Zinzan

Any surprise he’d be the QB defying their coach’s play-call to take a knee at the end of the Falcons-Saints game?

At times I've felt that KJ Jefferson was a better version of TJ Finley, but not great. Other times, I've felt he's just a slightly better version of TJ Finley. I don't know much about Will Rogers, but he sure whupped us in that comeback two years ago.

Just put myself through the misery of watching the last seconds of the game. Not nearly the same situation, but curious to see how many Bama rushed on those final two plays. They rushed 3 and put pressure on Thorne almost immediately on both plays. They also had linebackers not go back, maybe a spy on the first play.

True Auburn fans love our players for the highs AND lows they've experienced wearing Orange and Blue. The AU family loves each other for the YEARS/DECADES of highs AND lows we've experienced together as Auburn fans. After an Iron Bowl loss years ago, an Updyke saw me walking away from the stadium and screamed in my face "DON'T YOU WISH YOU WERE A BAMA FAN?!!!" He actually thinks putting on a Roll Tide t-shirt makes him special. He has no clue.

Due to my son's fall baseball season, this was the first game I was able to attend all season. I committed to coming down (from Kennesaw) a week before the NMSU game. Auburn was coming off it's victory over Arkansas, and I was pretty pumped for the Iron Bowl. I honestly did not think we had much of a chance of winning, but felt certain we would play hard, the AU family would show our love and support, and we'd impress our visiting recruits. And maybe, just maybe, we'd keep it close and give ourselves a shot at the upset. After the NMSU debacle, I was decidedly less optimistic about a lot of that, including whether or not we'd keep the game close enough to keep our fans from leaving at half-time. (I never leave early, so I would be there to the end, no matter what). I wasn't looking forward to the trip, to be honest, but would never stand-up my season-ticket holding buddy, once I've committed. The game, the weather, the crowd, the tailgating, the band, the eagle, the flyover... Everything was spectacular. I am proud of the players and the fans. And I'm hopeful for the program. The end of the game was a kick in the guts, but there's nothing like the Iron Bowl. My first Iron Bowl was the Van Tiffin game, btw. Similarly painful ending, but the setting at Jordan-Hare is incomparable.

Millroe had no pressure, and no one with hands up in front of him, so he was able to plant and had perfect vision to his target. That said, it was a helluva throw into one square yard of the corner of the end-zone. And still, he threw it up just hoping it works. The receiver made a great play to turn and find the ball, stop to slow the defender, and then just slightly (but effectively) push off to give himself the room to make the catch uncontested. I'm not crazy about the defensive strategy on that play. Rushing two was so ineffective, we might as well have not rushed anyone. Edit: No, I'm not calling for Ron Roberts head. I bet he doesn't call that defense again, even if he says it was the right call.

I haven't exactly rooted for him since he transferred out, but don't mind seeing his success. He definitely left for a better situation, sadly. It was the right decision. We might have picked up another 1-2 wins last year, but we wouldn't have been great, he wouldn't have had as much fun, and we would have ended up stuck with Harsin for another season or two.

I don't know the rules (if there are any any more)--can coaches call players on other teams? can their "collective"? I know the NIL is supposedly not "pay-for-play", but how can, say, a Florida collective offer a kid if he doesn't know if the coach even wants that kid?

Every QB is going to OM?

Yeah, hard to have expectations without knowing our coordinators, or the help we'll get in the transfer portal (and the losses). But I'll be disappointed if we don't win the first three games (Umass, @Cal, Samford), and should win @Vandy and NMSU (Hugh's revenge). I really want/expect vengeance Ole Miss and @Arky. So I'll be let down if we don't get 7 wins. We could win 2 out of 3 against MSU, @A&M, and @LSU, but the reasonable expectation is probably 1 win. And we could split against Georgia and Alabama at home. But our only sure wins are Umass, Samford, @Vandy, and NMSU. So no expectations :-), but my prediction is 7-5 or 8-4, with lots of upside potential. I can't see us possibly worse than 6-6.

You know what, you’re right. I focused on his last paragraph, and forgot the sentiment of his first paragraph, lol. carry on.

Look, there are good things and bad things to look at in regards to Hugh Freeze. The OP here specifically asked why he should be excited about the hire. Can’t ya’ll naysayers just let the things to be excited by stand without trying to shoot them down? There are plenty of other threads that are themed to shoot the man down. Looking at the positive, I’m expecting QB development, an improved passing game, an offensive identity, better OL recruiting, and more effort from the HC in recruiting across the board. I expect if defenses load the box and make our QB beat them, we won’t be as helpless as we have been the past couple seasons.

Also throw in the highly-rated offenses, QB development, and highly-ranked recruiting (and effort).

Dan F’in Wetzel. Oh boy, has Pete Thamel weighed in yet? Mostly, the article lays into Freeze for lying to recruits, their families, and players about the NCAA investigation. Wouldn’t all coaches soft-sell how bad an investigation might be going? Not saying it’s right, but it’s not surprising, knowing if this kid doesn’t sign, he’s going to end up at another SEC school where they are doing the exact same things you’re being accused of.

Yeah, ya'll have made most of the relevant points. Stupid of Freeze to get baited into this, but less a violation than a lot of people want to make this out to be. In the end, she blocked him and that should probably have been the end of it, but she won't let it die. She made it public and trots it out now in an attempt to harm his career. What does she want from him at this point? Nothing--she just wants the attention, and she wants this to follow him forever. She complains that Auburn didn't reach out to her--what could she tell them that she hasn't already told the world?