Maybe Chizik hasn't lost it...

[TitanTiger 20,459]

I do think that this defense would be much better had Carl never gone down. And it could have had a domino effect on Adams and even Cowart who could have learned from Carl and benefited from all the attention teams would have to devote to him. But it was a situation where the best that could have been hoped for if we stayed healthy was improvement. We still don't have the horses to rotate effective linemen like you need to in this league. That really showed up Saturday vs Arky. They held on during regulation and played respectably. But you can't expect a defense as thin as ours to endure 4 OTs.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

I do think that this defense would be much better had Carl never gone down. And it could have had a domino effect on Adams and even Cowart who could have learned from Carl and benefited from all the attention teams would have to devote to him. But it was a situation where the best that could have been hoped for if we stayed healthy was improvement. We still don't have the horses to rotate effective linemen like you need to in this league. That really showed up Saturday vs Arky. They held on during regulation and played respectably. But you can't expect a defense as thin as ours to endure 4 OTs.

But you have to admit... They gave it a go. I actually felt like our D showed much better in OT, overall, than theirs. We, unfortunately, were the first to make the critical mistake, and then the drop bug came back.

[TitanTiger 20,459]

I do think that this defense would be much better had Carl never gone down. And it could have had a domino effect on Adams and even Cowart who could have learned from Carl and benefited from all the attention teams would have to devote to him. But it was a situation where the best that could have been hoped for if we stayed healthy was improvement. We still don't have the horses to rotate effective linemen like you need to in this league. That really showed up Saturday vs Arky. They held on during regulation and played respectably. But you can't expect a defense as thin as ours to endure 4 OTs.

But you have to admit... They gave it a go. I actually felt like our D showed much better in OT, overall, than theirs. We, unfortunately, were the first to make the critical mistake, and then the drop bug came back.

They did. Had we been able to capitalize on some of those passes that were dropped earlier in the game, we win it in regulation and are praising the defensive effort. They just gave out of gas.

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

Coincidentally there are many posts on a couple active threads here right now (never heard of most of the posters) about Gene being the "cause" of our 2015 defensive issues. IMO a huge reason for Gene Chizik's demise at Auburn was his delegating too MUCH of his greatest asset...defensive coordination (cough cough - Malzahn - cough cough - Lashlee).

[tbone4jc 2,238]

I do think that this defense would be much better had Carl never gone down. And it could have had a domino effect on Adams and even Cowart who could have learned from Carl and benefited from all the attention teams would have to devote to him. But it was a situation where the best that could have been hoped for if we stayed healthy was improvement. We still don't have the horses to rotate effective linemen like you need to in this league. That really showed up Saturday vs Arky. They held on during regulation and played respectably. But you can't expect a defense as thin as ours to endure 4 OTs.

But you have to admit... They gave it a go. I actually felt like our D showed much better in OT, overall, than theirs. We, unfortunately, were the first to make the critical mistake, and then the drop bug came back.

They did. Had we been able to capitalize on some of those passes that were dropped earlier in the game, we win it in regulation and are praising the defensive effort. They just gave out of gas.

How I wish everybody could be rational and understand this is true! Building depth takes time, especially when dealing with different d coordinators and players not making it/living up to star ratings.

I see improvement every game and I see the mistakes also. We'll continue to see as the year goes on the improvements on the d side.

[FoundationEagle 637]

Just looking over their schedule, they haven't played many worldbeaters to this point. It'd be interesting to revisit this in a month and see how they end up.

Pretty radical changes, regardless of who they've played this year. I watched UNC play early this year, and the defense looked very good. I don't think there is any question that he has made vast improvements.

Pretty much what we expected this year.... UNC must be loaded with talent

Basically like Auburn...mostly the same guys this year left from last year.....guys who couldn't stop anything,..a defense that gave up 70 points once and 50 points twice.

Same guys as last year..... plus whatever freshmen they have been able to work into the line-up but looks like a totally different team.

Yeah, the point wasn't that Auburn or UNC were actually loaded with talent. UNC is clearly not loaded with talent. We are turning it around here as well, but some seem to claim we need 3 years. UNC with much less overall talent only needed 1 to make the turnaround obvious. We should be turned around next year and possiy elite in 2-3 years.

[TitanTiger 20,459]

Just looking over their schedule, they haven't played many worldbeaters to this point. It'd be interesting to revisit this in a month and see how they end up.

Pretty radical changes, regardless of who they've played this year. I watched UNC play early this year, and the defense looked very good. I don't think there is any question that he has made vast improvements.

Pretty much what we expected this year.... UNC must be loaded with talent

Basically like Auburn...mostly the same guys this year left from last year.....guys who couldn't stop anything,..a defense that gave up 70 points once and 50 points twice.

Same guys as last year..... plus whatever freshmen they have been able to work into the line-up but looks like a totally different team.

Yeah, the point wasn't that Auburn or UNC were actually loaded with talent. UNC is clearly not loaded with talent. We are turning it around here as well, but some seem to claim we need 3 years. UNC with much less overall talent only needed 1 to make the turnaround obvious. We should be turned around next year and possiy elite in 2-3 years.

UNC has definitely improved. If they had played the schedule we have played so far, the improvement would likely look a bit more incremental rather than drastic.

I think we'll be better next year but not completely turned around. This is six years of sorry defense we're dealing with. I don't see one season being enough to fix it.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Welp, sounds like we're cursed guys... For years now competent coaches come into Auburn, look like imbeciles and move on to another school suddenly remembering how to coach. What we need is not another coaching change but an excersism.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,627]

I think essentially every DC that comes to Auburn is good. I don't think Jacobs has signed off one bad hire there period (since after Tuberville).

[McLoofus 35,182]

Welp, sounds like we're cursed guys... For years now competent coaches come into Auburn, look like imbeciles and move on to another school suddenly remembering how to coach. What we need is not another coaching change but an excersism.

From what I've gleaned here and elsewhere, you're more right than you know.

EDIT: There is also talk that Muschamp ordered the exorcism before agreeing to work here.

[Tiger 8,817]

Tubs cursed us on his final day in 2008

[AU64 10,122]

Just looking over their schedule, they haven't played many worldbeaters to this point. It'd be interesting to revisit this in a month and see how they end up.

Pretty radical changes, regardless of who they've played this year. I watched UNC play early this year, and the defense looked very good. I don't think there is any question that he has made vast improvements.

Pretty much what we expected this year.... UNC must be loaded with talent

Basically like Auburn...mostly the same guys this year left from last year.....guys who couldn't stop anything,..a defense that gave up 70 points once and 50 points twice.

Same guys as last year..... plus whatever freshmen they have been able to work into the line-up but looks like a totally different team.

Yeah, the point wasn't that Auburn or UNC were actually loaded with talent. UNC is clearly not loaded with talent. We are turning it around here as well, but some seem to claim we need 3 years. UNC with much less overall talent only needed 1 to make the turnaround obvious. We should be turned around next year and possiy elite in 2-3 years.

UNC has definitely improved. If they had played the schedule we have played so far, the improvement would likely look a bit more incremental rather than drastic.

I think we'll be better next year but not completely turned around. This is six years of sorry defense we're dealing with. I don't see one season being enough to fix it.

That could be true but UNC is playing the same schedule they played last year against the teams that racked up points and yards by the bucketful.....so at least it's an apples to apples comparison. That's about all they can ask of Chiz....defend the teams on their schedule.

Which is what we were looking for from Muschamp....play the same teams as last year and do a better job of defending them... which IMO has probably been done but without as dramatic an improvement.

[hutchids 227]

No one has ever questioned Chizik's credentials as a DC so this thread hasnt really proven anything

^ this

[NewDay22 0]

Good for him.

Class act.

War Eagle Coach

[tiger88 934]

No one has ever questioned Chizik's credentials as a DC so this thread hasnt really proven anything

^ this

Beat me to it.

[autig90 67]

We aren't loaded with talent. We have talent at some positions. We are woefully understaffed at others.

One of the biggest problems is defensive line. Starting with the class that would be RS Seniors this year if they were still around:

2011

Angelo Blackson (3-star) - NFL

Gabe Wright (4-star) - NFL

Keymiya Harrell (3-star) - on roster, buried on depth chart

JaBrien Niles (3-star) - tranferred

2012

Tyler Nero (4-star) - out of football due to health reasons

Gimel President (3-star) - in playing rotation, not a big factor

2013

Ben Bradley (4-star) - JUCO, graduated

Montravious Adams (5-star) - starter, impact player

Carl Lawson (5-star) - starter, hampered by injuries

Elijah Daniel (4-star) - arrested, kicked off team before this season

2014

Rashaad Kennion (3-star) - contributor

Devonte Lambert (4-star) - contributor

Justin Thornton (4-star) - non factor so far

Andrew Williams (4-star) - moved to OL, now back practicing with DL

Devaroe Lawrence (2-star) - plays rarely

Dontavious Russell (4-star) - in rotation

2015

Jauntavious Johnson (3-star) - possible redshirt?

Maurice Swain (3-star) - non factor

Byron Cowart (5-star) - playing

Prince Tega Wanogho - (4-star) injured, redshirting

So only two players are left from the first two classes. Neither are stars nor were they expected to be.

2013 was a nice class on paper, but one graduated, one has been injured the last two seasons basically and another was arrested and kicked off the team. That leaves Adams. So your upperclassmen on the defensive line (on the field) consists of a 5-star and two guys that were 3-stars coming out.

The last two classes have been good. These would be your freshmen, RS freshmen and sophomores. But:

One has bounced between DL and OL.

One tore an ACL last year and has been getting better each week (Lambert)

Another is redshirting due to an injury in HS (Wanogho)

The end result is, you have a mix of guys that are either very young and talented, talented guys who have been injured, older guys that were never going to be superstars most likely and the rest that mean we couldn't miss on anyone to have a proper rotation of defensive linemen.

And don't even get me started on the LBs.

There's talent. The DBs are playing better each week. There just isn't enough talent yet.

Nice breakdown - thanks. That's why people with their heads spinning around about the job that Muschamp is doing need to step away from the ledge and give him time to build a defense.

[AubFanCT 180]

Like Chizik, Muschamp they are really good DC's but awful HC's.

I think you hit the nail on the head. So true. Being a head coach adds so much work & effort beyond Xs & Os. Muschamp himself said in interviews that he did not enjoy being a head coach.

[Tiger 8,817]

Also, UNC's schedule this year is atrocious which is helping those stats out. Their first 7 games last year were against much more formidable opponents in comparison to this year.

[FoundationEagle 637]

We aren't loaded with talent. We have talent at some positions. We are woefully understaffed at others.

One of the biggest problems is defensive line. Starting with the class that would be RS Seniors this year if they were still around:

2011

Angelo Blackson (3-star) - NFL

Gabe Wright (4-star) - NFL

Keymiya Harrell (3-star) - on roster, buried on depth chart

JaBrien Niles (3-star) - tranferred

2012

Tyler Nero (4-star) - out of football due to health reasons

Gimel President (3-star) - in playing rotation, not a big factor

2013

Ben Bradley (4-star) - JUCO, graduated

Montravious Adams (5-star) - starter, impact player

Carl Lawson (5-star) - starter, hampered by injuries

Elijah Daniel (4-star) - arrested, kicked off team before this season

2014

Rashaad Kennion (3-star) - contributor

Devonte Lambert (4-star) - contributor

Justin Thornton (4-star) - non factor so far

Andrew Williams (4-star) - moved to OL, now back practicing with DL

Devaroe Lawrence (2-star) - plays rarely

Dontavious Russell (4-star) - in rotation

2015

Jauntavious Johnson (3-star) - possible redshirt?

Maurice Swain (3-star) - non factor

Byron Cowart (5-star) - playing

Prince Tega Wanogho - (4-star) injured, redshirting

So only two players are left from the first two classes. Neither are stars nor were they expected to be.

2013 was a nice class on paper, but one graduated, one has been injured the last two seasons basically and another was arrested and kicked off the team. That leaves Adams. So your upperclassmen on the defensive line (on the field) consists of a 5-star and two guys that were 3-stars coming out.

The last two classes have been good. These would be your freshmen, RS freshmen and sophomores. But:

One has bounced between DL and OL.

One tore an ACL last year and has been getting better each week (Lambert)

Another is redshirting due to an injury in HS (Wanogho)

The end result is, you have a mix of guys that are either very young and talented, talented guys who have been injured, older guys that were never going to be superstars most likely and the rest that mean we couldn't miss on anyone to have a proper rotation of defensive linemen.

And don't even get me started on the LBs.

There's talent. The DBs are playing better each week. There just isn't enough talent yet.

We aren't loaded with upperclassmen. We do have a 12-13 players available to play 4 DL positions so we are 3 deep. Add a few quality guys this year and add the fact that these guys will have another year in this system and we will have no more excuses. We should be deeper and more talented overall next year assuming we sign atleast 4 DL and get injured players back, though losing Adams and Lawson will be tough to replace

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Isn't this Chizik's first year as North Carolina's DC? nevermind. I just checked NC's website and saw that this is Gene's first year as their DC.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

To bad Muschamp is having a rough time as our DC.

[AUBwins 10,046]

His defense looks good tonight against a solid Pitt team

[Never2Yield 1,005]

His defense looks good tonight against a solid Pitt team

Sure does!

[DAG 33,949]

Of course, he hasn't lost it. Neither did Ted Roof when he left. I don't know what it is, but we have a seriously hard time developing talent here. I read that AU has the most active rookies in the NFL this year. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/10/auburn_back_on_top_in_nfl_rook.html I don't know what gives but, it makes zero sense in my book. We have talent.

[alexava 6,972]

cursed