What is the most pivotal game this season?

[aujeff11 6,243]

27 minutes ago, CleCoTiger said:

Ya know, those Clemson teams turned out to be pretty good and the losses were all close.  I will give you the "let's play musical chairs with QB's because our starter may be our starter but then again maybe not" game.  Still scratch my head over that one. But other than that, given what Dabo turns out to have had in terms of teams, I can't say I see those L's (other than the one with the QB musical chairs) as a black mark on Gus.  Our Tigers were pretty even. We just lost is all.

The opener isn’t very critical for us. Would suck to lose, but still not the end of the world. We lost to Clemson in 2017  and still bound for the CFP if we beat Georgia again. This year may be different, but Gus usually shows in his good years that the level of play will be kicked up a notch as the season goes along. 

[kevon67 2,368]

1 hour ago, CleCoTiger said:

Way back when I worked on relief for Hurricane Katrina we hired a sure 'nuff Cajun to help out.  I really liked the guy but in just about every conversation I felt like I needed a translator.  He'd speak and I'd be all like "What did he say?" LOL's!

Thanks for helping during Katrina👍❤...........Been around that accent and variations of my whole life...........if you stay in Louisiana long enough......especially Houma and Grand Isle you'll have that accent......like it or not🤣.............Coach O unloaded shrimp boats growing up.......so did I for a few summers no work permit needed........so I'll always have a soft spot for him👍

[AuburnNTexas 7,133]

6 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

Thanks for helping during Katrina👍❤...........Been around that accent and variations of my whole life...........if you stay in Louisiana long enough......especially Houma and Grand Isle you'll have that accent......like it or not🤣.............Coach O unloaded shrimp boats growing up.......so did I for a few summers no work permit needed........so I'll always have a soft spot for him👍

Great story about the shrimp boats.  I used to go down to New Orleans for an old boys rugby tournament and a few of the players from some of the Louisiana teams were Cajuns. I loved listening to them talk. What was funny they could talk so we could understand or they could talk so we couldn't.  

[AU64 10,122]

Late to the thread...but pivotal game is Oregon IMO.....find out what the QB situation looks like …..otherwise taking them one at a time and every game can be a turning point if it goes badly......

[AuburnNTexas 7,133]

1 hour ago, Shady Hollow AU said:

Texas A&M.

They are outpacing us in facilities, coaching and now recruiting.

How long before we're considered 4th best program in the West?

Starting conference play 0-1 is bad enough for this season, but might signal them slotting in above us in the West for the foreseeable future.

We need that one for this year and beyond.

 

 I agree Texas is prime recruiting ground and they are starting to  pull in a really good class this year. They are at 11 with 15 players and we are at 19 with 13. players Their Player average is 3..67 and ours is 3.46 that said when JUCO ranks come out I believe our per player rank will go up..  We can't start the SEC 0-1 , we have to find a way to beat them and build some momentum for the rest of the season. It will be tough playing at A&M  as they have some great talent  and a pretty darn good coach.

 

[ellitor 33,076]

1 hour ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Should have been competitive in every game last year.

Make that what? The last 4 or 5 years @McLoofus?

[keesler 5,924]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Ugh. I hate seeing it phrased this way. Not that you shouldn't phrase it this way, because it's of course the most accurate way of saying it. I just hate to think of losing this staff, especially on defense. 

As sad as it is, the entire AU staff has fallen short (one side much more than the other) but they all have to go if they can't pick up the freaking pace and show some improvement in the W-L column.  Everyone of them are pulling way to much salary to consistently chalk up 4-5 losses a year.  JMO

[TigerFanAU 586]

2 hours ago, aujeff11 said:

The opener isn’t very critical for us. Would suck to lose, but still not the end of the world. We lost to Clemson in 2017  and still bound for the CFP if we beat Georgia again. This year may be different,

I think Oregon is huge. 2017 and 2019 environment's are totally different. Gus hadn't signed a massive extension in 2017. Then he lays a huge egg the next season -- maybe 70% of the fanbase has given up at this point, and ready for the next guy.

He was also still living off a little of the 2013 success in 2017. Now add in the historic basketball success and baseball success of 2018, and Gus has pretty much become the third favorite coach amongst the big 3....

And he did it to himself. I'm really pulling for the guy for the sake of Auburn athletics as a whole. I'd love to have 3 championship-caliber coaches at the big 3 sports, but skeptical he's willing to adapt and change.

[McLoofus 35,182]

37 minutes ago, TigerFanAU said:

I think Oregon is huge. 2017 and 2019 environment's are totally different. Gus hadn't signed a massive extension in 2017. Then he lays a huge egg the next season -- maybe 70% of the fanbase has given up at this point, and ready for the next guy.

Also, win Clemson or LSU in 2017, maybe we still get in. Win them both, and we definitely get in. 

Early games matter this year from a recruiting perspective, too. Recruits normally don't count wins and losses but it's well known that Gus's job isn't safe if he doesn't win early and often this year. Some of the kids we're in on are in wait and see mode. And then there's the matter of setting the tone in the locker room.

Hell yes an opening week game against a top-12 team is critical. 

[DAG 33,957]

44 minutes ago, TigerFanAU said:

I think Oregon is huge. 2017 and 2019 environment's are totally different. Gus hadn't signed a massive extension in 2017. Then he lays a huge egg the next season -- maybe 70% of the fanbase has given up at this point, and ready for the next guy.

He was also still living off a little of the 2013 success in 2017. Now add in the historic basketball success and baseball success of 2018, and Gus has pretty much become the third favorite coach amongst the big 3....

And he did it to himself. I'm really pulling for the guy for the sake of Auburn athletics as a whole. I'd love to have 3 championship-caliber coaches at the big 3 sports, but skeptical he's willing to adapt and change.

 

1 minute ago, McLoofus said:

Also, win Clemson or LSU in 2017, maybe we still get in. Win them both, and we definitely get in. 

Early games matter this year from a recruiting perspective, too. Recruits normally don't count wins and losses but it's well known that Gus's job isn't safe if he doesn't win early and often this year. Some of the kids we're in on are in wait and see mode. And then there's the matter of setting the tone in the locker room.

Hell yes an opening week game against a top-12 team is critical. 

Not to mention Clemson was coming off a national championship , ranked #3 and at home. Granted they had a new QB, but KB had time to grow behind Watson and was being hyped as another Cam Type. Clemson also had that vaulted defensive line everybody raved about coming into that season. I highly doubt many people expected us to come out of their with a victory. Oregon is traveling down south , does not have the same talent we have and will not be an unanimous favorite , if they are the favorite at all.

[aujeff11 6,243]

50 minutes ago, TigerFanAU said:

I think Oregon is huge. 2017 and 2019 environment's are totally different. Gus hadn't signed a massive extension in 2017. Then he lays a huge egg the next season -- maybe 70% of the fanbase has given up at this point, and ready for the next guy.

He was also still living off a little of the 2013 success in 2017. Now add in the historic basketball success and baseball success of 2018, and Gus has pretty much become the third favorite coach amongst the big 3....

And he did it to himself. I'm really pulling for the guy for the sake of Auburn athletics as a whole. I'd love to have 3 championship-caliber coaches at the big 3 sports, but skeptical he's willing to adapt and change.

None of that changes the fact that he can recover from a week one loss. Mostly agree.

[kevon67 2,368]

1 hour ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Great story about the shrimp boats.  I used to go down to New Orleans for an old boys rugby tournament and a few of the players from some of the Louisiana teams were Cajuns. I loved listening to them talk. What was funny they could talk so we could understand or they could talk so we couldn't.  

Coach O tells the story of getting a job coaching and threw his shovel in the bayou which back then 1 shovel= weeks wages............Our beloved Brandon Johnson and Eward Graham both unloaded shrimp boats in their younger days.........Most of Brandon's family crabbed and oystered......Edward's dad owned a very successful seafood buisness in the 70's and 80's..........most crew boats you see in Louisiana were built by the Graham family.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

1 hour ago, keesler said:

As sad as it is, the entire AU staff has fallen short (one side much more than the other) but they all have to go if they can't pick up the freaking pace and show some improvement in the W-L column.  Everyone of them are pulling way to much salary to consistently chalk up 4-5 losses a year.  JMO

The D side has earned that money. On the other side, not so much. 

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

13 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

None of that changes the fact that he can recover from a week one loss. Mostly agree.

Losing that game leaves little room to lose another one. Gus has to win it. 

[DAG 33,957]

3 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

The D side has earned that money. On the other side, not so much. 

I don’t know why this is so hard to understand, especially when we have an offensive minded coach . I remember when the consensus thought was we just needed an average defense to hit the next level with Gus at the helm, now the hope is for the defense to be reason for us being competitive. 

 

[ellitor 33,076]

3 minutes ago, DAG said:

I don’t know why this is so hard to understand, especially when we have an offensive minded coach . I remember when the consensus thought was we just needed an average defense to hit the next level with Gus at the helm, now the hope is for the defense to be reason for us being competitive. 

 

Don't know if true or not but Hunter48 who is well connected to the program says Muschamp scared part of the Good O out of Gus. Says he got Gus to change the way he subs as in subbing between plays a lot instead of letting units run coomplete series like he used to.

[kevon67 2,368]

2 hours ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Great story about the shrimp boats.  I used to go down to New Orleans for an old boys rugby tournament and a few of the players from some of the Louisiana teams were Cajuns. I loved listening to them talk. What was funny they could talk so we could understand or they could talk so we couldn't.  

Thing about the majority of the Cajuns are extremely hospitable..........if they are feeding you and you leave hungry it's on you lol.

[kevon67 2,368]

 

5 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Don't know if true or not but Hunter48 who is well connected to the program says Muschamp scared part of the Good O out of Gus. Says he got Gus to change the way he subs as in subbing between plays a lot instead of letting units run coomplete series like he used to.

Makes sense.....especially time line.

[aujeff11 6,243]

30 minutes ago, WarDamnEagleWDE said:

Losing that game leaves little room to lose another one. Gus has to win it. 

Yet we have wiggled out of a similar hole and into second of the CFP rankings as late as conference championship weekend. It took three losses to knock us out of the CFP that year. Being non conference and the game being so early helps assuming it is a hypothetically close loss. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

23 minutes ago, DAG said:

remember when the consensus thought was we just needed an average defense to hit the next level

Well then I agree. The defensive side “earned their money.”

[keesler 5,924]

44 minutes ago, DAG said:

I don’t know why this is so hard to understand, especially when we have an offensive minded coach . I remember when the consensus thought was we just needed an average defense to hit the next level with Gus at the helm, now the hope is for the defense to be reason for us being competitive. 

 

Well I think they fielded an average D last season by SEC standards so they earned their pay I guess.  

I just feel like they gave up a lot of yards in SEC games.  It's a defense that makes big plays (sack/TFL) and gives up big plays.

AU Team Defense Ranks - SEC Games where AU went 3-5

• 3rd down conversions > 8th
• Plays of 10+ yds allowed per game > 10th
• Plays of 20+ yds allowed per game > 10th
• Plays of 30+ yds allowed per game > 13th

They will absolutely have to play better this season, because they're facing some pretty good offenses with a few veteran QBs/RBs/WRs.

The entire Staff has to pick up their game across the board this year.

 

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

45 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Don't know if true or not but Hunter48 who is well connected to the program says Muschamp scared part of the Good O out of Gus. Says he got Gus to change the way he subs as in subbing between plays a lot instead of letting units run coomplete series like he used to.

Im trying to wrap my mind around why he listened to Muschamp about offense. I have to belive that isnt true or Gus is dumber than I thought possible.

[DAG 33,957]

1 hour ago, ellitor said:

Don't know if true or not but Hunter48 who is well connected to the program says Muschamp scared part of the Good O out of Gus. Says he got Gus to change the way he subs as in subbing between plays a lot instead of letting units run coomplete series like he used to.

That is pretty beta if that is true tbh .

[McLoofus 35,182]

12 minutes ago, AU80cruiser said:

Im trying to wrap my mind around why he listened to Muschamp about offense. I have to belive that isnt true or Gus is dumber than I thought possible.

I'd understand if Muschamp was able to bully Gus into believing that. What I wouldn't understand is if Gus is still doing things how Muschamp told him to 3 years later, especially when it clearly doesn't work. It would also be kind of bizarre if Gus listened to a defensive coordinator... one who is famous for having horrific offenses as a head coach... when he won't even listen to his... offensive... coordinators...

[DAG 33,957]

35 minutes ago, keesler said:

Well I think they fielded an average D last season by SEC standards so they earned their pay I guess.  

I just feel like they gave up a lot of yards in SEC games.  It's a defense that makes big plays (sack/TFL) and gives up big plays.

AU Team Defense Ranks - SEC Games where AU went 3-5

• 3rd down conversions > 8th
• Plays of 10+ yds allowed per game > 10th
• Plays of 20+ yds allowed per game > 10th
• Plays of 30+ yds allowed per game > 13th

They will absolutely have to play better this season, because they're facing some pretty good offenses with a few veteran QBs/RBs/WRs.

The entire Staff has to pick up their game across the board this year.

 

And that is fine. My biggest concern, however, is, are they keeping people out the end zone? You can run up and down the field all day, but if you aren't converting, it is just fluff. Auburn defense gave up 19 PPG last year. That was tied with UGA. Bama gave up 18 ppg. Auburn was 4th in this regard for the SEC.  They were 6th in rushing defense and 7th in passing defense in the SEC. 8th in total defense in the SEC. So, yes, they need improvement. However, I do not like standalone stats so how about we look at their counterpart

Auburn offense: 9th in the SEC in passing offense, 10th in rushing offense, 8th in scoring offense and 11th in total offense. With an OFFENSIVE GURU at HC.

Below standards in every category.  One is not equal to the other.