do you remember before Pat Dye?

[AURealist 2,185]

14 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

You're way out of your depth, homie. We aren't Bammer who will claim a MNC from the Escambia County Bass Pro Shop Poll. But it's all a moot point anyway, we're all betas compared to Princeton and Yale, who haven't played D1 in a century but still have more titles than anyone.

Your original point was Auburn didn't have a good history. That was also the original point of this thread. No, Auburn isn't a Top 5 program.

But to say Auburn is anything less than a top tier historic power is so hopelessly wrong. SO wrong. It's not even debatable. 

Please provide the quote where I said Auburn didn't have a good history.  

I said they weren't All-time Top 10 and someone provided the number in the #20 range (as I recall).  I took it for granted that we all know we're ground chuck past our sell-by date under Gus, but maybe I gave us too much credit.

I've explained the aim of my posts.  I believe the fans' belief that we are greater past/present than we were/are is detrimental to the program moving to a higher level now.

I expected to see a lot of push back for what I wrote.  That was kinda the point, right?  

I'm actually not trying to prove any points to you or anyone else.   Anyone can look at the numbers both past and present and can see exactly who we were and who we've become.  

Add:  I believe the purpose of the original post was to make us grateful for what we had because for a while there, we were trash. 

 

[AUBourne 425]

11 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

What?!? This is all arbitrary BS. Michigan, Texas and Nebraska haven't been contenders in decades. Does that invalidate their history? 

I dont even know what point your attempting to make now. Nobody is trying to take their trophies away. But they are not top 10 programs right now. They are not making the playoffs this year based on what they used to be.

[AUght2win 6,833]

1 minute ago, AURealist said:

Please provide the quote where I said Auburn didn't have a good history.  

I said they weren't All-time Top 10 and someone provided the number in the #20 range (as I recall).  I took it for granted that we all know we're ground chuck past our sell-by date under Gus, but maybe I gave us too much credit.

I've explained the aim of my posts.  I believe the fans' belief that we are greater past/present than we were/are is detrimental to the program moving to a higher level now.

I expected to see a lot of push back for what I wrote.  That was kinda the point, right?  

I'm actually not trying to prove any points to you or anyone else.   Anyone can look at the numbers both past and present and can see exactly who we were and who we've become.  

 

"Auburn's rich football history is much more glorious in the minds of Auburn fans than it is in real life.   We were great under Heisman, but so were others.  Historically, we're not Top 10 all-time.  Minnesota has had more success.   

We need to be honest with ourselves about who we were, who we are and who we want to be."

Uh, yeah. Saying Auburn's history is worse than Minnesota's is about as scathing as it gets. Minnesota has a dreadful history. They have 2 10-win seasons in the last 114 years. They haven't won the Big Ten in 53 years.

It's ridiculous. 

[Zeek 16,649]

3 hours ago, CleCoTiger said:

I'm an old timer. Going through the darkness (nine straight losses, most not at all close) to bammer in the last years of Jordan and the dark days of Barfield shaped my perceptions of AU football. So with the way the forum is going, I'm curious about how many here remember the days before Dye? Bowden? Tuberville?

Sorry Boomer born in 93' Tubs was my formative years and I was spoiled with dominance over the Turds.

[AUght2win 6,833]

1 minute ago, AUBourne said:

I dont even know what point your attempting to make now. Nobody is trying to take their trophies away. But they are not top 10 programs right now. They are not making the playoffs this year based on what they used to be.

The point of this thread, as is the point a few of you are trying to make, is "eh we've never even been that good". I am saying that's bunk.

Auburn has a great history, on which we should build. We don't need to shrug and think mediocrity like this is okay. It ISN'T who we are historically, and especially not now.

From the 80s on, Auburn has raised the bar, slowly and steadily. So much so that for the past two decades, we have hands-down been a top 10 program (inconsistent as we may be).

Gus is running it into the ground. We are trying to take the next step to a Top 5 type, perennial contender, the same way Clemson has and Florida did in the 90s. We are going backward with Gus.

[AURealist 2,185]

Just now, AUght2win said:

"Auburn's rich football history is much more glorious in the minds of Auburn fans than it is in real life.   We were great under Heisman, but so were others.  Historically, we're not Top 10 all-time.  Minnesota has had more success.   

We need to be honest with ourselves about who we were, who we are and who we want to be."

Uh, yeah. Saying Auburn's history is worse than Minnesota's is about as scathing as it gets. Minnesota has a dreadful history. They have 2 10-win seasons in the last 114 years. They haven't won the Big Ten in 53 years.

It's ridiculous. 

So in your mind outside Top 10 is not good, then.  Is that right?  I said Top 10 because I think of Top 10 as elite. Top 20 is good, but not elite.  But we're ranked 20th, right?   So is #20 in the Top 10?  Is #11 not 'good'?  What about #19? So I never said Auburn's history is 'not good'.  Correct?   

MN have more Natty's in their case.  They kicked our butts last year, but we're better because - wait for it - we're Auburn. Got it. 

 

[AUght2win 6,833]

2 minutes ago, AURealist said:

So in your mind outside Top 10 is not good, then.  Is that right?  I said Top 10 because I think of Top 10 as elite. Top 20 is good, but not elite.  But we're ranked 20th, right?   So is #20 in the Top 10?  Is #11 not 'good'?  What about #19? So I never said Auburn's history is 'not good'.  Correct?   

MN have more Natty's in their case.  They kicked our butts last year, but we're better because - wait for it - we're Auburn. Got it. 

 

What number does Minnesota come in all-time, Chief?

[AUBourne 425]

8 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

The point of this thread, as is the point a few of you are trying to make, is "eh we've never even been that good". I am saying that's bunk.

Auburn has a great history, on which we should build. We don't need to shrug and think mediocrity like this is okay. It ISN'T who we are historically, and especially not now.

From the 80s on, Auburn has raised the bar, slowly and steadily. So much so that for the past two decades, we have hands-down been a top 10 program (inconsistent as we may be).

Gus is running it into the ground. We are trying to take the next step to a Top 5 type, perennial contender, the same way Clemson has and Florida did in the 90s. We are going backward with Gus.

Yeah I don’t disagree with that. You started on me because I said Dye elevated our program. I expect Auburn to be a top 10 program. Right now AU is going backwards. 

[AUght2win 6,833]

10 minutes ago, AUBourne said:

Yeah I don’t disagree with that. You started on me because I said Dye elevated our program. I expect Auburn to be a top 10 program. Right now AU is going backwards. 

Yeah we are on the same page. It's a GOOD thing people are this angry after a 2-1 start. It shows Auburn's expectations are high. We need to keep moving forward. We gotta ditch Gus to do so.

[AUwent 3,748]

Even in the 2010s, as frustrating as they were at times, this article ranks us 10th.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/list/ranking-top-25-college-football-programs-2020/10fxo966wm2uq12926io6e4m37/25

 

This article from this summer ranks us 13th best HC job.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/Ranking-Top-25-jobs-in-college-football-Alabama-Crimson-Tide-LSU-Florida-Texas-Oklahoma-Georgia-USC-148917540/#148917540_4

[Scribe Tiger 65]

2 hours ago, AUght2win said:

The irony is this is a totally subjective list, like rankings and nattys. 

And highly dependent on the opinions on Eliot Maisel, a man who admitted he cried when Bear Bryant died. 

[AUght2win 6,833]

18 minutes ago, Scribe Tiger said:

And highly dependent on the opinions on Eliot Maisel, a man who admitted he cried when Bear Bryant died. 

That list had Mount Union above us. Enough said.

[im4aual 487]

Went to my first Auburn game in 1970 (50 years ago).  I've had season tickets since 1977.  

[hutchids 227]

My first auburn memories are the bowden days. First game was when we upset UF in the swamp under bowden. 

 

Ridiculous that people on here are trying to compare us to Minnesota. I'm 33 and last year was the first time Minnesota was good in my lifetime. Someone mentioned 1930s and 1940s minnesota as their power period. Since then they have struggled to either make a bowl game or finish with a winning record, much less ranked. Auburn can do all three of those things regularly with any coach now. No need sticking with a coach who does the bare minimum. 

As for Auburn's all time ranking, it varies based on site obviously. CF Data warehouse had us at 13, AP at 15, espn 20, bleacher report at 18, winsipedia (good high level metric site) at 15. Point being, all rankings are much higher than Minnesota even when accounting for their glory days. It's comparing apples and oranges.

[Mikey 16,579]

Just curious, do you remember AU football before Pat Dye?

Vividly! Some very happy memories are involved.

[alexava 6,973]

 No 

[AUwent 3,748]

13 hours ago, Zeek said:

Sorry Boomer born in 93' Tubs was my formative years and I was spoiled with dominance over the Turds.

Me too. I wish I could just take a time machine and live in the aughts forever...

[AUloggerhead 2,229]

21 hours ago, CleCoTiger said:

I'm an old timer. Going through the darkness (nine straight losses, most not at all close) to bammer in the last years of Jordan and the dark days of Barfield shaped my perceptions of AU football. So with the way the forum is going, I'm curious about how many here remember the days before Dye? Bowden? Tuberville?

Yes.  I am a Barfield Survivor, and I don’t say that with pride but with matter-of-fact realization that I had witnessed a great calamity such as the Chicago Fire, Great San Francisco Earthquake or perhaps the Bataan Death march.  Don’t get me wrong, there were some bright spots during that time:  I.e. James Brooks & Joe Cribbs both rushing for +1000-yds each in only an 11-game ‘79 season, for one.  That was memorable.  But then, so was getting blanked 0-42 against TN the very next year ... at home.  And a few years prior there was a home game where AU has the ball 1st & goal on about the 10 and can’t get the play called in correctly resulting in 2 successive delay-of-game penalties.  It would have been 3 if not for the QB (Phil Gargis) calling a TO at literally the last second.  Offensive ineptitude at it’s epitome.  IMHO, Gus still has a ways to go to surpass Barfield.  

 

 

[Mike4AU 1,739]

There is no way that I am willing to accept mediocrity just because AU has been mediocre (and worse) in the past.   To even suggest that today’s fans should be willing to accept that is a complete loser mentality.  

[Gr82batigr 97]

Yeah. You’ve heard the phrase “War Eagle Anyway?”  That was a major part of the coach (no names please) before the PFD regime. Said coach was a nice person, a good OC for Shug, and a good recruiter (3 future all pro NFL RBs) just not HC material for an SEC program wanting to compete for a conference championship year-in year-out. The home loss to Wake Forest in 79 and the embarrassing 0-42 loss to UT in 80 sealed the deal for HC changes. The UT skunk game was the first home game in our newly expanded 75k seat stadium. Ouch. 

[NoALtiger 3,855]

21 hours ago, AURealist said:

They've won more natty's and wooped us last time we played.  In what ways is Auburn better than Minnesota?

Is Army a better program than AU? We going off titles to determine this or what?

[augolf1716 21,109]

Anyone remember Earl Brown..................... I do

Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1948–1950)
1948	Auburn	1–8–1	0–7	12th
1949	Auburn	2–4–3	2–4–2	8th
1950	Auburn	0–10	0–7	12th
Auburn:		3–22–4	2–18–2

[Hspoprn 199]

I was a student at Auburn during the last years of Coach Jordan's career and during the Barfield years. Not good times for A.U. football by any means. It must be noted that the level of talent on the field at Auburn during those times did not approach the level of talent on the team today. No-one expected Auburn to win while Barfield was there, and rightly so. With the players that Malzahn has and has had, his performance is a disgrace.

[AUght2win 6,833]

53 minutes ago, Hspoprn said:

I was a student at Auburn during the last years of Coach Jordan's career and during the Barfield years. Not good times for A.U. football by any means. It must be noted that the level of talent on the field at Auburn during those times did not approach the level of talent on the team today. No-one expected Auburn to win while Barfield was there, and rightly so. With the players that Malzahn has and has had, his performance is a disgrace.

That isn't entirely true. My Dad was in school then. He said Barfield had a great offense but no D. Brooks and Cribbs were on those teams. 

But you're right in that Gus has WAAAAY more to work with.

[AUwent 3,748]

On 10/11/2020 at 8:02 PM, Gr82batigr said:

Yeah. You’ve heard the phrase “War Eagle Anyway?”  That was a major part of the coach (no names please) before the PFD regime. Said coach was a nice person, a good OC for Shug, and a good recruiter (3 future all pro NFL RBs) just not HC material for an SEC program wanting to compete for a conference championship year-in year-out. The home loss to Wake Forest in 79 and the embarrassing 0-42 loss to UT in 80 sealed the deal for HC changes. The UT skunk game was the first home game in our newly expanded 75k seat stadium. Ouch. 

I feel like when we came within a goal line fumble of beating them a year later, that was the clear sign that we were headed for good times.

One of my favorite speeches ever.