Midway Point of the Season. Auburn is at a Crossroads

[Amwest20 139]

We played 5 reg season games.  We have 5 more to go.  We’re 3-2.  It’s LSU week.  We win, a good season is still in sight with some momentum.  We lose, and middle of the pack In SEC is probably best case scenario.  
 

It looks as if we established a sort of identity on offense vs. Ole Miss.  Yes, it was Ole Miss but I think we can all agree that we looked the most impressive on offense last Saturday regardless of opponent difficulty.  We must continue running the football.  Bo Nix has some deadly weapons at WR and RB that he must continue to use along with his running ability. We’re down 1 OL for the year... next man up.

Defensively, we’re down.  This is the worst overall defensive group performance of Steele’s tenure.  Statistically we’ve shown our strength to be simply the PPG of the opponent.  In the end, that’s probably the most important defensive statistic isn’t it? Anyways we must play better defensively and I believe we’re capable.  
 

Last weeks win prevented a total collapse.  A win this week will make Auburn relevant in the SEC picture 6 games in.  A loss will make us irrelevant.  We’re 1 Bama loss from controlling our own destiny in the SEC.    Whether anybody believes it can happen or not, it’s true.  It’s not a prediction, nor am I counting us out just yet.  Let’s beat the hell out of LSU on Halloween and flip the script for 2020.  
 

 

[Swamp Eagle 5,131]

I could do without the WR quick screens. We don't execute them very well, yet Chad is in love with the play. Just cut out the WR screens (they are wasted plays IMO) and our chances of offensive success increase dramatically.

[Win4AU 4,052]

If Auburn keeps the formula they used this week of Tank 25 carries and Bo 30 passes and 10 runs then I think you’ll continue to see improvement on offense.  I believe the offense is a LT from being pretty good.  Defensively it’s gonna be bend don’t break. I unfortunately think the defense is as good as they are going to be this year.  With the exception of Bama every game looks winnable.  6-4 seems the likely outcome but it could either way.

[Amwest20 139]

9 minutes ago, Swamp Eagle said:

I could do without the WR quick screens. We don't execute them very well, yet Chad is in love with the play. Just cut out the WR screens (they are wasted plays IMO) and our chances of offensive success increase dramatically.

It seems that we over-done them last week a little.  We never broke one loose, but other than 1 drop and one getting blown up they didn’t have much of a negative impact did they? 

[Swamp Eagle 5,131]

1 minute ago, Amwest20 said:

It seems that we over-done them last week a little.  We never broke one loose, but other than 1 drop and one getting blown up they didn’t have much of a negative impact did they? 

 Except for the lack of production, I suppose they were fine plays... 

[AUcivE09 582]

I feel like the 2 slants to Seth had more impact than the 20 WR screens.

[AUcivE09 582]

The last drive of the 1st half is something I just cant unsee. 3 mins to go and I felt like Gus was playing for the FG.

[gravejd 3,270]

I'm very happy we got the ol miss win. I don't think we are going to get many wins this year so i will appreciate the ones we can find along the way. I will give the team a lot of credit for pulling out the win. That felt a lot like a game that we let get away and should not have won. But the team did not quit and kept playing the game and we pulled it out. We had a nice defensive stop and the offense made some big plays to get the final touchdown. I'd like to think this was a game we can build on a get momentum but there are just too many problems with this team for me to really think we are at a crossroads versus veering off the road and we just missed one of many trees that are about to come at us head on. 

The biggest problems that we have are the OL and DL. The run first attitude is helping the OL for sure and we have some good backs with Tank, Shivers, and DJ but i don't think we have a rushing attack that is going to be able to run on good defenses when they stack the box. Our offense does not appear to have the ability to make the defense back off from the LOS. 95% of our pass attempts are within 5 yards of the LOS. I'm interested to see how this works when we play LSU. They will play tight man coverage and stack the box to stop the run. Maybe the coaches have a plan to hurt that type of defense. But i will have to see that plan executed before i believe we have an answer. 

The final note on offense that worry's me is Nix. I think he is a big reason for or lack of big play ability on offense. I don't think he is a very accurate QB and that along with the weak OL is probably the big reason for lack of downfield passing game. He makes some good plays here and there for sure but i don't think he is consistent enough to beat good defenses. To me he is just a likely to make a great play as a terrible one and i don't think an offense can operate with that at the QB position. 

Now we get to the defense......i don't know if i am as surprised as other on here with our struggles on defense, I expected a dropoff with losing so many great players but its been worse then i was expecting. First the DL is just bleh across the board. We have 0 difference makers on the DL. And then you have tackling.....we look sooo terrible tackling people. I think the poor LB play is a result of poor DL play but there are times where the LBs get to the ball carrier without an OL hanging off of them and they look soft as hell trying to make the tackle. I saw these same guys blowing people up last season so thats why i blame poor DL play on poor LB play. They are almost always linked. And losing Britt was apparently a back breaker cause we had no backup MLB. Maybe the coaches told all the defensive players we signed last recruiting cycle to take a year off cause i've seen very few young ones out there on defense. Over the last several years we have done a great job getting young guys reps on D so covid is the only reason i can find for why we have not seen them this season. 

I hope this team can prove me wrong and take the next step to being a good football team. They proved me wrong against ol miss and won the game when i thought it was over. I know our players will keep playing hard and i'll keep cheering for them to win football games. I try to atleast be thankful for a team that plays hard even if they aren't a team that can compete for championships like we want. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, AUcivE09 said:

The last drive of the 1st half is something I just cant unsee. 3 mins to go and I felt like Gus was playing for the FG.

It's what he does. Always playing not to lose. Even when he's already losing sometimes. It's one of the least likable qualities imaginable in a head coach. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

24 minutes ago, Swamp Eagle said:

I could do without the WR quick screens.

I think that was 25% of the offense on Saturday. I bet we ran that same play 10 times, and it probably accounted for the majority of Bo's throws. Basically get the ball out of his hands as fast as possible. 

We are not at a crossroads. Look at the recruiting board. We have already taken the wrong road. 

[Amwest20 139]

13 minutes ago, Swamp Eagle said:

 Except for the lack of production, I suppose they were fine plays... 

hmm... ok.  

[fredst 9,064]

I hope the two signs at this crossroads read: “Fire Gus Now” and “Fire Gus Tomorrow”. Whether or not Greene takes the road less traveled, it will still make all the difference 

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, fredst said:

I hope the two signs at this crossroads read: “Fire Gus Now” and “Fire Gus Tomorrow”. Whether or not Greene takes the road less traveled, it will still make all the difference 

 

[tigers23 648]

The screens are a complete waste of a down. 

[Amwest20 139]

6 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

I think that was 25% of the offense on Saturday. I bet we ran that same play 10 times, and it probably accounted for the majority of Bo's throws. Basically get the ball out of his hands as fast as possible. 

We are not at a crossroads. Look at the recruiting board. We have already taken the wrong road. 

Oh Ok so current recruiting affects the 2020 season win total... gotcha.  
I knew you were a smart cookie.  

[fredst 9,064]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

 

Thanks. I think even Robert Frost would want to fire Gus

[gr82b4au 5,568]

4 minutes ago, Amwest20 said:

Oh Ok so current recruiting affects the 2020 season win total... gotcha.  
I knew you were a smart cookie.  

You are an odd person. How old are you? haha 
I am referring to the fact that this game and every other game left this season does not matter when it comes to the future of this program. The damage is already done. Go check it out  

 

[tigers23 648]

Its not just current recruiting, it has been going on for years. Malzahn builds up recruiting points by signing 5 wrs a year but continually flops recruiting oline talent. He depends on transfers and JUCO oline players, and that has dried up. So yes, recruiting has had an effect on this years win totals.

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 minutes ago, tigers23 said:

The screens are a complete waste of a down. 

I get it. They want to get Flash more touches and that's the easiest way to do it. But it's so lazy. And he's not a make-you-miss guy. He needs to be getting some of those intermediate crossing routes so that he has a chance to catch the ball in stride.

[Amwest20 139]

3 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

You are an odd person. How old are you? haha 
I am referring to the fact that this game and every other game left this season does not matter when it comes to the future of this program. The damage is already done. Go check it out  

 

Thanks I guess.  As my goal isn’t to be common or typical so I’ll find a way to take it as a compliment.  Im in my 30s since it matters.  You’re ...let’s see... A negatively opinionated fan of the Auburn football program which puts you in the significant majority....

[AUApostle 7,651]

22 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I get it. They want to get Flash more touches and that's the easiest way to do it. But it's so lazy. And he's not a make-you-miss guy. He needs to be getting some of those intermediate crossing routes so that he has a chance to catch the ball in stride.

Stove does a much better job on those plays...got to get it to flash when he's in full stride.

[Amwest20 139]

22 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I get it. They want to get Flash more touches and that's the easiest way to do it. But it's so lazy. And he's not a make-you-miss guy. He needs to be getting some of those intermediate crossing routes so that he has a chance to catch the ball in stride.

Quick screens haven’t been explosive. You can bet the farm that LSU will have prepared for them.  We need to run a couple(hopefully with more success) next week and then some sort of fake off of it to just keep them honest.  

[AUApostle 7,651]

35 minutes ago, Amwest20 said:

Oh Ok so current recruiting affects the 2020 season win total... gotcha.  
I knew you were a smart cookie.  

Come on now.  Recruiting is tanking big time...we just lost our 3 biggest targets on defense that were virtual locks 2 months ago because this staff couldn't deliver the results on the field.  Gus can only avg 8 wins a year with a stacked roster...how's he going to do in the SEC West with an average talented roster?

[PigskinPat 2,579]

54 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

It's what he does. Always playing not to lose. Even when he's already losing sometimes. It's one of the least likable qualities imaginable in a head coach. 

Exactly, and I wished he’d go back to the killer instinct he use to have. When he was OC in 2010 and the first year or two as HC, if we had a couple of minutes to go in the 2nd quarter,  I always felt certain we were going to steal a touchdown before the half. Now it’s shell mode and if we somehow manage to get within field goal range he’s a happy camper.

[Amwest20 139]

4 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

Come on now.  Recruiting is tanking big time...we just lost our 3 biggest targets on defense that were virtual locks 2 months ago because this staff couldn't deliver the results on the field.  Gus can only avg 8 wins a year with a stacked roster...how's he going to do in the SEC West with an average talented roster?

I gotcha.  We’re using next years recruiting status to determine that the crossroads terminology for the 2020 season that I used to be incorrect.  I understand where your stance is man.  I’m not going to argue it.