The road ahead for Auburn to return to glory.

[StatTiger 3,188]

Auburn's new coaching staff under the direction of Gus Malzahn has a major task facing them in terms of returning Auburn to a position, where they are truly competitive in the best conference in the country (football).

Yesterday, I posted a statistical model of the previous participants and winners of the SECC game from 2000-2013. With this in mind, here is a comparison of Auburn's statistical averages over the past 4-years. Though nothing is a given, it does give the viewer a better understanding of where Auburn is now and where they need to go to become relevant in the conference.

The following data is broken down in the following manner...

• The first column shows the 13 statistical categories in question.
  
• The second column shows the statistical averages of the 26 SEC participants in the conference championship game, along with the 2011 Alabama team.
  
• The third column shows the statistical averages of the winner of the SECCG from 2000-2012 along with the 2011 Alabama team.
  
• The next four columns labeled 2009-2012, show Auburn's statistical averages during those seasons.
  
• The final column shows Auburn's statistical average during the 4-years under Gene Chizik.
  

• The numbers in red are primary concerns.
  
• The numbers in blue reveal, when Auburn was competitive among the conference's elite teams.
  

The above numbers reveal Auburn has been statistically competitive over the past 4-years in run-offense, PR-defense, KR-Defense and KR-offense. We all know Auburn struggled on defense under Gene Chizik the past 4-years but the above numbers reveal just how poorly they were and how much work Ellis Johnson has cut out for him and his assistants on defense.

Keep in mind the SEC team with the highest statistical rankings during the last 13 SECC games is 12-1. The Florida Gators in 2009 was the only team to lose to a lesser statistically ranked opponent (Alabama). The SEC-East is 5-1 and the SEC-West is 7-0 during the last 13 conference championships.

[waspan 0]

No one will ever doubt your stats and results and direct between the eyes hits.........but sometimes it's time to buckle up the old bootstraps and believe you can indeed lift yourself upGotta start somewhere, might as well believe Auburn can return to caring about being the better man on the field of play this year....'Kick'em in da butt Big Blue".

[AUTiger25 29]

Great post ST!

[api52 4]

Thanks ST. Great analysis... as usual!

[cooltigger21 0]

Those numbers are really telling. It is what makes the whole thing so baffling considering the background of Chizik as a DC and being part of two undefeated seasons in that role. Whatever the reason it is now up to the current staff to rectify that and put the program back on track. If the reports of the offseason workouts are correct then I think they have started down the path to putting AU back up on top.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Great post as usual Stat. Totally underscores what a terrible HC Gene Chizik was before we hired him and was during his tenure at AU.

wde