bostic up the middle

I'm with you there, fifty. My only Cal game was in 2019 vs. Oregon. We arrived two hours prior, as we would in Jordan-Hare and it was quiet. The stands were about half full in the 2nd quarter and continued to fill into half time. No electricity, compared to JH. I'm worried about the team getting fired up for this one, the time of day and the field. The turf and the low temps are great for a vertical game, what about our approach? I'm sure we'll adjust. Then again, I'm a lifelong Auburn man and being worried is my natural state this time of year :-)

Exactly why spring, summer two a days and fall are hard. By the time the season gets here, practices between games is mostly film study and adjustments, the hard stuff should be over. Freeze has too install that mindset. What is the quote? "Winners practice until they get it right. Champions practice until they can't get it wrong"

I remember Bo (Mr. Jackson) saying he and the team looked forward to games because practice was way worse. And Dye said that was his goal, to ride them so hard, the games would be easy.

I agree, we couldn't have paid for a better man...an Auburn man...to be leading these young men right now. Anyone watching Caddy on the sidelines last week, could see he is still ready to throw on some pads, lock arms with his team and carry the rock. He has passion and love for this University that none of the Head coaches on any of the boards will have. It should be a priority to retain him at all costs just as it should be a priority to shield him for hat is coming next. @AUght2win is correct, we are vulnerable right now and he is being given a lot of grace because we all know what he inherited. But as time goes on, the head coach will be expected to do the impossible. The cupboard is bare, there is no one left to plant the seeds or plow the field. It is not improbable the next HC will be on the hot seat in 18 months if we are not competing at a high level, and I would hate for Caddy to carry that burden. And he WOULD carry it...for all of us. His love, passion, drive, determination are why we love him, why he would run through a wall for this team and why he would never say "no" to helping Auburn. Stipulate he must be retained, or make him a coach in waiting. Anyone who has bled (and still bleeds) as much orange and blue as him deserves a better chance to succeed.

...but by then, we'd be

*combination of ESPN data and 247 data I've posted these before, updated this week.

* data from 247, as of Tuesday

Since personality is such a focus right now, I think you have to Interview all the players individually. Weigh that with what you hear from talking to the support staff; trainers, strength and conditioning, equipment managers, medical, etc. You will get a true picture of the staff's interpersonal skills. I think it is very difficult to measure the staffs skill development capabilities this year. You would be more successful looking at how they schemed with the talent they had available and in-game adjustments for their small scope of control. It would be VERY nice to name a coach right now (as you suggested) even if they have to finish out their current obligations. Work with Caddy to establish tone, expectations, etc. Get an inside look the rest of the way and make changes at the end of the season. The kids have been through enough this year, keep what stability you have left until Dec.

First, I agree. Second, he and the school must part ways. I feel like any coach should get 4-5 years. I posted some research on this board a while back regarding Auburn, our recruiting and how long it takes us to realize talent on the field (it is around 3 years). So any coach needs at least that. Our current coach was hired into bad political and football situations, and (if we are to believe the committee that hired him - including Bo Jackson) he was the right man for the job at that time. For whatever reason, he did not get support - it seemed like from the get go. That continuous erosion of support, reportedly, included not getting approval to hire coordinators after some of the original ones were let go. etc. etc. etc. Is he a good coach? I don't know. Do we have enough talent to compete with top 10 teams? I don't know, and I'm not qualified to evaluate that either. I do know we aren't winning and he does not have the support he needs regardless of his capability as a coach. So pay him, and let's our separate ways. "You're playing. And you think everything is going fine. Then one thing goes wrong. And then another. And another. And you try to fight back, but the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. Until you can't move... you can't breathe... because you're in over your head."

I have been a guest creeper on this site for 15 years. Watching and reading is difficult some days and I NEVER get on the site the day of or the day after a game – win or lose. It’s either unicorns and rainbows or death and destruction. I hope that the AD and coach search committees interview some of the people on this site that have all the answers on how to build a top-tier, annual contender, college football program. I joined today to share some data. I am not passing judgement on any coach or player, just presenting data. I have read much this year comparing this year to past years, in multiple areas, so I thought I would gather some data from the ESPN and 247sports. Here are some trending graphs from game stat and recruiting data I pulled. Scores, points per quarter, opposing team rank, etc. I did not include data from OT quarters or transfers in/out for recruiting. It is interesting to see the data line-up around recruiting and on-field success. A recruiting class closes in January of a given year (minus transfers now), with the recruit showing up that fall (maybe spring) but barring some miraculous talent, not seeing significant playing time for 2-3 years. I adjusted the graphs to account for this delay in talent realization - and it lines up fairly well. In what many would consider our “successful” years, we were better in the second half against ranked teams, but not against un-ranked teams. In 2010, the margin between 1st and 2nd half points scored was relatively large in both scenarios while in 2013 and 2017, we were fairly consistent in points scored throughout a game against ranked opponents. Do NOT put weight into 2022 data, YET. It is skewed with a small sample size. From a recruiting perspective, we’ve been on an overall downward trend since our 2011 bump due to the National Championship. This correlates with our avg points scored. The OL recruiting (which only accounts for quantity, not quality) is almost a direct match to our 2nd half points scored against ranked opponents. Outside of the raw data, I would assume this is due to depth since we are looking at number of recruits signed. Looking at the trending data, 2012, 2017, 2019, and 2021 look to be the most consistent teams throughout 60 minutes of play. Looking at the data, during Gus’ years, it was common for us to start slow against ranked opponents, start fast against un-ranked. The same was true while Gus was here in 2010, but 2011 was different and 2012, both he and the DC were gone. Looking at points scored vs recruiting ranking on the field (again, not accounting for transfers), the avg points scored with the talent has not fared well since 2010. 2013 had similar avg points scored, but the recruiting ranking was higher (with the recruits who signed after the NC). These graphs also directly correlate with my heart palpitations and near heart attacks. There is a reason we are the cardiac kids. I have both loved and lived that term since the ‘94 Florida game. To the point of this post, we can argue all day (and I have watched it happen on this site) about if someone was given a chance, if they can recruit, coach, and on and on. But here are some truths, and like others have said they can ALL be true: You cannot compare the last coach to this coach and you will not be able to compare them to the next coach. The support each coach gets from our school/PTB is different NIL changed everything and the coach has NOTHING to do with that The transfer portal changed normal recruiting and scholly offers If we hire a coach, good or bad, they must be given the full resources of this university and the "family" to succeed. If the coach cannot be given that, then they need to be paid and sent on their way and the process that got them here needs to be looked into. But, if we want to build a foundation for long-term success, we all need to get behind coach _______ and (as these graphs show) give them the time and resources to build-up recruiting, our brand and NIL pipeline, not to mention give them the money and approval to hire the right staff.