY about.

 

[AuCivilEng1 10,995]

This is just depressing. I wish they'd just rip the band-aid off and move on Brohm or Venables. We are prolonging this and nothing will ever change.

[gr82be 14,402]

I don't think Gus is coaching for his job because, unlike us, he gets paid regardless. I'm not saying that doesn't care but he has nothing to fear. I'm just saying that coaching for your job would have to involve some type of fear of getting fired. What's to fear? Coaching for pride or ego possibly. I think he loves coaching and loves his players so he's going to do everything, in his mind, to win the game for those guys. The reasons that we are on a rollercoaster season to season have all been said so I'm not going to rehash. Ultimately I think he's back at least next year but the play clock is winding down and I don't know if he has anymore personal time outs.

 

[Mikey 16,550]

30 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

This is just depressing. I wish they'd just rip the band-aid off and move on Brohm or Venables.

In spite of a long career, Venables has never held a head coaching job. Brohm's crowing achievement is once having his team finish 24th in the final rankings. I think most schools would prefer Coach Malzahn as their head coach.

[OnthePlains 2,014]

4 minutes ago, Mikey said:

In spite of a long career, Venables has never held a head coaching job. Brohm's crowing achievement is once having his team finish 24th in the final rankings. I think most schools would prefer Coach Malzahn as their head coach.

 

[AUwent 3,747]

6 hours ago, Rednilla said:

To answer the question, no, Gus is not coaching for his job against TAMU. If we lose by two touchdowns or more, he might have to pull a rabbit out of his hat and beat UGA or UAT to really be safe, but the only way I see there being even a semblance of a chance that he gets fired after this season (barring a loss to Liberty) is if we lose handily to all three remaining SEC opponents. Even then it would be a surprise, despite the consternation of the message board mafia.

As far as next year goes, the entire O-line returns, and they'll all have a full year starting under their belts (aside from Brahms, who is two games shy of that...and I expect his learning curve to be the highest of any starter on the line). That amount of talent, along with the possibility of Ashley and/or Troxell being ready to step in, means that barring injuries, our line should be a fair slice better. Beyond that, the freshmen who have been garnering all the attention will be back, and while we may not close recruiting particularly strong, I think we'll hold onto the core of the current class and still make the top 15 even if the season goes to pot. Another youth movement next year to go along with the one this year would go a long way toward currying favor for Gus, regardless of the record.

However, the line will, again, be more experienced, and they've looked good in spots recently in the run game. Boobee and Worm both return next year to provide a nice thunder/lightening combo running the ball, and as I've been saying for years, when Gus has experience up front, his offense is worlds better. Therefore, no matter who is playing QB, he should have a solid running game to compliment a bevy of talented receivers, and if it's not Bo Nix starting as a true freshman, then we should have a true dual threat under center, further complicating defensive scheming for opposing DCs (not sure as to Bo's legitimacy as a dual threat). 

On defense, there will still be plenty of talent in the front 7 despite whatever departures we have. Remember all we lost from the 03 defense, only to have the 04 group rise to one of the best defenses ever for a school that has been known for defense since the 1913-1914 teams combined to give up something like 7 points in two seasons? It's late, and I  don't feel like looking up exactly how many the '13 squad gave up, but the '14 team gave up 0 all year. Sure, the game was different then, but that's still a legacy worth mentioning.

This year's defensive secondary has looked solid to me, what with the front 4 not getting hardly any rush on the passer unless there was just no one open (which is called a "coverage sack"). We have 4 big time players in their first year back there (Monday, Smoke, Igbinoghene, Sherwood), plus Dinson, Dean, and Davis to provide veteran leadership, so I expect them to be good...not to mention Rodney Garner's proclivity to get great things out of the linemen he recruits. Oh yeah, and the number 1 outside linebacker recruit in the country (time will tell if he's ready and if he pans out, but it's worth mentioning). So veteran leadership and a ton of talent in the secondary, questionable depth but top notch talent starting up front...sound familiar?

All of this to say that the future is still very bright after this season, so barring a complete meltdown, no, I don't think Gus will be even close to being shown the door, no matter what the Monday Morning Quarterbacks have to say on here. Saw one prediction of no better than 6-6 next year, too, which is about as negative nancy as you can get. Bottom line is that Gus is here to stay for AT LEAST one more season. If he screws the pooch next year, yeah, he might well be gone, but then again he'll know that, and it's you guys who keep saying he coaches best with his job on the line (not that I disagree).

So maybe just wipe the table clean. It's a good time for that, with this being the bye week. We're 5-3. If we take on the challenging task in front of us, maybe reevaluate the negativity about Gus and chalk the first three losses up to having a new offensive line and no proven running back to get pressure off Stidham. It's certainly a tall task, but say we finish the regular season 3-1 to go 8-4. Say then we ride the momentum to a bowl win, with the nasty taste in our mouths from losing to a Group of 5 school that shouldn't have been on the same field as us, their record be damned, and the players realize that no matter who they're playing they have to bring their A game. Don't think the coaches won't drill that one home pretty hardcore. A win in the bowl would give us a lot of positives to build on in the offseason, having gotten up off the mat and finished strong. The players are closer because of having to be to pull it off. Maybe all the speculation about Malzahn being kicked to the curb makes them rally around their leader, strengthening the team bond even more. More than likely we bring in a new OC, one with some new ideas of how to use the talent.

Yes, that last paragraph is speculation, but it's not too far fetched, and it mirrors the close of 2003. LSU showed up UGA last weekend, the same LSU that took a last second field goal to beat us. The players are fired up for Malzahn after his on field rant that cost him 15 meaningless yards but went a long way to endear him to the team's playmakers. It's not so hard to see a lot of things going right over the last third of the season. 

So how about we put the not buying tickets thing on the back burner and show up loud and proud for A&M. Make sure Jordan-Hare is rocking from beginning to end. Not for Malzahn, but for Auburn, for the players donning the orange and blue. Those are our boys out there, after all, no matter how the season is going. Rise up, ye Auburn men and women. Remember the Creed and believe in Auburn. And let's show those Aggies what the 12th Man is REALLY about.

It would suck to not only go 7-6 at best this season, but to then go 8-5 at best next season and for him to survive that, too. I would LOVE for Leath to be shown the door.

[ChltteTiger 649]

9 hours ago, DAG said:

I think it's best for Gus to start thinking that he is coaching for his job every game. Maybe that would light a fire under him.

Maybe deep inside he is secretly wondering 'is this worth the stress' and dreaming of retiring in the Ozarks? Who knows though.

[AuCivilEng1 10,995]

1 hour ago, Mikey said:

In spite of a long career, Venables has never held a head coaching job. Brohm's crowing achievement is once having his team finish 24th in the final rankings. I think most schools would prefer Coach Malzahn as their head coach.

It's not about who has more achievements at this point, for me. I just feel like the water is too muddy with Gus and AU. Both parties need a fresh start. We are more than likely never going to get what we want out of Malzahn and he is likely to never get the fan base complacency for his mediocrity that will keep him comfortable. We have to get a guy like Brohm or Venables to replace him, because there is no way we are going to pull an elite coach away from an elite performing football program. It's just not likely to happen. 

[weagl1 1,781]

No.  Gus is safe for another year regardless of what happens from here on out.  The buyout is to high.  If next year goes in the tank I think there may be a change.  Just because there is some noise on message boards doesn’t mean he is in serious trouble.  We knew going into the season that the O line might be a problem replacing all those starters and it has been.  But those guys are getting better.  The decision on the QB next year will likely make or break Gus.  

[BJCrawford 1,568]

17 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

It's not about who has more achievements at this point, for me. I just feel like the water is too muddy with Gus and AU. Both parties need a fresh start. We are more than likely never going to get what we want out of Malzahn and he is likely to never get the fan base complacency for his mediocrity that will keep him comfortable. We have to get a guy like Brohm or Venables to replace him, because there is no way we are going to pull an elite coach away from an elite performing football program. It's just not likely to happen. 

Kind of off topic but not. Heard herbstreit talking about urban Meyer and how he needs a dual threat qb or he’s coaching with one hand tied behind his back. Also said how bad Ohio states run blocking was and they were forced into a game plan Meyer is not comfortable with. Swear it sounded like he was talking about Malzahn and he is suppose to be second only to Saban.

[Beaker 2,457]

One quick comment about the buyout:   you don't continue to spend good money on a bad decision.   People need to get over, "we will look bad if we pay a coach 32 mil not to coach".  

 

We already look bad  losing to a bunch of 1st year coaches to programs like Tenn and MSU for crying out loud.   If you remove the special teams play, the Ark game may have gone the other way.   Jimbo will outcoach Gus again and the outcome will be close.   Coin toss I figure.  

We also look bad  when media guys are correctly predicting plays from a studio set in ATL.  

 

Folks, just remember, we love Auburn football b/c we love Auburn....let's not worry about what other people think so much.  I hope the AD can figure out the right thing to do for Auburn and show some leadership while doing it.