Strychnine

1 hour ago, KansasTiger said:

One of the things that I think frustrates me is the lack of a known plan. Now maybe there is one and none of us know about it, but I havent seen anything but vague generalities at best. People keep saying we cant fire him now and we have to do this the right way. What is the right way? Is there progress being made on this supposed right way? What are the clear benefits to doing it this right way vs firing him now and starting on the future? My faith in trusting AU men working in the shadows is pretty low. So all I have to stare at is the fact that he isnt fired, and assume the worst.

Are we fighting him for cause and need more time or are we not? Are we hiring an AD first before we fire him or not? Are we waiting for the bye week or the end of the year?

My point is, if people are alluding to a right way, then that has to be based on something. There has to be at least some semblence of a plan for there to be a right way. 

I do not believe there is a right way or time for a university to fire their head football coach.  Midseason firings are less common, but I suspect Harsin already knows that it is a matter of when, not if.

9 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

Fair. I was suggesting it’s really 3 (depends on your point about  trending up). Regardless, to do something that quickly means  a candidate really doesn’t have time to build a big time reputation - our recruiting foot print Kirby/saban issue requires it. He needs to already have one.

Personally, I think 3 years is more than enough time to tell if a coach has the program trending up, especially if they inherited a program that had not posted a losing season.

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

We fired Gus who had a decent (but fading) record primarily because of consistent uga and bama curb stompings (and uga’s gotten better since then). We either go friggin big (stop with the “we can’t get them”- just get them) or lower the goal/expectations. This fan base does not have 5 (3?) year patience. That’s proven.

I do not know that many P5 fanbases have 5 years of patience.  That said, continued patience is earned by showing forward progress.  You cannot struggle indefinitely on the field, and in recruiting.  If a fanbase sees signs that the program is moving in a better direction, they will generally support the coach that is doing so, and Auburn is no different.

3 hours ago, icanthearyou said:

I think that level of dysfunction would make our current level of dysfunction look like a dream.  Who do you think the Boise guys allegiance is to,,, Harsin or, Auburn?

As the wise man said, "we have to do this right".

I think their ultimate allegiance is to themselves.  While it would be obvious to them that they are likely gone at the end of the season, they are still professionals.  They had only worked for Harsin for a few years before coming to Auburn, and I doubt any of them are going to sabotage their careers with some internal dysfunction protest on his behalf.  It is in their best interest to do their jobs to the best of their ability, until they are fired.  That is what their next employer will expect them to have done.  Harsin is a professional too, and will quietly go on to whatever his next gig is.

3 minutes ago, bigbird said:

He was contacted 

Considering that he grew up, and has spent his entire coaching career in the state of Ohio, he might be quite happy there.

2 hours ago, abw0004 said:

Lastly, as you may have heard on TV, the band would continue to play even when our center was over the ball.  This happened every single time.  As a drumline guy, I love all marching bands, but this band deserved every boo and jeer that came their way.

It was definitely blatant on the TV broadcast.  I do not remember if the announcers commented on it, but I noticed it several times.

1 minute ago, hqsi99 said:

Can you prove he WASN’T involved?

I just rewatched the Zapruder film.  Harsin was there.  Illuminati confirmed.

5 minutes ago, DAG said:

That’s exactly what I just said lol.

Indeed.  I was agreeing with you.

1 minute ago, DAG said:

This staff overthinks . They are looking for the perfect recruit it feels. You don’t have time for that. They should’ve honestly over recruited like Arkansas. I don’t care how much some of these posters bash the recruits. Over recruit for now until you get to a point where you can get blue chips consistently. Arkansas does not have a bunch of 4 And 5 stars.

Blue chip or not, they definitely need bodies. 1-3 star bodies are better than no bodies.

46 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Precisely 

Bad OL recruiting, bad OL development, and poor player utilization isn't a novel concept around here and it hasn't improved 

OL recruiting has truly baffled me.  How was that not an immediate priority for recruiting and the portal?  Auburn should have been an easy sell, as it was obvious that both talent and depth are needed.  Recruits and transfers could expect early playing time and possibly starting jobs.

15 minutes ago, bigbird said:

The MSU 3-2 game or this 17-14 embarrassment 

I feel like you asking me to choose which lethal medications I want administered during my execution.

I remember reading at least a few articles, saying basically the same thing, closer to the beginning of the year.  That is ultimately the biggest strike against Harsin.  If the current team is struggling on the field, great recruiting can at least point to progress being made within the program.  When the team is struggling, recruiting is struggling, and AL HS coaches are saying they have never met Harsin, that makes it quite difficult to believe the program's trajectory is a good one.

2 minutes ago, DAG said:

I would agree. I think he thought it would be as easy as Boise state .

I think he underestimated basically everything about what he was getting into.

8 minutes ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Question.... Do u think the decision has already been made to fire Harsin? Anyway, he keeps his job other than winning 9 games?

Not Bird, but try to imagine the conversations going on between anyone with influence, or involved in the decision making process.  Any of them that are trying to defend Harsin, are having a hard time finding a sound argument, that is not "damn, do we really have to pay another buyout so soon?"  When you are not recruiting well, and getting embarrassed in JHS, there are probably very few influential voices in your corner.

33 minutes ago, cbo said:

This is how I remember it, timing wise. Some hated Harsin from the start, some defended him until Saturday. 

But many of us got excited about Harsin in the beginning, then when he lost the last 5 games, wasn't recruiting well, hired an OC that lasted 10 days, and Mason left, it felt like a program in chaos. It wasn't any one thing, it was the combination. And that was before all the rumors and investigation. 

Boise State is a team that I make it a point to watch, when I am scrolling through channels and see one of their games on, as their games were often entertaining.  While I do not follow them at all, I did at least know who Harsin was, and his teams generally looked well prepared and played hard when I watched them.  I was excited when Auburn hired him, as my (albeit limited) knowledge of Boise State seemed to indicate that he was a good coach.  He showed up saying all the right things, but most new coaches do that.

It has indeed been the combination that has made me lose faith in Harsin, but probably recruiting more than anything else.  Auburn has at least 3 NFL pipelines on the schedule, every season.  Excellent recruiting, then developing that talent, is the only roadmap that leads to a program that is consistently competitive with them.  I see no evidence that an excellent recruiting foundation has been poured.  Without that, his eventual firing will always be a matter of when, not if.

10 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

No one should ever parrot Auburns receiving or passing yard records as anything monumental.

They are all pathetic 

Over the years, I have seen some posters here that I felt were still lamenting legalization of the forward pass.

1 hour ago, autiger88 said:

Good lord!🤣 BM lost me when he said that Auburn boosters are the only ones that do this lmao. Texas is notorious for their boosters to so we are not the only ones. 🤣

Plus his credibility is not that great. 

I imagine every major program has issues with boosters, it is probably inherent to boosters.

2 hours ago, casatiger said:

Probably have more questions than answers after reading that.  

That is very much where I am, after reading that.  The coaches that have met him, have good things to say about him.  That is definitely good.  High school coaches that have not met him is confusing.  Is that intentional?  Has he simply not had time to meet all of them yet?  Given his complete lack of familiarity with the area, I would imagine that someone on the staff has been suggesting where he should go, and who he should talk to.  Was he getting bad advice?

43 minutes ago, woodford said:

You’re more patient than I. If Auburn is stumbling in November with 5 wins why would 4 and 5 stars even look our way?

If Auburn’s losses are all by a point or so maybe but I don’t see how a losing program pulls in a top 10-15 class when it wasn’t great to begin with in his first year. 
 

The math doesn’t check out. We just need to hope to God we get some OL transfers so we have a prayer running the ball. 

I am patient, if I see signs that things are moving in the right direction.  I am currently on the fence.  If his 2nd year shows that the players are buying in, and there is a significant recruiting improvement, then I would be fine with letting him continue as Auburn's head coach.  That would be showing us signs that things are moving in the right direction, and the actual W/L would not be very important to me.  That said, does 8 wins make him safe, with continued mediocre recruiting?  I am definitely not certain that it does.  That is why I said that I think recruiting and the how/why of W/L, are more important than the actual W/L.  Without significant results on the recruiting trail, I am not sure that anything makes him safe.

44 minutes ago, woodford said:

They need to win 8 games AND make great strides in recruiting. 
 

Unless something drastic changes I just don’t see it. Hope I’m wrong. 

To me, recruiting and the how/why of W/L, are more important than the 2nd year W/L itself.  The differences between 5-7, 6-6, and 9-3 can consist entirely of flukes, but recruiting tells us where he really has the program at, and where it is going.  A significant recruiting improvement is an absolute requirement, in order to build what he claims to want to build.  I can live with another 6-6 (or even worse) regular season, if the team was competitive, and there is an excellent recruiting class behind it.  Show me that the foundation for a program that competes for championships has been laid, and I can be patient.

34 minutes ago, aucom96 said:

This definitely fits the 2022 or bust mentality Harsin seems to be running with. The NFL experience is encouraging, but I don't know that the guy has ever recruited and that receiver room needs some recruiting. 

That experience is probably the biggest advantage that a coach could be armed with in recruiting.

5 minutes ago, DAG said:

Junior Rosegreen...one of the hardest hitting DBs I've ever seen. Love hearing the input from former guys.

I would be willing to bet that clips of Junior Rosegreen were used when the targeting rule was being discussed.  On a team that was known for hard-hitting defense, he managed to stand out.

11 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I almost responded on your behalf but didn't feel it appropriate. High road noted and respected. 

High road?  Dude took the high road overpass, straight into the kingdom of enlightenment.  Karen got sent to the offshore call center.

18 minutes ago, DAG said:

You are correct , but the pushback would be unreal because his stint at Vandy. I remember getting so much flack for wanting him here as a DC. Much better apex then freaking CKS, which a group of people actively promoted. I was actually think if CBH got fired CDM wouldn't be a bad interim.

If people could point to specific things that worry them about his time at Vanderbilt, I could understand it.  When you are talking about a program that has had two coaches with winning records since 1970, it is hard to really infer much about a head coach's general ability.  Mason failed at Vanderbilt, so did 10 out of the 12 other guys in that time span.  I think Vanderbilt was a poor career choice on Mason's part, and that is probably about all we can deduce from it.

On 2/14/2022 at 8:48 AM, McLoofus said:

blame some nebulous cabal for everything

Nebulous cabal.  That is definitely in my top 10 list of things I never expected to read on a football forum.

Frakkin Illuminati confirmed.