How has Gus split the fan base?

[DAG 33,980]

My gosh if we had Lincoln Riley..and yes I know his team loss to Kansas state before anyone says anything .

[keesler 5,924]

14 hours ago, abw0004 said:

Those that like him (like me) know what he is capable of.  His offense took us to two national championships and three SEC Championships.  It’s not that we are complacent.  We just have seen what he can do.

 

I see your position abw, you know what CGM was capable of doing and you hope he can do it again.

Les Miles was much more accomplished SEC HC than Gus and he had the hardware in the trophy case to prove it.  Yet, Miles absolutely refused to evolve his offense, he hired multiple OC's and he still continued to stay in the dinosaur age with those schemes, it was literally his downfall.  And as we all know, it took Orgeron a couple of years to make a change, he hired Joe Brady from the Saints to come in and flip that switch in a single off-season. 

CGM has shown no willingness to hire a staffer and allow them to can take full control of the entire offense and evolve the schemes.  He used poor judgement when evaluating some of the key players that would be needed to run his offense.  We know his deficiencies with roster management and QB development, and evaluating and recruiting an oline.  

What chaps some people is the pre-season pablum he fed the media this year.  He recognized that a change in philosophy was needed, he recognized the predictability of his scheme HAD to change.  He specifically noted that HE had to evolve the offense and create new ways to move the ball down the field.  He promised a New Day in AU's offense, yet here we are 8 games in and some of the exact same tendencies from the past are very prevalent in today's game plan.   It's maddening. 

 

[leglessdan 1,934]

See...I feel the folks that still use bammers success as an excuse are still simply missing the point of the angst of the folks that are just done with Gus. Maybe it was at some point so I'll give you that much. As of late, I'd say it's more Clemson, Georgia and recently LSU and Florida. Even that doesn't really address the real root issue. As pointed out by some, the offense is just stale, boring and predictable. We haven't developed a QB in over a decade and this year is showing signs of the same. There's no adjustments to tweak things to the players, just the same old forced offense with mixed results. We beat the teams we should(most of the time at least) and crap the bed against similarly talented teams with the occasional outlier. The reason the man was hired was to put an effective, competent and competitive offense on the field, but more times than not it looks like a clown show that is totally unprepared for the adversity a good team will present to it. The same responses are given that we'll fix this, that's on me, I gotta do better, I'm putting them in bad situations etc yet there's never the corrections. For 5 years we've watched this man's teams look unprepared and leave countless wins on the field.
I'd also say of course expectations have changed since days past. The game has changed. The talent pool is much bigger these days we've been recruiting fairly damn well. The whole landscape is more competitive, we have the playoffs now with more opportunities to get in there and play for a championship. It's not just Auburn fans, I assure you fans from Florida, LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Penn St. Etc want to get that shot to play in there as well.

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, keesler said:

I see your position abw, you know what CGM was capable of doing and you hope he can do it again.

Les Miles was much more accomplished SEC HC than Gus and he had the hardware in the trophy case to prove it.  Yet, Miles absolutely refused to evolve his offense, he hired multiple OC's and he still continued to stay in the dinosaur age with those schemes, it was literally his downfall.  And as we all know, it took Orgeron a couple of years to make a change, he hired Joe Brady from the Saints to come in and flip that switch in a single off-season. 

CGM has shown no willingness to hire a staffer and allow them to can take full control of the entire offense and evolve the schemes.  He used poor judgement when evaluating some of the key players that would be needed to run his offense.  We know his deficiencies with roster management and QB development, and evaluating and recruiting an oline.  

What chaps some people is the pre-season pablum he fed the media this year.  He recognized that a change in philosophy was needed, he recognized the predictability of his scheme HAD to change.  He specifically noted that HE had to evolve the offense and create new ways to move the ball down the field.  He promised a New Day in AU's offense, yet here we are 8 games in and some of the exact same tendencies from the past are very prevalent in today's game plan.   It's maddening. 

 

Gus is boring, less successful Les Miles. 

[abw0004 10,110]

53 minutes ago, auburnphan said:

I don't understand your example.  They are not an either or decision.  One has absolutely zero binding on the other.     

So other schools direct their money to certain programs.  Auburn has really been investing in their campus, not just a singular item.  So instead of focusing on the stadium, Auburn has really been reinvesting in the academics.  For an example inside the example, Harbert.  When he pledged the $40 million he had contingencies.  In order to qualify for the full $40 million, Auburn's business school needed to use a lot of the money to increase our ranking of our business school. To develop and retain talented teachers.  I have three other major Auburn boosters that are doing something similar that I cannot name due to confidentiality purposes.  I have another client who just built Georgia Southern's version of our Student Center with similar contingencies.  He id not want it to go to athletics.  To your point, this may not be the reason our stadium isn't being updated as heavily, but it very well could be. Other powerhouses are not updating their campus at the rate we are, and that is from seeing it with my own eyes.  If that is the reason I am okay with this because I see Auburn as more than a football or basketball school.  I see it for what I experienced as part of my life was spent living in that wonderful town.

If I did not provide any more clarity there I can give another example, although unrelated and crude.  You are not as affected in losing touch with a friend or losing the friendship altogether as you would breaking up with a significant other.  Why?  With the significant other you spend time, money, and your heart on that person.  I hope that made more sense.  If not, just let me know.

[DAG 33,980]

Great discussion guys and @abw0004 keep fighting the good fight lol. Sorry buddy I just don’t have it anymore to defend Gus. 

[abw0004 10,110]

42 minutes ago, keesler said:

I see your position abw, you know what CGM was capable of doing and you hope he can do it again.

Les Miles was much more accomplished SEC HC than Gus and he had the hardware in the trophy case to prove it.  Yet, Miles absolutely refused to evolve his offense, he hired multiple OC's and he still continued to stay in the dinosaur age with those schemes, it was literally his downfall.  And as we all know, it took Orgeron a couple of years to make a change, he hired Joe Brady from the Saints to come in and flip that switch in a single off-season. 

CGM has shown no willingness to hire a staffer and allow them to can take full control of the entire offense and evolve the schemes.  He used poor judgement when evaluating some of the key players that would be needed to run his offense.  We know his deficiencies with roster management and QB development, and evaluating and recruiting an oline.  

What chaps some people is the pre-season pablum he fed the media this year.  He recognized that a change in philosophy was needed, he recognized the predictability of his scheme HAD to change.  He specifically noted that HE had to evolve the offense and create new ways to move the ball down the field.  He promised a New Day in AU's offense, yet here we are 8 games in and some of the exact same tendencies from the past are very prevalent in today's game plan.   It's maddening. 

 

I completely understand where the other side is coming from.  I never had an issue with that and I think you would agree as you and I have had many cordial discussions on it.  This forum is for discussion after all right?  The issue I have are how others treat people when they disagree.  It has really gotten out of hand.  Go back one page and I pointed an exact response out to phan from a new poster who doesn't even have 50 posts yet of this issue.  For expressing how I view things (respectfully and cordially) others facepalm me or say "That is beyond pathetic."  That is how things escalate and that is how respected posters get run off.  This is what I am working hard to change, even if I have to do it by myself.

[AUFriction 1,179]

1 hour ago, auburnphan said:

I don't understand your example.  They are not an either or decision.  One has absolutely zero binding on the other.     

I think the point he is trying to make is that the fans that are getting super bent out of shape about two top 10 losses are people who literally live for football. Their identity revolves around it, so they only care about seeing football be successful. The people that are most likely to feel that way are the sidewalk alumni, who really only connect to Auburn through sports. Of course, I knew plenty of students at Auburn that majored in football trivia, and barely went to class.

The people that are pulling for Auburn out of love for the university rather than obsession with football are less inclined to react emotionally because football is just a small piece of who they are rather than being the vast majority of their identity. Thus, those people are less emotionally invested in us being the absolute best, and are more able to rationally interpret what’s going on with the team.

 

[abw0004 10,110]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

When Gus's apologists do their apologizing, they can only do so by displacing blame onto those people around Gus.

That is provocative and you know it.  There are definitely better ways of wording that.  Statements like these are why we are divided.  Nothing can bring us back together until both sides are willing to put an end to shots like these.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

14 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

That is provocative and you know it.  There are definitely better ways of wording that.  Statements like these are why we are divided.  Nothing can bring us back together until both sides are willing to put an end to shots like these.

So true on so many levels....

[oracle79 3,569]

6 hours ago, gr82be said:

The only Top 10 team that has beat us this year is AUBURN.

Wow. Now that I think about it, with Gus as head coach, the team that beats Auburn the most is Auburn. In fact, if you take away his losses to Auburn, he is probably close to undefeated.  Still doesn't make me feel any better though, because Auburn could appear on our schedule at any time and beat us.

[AUsince72 11,084]

I just wanted to point out one/two things...

1) I see some posters in the various threads now, that are surprised how many predicted a larger point spread but are still upset at AU's "close" loss to LSU (maybe UF too).

As I always point out... it ain't the fact that they lost.  We expect losses (even the mighty bammer rarely goes undefeated).  Again, it's how bad, inept, bland & stubborn the Offensive play-calling & player-utilization was that turned what ended up SHOULD HAVE been a 2 TD victory into a close loss that 100% wasted one of the best defensive efforts of the year (after all, the D had TWO opponents Saturday, which some of us fully expected) that's got us so upset.

2) Also the same posters are now pointing out their surprise at many of the skeptics & realists are saying that Auburn should be able to beat Georgia at home and potentially give bammer a run at home too. 

Seems to me that very few are predicting victory with those statements.....they're mostly just looking at Auburn's Defense & Offensive personnel and thinking "if we had just a semblance of the offensive genius Gus seemed to be 10 years ago Auburn would be up there with the bammers, tOSU's, Clemson's...".  It's insane to see this talent and not feel like Auburn should be able to play with anybody.  Auburn SHOULD be able to beat thUga handily. ...SHOULD, SHOULD, SHOULD...

**Please note, the common denominator in both "let downs".  It's this Offense that is SO bad, we truly feel like it's the SCLSU Mud Dogs Offense off of the pages of The Waterboy script. ....and we're talking BEFORE Bobby Boucher joined the team.  So yes, many may seem like they're contradicting themselves but it's truly a case of NOT wanting to pick against Auburn.....and maybe they don't, or just can't....  Also, yes, Auburn SHOULD beat GA......but with this Offense, they probably won't.  The Schizo Offense has created Schizo predictions during the Auburn Football season. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

27 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

I think the point he is trying to make is that the fans that are getting super bent out of shape about two top 10 losses are people who literally live for football. Their identity revolves around it, so they only care about seeing football be successful. The people that are most likely to feel that way are the sidewalk alumni, who really only connect to Auburn through sports. Of course, I knew plenty of students at Auburn that majored in football trivia, and barely went to class.

The people that are pulling for Auburn out of love for the university rather than obsession with football are less inclined to react emotionally because football is just a small piece of who they are rather than being the vast majority of their identity. Thus, those people are less emotionally invested in us being the absolute best, and are more able to rationally interpret what’s going on with the team.

Oh. Y'all are playing the "did you graduate" and "if you complain about football you have no life" cards. In a thread asking about a split fanbase, this is a great way to find common ground.

I see Prince Pearl Clutcher is grateful for this post, and that he is complaining about other people being provocative and taking shots. 

Y'all are something else, man. 

 

 

[TigerFanAU 586]

52 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

This is what I am working hard to change, even if I have to do it by myself.

Winning cures all. Gus isn't winning big games. 

And why shouldn't people be upset? Our university agreed to a massive financial contract with Gus, yet our season is already over, AGAIN. It was a wreckless and embarrassing contract. People are tired of Gus. I like Gus the person, but I don't like him as Auburn's football coach.

[aucom96 1,618]

30 minutes ago, AUFriction said:

The people that are pulling for Auburn out of love for the university rather than obsession with football are less inclined to react emotionally because football is just a small piece of who they are rather than being the vast majority of their identity. Thus, those people are less emotionally invested in us being the absolute best, and are more able to rationally interpret what’s going on with the team.

 

This isn't about two losses and I think you know that. This is about recognizing a pattern and that it's causing us to slowly fall behind. 

Personally, I expect Malzahn to probably be here three or four more years with about the same 7 or 8 wins per season. I'm past being all that emotional about it. I'd love to see Auburn go in another direction, because quite frankly (outside of Steele's defense) it's ugly football. It's always been ugly football. Every time I see us try and get 2 yards on third down with a trick play that takes 6 seconds to execute, I get a little more resigned to it but even when it succeeds, I rarely feel it's a well-functioning machine. We can do better, of that I have no doubt. But we could be in a worse place too, I don't doubt that either. We're paying a lot for a notch above average, though. 

[abw0004 10,110]

11 minutes ago, TigerFanAU said:

Winning cures all. Gus isn't winning big games. 

And why shouldn't people be upset? Our university agreed to a massive financial contract with Gus, yet our season is already over, AGAIN. It was a wreckless and embarrassing contract. People are tired of Gus. I like Gus the person, but I don't like him as Auburn's football coach.

Like I said above, it isn't about people being upset with the product on the field.  What you quoted was about how people are treating others on this site that leads to major confrontation.

[abw0004 10,110]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Oh. Y'all are playing the "did you graduate" and "if you complain about football you have no life" cards. In a thread asking about a split fanbase, this is a great way to find common ground.

I see Prince Pearl Clutcher is grateful for this post, and that he is complaining about other people being provocative and taking shots. 

Y'all are something else, man. 

It is amazing how someone who is twice as old as me lacks this much maturity and is a big part of the problem.  You are taking what was said way out of context.

[auburnphan 6,050]

1 hour ago, abw0004 said:

So other schools direct their money to certain programs.  Auburn has really been investing in their campus, not just a singular item.  So instead of focusing on the stadium, Auburn has really been reinvesting in the academics.  For an example inside the example, Harbert.  When he pledged the $40 million he had contingencies.  In order to qualify for the full $40 million, Auburn's business school needed to use a lot of the money to increase our ranking of our business school. To develop and retain talented teachers.  I have three other major Auburn boosters that are doing something similar that I cannot name due to confidentiality purposes.  I have another client who just built Georgia Southern's version of our Student Center with similar contingencies.  He id not want it to go to athletics.  To your point, this may not be the reason our stadium isn't being updated as heavily, but it very well could be. Other powerhouses are not updating their campus at the rate we are, and that is from seeing it with my own eyes.  If that is the reason I am okay with this because I see Auburn as more than a football or basketball school.  I see it for what I experienced as part of my life was spent living in that wonderful town.

If I did not provide any more clarity there I can give another example, although unrelated and crude.  You are not as affected in losing touch with a friend or losing the friendship altogether as you would breaking up with a significant other.  Why?  With the significant other you spend time, money, and your heart on that person.  I hope that made more sense.  If not, just let me know.

This is really how you think the University and the Athletic Department works?

[abw0004 10,110]

Just now, auburnphan said:

This is really how you think the University and the Athletic Department works?

I fully understand how the funding works yes because I work with this professionally.  This is a big part of what I do for a living.  Remember in that text were real life examples of what I work with everyday.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

25 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Wow. Now that I think about it, with Gus as head coach, the team that beats Auburn the most is Auburn. In fact, if you take away his losses to Auburn, he is probably close to undefeated.  Still doesn't make me feel any better though, because Auburn could appear on our schedule at any time and beat us.

You are ROLLING! #tears

[AUsince72 11,084]

2 hours ago, DAG said:

My gosh if we had Lincoln Riley..and yes I know his team loss to Kansas state before anyone says anything .

Add to his Offense, Coach Kevin Steele's Defense? 

 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

18 minutes ago, aucom96 said:

This isn't about two losses and I think you know that. This is about recognizing a pattern and that it's causing us to slowly fall behind. 

Personally, I expect Malzahn to probably be here three or four more years with about the same 7 or 8 wins per season. I'm past being all that emotional about it. I'd love to see Auburn go in another direction, because quite frankly (outside of Steele's defense) it's ugly football. It's always been ugly football. Every time I see us try and get 2 yards on third down with a trick play that takes 6 seconds to execute, I get a little more resigned to it but even when it succeeds, I rarely feel it's a well-functioning machine. We can do better, of that I have no doubt. But we could be in a worse place too, I don't doubt that either. We're paying a lot for a notch above average, though. 

Yes. Still waiting on Friction's solution. If I interpolate his responses, it has something to do with letting go of expectations on our parts, no matter what they are, because there is always a ReExAcSuOsNe why things are as they are.

[auburnphan 6,050]

9 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

I fully understand how the funding works yes because I work with this professionally.  This is a big part of what I do for a living.  Remember in that text were real life examples of what I work with everyday.

I get you are basing things off of assumptions.  If someone ponied up the money and JJ/Greene fundraised for it we could realistically have been improving the stadium while the other projects were happening.  The University never released a statement saying improvements to the stadium are on hold do to focusing on improvements in Academia.

If anything I would say Academia has succeeded and expanded, do to great leadership(despite Leathe) and a vision to lead the arms race.

Auburn Athletics has struggled with a lack of leadership and a vision to keep up with the Joneses and has instead put band aids on gashes.

[abw0004 10,110]

Just now, auburnphan said:

I get you are basing things off of assumptions.  If someone ponied up the money and JJ/Greene fundraised for it we could realistically have been improving the stadium while the other projects were happening.  The University never released a statement saying improvements to the stadium are on hold do to focusing on improvements in Academia.

If anything I would say Academia has succeeded and expanded, do to great leadership(despite Leathe) and a vision to lead the arms race.

Auburn Athletics has struggled with a lack of leadership and a vision to keep up with the Joneses and has instead put band aids on gashes.

Completely agree although it wasn't assumptions of my particular point.  If Greene fundraised it then yes that needs to go to the stadium or football facility.  Malzhan's $2,000,000 he donated for example.  What I was saying is you probably have more donations being directed at the academia in particular than other schools, or you have Auburn choosing to divert funds that were not earmarked for vital operations for campus upgrades over the stadium.  But I do agree with you.  👍

[cole256 17,051]

30 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

It is amazing how someone who is twice as old as me lacks this much maturity and is a big part of the problem.  You are taking what was said way out of context.

Have to disagree, loof is one of the most fair and objective posters on this board