Beating Clemson

[AUwent 3,752]

So we'll need a QB and a decent game plan to make that happen. We never seemed to be able to achieve that last year.

Not only *should* we be starting the season with the same guy who will finish it under center- knocks on wood and voodoo chants in full effect- but he will be surrounded by significantly more experience and will be minus one major nightmare. No matter what your feelings are about roster management, surely we can all agree that it's hard to come up with a good game plan when you're forced to turn to a redshirt freshman with exactly zero snaps midseason, only to be forced a few games later to turn back to the completely incapable guy. That they were both surrounded by freshmen, behind an inexperienced OL, and wondering why their best RB by far couldn't stay on the field made that good game plan all the more elusive.

If Watson has time or breaks contain consistently then we'll give up 50 points.

I think that's a pretty hefty exaggeration that credits Watson and discredits our secondary a little too much.

You know one of my biggest complaints from last year was that we had to run such a vanilla offense against State because White started. The guy had been in the program a year and went into the season as the backup QB. IMO if you have to dumb down the game plan because your backup QB has to start a game, then the coach isn't doing his job. Its not like JJ is M. Vick and White is P. Manning and their skill sets are so different that they require 2 completely different game plans. So i hope this is something Malzahn works on for the future. Be prepared to play the BACKUP QB!!

I'm not sure if you don't acknowledge the shortcomings elsewhere on the offensive roster that I mentioned, or if you just don't think they affected the play calling at all last year. If it's the latter, then I won't argue with you* but I will strongly disagree with you. As for a redshirt freshman getting not only his first start but his first snaps against an SEC opponent only one year removed from being #1 in the nation for a minute... yeah, I'd personally think that would absolutely change the game plan, especially when they'd probably had to spend every waking second of the previous few weeks trying to figure out how to fix the preseason Heisman candidate.

*Actually, I will argue with you. Our center had two false starts in MSU territory in that game. Our 2nd leading rusher after Sean was a true freshman. Our 2nd leading receiver? That same true freshman. Our best RB didn't even play. Freshmen at HB and TE. That's the kind of experience that was surrounding our first time QB and that Gus was trying to call plays for.

Every team every year has some issues. I do not think what we experienced last year was abnormal by any stretch. This year we lack depth at RB, lack of proven playmakers at WR, no proven QB, and probably about the same OL experience as we had last year. That doesn't mean I'll excuse Malazahn from having a strong offense. Great coaches make it work. Now if the week before the season starts we loose our top 2 QBs I'll understand some struggles. So I don't think I'm being unreasonable here.

2015: 3 JRs (one recovering from back surgery), 2 SOs

2016: 3 SRs, 2 JRs

You can certainly argue about experience, but this had better be a strong O-line. Otherwise, might as well try to set up for a semi-experienced line in '17.

[BlueFrogg 11]

Auburn by 40.

[FoundationEagle 637]

60 minutes

[AUwent 3,752]

Thinking of reasons to be optimistic about this season:

-Veteran OL

-Should-be elite DL

-Should-be very good secondary

-Excellent kicker

-A strong pair of HBs

Hopefully more. Gus has to show to the fans that we're headed in the right direction and that we can avoid another '70s-ish stretch--my gut tells me we probably will be able to. Still, I can't remember an offseason in which the fanbase as a whole was so bleak.

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

Thinking of reasons to be optimistic about this season:

-Veteran OL

-Should-be elite DL

-Should-be very good secondary

-Excellent kicker

-A strong pair of HBs

Hopefully more. Gus has to show to the fans that we're headed in the right direction. I can't remember an offseason in which the fanbase was so bleak.

2013? I was just praying for six wins and a bowl game. I don't think we'll have that kind of season again but I'll be happy if its just much better offensive play than last year.

[Tiger 8,827]

Thinking of reasons to be optimistic about this season:

-Veteran OL

-Should-be elite DL

-Should-be very good secondary

-Excellent kicker

-A strong pair of HBs

Hopefully more. Gus has to show to the fans that we're headed in the right direction. I can't remember an offseason in which the fanbase was so bleak.

2013? I was just praying for six wins and a bowl game. I don't think we'll have that kind of season again but I'll be happy if its just much better offensive play than last year.

My thoughts exactly. Prior to 2013 season I also was in "I'll be ecstatic if we make a bowl this" mode. We were so far from being just mediocre in 2012 that hitting only 6 wins seemed like it would take a miraculous coaching effort.

[keesler 5,924]

I think this game will be close. our strength (defense) vs their strength (offense). our offense has tons of question marks and they're replacing most of their defense.

It's been so damn long since AU could consider the defense a strength that I honestly can't remember the year....2005-2006? TEN freakin years?

[gravejd 3,270]

I think this game will be close. our strength (defense) vs their strength (offense). our offense has tons of question marks and they're replacing most of their defense.

It's been so damn long since AU could consider the defense a strength that I honestly can't remember the year....2005-2006? TEN freakin years?

It was pretty good in 2010 when we won the Natty. Not the same as tubby Ds for sure but still a solid unit that won us a few games.

[DAG 33,984]

I think this game will be close. our strength (defense) vs their strength (offense). our offense has tons of question marks and they're replacing most of their defense.

It's been so damn long since AU could consider the defense a strength that I honestly can't remember the year....2005-2006? TEN freakin years?

It was pretty good in 2010 when we won the Natty. Not the same as tubby Ds for sure but still a solid unit that won us a few games.

The run defense was VERY good. The pass defense was dreadful. The defense as a whole ended up in the bottom half of the SEC.

[alexava 6,973]

Second half of games was good in 2010.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,297]

I think this game will be close. our strength (defense) vs their strength (offense). our offense has tons of question marks and they're replacing most of their defense.

It's been so damn long since AU could consider the defense a strength that I honestly can't remember the year....2005-2006? TEN freakin years? :gofig:/>

Actually it was 2008. The Franklin Experiment. Defense was AWESOME that year

[Tiger 8,827]

I think this game will be close. our strength (defense) vs their strength (offense). our offense has tons of question marks and they're replacing most of their defense.

It's been so damn long since AU could consider the defense a strength that I honestly can't remember the year....2005-2006? TEN freakin years? :gofig:/>

Actually it was 2008. The Franklin Experiment. Defense was AWESOME that year

Those were the days where the mantra was "if we could only field an AVERAGE defense we would win our conference!"

We transitioned to the polar opposite as of late...but at least we got a natty recently

[AuburnNTexas 7,149]

Thinking of reasons to be optimistic about this season:

-Veteran OL

-Should-be elite DL

-Should-be very good secondary

-Excellent kicker

-A strong pair of HBs

Hopefully more. Gus has to show to the fans that we're headed in the right direction and that we can avoid another '70s-ish stretch--my gut tells me we probably will be able to. Still, I can't remember an offseason in which the fanbase as a whole was so bleak.

I agree with every thing except veteran O-Line we lost both tackles and our Center is moving to tackle so will only have two starters in same position and 1 starter in another position. I like the talent we will have in the O-Line but it will be basically a new starting group. If they can gel quickly and play to their potential could be a real strength but O-line needs repetition more then most groups.

[AUwent 3,752]

^ If CHH is going to start three seniors (specifically Leff and Dampeer), this NEEDS to be an elite O-line. I don't like being inexperienced and being set up to be inexperienced the next year.

[Eisenhower_1952 87]

Imagine if Smith and Golson leave early. We will have a complete new line. It is important that the QB situation gets fixed this year.

[Tiger 8,827]

Hopefully they saw what happened to Avery Young leaving early and will only consider it if they have dominant seasons.

[AUwent 3,752]

^^ Which is why we'd better have a darn good line this year. This is why I think, along with our recruiting free-fall, that it could take years to recover from the hole we're in.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,297]

Opinion:

... along with our recruiting free-fall...

Facts:

-We've had a top 10 recruiting class for 5 years running. Some years a top 5.

- it's June, almost a year before signing day, and if Mond commits to us we'll jump into the top 10, still VERY EARLY in the process.

There's no recruiting free fall.

[Tiger 8,827]

^^ Yep. Again, we'd better have a good line this year. This is why I think, along with our recruiting free-fall, that it could take years to recover from the hole we're in.

While I understand your point, we are never too far from a fantastic season. Just as we are never far from a subpar season. Our recruiting ensures us that there is top level talent on the roster. IF we have to make a coaching change soon the new guy won't be dealing with a bare cupboard at all.

[johnnyAU 3,630]

Opinion:

... along with our recruiting free-fall...

Facts:

-We've had a top 10 recruiting class for 5 years running. Some years a top 5.

- it's June, almost a year before signing day, and if Mond commits to us we'll jump into the top 10, still VERY EARLY in the process.

There's no recruiting free fall.

This was Malzahn's best recruiting effort to date.

[AUwent 3,752]

^I agree, the 2016 class was very good.

[BlueFrogg 11]

We will be ready for this game, and we will win.

[TigerOne 1,143]

We will be ready for this game, and we will win.

I like your optimism..Auburn's chance to make a statement and set the season on the right course,

No excuses, if Auburn blows it in an ugly way then Gus should be blasted and he will be.

We have the talent, facilities ,fans you name it. Clemson is not unbeatable if we are prepared,disciplined and well coached.

How many decades do we have to go through this

[alexava 6,973]

We will be ready for this game, and we will win.

I like your optimism..Auburn's chance to make a statement and set the season on the right course,

No excuses, if Auburn blows it in an ugly way then Gus should be blasted and he will be.

We have the talent, facilities ,fans you name it. Clemson is not unbeatable if we are prepared,disciplined and well coached.

How many decades do we have to go through this

go through what?

[TigerOne 1,143]

We will be ready for this game, and we will win.

I like your optimism..Auburn's chance to make a statement and set the season on the right course,

No excuses, if Auburn blows it in an ugly way then Gus should be blasted and he will be.

We have the talent, facilities ,fans you name it. Clemson is not unbeatable if we are prepared,disciplined and well coached.

How many decades do we have to go through this

go through what?

Failing to live up to expectations. Auburn has zero excuses to not be competitive in the the three major sports. We are last