Middle Ground?

[AUght2win 6,813]

In the age of the internet, most of us don't have nuanced views on things. Whether it's politics, sports, whatever - people are so all-or-nothing and dogmatic.

Two weeks ago the board was in unison that Gus had to go. Now it's in unison that Gus is the future and his detractors must go. Maybe the answer, like most things in life, is a middle ground?

Gus' win over the Turds was fantastic. It salvaged a season. He showed some of the ingenuity that reminded us all how uniquely brilliant he can be. It was a big victory and every last one of us should savor it, no doubt about it.

But sixty minutes doesn't absolve Gus from everything he has done or failed to do over the past 7 seasons. This year, he has shown this offense won't work without major adjustments to the playbook, the staff, and/or the play calling responsibilities. We still have serious O-Line and development issues. And we are still just a pathetic 7-14 against our rivals under Gus. 

So how about we congratulate Gus and the team for this Iron Bowl classic, cheer for them with all our hearts going into 2020, but not be so bipolar as to take all the heat off Gus. In 2020, he should still be coaching for his job. His 8th season is not a rebuilding year. We need results. Let's root for Gus to get those results, and be prepared to hold him accountable if he doesn't.

[AURealist 2,185]

lsu,uga,uat

2-5, 2-6, 3-4

Gus has 7 wins and 15 losses.  

He returns next year.  Let's hope he improves.  

[C'viewTiger 242]

1 hour ago, AUght2win said:

Two weeks ago the board was in unison that Gus had to go. Now it's in unison that Gus is the future and his detractors must go. 

I would never say this board is in unison about anything Gus other than he is AU’s HC. 

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

1 hour ago, AUght2win said:

In the age of the internet, most of us don't have nuanced views on things. Whether it's politics, sports, whatever - people are so all-or-nothing and dogmatic.

Two weeks ago the board was in unison that Gus had to go. Now it's in unison that Gus is the future and his detractors must go. Maybe the answer, like most things in life, is a middle ground?

Gus' win over the Turds was fantastic. It salvaged a season. He showed some of the ingenuity that reminded us all how uniquely brilliant he can be. It was a big victory and every last one of us should savor it, no doubt about it.

But sixty minutes doesn't absolve Gus from everything he has done or failed to do over the past 7 seasons. This year, he has shown this offense won't work without major adjustments to the playbook, the staff, and/or the play calling responsibilities. We still have serious O-Line and development issues. And we are still just a pathetic 7-14 against our rivals under Gus. 

So how about we congratulate Gus and the team for this Iron Bowl classic, cheer for them with all our hearts going into 2020, but not be so bipolar as to take all the heat off Gus. In 2020, he should still be coaching for his job. His 8th season is not a rebuilding year. We need results. Let's root for Gus to get those results, and be prepared to hold him accountable if he doesn't.

Another "fan" gonna "hold Gus accountable". I'm sure he's shaking in his shoes. How long til you figured out what happened on the last play dude? 7 years in a row of being in the top 10 at some point during the season? Malzahn is hoping he impresses you next season no doubt.

[aubaseball 2,582]

If the Lane Kiffin to ole miss is true, They instantly become a better team.   It’s a huge improvement from Luke.   Depending on who Arkansas goes after, the West is only going to get tougher.   

I stating all this to say, CGM better up his game.   

[bigbird 60,359]

9 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

7 years in a row of being in the top 10 at some point during the season?

Really? You're gonna grasp at this stat?

What's the saying, it's not how you start but how you finish? Who cares where we rank at some arbitrary point of the season if we end up with an avg 4 to 5 losses at the end.

[AUght2win 6,813]

15 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

Another "fan" gonna "hold Gus accountable". I'm sure he's shaking in his shoes. How long til you figured out what happened on the last play dude? 7 years in a row of being in the top 10 at some point during the season? Malzahn is hoping he impresses you next season no doubt.

lolololol

"Dude, Rick Porcello had a great year on the mound. Even though he had a 5.5 ERA, he had a shutout going at SOME point during every single game he pitched!"

[AURandy56 148]

The offense was better, and I give Gus credit for that. However, the real difference in the game was 2 pick 6's by the AU defense. If not for those 14 Points, AU loses. Yes, Gus will be back next year. Let's see how he does with a whole new offensive line and quite a few new faces on defense. 

[AUght2win 6,813]

10 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Really? You're gonna grasp at this stat?

What's the saying, it's not how you start but how you finish? Who cares where we rank at some arbitrary point of the season if we end up with an avg 4 to 5 losses at the end.

That guy's stat is honestly one of the worst I have ever seen to support an argument. It's so fantastic. "Even though Arkansas finished 2-10, they led a ranked Texas A&M team in the 3rd quarter of a game one time. So. There." 

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

29 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Really? You're gonna grasp at this stat?

What's the saying, it's not how you start but how you finish? Who cares where we rank at some arbitrary point of the season if we end up with an avg 4 to 5 losses at the end.

Here's a stat, less than a week after laying 34 pts against this Bama D y'all are already back with the bad O blather. Couldnt be the underachieving seniors on the O line, nope must be Malzahn's O.

Malzahn Derangement Syndrome. You read it here first. Kind of.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

6 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

Here's a stat, less than a week after laying 34 pts against this Bama D y'all are already back with the bad O blather. Couldnt be the underachieving seniors on the O line, nope must be Malzahn's O.

Malzahn Dementia Syndrome. You read it here first. Kind of.

He caused it? We read it here? First? Is there really such a thing or is this a Canuck concoction? 

[bigbird 60,359]

10 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

Here's a stat, less than a week after laying 34 pts against this Bama D y'all are already back with the bad O blather. Couldnt be the underachieving seniors on the O line, nope must be Malzahn's O.

Malzahn Derangement Syndrome. You read it here first. Kind of.

Since 2015

Avg O: 47.4

Avg D : 23.8

So yes, it's his bad offense we have issues with.

 

Malzahn Denial Syndrome is just as real.

[bigbird 60,359]

6 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

He caused it? We read it here? First? Is there really such a thing or is this a Canuck concoction? 

Like Hockey...no one really cares

[Swamp Eagle 5,127]

52 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

Another "fan" gonna "hold Gus accountable". I'm sure he's shaking in his shoes. How long til you figured out what happened on the last play dude? 7 years in a row of being in the top 10 at some point during the season? Malzahn is hoping he impresses you next season no doubt.

Superfan speaks.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

Like Hockey...no one really cares

Does he mean dementia or derangement? He quoted both...these are serious conditions, indeed. No doubt about it. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

19 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

Here's a stat, less than a week after laying 34 pts against this Bama D y'all are already back with the bad O blather. Couldnt be the underachieving seniors on the O line, nope must be Malzahn's O.

Malzahn Derangement Syndrome. You read it here first. Kind of.

Whose fault is that though?  The offense starts and stops with Malzahn.  He recruited every single one of those guys.  So if they're underachieving, he gets blame.  Pretty damn simple.

Also, "this Bama D" was pretty bad this year.  Gave up 46 to LSU, 34 to our offense, 23 to an atrocious South Carolina offense, 31 to Ole Miss, and 28 to an average Aggies team.

Basically I'm telling you that you're argument is fundamentally flawed.

[bigbird 60,359]

2 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

Does he mean dementia or derangement? He quoted both...these are serious conditions, indeed. No doubt about it. 

Maybe that answers your question

[Win4AU 4,050]

Oh Good.  Another thread to complain about Gus.  Offense sucks, can’t develop Qb, can’t recruit Oline, can’t beat UGA, LSU, Bama, He’s an 8-5 high school coach with an elementary passing scheme, can’t win bowl games, chews double bubble, 9-3, about to be back to back Pac 12 champ.  What did I miss?  

[bigbird 60,359]

1 minute ago, Brad_ATX said:

Whose fault is that though?  The offense starts and stops with Malzahn.  He recruited every single one of those guys.  So if they're underachieving, he gets blame.  Pretty damn simple.

Don't forget he brought back JB, kept him after last year, and isn't getting rid of him now

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,391]

Gus’s flashes of brilliance against Bammer is the main reason he is still at AU.

He’s been average outside of that.

 I’m hoping Gus can turn the corner this next year and win two out of three against our big three rivals.

My guess is that this time next year the fan base will either be on the bus or off it, once and for all

[bigbird 60,359]

2 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Oh Good.  Another thread to complain about Gus.  Offense sucks, can’t develop Qb, can’t recruit Oline, can’t beat UGA, LSU, Bama, He’s an 8-5 high school coach with an elementary passing scheme, can’t win bowl games, chews double bubble, 9-3, about to be back to back Pac 12 champ.  What did I miss?  

To remove these threads from the main board, all you need to do is press Alt F4 and it'll hide them automatically

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

11 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Oh Good.  Another thread to complain about Gus.  Offense sucks, can’t develop Qb, can’t recruit Oline, can’t beat UGA, LSU, Bama, He’s an 8-5 high school coach with an elementary passing scheme, can’t win bowl games, chews double bubble, 9-3, about to be back to back Pac 12 champ.  What did I miss?  

I don't see how objectively looking at his numbers on offense and overall record against our rivals is complaining.  The numbers aren't pretty.  It takes some serious spin to suggest otherwise.

Look, congrats to the man for going 9-3 against a tough schedule.  I still believe he left at least two wins on the field with some bad decisions, but whatever, it is what it is now.  But I'm not going to get all crazy about him just because he beat Bama.  And I know we hate it when Bama fans say it, but the truth is that we likely lose that game if Tua is on the field.  Even without Tua, we were this close from overtime.

I want consistency.  If he can go back it up against an easier schedule next year, then he starts getting more goodwill.  But the offense needs to be better against top teams and we have to clip either UGA or LSU next year.  With the schedule, 10-2 should be the minimum expectation.  However I think his recruiting problems on the O-Line are going to bite us in the ass next season.

[Win4AU 4,050]

3 minutes ago, bigbird said:

To remove these threads from the main board, all you need to do is press Alt F4 and it'll hide them automatically

I’m not a mod.  This isn’t communist Russia. You guys want to start a new thread every couple days beating the same dead horse and regurgitate the same dribble more power to ya.  Maybe a mod can combine them into a Gus sucks thread.

[bigbird 60,359]

3 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I’m not a mod.  This isn’t communist Russia. You guys want to start a new thread every couple days beating the same dead horse and regurgitate the same dribble more power to ya.  Maybe a mod can combine them into a Gus sucks thread.

But the OP wasn't a bashing post. Neither have any of the others. Well, except mine about Hockey...but again who cares?

[lca408 366]

I think part of what might have saved him this year (if he hadn’t beaten Bammer) is the whole “true freshman QB” thing. He can always use the “brand new O line” thing next year. But at some point, it has to be enough.

Quite frankly, I feel like 2018 was THE year for him. Returning highly thought of QB, mostly veteran O-line, a lot of very talented receivers, great defense, etc. He didn’t have much of an excuse and whayda know? It was a big turd sandwich outside of the Washington game. 

I guess I’m on the little step of the bus just before you step onto it. That Iron Bowl win has given me so much comedic enjoyment since it ended that I love the guy again - at least a little bit. He needs to be able to show that things are actually improving at Auburn, as opposed to staying static. I can credit him for not letting things get worse than 7-5 or 8-4, but it’s not improving either. He’s basically maintaining the status quo. That’s not getting us anywhere. Orgeron has now outclassed him as a coach in terms of the improvement of the program, and there are at least 2-3 other coaches currently in the league that have done the same, possibly 1-2 more that could in the future as well. 

Recruiting is great, keeping guys graduating and out of trouble is great, and beating the hell out of Arkansas and ole miss is great too, but it’s time to start developing players and improving the program to the point where it can actually win a championship and get to the playoffs every now and then. We’re not at that point and haven’t been since 2013, a year that saw us get a lot of lucky breaks to get where we were anyway. I’m not asking or expecting undefeated seasons every year. I’d just like to beat the rivals more consistently and be in contention late in the year.