"Youth is No Excuse"

[AUBSC76 0]

When some of our fans make comments on our boards like "Youth is No Excuse" with regard to our defensive porosity so far, I wonder which parallel football universe they live in.  I agree:  Youth IS NO excuse, but IT IS a VALID REASON for the growing pains our defense has experienced in our first two games.  Two months from now, they will be 60 days older and light years further along in terms of Div1 football experience, and yes, they will make some more embarassing blunders as they learn but they will be going at it full-speed, giving it everything they have.  Our coaches will see to that, and they are already demonstrating that they collectively have the hearts of champions.

I am excited about this team and watching them develop... I don't expect them to run the table but I believe that they will surprise the college football world and set the table for a championship run next year.  War Eagle!

[bwillaub 0]

I couldn't agree more.

WAE EAGLE!

[IronMan70 3,277]

That is the way I see things too. By about the 4th game, things will have slowed down sufficiently enough for them that they will be able to use more of their talent to react without the need to think so much. Right now they are learning and experiencing so many firsts its like drinking from a water hydrant to them. But, when great talent like this is able to finally take over completely,this team will be VERY good and with the youth, very good for years.

[WaynesAUworld 179]

Well said AUBSC76 well said!

       

[yeaauburn 21]

When I was at Auburn we had a freshman football team that played several games thoughout the season to include playing Alabama's freshman. This was late 70's, early 80's. Freshman rarely saw the field on saturday. There was a reason why, youth and inexperience. We are experiencing growing pains. We will get better...relax. We have much to look forward to.    

[Travis4AU 0]

AMEN ta that, brother!! (The original poster!)

[au81bs 32]

I'm not sure why this is such a hard topic for some to grasp.  Each level of football brings new challenges for a player.  Would the same people saying "youth is no excuse" believe a high school team comprised of almost all freshmen compete against an experienced team?  There is no way you can believe that.  Or would they say an NFL team of almost all rookies be competitive?  Again, no way.  Young teams exhibit what Auburn does this year, moments of brilliance, moments that make you scratch your head and say what were they thinking, and moments that point to a hopefull future.  So why do we expect our Auburn team to not experience growing pains.  Young teams at all levels struggle due to higher levels of competition, experience, strength and development, training, etc.  

I like the fight in this team (maybe not always the execution).  I would love to win them all this year, I remain hopefull each game, but if we should lose, I will not be shocked.

[keesler 5,924]

2-0 

[aujess07 4]

This is why this year is going to be exciting, IMO:

I believe that due to our lack of experience, this team is going to get better each and every week. Look at the difference between USU and Miss. State.

It has been said on this board and others all during the off-season: Auburn is going to be a different team in November when compared to how they started out. Well, we're 2-0 with 2 rocky games in which our guys could have easily rolled over, but they fought through the circumstances and are now stronger due to the fight.

Sit back and enjoy it, because our hunt for another crystal ball started against USU. We might not achieve our goal this year, but it will be very, very soon.  

[AUBSC76 0]

I just hope that we all can remember this when our Tigers eventually stumble... no one will hurt more than the players and coaches who are laying everything on the line for each other and in the process, the Auburn family, each week.  That's when our visible, vocal, gameday, internet, etc. support will be most critical to helping them get back on a winning track.

[87aubie 0]

Most of those comments, I think, are generally in threads associated with someone's expressed disdain for Ted Roof.  Most folks, I think (again), probably understand youth has its issues, but the ones making those comments are the most vocal of the group growing tired of giving Roof excuses for what appears to them to be the same types of defensive weaknesses every year.  JMO.

[87aubie 0]

I just hope that we all can remember this when our Tigers eventually stumble... no one will hurt more than the players and coaches who are laying everything on the line for each other and in the process, the Auburn family, each week.   That's when our visible, vocal, gameday, internet, etc. support will be most critical to helping them get back on a winning track.

Not possible.  We've forgotten how to lose. 

[Martian Manhunter1345162906 0]

This is why this year is going to be exciting, IMO:

I believe that due to our lack of experience, this team is going to get better each and every week. Look at the difference between USU and Miss. State.

It has been said on this board and others all during the off-season: Auburn is going to be a different team in November when compared to how they started out. Well, we're 2-0 with 2 rocky games in which our guys could have easily rolled over, but they fought through the circumstances and are now stronger due to the fight.

Sit back and enjoy it, because our hunt for another crystal ball started against USU. We might not achieve our goal this year, but it will be very, very soon.  

This is significant; they could have quit, but they didn't. Our coaches and the leaders on this team wouldn't allow it. Let's hope our team continues to improve.

War Eagle

[icanthearyou 4,463]

17 in a row and some still want more.  I guess those are the folks that drive us to new heights.  Or, they are the ones that suck all the life out of everything around them.  I don't know.

[walker77 0]

Local high school JV team 2-years ago = lost every game...

Last year, same team and exactly same players = went undefeated...

This year, part of this year's undefeated high school team...

Yes, youth makes a difference at every level...

[Orange and Blue 17211345162833 0]

We all want Auburn to play great defense, but we are where we're at right now. A lot of our kids needed redshirts but are force into action because of Tuberville's duck hunting escapades his last two seasons on The Plains. Those two terrible years of recruiting is like self-inflicted probation. It takes time to recover from that, and we are doing quite well in recruiting to get our program back on track fast. We just all need to be patient and allow our kids to grow up.

[AgentOrange 36]

We all want Auburn to play great defense, but we are where we're at right now. A lot of our kids needed redshirts but are force into action because of Tuberville's duck hunting escapades his last two seasons on The Plains. Those two terrible years of recruiting is like self-inflicted probation. It takes time to recover from that, and we are doing quite well in recruiting to get our program back on track fast. We just all just need to be patient and allow our kids to grow up.

That's a pretty good analogy O and B.

[28-27 0]

Most folks on this board get fighting mad if someone expresses the opinion that parts of our "D" is poorly coached.

Mods threaten to kick folks off, then someone comes on here and starts a thread such as this, knowing it is

going to stir emotions. I am one person who feels there are better coaching options out there, LB/DC, and

AU should never settle for less than the best. I know we are young,but so is the "O". As a matter of fact our

LB"s have more letters than any unit on the team! Our LB recruiting is also suffering for it. These top recruits

are looking the best way to the NFL, and they are standing in line at bama waiting for their turn to play. We

are signing DE's,RB's and safeties trying to turn them into LB's. I feel plum sorry for L Owens for putting his trust

in Roof. How many years is it supposed to take to develope a LB???

[rollsroyce5 0]

We all want Auburn to play great defense, but we are where we're at right now. A lot of our kids needed redshirts but are force into action because of Tuberville's duck hunting escapades his last two seasons on The Plains. Those two terrible years of recruiting is like self-inflicted probation. It takes time to recover from that, and we are doing quite well in recruiting to get our program back on track fast. We just all need to be patient and allow our kids to grow up.

Great point! Previously I had only thought about Tub's recruiting shortcomings in a macro sense but if you look at the number of lineman on each side of the ball  signed back then and how few are still around, that might be our biggest concern. I mean we have 3 Sr's total on both the OL & DL and one of them was brought in by Chizik.

[bigbird 60,562]

Most folks on this board get fighting mad if someone expresses the opinion that parts of our "D" is poorly coached.

Mods threaten to kick folks off, then someone comes on here and starts a thread such as this, knowing it is

going to stir emotions. I am one person who feels there are better coaching options out there, LB/DC, and

AU should never settle for less than the best. I know we are young,but so is the "O". As a matter of fact our

LB"s have more letters than any unit on the team! Our LB recruiting is also suffering for it. These top recruits

are looking the best way to the NFL, and they are standing in line at bama waiting for their turn to play. We

are signing DE's,RB's and safeties trying to turn them into LB's. I feel plum sorry for L Owens for putting his trust

in Roof. How many years is it supposed to take to develope a LB???

That is an ignorant statement.  As far as developing a LB goes, it usually takes 2 to 4 years, faster if they played the position before and had a good HS coach, slower if they've never played LB before. 

[AUDubbs 0]

Most folks on this board get fighting mad if someone expresses the opinion that parts of our "D" is poorly coached.

Mods threaten to kick folks off, then someone comes on here and starts a thread such as this, knowing it is

going to stir emotions. I am one person who feels there are better coaching options out there, LB/DC, and

AU should never settle for less than the best. I know we are young,but so is the "O". As a matter of fact our

LB"s have more letters than any unit on the team! Our LB recruiting is also suffering for it. These top recruits

are looking the best way to the NFL, and they are standing in line at bama waiting for their turn to play. We

are signing DE's,RB's and safeties trying to turn them into LB's. I feel plum sorry for L Owens for putting his trust

in Roof. How many years is it supposed to take to develope a LB???

It will take no more since he has outgrown the position and moved back to DE.

[Orange and Blue 17211345162833 0]

Yes we are young and also short on scholarships. There were only 72 players on scholarship before the staff awarded walkons scholarships before the start of the season. Chizik hasn't been able to play with a full deck since he's been here. He is actually playing more youngsters this season than last to build more depth. The playing time these youngsters are receiving, will pay off greatly down the road.

I think it's only fair to allow this staff to play with close to a full roster before judging them. Ted Roof included. After all we are the defending national champions, are we?

[kevon67 2,368]

Most folks on this board get fighting mad if someone expresses the opinion that parts of our "D" is poorly coached.

Mods threaten to kick folks off, then someone comes on here and starts a thread such as this, knowing it is

going to stir emotions. I am one person who feels there are better coaching options out there, LB/DC, and

AU should never settle for less than the best. I know we are young,but so is the "O". As a matter of fact our

LB"s have more letters than any unit on the team! Our LB recruiting is also suffering for it. These top recruits

are looking the best way to the NFL, and they are standing in line at bama waiting for their turn to play. We

are signing DE's,RB's and safeties trying to turn them into LB's. I feel plum sorry for L Owens for putting his trust

in Roof. How many years is it supposed to take to develope a LB???

That is an ignorant statement.   As far as developing a LB goes, it usually takes 2 to 4 years, faster if they played the position before and had a good HS coach, slower if they've never played LB before. 

Actually you were very kind with the yellow highlighter Big Bird. I read the whole paragraph and found it all to be ignororant.

[auburn123 0]

Most folks on this board get fighting mad if someone expresses the opinion that parts of our "D" is poorly coached.

Mods threaten to kick folks off, then someone comes on here and starts a thread such as this, knowing it is

going to stir emotions. I am one person who feels there are better coaching options out there, LB/DC, and

AU should never settle for less than the best. I know we are young,but so is the "O". As a matter of fact our

LB"s have more letters than any unit on the team! Our LB recruiting is also suffering for it. These top recruits

are looking the best way to the NFL, and they are standing in line at bama waiting for their turn to play. We

are signing DE's,RB's and safeties trying to turn them into LB's. I feel plum sorry for L Owens for putting his trust

in Roof. How many years is it supposed to take to develope a LB???

Ted Roof serves as the pleasure of Gene Chizik, not you or me.  If Coach Chizik decides he is not happy with his DC, he will find another one.  I trust that Coach Chizik knows a lot more about defense then either of us will ever dream of knowing.  Now, if you think Coach Chizik is wrong and needs to be fired and you are AD Jay Jacobs, then you can do something about it.  Otherwise, you can complain until you are blue in the face and it won't do any good (although it could potentially harm the program).  

[AUBSC76 0]

17 in a row and some still want more.  I guess those are the folks that drive us to new heights.  Or, they are the ones that suck all the life out of everything around them.  I don't know.

Unless "they" are BIG $$ supporters of Auburn athletics, "still wanting more" contributes nothing, absolutely ziltch, as far as driving Auburn to new heights.