Next year

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

1 hour ago, JBiGGiE said:

Didn't think it deserves it's on thread since there hasn't been a word about it, but what do we think happens coaching staff wise? Obviously Gus isn't going anywhere (unless a bombshell drops). So I'm curious as to what changes are made at the assistant level.

Personally I think the two with the most potential are Grimes (to "retirement") and Dillingham (possibly following Norvell now that it seems imminent that he takes a Power 5 gig)

Burns I could possibly see someone giving him a look at Offensive Coordinator (no Co- tag), though I have no clue who would possibly be looking.

Other than that I don't see many necessary staff changes or possible poachings. Thoughts?

I think best case scenario would be Chad Morris to OC.  He wouldn't be calling plays but he could help implement the more advanced passing game he added to Gus' run game while he was at Clemson.   How likely this is, I dunno.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

6 hours ago, Auctoritas said:

I will point out that Bama only played 2 tough teams this year. We played 5 this year - OU, UF, LSU, UGA, and UA. That's a hellacious schedule.

A 9-3 season is a good season. It's not a great season, but it is a good season, and is a reasonable floor in seasons like this IMO. But that's just me.

I've always thought that getting to the 9.66 wins per season on average is where AU should be.  That's 29 wins every three years.  If we can move our floor up to that range we would have more opportunities for SEC Championships and playoff births every 2-3 seasons.  I would love to get to this point and then keep building from there.

I don't know if our current HC can do that.

[caleb1633 1,418]

Kevin Steel will have the defense ready. I have learned to never doubt him. The big question mark will be on the offensive line. UGA and Bama are likely losses. LSU could be a win since it's at home and Burrow will be gone. Worst case scenario: 8-4. Best case scenario: 10-2. Most likely scenario: 9-3.

[AuburnTiger4Life 2,225]

23 minutes ago, caleb1633 said:

Kevin Steel will have the defense ready. I have learned to never doubt him. The big question mark will be on the offensive line. UGA and Bama are likely losses. LSU could be a win since it's at home and Burrow will be gone. Worst case scenario: 8-4. Best case scenario: 10-2. Most likely scenario: 9-3.

I wouldn’t say Bama is a likely loss even at their place. I don’t believe that defense is gonna get fixed in a year. UGA looks like our toughest game if their defense stays in tact 

[caleb1633 1,418]

6 hours ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

I wouldn’t say Bama is a likely loss even at their place. I don’t believe that defense is gonna get fixed in a year. UGA looks like our toughest game if their defense stays in tact 

Agreed that UGA is definitely the toughest game. Alabama at their house is the type of game that Gus lays an egg in though. It's a safer bet than thinking we'll win.

[Zeek 16,615]

13 hours ago, dyehardfanAU said:

I think best case scenario would be Chad Morris to OC.  He wouldn't be calling plays but he could help implement the more advanced passing game he added to Gus' run game while he was at Clemson.   How likely this is, I dunno.

That would be really intriguing. I don't imagine there will be much, if any, changes unless someone retires (coach Grimes maybe?) or gets hired to a higher position. Especially not until after the Early Signing Period and probably National Signing Day. It's a crappy thing to do but if Grimes were to retire (no evidence of this just a hypothetical) you wouldn't want to lose recruits because of his retiring. Get them signed on, let him retire saying it's not something he planned but thought and prayed about blah blah blah, break the bank for whichever OL coach we want.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

7 minutes ago, Zeek said:

That would be really intriguing. I don't imagine there will be much, if any, changes unless someone retires (coach Grimes maybe?) or gets hired to a higher position. Especially not until after the Early Signing Period and probably National Signing Day. It's a crappy thing to do but if Grimes were to retire (no evidence of this just a hypothetical) you wouldn't want to lose recruits because of his retiring. Get them signed on, let him retire saying it's not something he planned but thought and prayed about blah blah blah, break the bank for whichever OL coach we want.

Since we know any new hire would have to come from the extended Gus Malzahn Trust Tree, Inc. maybe we should look at Ryan Silverfield from Memphis as OL coach.  Maybe Matt Luke but I've been very impressed with the Memphis rung game behind Silverfield's lines.

[Zeek 16,615]

1 minute ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Since we know any new hire would have to come from the extended Gus Malzahn Trust Tree, Inc. maybe we should look at Ryan Silverfield from Memphis as OL coach.  Maybe Matt Luke but I've been very impressed with the Memphis rung game behind Silverfield's lines.

Yes, he's done a tremendous job opening up holes and their running backs are built like the prototypical "Georgia/Bama" backs of recent years. They frustrate my Knights every time we meet!

[Zeek 16,615]

Starting Lineup Next Year (IMO)

QB - Bo Nix

RB - Boobee Whitlow

HB - John Shenker

LT - Alec Jackson LG - Tashawn Manning C - Nick Brahms RG - Jalil Irvin RT - Brodarios Hamm (it's likely our JUCO guys will win some of these spots but Brahms needs to be the leader as the only returning starter)

WR - Seth Williams / Eli Stove / Anthony Schwartz / Shedrick Jackson / Matthew Hill (would be my top 5 in a 5-wide-set)

-------------

DE - Nick Coe

DT - Tyrone Truesdell and Coynis Miller

Buck - Big Kat Bryant

LB - Owen Pappoe / KJ Britt / McClain / Wooten (obvious 4 returning)

Safeties - Sherwood and Smoke (FUN)

Corners - Iggy / Tutt / McCreary / Peters

Siposs and Anders will keep their spots

We'll have a new holder with Sage graduating

Our returners should stay the same but our kick off return needs some work. No impact there typically and they tend to run right into tacklers too often.

[Zeek 16,615]

Love the way our schedule looks next year too. We will have a lot of hurdles with the OL rebuild but I'm happy Brahms is an upgrade from Kim and a returning starter to build around (people don't realize how important the Center position is in football). One thing Auburn fans won't like is playing Georgia in week 6 and LSU the week before Alabama (instead of our usual cupcake game before the Turds). Also, expect the media to be dangerously high on Auburn going into next season (after trashing Bo Nix they'll hype him up this year and assume Steele can reload on defense).

• Alcorn State
  • Easy win and the kind of game I prefer in week one. Some will disagree but I think it's extremely brutal playing teams like Oregon/Clemson in the first week especially with a completely retooled OL that will need time to gel. Hopefully we can come out and wear them down with our returning skill position players and watch as Cord Sandberg has a field day for the majority of the game.
• North Carolina (at the Atlanta stadium)
  • This is a game that fans should be weary of. The team and fans need to treat this game like the Oregon/Clemson out of conference games we've played in recent years. We cannot go into this game thinking it's an easy win and we should go in pissed off; Mack Brown is up there essentially buying recruits right out from under us and he already clowned the SEC when he made SCar look stupid. Whatever BS motivation is needed I hope we go into this game like it's a critical season changer. Until we see Georgia, this is our best look against a quality team with a savvy head coach.
• @ Ole $iss
  • We should clap them. New head coach and a program that has been spiraling for a minute now. It is a road game which adds to the difficulty but if Bo Nix improves throughout the offseason and the OL is serviceable, then there's no reason we don't win this one comfortably.
• Southern Miss
  • They're just not good. Don't let this be our annual Tulane/Utah State/JSU type game. Handle business and get ready for SEC play the following week.
• Kentucky
  • Man I hate these guys and I'm not sure why. It could be that we always seem to let them get closer than they should. Fortunately, it is at home and there isn't a lot of positive things going on for the Wildcats right now. Who they have at quarterback will make a big difference but this is a game where we can't get caught looking forward to Georgia.
• @ Georgia
  • We have to finally get a win in Athens. They likely lose Fromm, Swift will be gone, their #1 receiver will graduate, their tight end will graduate, their second string running back graduates, 5 of their starting defenders graduate (not including anyone who might leave early). They're the team who, consistently, we lose to when we shouldn't (this year included).
• Texas A&M
  • Honestly, I've expected more out of Jimbo's second year at the program. How this game goes largely depends on if Kellen Mond returns or not. He likely will. With him returning and our DL losing massive contributors this will be a game where we just can't seem to pull away. I do think we win, and not in a dramatic fashion, but it's stressful for the majority of the game.
• @ Moo $tate
  • I think we absolutely squash them coming off a bye week. Said it when Moorehead was hired, felt unsure after his first season, and now I'm reassured I was right; he's not very good. Their little spit fire young quarterback will be a nightmare again unless we magically develop an edge rusher. Still, our bipolar offense was able to call their shots against these mutts. Again, being on the road at Cow-Bell-Hell will add difficulty and the margin will likely be smaller but I can't imagine much drama here.
• Arkansas
  • Honestly, and most won't agree, I think Morris could still have turned things around. Now Arkansas will reset again and Gus will have fun making them look silly in JHS.
• UMass
  • Actually, I'm very annoyed about this matchup. Wish we would have scheduled Troy/UAB/USA/UNA or hell even Alabama State again. Not sure what this weird matchup gives us.
• LSU
  • Burreaux is gone, LSU might lose some big time coaches with all these vacancies opening up, they lose two of their OL (and no telling who else since playoff teams typically lose a lot early to the draft), and we're playing them at home. I actually like our odds here but it's truly going to be a tough game that I think wears us out before the Iron Bowl...
• @ Alabama
  • I think Alabama might be slipping a little. They're still very good but the loss of Jeudy/Ruggs/Smith/Najee will be huge for their offense. The defense isn't what it's been before and they'll lose a lot of talent as well. We probably should win this one but being on the road and playing LSU the week before I think we drop one we shouldn't.

Final result (10-2) 

[McLoofus 35,182]

20 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Love the way our schedule looks next year too.

Zero excuses not to be 5-0 with a fully functioning offense- and offensive line- going into the Georgia game. Zero. And our defense might take a step back but we have the best LB in the league going into the season and the rest should be decently seasoned by then. 

 It's not unreasonable to anticipate 10 wins and a top-5 ranking going into New Amen Corner. 

[Zeek 16,615]

3 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Zero excuses not to be 5-0 with a fully functioning offense- and offensive line- going into the Georgia game. Zero. And our defense might take a step back but we have the best LB in the league going into the season and the rest should be decently seasoned by then. 

 It's not unreasonable to anticipate 10 wins and a top-5 ranking going into New Amen Corner. 

Offense needs to get timing and communication down especially between Bo and receivers with an emphasis on spreading the ball around a little better

Defense needs to work on defending the middle of the field and playing a little more zone to potentially force more interceptions

Special teams needs punt and kick coverage and kick return blocking

These would be the things I'd be drilling over the offseason to take the next step.

Running Backs = BALL SECURITY AND FINISHING RUNS WITHOUT GETTING TRIPPED UP

[Auctoritas 2,826]

9 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

  New Amen Corner. 

Amen Corner-er? 

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Offense needs to get timing and communication down especially between Bo and receivers with an emphasis on spreading the ball around a little better

Defense needs to work on defending the middle of the field and playing a little more zone to potentially force more interceptions

Special teams needs punt and kick coverage and kick return blocking

These would be the things I'd be drilling over the offseason to take the next step.

Running Backs = BALL SECURITY AND FINISHING RUNS WITHOUT GETTING TRIPPED UP

No arguments here.

It will be interesting to see if Steele agrees with you about zone given the changing face(s) of the DL and secondary.

[abw0004 10,104]

I actually think Georgia will regress next year offensively with Swift and Fromm gone with some of their OL.  This is why I like playing them earlier in the year as they always seem to be terrible at the beginning of the season.

[keesler 5,924]

22 hours ago, abw0004 said:

I am becoming more and more convinced this is not a down year for Alabama and may start to become their norm.  The reason I say that is when Alabama was dominant, they controlled recruiting.  Now with recruits going to other schools like Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, etc they have less to choose from.  I actually think Alabama's dynasty is not as strong as it once was.  Their defense hasn't been as good for a few years now.

From your keystrokes to Gawd's ears.😉

[Tiger 8,817]

2 hours ago, abw0004 said:

I actually think Georgia will regress next year offensively with Swift and Fromm gone with some of their OL.  This is why I like playing them earlier in the year as they always seem to be terrible at the beginning of the season.

You think Fromm is gone after this year? He's still a junior right? I don't think he's done enough this season to validate throwing his name into the draft JMO

[Randman5000 4,224]

It's all going to be about the offensive line.

[Zeek 16,615]

12 minutes ago, Randman5000 said:

It's all going to be about the offensive line.

Sounds familiar

[AUpreacherman22 3,876]

On 12/4/2019 at 6:52 AM, bigbird said:

I have said that a few times, I think our OL has the potential to be better than the last two years. 

If that's true, we could be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the season.

We lose a TON, especially on both lines.  But I think the DL will be ok (not great) and the back 7 should be the strength of the team.  Bo and several playmakers will be back next year, so if the OL is better, with a more manageable schedule, we could have a pretty good year.  I am reserving judgement until much closer to next August, though. 

[Zeek 16,615]

13 minutes ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

If that's true, we could be pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the season.

We lose a TON, especially on both lines.  But I think the DL will be ok (not great) and the back 7 should be the strength of the team.  Bo and several playmakers will be back next year, so if the OL is better, with a more manageable schedule, we could have a pretty good year.  I am reserving judgement until much closer to next August, though. 

If Big Kat and Coe return (which I expect) our interior of the DL will be the only step back. I think our secondary and LBs will be better and it'll essentially balance out.

[DAG 33,955]

3 hours ago, abw0004 said:

I actually think Georgia will regress next year offensively with Swift and Fromm gone with some of their OL.  This is why I like playing them earlier in the year as they always seem to be terrible at the beginning of the season.

You said they would regress this year too. Really it all boils down to what our offense does in games like this. UGA has proven they don’t need a quality offense to defeat us.

[atl-tiger 655]

3 hours ago, abw0004 said:

I actually think Georgia will regress next year offensively with Swift and Fromm gone with some of their OL.  This is why I like playing them earlier in the year as they always seem to be terrible at the beginning of the season.

Isn't Fromm a JR?

[abw0004 10,104]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

You think Fromm is gone after this year? He's still a junior right? I don't think he's done enough this season to validate throwing his name into the draft JMO

It's 50/50 really.  He is pretty high on the QB boards.

3 minutes ago, DAG said:

You said they would regress this year too. Really it all boils down to what our offense does in games like this. UGA has proven they don’t need a quality offense to defeat us.

I did and they have regressed.  Not near as powerful from the year prior.  Their only saving grace this year was Fromm and Swift.  Next year they could be without both.

 

3 minutes ago, atl-tiger said:

Isn't Fromm a JR?

He is but on the draft boards he was pretty high, or at least at the beginning of the year.

[gravejd 3,269]

Man the SEC really gave us the finger putting LSU and bama back to back at the end of the year. I mean i prefer that over the chance to play UGA in the SEC championship game but dang.....that was cold blooded of the SEC