Midway Point of the Season. Auburn is at a Crossroads

[I_M4_AU 7,801]

19 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Valid point. Gutsy is probably the wrong term. I just think today if he had a 7 point lead he would sit on it. He has lost his pedal to the metal aggressiveness because he seems scared of what could go wrong. 

It’s easy to be aggressive when you aren’t the HC and you have been given a super talented offensive team (Cam Newton).  His first year as HC he found a QB that understood his philosophy as if they co-authored the book with an unbelievably athletic OL.  When it comes to maintaining that level of talent with skilled and non-skilled talent on offense he has not succeeded and that can affect one’s ability to be aggressive.  He has coached to save his job since 2015.

[Barnacle 9,064]

1 minute ago, Viper said:

Incorrect. That was Chizik’s decision, not Gus’.

I said that he convinced Chizik to go for it, I never said it was his decision. That's always been my understanding of what happened, at least. 

[Viper 3,132]

Just now, Barnacle said:

I said that he convinced Chizik to go for it, I never said it was his decision. That's always been my understanding of what happened, at least. 

No, it was all Chizik. Chizik told Gus to go for it. Gus asked Chizik, “Go for it?” Chizik replied, “Go for it.”

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, Viper said:

No, it was all Chizik. Chizik told Gus to go for it. Gus asked Chizik, “Go for it?” Chizik replied, “Go for it.”

Dude, don't go and try and tell me that I've been wrong about this for all these years! Think about all the people I've told this to! The lies. The lies!!! I just can't live with myself now. 

[Viper 3,132]

23 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Dude, don't go and try and tell me that I've been wrong about this for all these years! Think about all the people I've told this to! The lies. The lies!!! I just can't live with myself now. 

Sorry brother. You’ve got a lot of damage repair on your hands. I had this exact debate with someone ~ 8 years ago and I had recalled watching this video...

 

[Barnacle 9,064]

10 minutes ago, Viper said:

Sorry brother. You’ve got a lot of damage repair on your hands. I had this exact debate with someone ~ 8 years ago and I had recalled watching this video...

 

Well I'll be. 

[Amwest20 139]

18 minutes ago, Viper said:

Sorry brother. You’ve got a lot of damage repair on your hands. I had this exact debate with someone ~ 8 years ago and I had recalled watching this video...

 

It can no longer be disputed lol.  Good call chiz

[Mike4AU 1,739]

2 hours ago, gr82be said:

Valid point. Gutsy is probably the wrong term. I just think today if he had a 7 point lead he would sit on it. He has lost his pedal to the metal aggressiveness because he seems scared of what could go wrong. 

Totally agree!

[Amwest20 139]

3 hours ago, AUBourne said:

A win would make Auburn relevant in the SEC? The team that was losing to 1-4 Ole Miss with 1 minute left in the game? Ole Miss whose defense just improved from dead last nationaly to 2nd from bottom nationaly in defense? That doesn't seem like reality to me. Auburn can not make the playoffs, or win the SEC. The future is an unranked team playing with little fan support in a meaningless bowl. 3rd time in 6 years Auburn has gone from top 10 to unranked. Time to realistic about the state of Auburn football.

With a win against LSU, we’re relevant.  We’re not with a loss. I don’t see what’s unclear about that.  Bedsides how you think the coach can perform afterwords, we would at the time be  relevant in the SEC picture with a decent shot at a path to SEC champ.  That may be a miracle , I’m just talking sec standings and what could happen from there.  

[KnightTiger 205]

WAR EAGLE

[Amwest20 139]

2 minutes ago, CAReeves2010 said:

Pretty sad in year 8 of Malzahn's tenure some fans are looking at the bright side of being mathematically relevant if only until the back half of November. The fact that we're halfway through his 8th season and AU isn't in the CC picture should be enough to cut ties and move on. This is coming from someone who brought up AU being in the Playoff picture in November all but '15 as a reason to keep him 3 years ago. Just being in the picture at some point doesn't justify what he makes when you look at what other P5 coaches makes. 

I’m not saying it justifies anything.  Pretend Gus isn’t our coach.  We’re still in the picture with a win..... that’s all I’m saying.   You think that’s sad?  I just choose to call it like it is instead of saying we suck this,  coach sucks that.  We’re still playing Auburn football and I love it.   

[Amwest20 139]

1 minute ago, CAReeves2010 said:

A half glass full mentality is healthy. I'm more of a hope for the best, prepare for the worst type now and there's 6 and a half years worth of reasons I feel that way as a fan right now.

Hope for the best is fair.  I’m not predicting anything.  Just where we would stand.  That’s all.  

[jAUSon 2,836]

We aren't in any pictures.

[Amwest20 139]

8 hours ago, jAUSon said:

We aren't in any pictures.

Not currently.  Or with a loss Saturday.   We’ve worn this topic out but I’ve came to a conclusion.  Most AU fans have a subconscious coping mechanism with Malzahn teams where they completely expect the team is always going to fail.  They hope it don’t but it’s inevitable in most eyes.  The reason being I assume is just not to get their hopes up and be let down due to past experiences.  I don’t fault anybody for that.  

[woodford 3,655]

37 minutes ago, Amwest20 said:

Not currently.  Or with a loss Saturday.   We’ve worn this topic out but I’ve came to a conclusion.  Most AU fans have a subconscious coping mechanism with Malzahn teams where they completely expect the team is always going to fail.  They hope it don’t but it’s inevitable in most eyes.  The reason being I assume is just not to get their hopes up and be let down due to past experiences.  I don’t fault anybody for that.  

Coping mechanism = logic 

 

This team isn’t any good. They just have some talented athletes that can be the difference in games against teams like Ole Miss. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

17 minutes ago, woodford said:

Coping mechanism = logic 

This team isn’t any good. They just have some talented athletes that can be the difference in games against teams like Ole Miss. 

Yup. 

A certain segment of the fanbase always tries to attribute criticism of Gus to emotion. We "hate" him. We "want him to fail". We have "coping mechanisms". Okay, so that last one is true- seems alcohol is the general preference. But like you said, it's logic. It's observations. It's data-driven. It's common sense. It's the opposite of emotion. 

Meanwhile, typically it's the ones saying that who base their own perspectives on some odd sense of obligation or duty more than on what actually transpires on the field and on the sidelines. They've got one permanent conclusion- that Auburn is and always will be good*- and they are perpetually developing a narrative that arrives at that conclusion. ("COVID, like the media and the NCAA and all referees, hates Auburn.")

*Sometimes, when the results eliminate any pretense that we are performing at an acceptable level, then we are failing because of how noble and pure we are. 

[PigskinPat 2,579]

It’s not a coping mechanism, it’s drawing a conclusion off of a body of work.

[cole256 17,043]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Yup. 

A certain segment of the fanbase always tries to attribute criticism of Gus to emotion. We "hate" him. We "want him to fail". We have "coping mechanisms". Okay, so that last one is true- seems alcohol is the general preference. But like you said, it's logic. It's observations. It's data-driven. It's common sense. It's the opposite of emotion. 

Meanwhile, typically it's the ones saying that who base their own perspectives on some odd sense of obligation or duty more than on what actually transpires on the field and on the sidelines. They've got one permanent conclusion- that Auburn is and always will be good*- and they are perpetually developing a narrative that arrives at that conclusion. ("COVID, like the media and the NCAA and all referees, hates Auburn.")

*Sometimes, when the results eliminate any pretense that we are performing at an acceptable level, then we are failing because of how noble and pure we are. 

Yep that's a go to for many on the board. You show where something is flawed it's hate and all that. Then when it's proven you're right everybody will try to pretend that they didn't go at you for being right. One thing I'd change if I could.

People can't debate a topic so they will go to whatever they can to discredit. If you're emotional it's to imply you aren't thinking it through. 

[woodford 3,655]

51 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Yup. 

A certain segment of the fanbase always tries to attribute criticism of Gus to emotion. We "hate" him. We "want him to fail". We have "coping mechanisms". Okay, so that last one is true- seems alcohol is the general preference. But like you said, it's logic. It's observations. It's data-driven. It's common sense. It's the opposite of emotion. 

Meanwhile, typically it's the ones saying that who base their own perspectives on some odd sense of obligation or duty more than on what actually transpires on the field and on the sidelines. They've got one permanent conclusion- that Auburn is and always will be good*- and they are perpetually developing a narrative that arrives at that conclusion. ("COVID, like the media and the NCAA and all referees, hates Auburn.")

*Sometimes, when the results eliminate any pretense that we are performing at an acceptable level, then we are failing because of how noble and pure we are. 

True. I totally understand why people feel that way too. They may feel a strong sense of commitment, love, and dedication to their school. It's hard to be critical of that sometimes. We've beaten a dead horse here, but the Iron Bowl wins are insurance to those folks. It helps soften the blow when the team is playing bad.

We tend to agree on a lot on here it seems, but these discussions always warrant an explanation of our opposition. It's year 8 and we know what we got. When you buy that used truck that you think you got a deal on and it keeps messing up year after year, it's obvious that the vehicle is flawed and cannot be fixed without undergoing a massive investment. That's what Auburn is right now.

[GwillMac6 20,666]

Feels like this headline gets regurgitated and makes the rounds in the Auburn media about 5 or 6 times a year under Gus. Feels like a Phillip Marshall piece. No idea if it is or not. I am guilty of just commenting and not reading here. Every freaking off season. Every got damn season is the exact same with Gus. Even the same talking points and headlines are the same. The faces change but the results stay the same.

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, GwillMac6 said:

Feels like this headline gets regurgitated and makes the rounds in the Auburn media about 5 or 6 times a year under Gus. Feels like a Phillip Marshall piece. No idea if it is or not. I am guilt of just commenting and not reading here. Every freaking off season. Every got damn season is the exact same with Gus. Even the same talking points and headlines are the same. The faces change but the results stay the same.

If we're going to watch the same thing over and over again, it should definitely be season 1 of True Detective.

[GwillMac6 20,666]

3 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

If we're going to watch the same thing over and over again, it should definitely be season 1 of True Detective.

 

[Amwest20 139]

13 minutes ago, woodford said:

True. I totally understand why people feel that way too. They may feel a strong sense of commitment, love, and dedication to their school. It's hard to be critical of that sometimes. We've beaten a dead horse here, but the Iron Bowl wins are insurance to those folks. It helps soften the blow when the team is playing bad.

We tend to agree on a lot on here it seems, but these discussions always warrant an explanation of our opposition. It's year 8 and we know what we got. When you buy that used truck that you think you got a deal on and it keeps messing up year after year, it's obvious that the vehicle is flawed and cannot be fixed without undergoing a massive investment. That's what Auburn is right now.

Now there’s some healthily discussion.  Thanks to all that are acknowledging respect instead of the common insult. Props to all. 

[fredst 9,064]

16 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

If we're going to watch the same thing over and over again, it should definitely be season 1 of True Detective.

Man, that was a great show for that first season. I’ll bring the whiskey and popcorn if you promise not to bring Gus. I wonder if Mario would sit and binge it with us🤔?

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, fredst said:

Man, that was a great show for that first season. I’ll bring the whiskey and popcorn if you promise not to bring Gus. I wonder if Mario would sit and binge it with us🤔?

If you bring the whiskey, I will make Mario happen. I don't know how, but I don't think "plans" are really a thing anymore and it would only be about the millionth weirdest thing to happen this year. 

Just a heads up, my pants might come off during the 6-minute tracking shot when they raid the drug house. Not in a weird way. It's just how I react to amazing things sometimes. I've mentioned it many times, but my neighbors got a show they *did not* ask for after the Kick Six. 

@GwillMac6- how big is your TV?