Future for Harsin depends on QB decision

[AUApostle 7,651]

3 hours ago, shabby said:

There is enough talent to make a decent season out of this upcoming year. However, The collosal holes to fill for the 2023 class are direct result of Harsin's complete failure to recruit our most pressing needs last year.. If Harsin is able to sign a strong class for the offensive line, maybe that will get him another year. picking the right qb is just a trash click bait argument devoid of relaity.

Don't really understand why you're getting downvoted for this?  What happened in the last 3 months to change people's tunes? Still haven't addressed the OL after 15 months on the job...not sure what Hars is waiting on.  Harsin is not directly responsible for the hole, but so far he hasn't done much to get us out.

[shabby 1,956]

7 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

Don't really understand why you're getting downvoted for this?  What happened in the last 3 months to change people's tunes? Still haven't addressed the OL after 15 months on the job...not sure what Hars is waiting on.  Harsin is not directly responsible for the hole, but so far he hasn't done much to get us out.

i'm not sure eo\ither. my whole point of my post was recruiting would determine his future and not his qb choices. not sure how anyone can argue counter to that. 

[Hank2020 3,198]

5 minutes ago, AUDevil said:

Don't really understand why you're getting downvoted for this?  What happened in the last 3 months to change people's tunes? Still haven't addressed the OL after 15 months on the job...not sure what Hars is waiting on.  Harsin is not directly responsible for the hole, but so far he hasn't done much to get us out.

No doubt he hasn’t landed the OL recruits he needs but very wrong accounting to say he hasn’t done anything. You must think he is stupid to not know what his own recruiting needs are. Getting some to commit is the problem, not trying to recruit them, IMO.

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 minute ago, Hank2020 said:

No doubt he hasn’t landed the OL recruits he needs but very wrong accounting to say he hasn’t done anything. You must think he is stupid to not know what his own recruiting needs are. Getting some to commit is the problem, not trying to recruit them, IMO.

1 per year, 0 in portal....that's near nothing. A smidge above nothing 

[Hank2020 3,198]

Just now, shabby said:

i'm not sure eo\ither. my whole point of my post was recruiting would determine his future and not his qb choices. not sure how anyone can argue counter to that. 

Your post seems disingenuous ( meaning I think you know better). QB choice for a football team (especially in SEC) is just as important as success at recruiting OL.

[Win4AU 4,052]

1) Calzada

2)Ashford

3) TJ

4) Holden Redshirt

Upset Penn State and beat LSU at home to start the season start 5-0, win 2 of the next 5 out of the Mississippis, Arkansas, UGA, and TaMu, easy win, lose to Bama in TuacLoosa.  solid 8-4.  Good recruiting from the hot start.  Rinse and repeat in 2024.

[Mikey 16,566]

2 hours ago, Hank2020 said:

No doubt he hasn’t landed the OL recruits he needs but very wrong accounting to say he hasn’t done anything. You must think he is stupid to not know what his own recruiting needs are. Getting some to commit is the problem, not trying to recruit them, IMO.

He's not only had 1 & 1/2 regular recruiting cycles, he's had two portal cycles. The portal is tailor-made to plug in spots of need and it's an advantage that wasn't available in the past. Yet we have lost more talent through the portal than we've gained, by far.

If he knows where his needs are, then he's been terribly incompetent in filling those needs.

[AUwent 3,747]

26 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

1) Calzada

2)Ashford

3) TJ

4) Holden Redshirt

Upset Penn State and beat LSU at home to start the season start 5-0, win 2 of the next 5 out of the Mississippis, Arkansas, UGA, and TaMu, easy win, lose to Bama in TuacLoosa.  solid 8-4.  Good recruiting from the hot start.  Rinse and repeat in 2024.

Harsin would deserve SEC CotY if that happens.

[Mikey 16,566]

7 hours ago, Eagle-1 said:

Really sad that someone wants to blame a guy who has been on the job such a short time for glaring weaknesses on the roster. One who couldn't even bring recruits to campus for months when he took over the job. Unbelievable, but thanks for proving my point about not knowing jack.

He's been on the job long enough to have addressed needs through regular recruiting, let alone what should have been a god-send to him, the portal. That team he inherited with the "glaring weaknesses" hadn't had a losing season in eight years. Now we do have one.

Tennessee's new coach, who inherited a team with a 3-7 record coached them up to 7-6. South Carolina's new coach, who inherited a team with a 2-8 record, coached them up to 7-6.  Auburn's new coach, who inherited a team with a 6-5 record, dragged them down to 6-7.

Big talk about the '23 recruiting class. So, how much longer after the '23 season should we wait before we start shopping? Two more years? Three?

[Mikey 16,566]

40 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

1) Calzada

2)Ashford

3) TJ

4) Holden Redshirt

Upset Penn State and beat LSU at home to start the season start 5-0, win 2 of the next 5 out of the Mississippis, Arkansas, UGA, and TaMu, easy win, lose to Bama in TuacLoosa.  solid 8-4.  Good recruiting from the hot start.  Rinse and repeat in 2024.

Or, win the three gimme games, split with MSU and Mizzou and then....???? We'll be the underdog in every other game on the schedule. 4-8 or 5-7 seems likely. An exceptional recruiting season next year could save Harsin for a third season, but when, exactly, is that going to start?

The transfer portal: 247 sports has a transfer portal ranking that ranks schools on who they bring in, much like a recruiting ranking. Four SEC schools are currently in the top ten, with Ol' Miss sitting at #1. Auburn is 35th. When are we going to start?

[cbo 7,823]

3 hours ago, AUDevil said:

Don't really understand why you're getting downvoted for this?  What happened in the last 3 months to change people's tunes? Still haven't addressed the OL after 15 months on the job...not sure what Hars is waiting on.  Harsin is not directly responsible for the hole, but so far he hasn't done much to get us out.

It's sunshine pumping season. Even for the reporters, who basically have zero news, so it makes sense to toss scraps to a fan base that has been starving for months. 

Honestly, I don't begrudge anyone for being optimistic and looking for positive signs. It may not make for the most interesting discussions, but it's human nature. This is supposed to be fun, after all. And stating the obvious isn't much fun in this case: "Gus left the program in bad shape and Harsin has done a poor job thus far of fixing it. Harsin can still be successful, but most signs predict otherwise."

My optimism usually kicks in before the season starts but I'm just not there yet. 

[Eagle-1 3,821]

7 hours ago, Mikey said:

He's been on the job long enough to have addressed needs through regular recruiting, let alone what should have been a god-send to him, the portal. That team he inherited with the "glaring weaknesses" hadn't had a losing season in eight years. Now we do have one.

Tennessee's new coach, who inherited a team with a 3-7 record coached them up to 7-6. South Carolina's new coach, who inherited a team with a 2-8 record, coached them up to 7-6.  Auburn's new coach, who inherited a team with a 6-5 record, dragged them down to 6-7.

Big talk about the '23 recruiting class. So, how much longer after the '23 season should we wait before we start shopping? Two more years? Three?

I know nothing about the situations at South Carolina, and Tennessee, other than the fact that Tennessee has changed coaches about as often as an oil change. As far as the dynamics of the rosters those two coaches inherited I have no idea. Much more goes into wins, and losses than the name on the head coaches door. In 2013 Gus Malzahn inherited a team that was winless in the conference the year before, and took them to the title game, because he inherited a roster with arguably the best offensive line talent in the history of the school. He could call running plays and consistently gain yardage against 8-9 man fronts, who knew it was coming, and still couldn't stop it. Most of you all thought at the time he was some kind of genius, apparently some even still do, Bryan Harsin has had no such fortune. Conversely, Harsin inherited a roster that had been depleted over several years to the point that it got the previous coach sent packing. So, Harsin dragged that team down from 6-5 to 6-7? That's not exactly a long drag. I get it man, you were butthurt that Gus was let go, of that I have no doubt. 

To answer your question about the timeline on the evaluation of Harsin's leadership of the program, I say let's give the man a chance to see if he can begin to upgrade this roster in the 23 class, and see if he can build some momentum here. I have seen you make posts that you expected 9-10 wins last season from a team that won 6 the previous year under a different coach. 

No one who is being honest would argue that this roster has not had bouts of inadequacy on offense, and trouble scoring points against good competition for several years now. It didn't just begin when Bryan Harsin walked on campus. 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Eagle-1

[aubaseball 2,590]

8 hours ago, Mikey said:

He's been on the job long enough to have addressed needs through regular recruiting, let alone what should have been a god-send to him, the portal. That team he inherited with the "glaring weaknesses" hadn't had a losing season in eight years. Now we do have one.

Tennessee's new coach, who inherited a team with a 3-7 record coached them up to 7-6. South Carolina's new coach, who inherited a team with a 2-8 record, coached them up to 7-6.  Auburn's new coach, who inherited a team with a 6-5 record, dragged them down to 6-7.

Big talk about the '23 recruiting class. So, how much longer after the '23 season should we wait before we start shopping? Two more years? Three?

Here’s a thought.   Why don’t you give him eight years like the last guy and see how he stacks up.   I’m half joking but come on.   In three or four years he’s fate will be determined.   How about we move on from this same drum you beat every time a thread is started.   

[Hank2020 3,198]

10 hours ago, Mikey said:

He's not only had 1 & 1/2 regular recruiting cycles, he's had two portal cycles. The portal is tailor-made to plug in spots of need and it's an advantage that wasn't available in the past. Yet we have lost more talent through the portal than we've gained, by far.

If he knows where his needs are, then he's been terribly incompetent in filling those needs.

The OL recruits/transfers must all be reading your posts. I think you got them convinced.

[Hank2020 3,198]

9 hours ago, cbo said:

It's sunshine pumping season. Even for the reporters, who basically have zero news, so it makes sense to toss scraps to a fan base that has been starving for months. 

Honestly, I don't begrudge anyone for being optimistic and looking for positive signs. It may not make for the most interesting discussions, but it's human nature. This is supposed to be fun, after all. And stating the obvious isn't much fun in this case: "Gus left the program in bad shape and Harsin has done a poor job thus far of fixing it. Harsin can still be successful, but most signs predict otherwise."

My optimism usually kicks in before the season starts but I'm just not there yet. 

So it’s “before the season starts” now!!  Would be great to see optimism (or just looking at the positives as there are some if your interested in casting light on them), from at least a few of you “naysayers”  ( if this post doesn’t fit you just disregard).

[JMassie11 1,610]

Said it back In January when doom and gloom spewed from the same people that outside 2 maybe 3 OL transfers who would have game in and took a starting job away from some of the guys that are using the extra year?

[Eagle-1 3,821]

45 minutes ago, JMassie11 said:

Said it back In January when doom and gloom spewed from the same people that outside 2 maybe 3 OL transfers who would have game in and took a starting job away from some of the guys that are using the extra year?

Yeah but, the same guy who is complaining about Harsin not upgrading the talent this past year is the same guy who has been telling us for years that the OL was just fine.   Just saying.

[trinidad tiger 107]

The transfer portal: 247 sports has a transfer portal ranking that ranks schools on who they bring in, much like a recruiting ranking. Four SEC schools are currently in the top ten, with Ol' Miss sitting at #1. Auburn is 35th. When are we going to start?

Perhaps, just maybe, its not the coach and it is NIL money, you know the same frickin alumni that people on here bitch about meddling|, who have the money and might come forward if we werent such a piss arse fan base???? 

Until we figure out how to put an organization together to raise money and distribute it, something similar to a front office of an NFL organization, we will still be bitching about a head coach with an empty gun battling F-35s no matter who is in that position.  

Or maybe you think Jimbo Fisher, with all his fame and fortune and couldnt keep his wife, but somehow wooed the best recruiting class known to mankind.  Or Lane Kiffin who openly talked about money and the NIL and suddenly hits paydirt in the portal.

Nah its just cause our coach did not attend some friggin dinner and everyone got their panties in a wad.  

I sat in the stands during that Barfield era with three frickin all pros in the backfield playing like shat.  And I was at Auburn when Pat Dye stood up in the first team meeting and kicked the best DL we had off the team, and many followed.  

But what do I know, a hungry kid and his family would much rather have a barber shop and a recording studio than 50 grand in his pocket, right?

 

•  

[Mikey 16,566]

7 hours ago, trinidad tiger said:

The transfer portal: 247 sports has a transfer portal ranking that ranks schools on who they bring in, much like a recruiting ranking. Four SEC schools are currently in the top ten, with Ol' Miss sitting at #1. Auburn is 35th. When are we going to start?

Perhaps, just maybe, its not the coach and it is NIL money, you know the same frickin alumni that people on here bitch about meddling|, who have the money and might come forward if we werent such a piss arse fan base???? 

Until we figure out how to put an organization together to raise money and distribute it, something similar to a front office of an NFL organization, we will still be bitching about a head coach with an empty gun battling F-35s no matter who is in that position.  

Or maybe you think Jimbo Fisher, with all his fame and fortune and couldnt keep his wife, but somehow wooed the best recruiting class known to mankind.  Or Lane Kiffin who openly talked about money and the NIL and suddenly hits paydirt in the portal.

Nah its just cause our coach did not attend some friggin dinner and everyone got their panties in a wad.  

I sat in the stands during that Barfield era with three frickin all pros in the backfield playing like shat.  And I was at Auburn when Pat Dye stood up in the first team meeting and kicked the best DL we had off the team, and many followed.  

But what do I know, a hungry kid and his family would much rather have a barber shop and a recording studio than 50 grand in his pocket, right?

 

•  

If the problem is that other schools are spending more money than we are on the NIL, we just as well take up sport fishing or NASCAR. That's not going to change.

[au302 2,669]

23 hours ago, Mikey said:

He's been on the job long enough to have addressed needs through regular recruiting, let alone what should have been a god-send to him, the portal. That team he inherited with the "glaring weaknesses" hadn't had a losing season in eight years. Now we do have one.

Tennessee's new coach, who inherited a team with a 3-7 record coached them up to 7-6. South Carolina's new coach, who inherited a team with a 2-8 record, coached them up to 7-6.  Auburn's new coach, who inherited a team with a 6-5 record, dragged them down to 6-7.

Big talk about the '23 recruiting class. So, how much longer after the '23 season should we wait before we start shopping? Two more years? Three?

I agree with some of your frustrations with this staff, but the never had a losing season is a weird hill you keep dying on. Yes, you're correct that Gus never had a losing season, but you're not looking at the bigger picture. If the SEC refs make blatantly obvious correct calls against Arkansas and Ole Miss, we likely end 2020 at 4-7. But hey, thankfully for us and Gus, they didn't make those calls. But where do you think the trajectory he was heading was going? His offense couldn't move the ball in 2020 with solid receivers like Seth Williams and Stove. You think that system is doing anything this year with Shedrick Jackson as WR1?

The only game that we lost this year that I think Gus wins is Mississippi State.... but we know he loses at LSU. I'm also not convinced he beats Arky on the road considering how badly Pittman out-coached him in 2020. I'm not even sure his offense could've kept pace with Lane this fall. He was heading for a bottoming out, and that's why we canned him. Thankful for the memories. He left us well off on defense and absolutely loaded at TE. Credit to him for that. But the offensive talent he left besides Tank was the worst in the SEC West.

Depth pieces at QB and RB such as Loy, Sandberg, Garnett, Anthony-Richards, and Joiner are not even G5 starting caliber. Shivers and DJ Williams had good moments but they are not P5 RB2 backs. And we can keep debating on Nix, but I'm not sure he's better than the Ms. State and Arky QB's. I don't think he is, but some may. That is why this staff has had to totally redo the QB and RB rooms outside of Tank in a years time. It is what it is. We either suffer through a rebuild with this staff or the next

[Mikey 16,566]

16 hours ago, Eagle-1 said:

I get it man, you were butthurt that Gus was let go, of that I have no doubt. 

You need to re-assess your doubts. I have said numerous times that it was time for a change. I also said unless we were very, very lucky we'd go through several coaches before we found one that would stick. Sadly, so far that prediction is looking good.

16 hours ago, Eagle-1 said:

I have seen you make posts that you expected 9-10 wins last season from a team that won 6 the previous year under a different coach. 

I expected a 10-2 regular season. The players were in place to accomplish that. Any number of Harsin apologists on here have said we'd have finished 9-3 if Bo Nix didn't get hurt. My prediction was very much in agreement with that.

Start with 6-4 against an all-SEC regular season schedule in 2020. Then add three gimme games in '21 and take away two conference games, with few player losses between seasons and 10-2 was well within reach.

16 hours ago, Eagle-1 said:

I say let's give the man a chance to see if he can begin to upgrade this roster in the 23 class, and see if he can build some momentum here.

Upgrade the roster beginning with the '23 class and then wait to see if he can avoid a losing season with that? Whoever is calling the shots at Auburn won't have that much patience.

[Mikey 16,566]

4 minutes ago, au302 said:

we likely end 2020 at 4-7.

You've got a lot of if's in there. We didn't end 4-7, we ended 6-5. All that counts is the final score. Referee calls even out over a season, you know that.

[Mikey 16,566]

7 hours ago, trinidad tiger said:

I sat in the stands during that Barfield era with three frickin all pros in the backfield playing like shat.  And I was at Auburn when Pat Dye stood up in the first team meeting and kicked the best DL we had off the team, and many followed. 

And???? I sat in the snow and watched Sullivan and Beasley play a freshman game against the Miss. State freshmen when the field was so white you couldn't see the yard markers. That was my junior year at Auburn. Big whoop!

[au302 2,669]

34 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You've got a lot of if's in there. We didn't end 4-7, we ended 6-5. All that counts is the final score. Referee calls even out over a season, you know that.

I said in there that thankfully those calls weren't made. Of course the record reflects that we were 6-5. Not stupid. I know there's no convincing you on any of it, and that's cool. Just pointing out the whole context for the rest of us

[GunsmithAU 383]

9 hours ago, au302 said:

I agree with some of your frustrations with this staff, but the never had a losing season is a weird hill you keep dying on. Yes, you're correct that Gus never had a losing season, but you're not looking at the bigger picture. If the SEC refs make blatantly obvious correct calls against Arkansas and Ole Miss, we likely end 2020 at 4-7. But hey, thankfully for us and Gus, they didn't make those calls. But where do you think the trajectory he was heading was going? His offense couldn't move the ball in 2020 with solid receivers like Seth Williams and Stove. You think that system is doing anything this year with Shedrick Jackson as WR1?

The only game that we lost this year that I think Gus wins is Mississippi State.... but we know he loses at LSU. I'm also not convinced he beats Arky on the road considering how badly Pittman out-coached him in 2020. I'm not even sure his offense could've kept pace with Lane this fall. He was heading for a bottoming out, and that's why we canned him. Thankful for the memories. He left us well off on defense and absolutely loaded at TE. Credit to him for that. But the offensive talent he left besides Tank was the worst in the SEC West.

Depth pieces at QB and RB such as Loy, Sandberg, Garnett, Anthony-Richards, and Joiner are not even G5 starting caliber. Shivers and DJ Williams had good moments but they are not P5 RB2 backs. And we can keep debating on Nix, but I'm not sure he's better than the Ms. State and Arky QB's. I don't think he is, but some may. That is why this staff has had to totally redo the QB and RB rooms outside of Tank in a years time. It is what it is. We either suffer through a rebuild with this staff or the next

Fixing, or at least attempting to fix, the OL does more to help the team than any RB,WR, or QB. Even if the new OL injections didn't make us the best OL in the SEC, it's couldn't get worse.