What Happened?

[countoff 331]

I became a firm Auburn fan when I showed up my freshman year in 1980.  I thought Pat Dye was one of the greatest coaches...ever.  But he never took us to a national championship game (although I think we are the 1983 NC).

So 30 years later we finally win a NC with Chizik and Malzahn.  The when 2012 comes along everyone on this board decides that the only reason we won the NC in 2010 was because of Malzahn.  So we picked up our pitchforks and ran Gene out of town and threw a celebration party when Gus showed up.

Lo and behold, Gus takes the 2012 dumpster fire of a team and takes them to the NC game the very next year.

"Gus is an offensive  genius".  :"Gus is the greatest Auburn coach ever".  "Gus will rule Saban and Alabama for many years to come."

Does this sound familiar to the people on this board?

So what happened?  How can the offensive genius be such an idiot now? 

[tbone4jc 2,242]

It was all bells and whistles.  The shock and awe was figured out and now here we are with, well...a pretender to put it mild

[auskull 239]

21 minutes ago, countoff said:

I became a firm Auburn fan when I showed up my freshman year in 1980.  I thought Pat Dye was one of the greatest coaches...ever.  But he never took us to a national championship game (although I think we are the 1983 NC).

So 30 years later we finally win a NC with Chizik and Malzahn.  The when 2012 comes along everyone on this board decides that the only reason we won the NC in 2010 was because of Malzahn.  So we picked up our pitchforks and ran Gene out of town and threw a celebration party when Gus showed up.

Lo and behold, Gus takes the 2012 dumpster fire of a team and takes them to the NC game the very next year.

"Gus is an offensive  genius".  :"Gus is the greatest Auburn coach ever".  "Gus will rule Saban and Alabama for many years to come."

Does this sound familiar to the people on this board?

So what happened?  How can the offensive genius be such an idiot now? 

Basically, recruiting and player development. I'm not talking about the number of stars per recruit but also filling the needs and developing depth. After CGC OL recruits graduated we are now in recovery mode. No TEs, etc. Recruiting is the life blood of a program and it begins in the trenches. Player development is also critical, this all goes with managing a Power 5 program. This year we finally added weight and muscle to the linemen. A little late but this should be going on 24/7 365 days a year, not in the 4th year.

[TigerOne 1,161]

When the entire SEC knows your play page and share any info they have from moles and defectors it's a no win situation. Add directives from the SEC and the updyke cult

plus a tunnel vision coaching staff and its perfect recipe for disaster.

What is the answer..right now? There isn't one except what we can control. Gus has to get beyond himself, the players execute and we might have a few more wins this season.

[AU-24 3,121]

1 hour ago, auskull said:

Basically, recruiting and player development. I'm not talking about the number of stars per recruit but also filling the needs and developing depth. After CGC OL recruits graduated we are now in recovery mode. No TEs, etc. Recruiting is the life blood of a program and it begins in the trenches. Player development is also critical, this all goes with managing a Power 5 program. This year we finally added weight and muscle to the linemen. A little late but this should be going on 24/7 365 days a year, not in the 4th year.

Just a side note on your good points. Our recruiting classes have been in the Top Ten or even the Top Five the entire time Gus has been here, as well as before.

Now, addressing needs and player development, certainly has to be a concern. 

[AUBwins 10,119]

I think Gus was hurt more than others with the rule changes hindering the tempo.  Of course it hurts when the ref doesn't get off the ball.  That was his advantage.  Other teams still run tempo with success,  but Gus hasn't been able to adapt as easy.  Of course if Gus would substitute less like he said he would, the defense would not have a chance to sub.  That further proves there is not much substance to the offense, where we are only successful by out flanking or hiking before you are ready.  

[alabamabrown14 9]

6 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

I think Gus was hurt more than others with the rule changes hindering the tempo.  Of course it hurts when the ref doesn't get off the ball.  That was his advantage.  Other teams still run tempo with success,  but Gus hasn't been able to adapt as easy.  Of course if Gus would substitute less like he said he would, the defense would not have a chance to sub.  That further proves there is not much substance to the offense, where we are only successful by out flanking or hiking before you are ready.  

Other teams running an uptempo offense are doing just fine so I can't left ref standing over the ball be an excuse...plus they only do it when the other team is substituting not every play

[fredst 9,064]

32 minutes ago, AU-24 said:

Just a side note on your good points. Our recruiting classes have been in the Top Ten or even the Top Five the entire time Gus has been here, as well as before.

Now, addressing needs and player development, certainly has to be a concern. 

We have recruited well by ranking but it is somewhat misleading. Even though we have recruited quality players I'm not sure we have filled our needs consistently very well (Mikey may have an opinion about this re: linebacker). As you say, player development after arrival to AU has been, shall we say, less than optimal.

[oracle79 3,569]

5 minutes ago, fredst said:

We have recruited well by ranking but it is somewhat misleading. Even though we have recruited quality players I'm not sure we have filled our needs consistently very well (Mikey may have an opinion about this re: linebacker). As you say, player development after arrival to AU has been, shall we say, less than optimal.

I also think our turnover rate has gone up above average and our retention has dropped below average.  I'm sure @Mikey has a pretty good handle on those stats also.

[AU-24 3,121]

7 minutes ago, fredst said:

We have recruited well by ranking but it is somewhat misleading. Even though we have recruited quality players I'm not sure we have filled our needs consistently very well (Mikey may have an opinion about this re: linebacker). As you say, player development after arrival to AU has been, shall we say, less than optimal.

With the product we are seeing on the field, I can't help but agree.

[Guest WarEagleSteve]

I don't think it's a recruiting issue. The talent is there and has been there. The issue is that Gus has made a number of poor hiring decisions when it comes to the staff (hurting player development) and has apparently utterly forgotten how to draft a game plan, develop an offensive identity, etc. Enough players have shown flashes of ability over the past two years that I can't believe talent is the issue. However, between the Clemson quarterback carousel, the Chandler Cox mutant single wing experiment, the Miles Garrett pulling guard debacle, and the laundry list of other highly questionable (to put it charitably) playcalling and personnel decisions that have been made so far, I'm beginning to believe that Gus just doesn't know what the heck he's doing anymore. 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

The problem is Gus did not have an ace up his sleeve, once other teams figured out his single wing T. So he just keeps switching around and running the same plays in hopes that at some point they will work again. Then he plays little sisters of the south teams and they work and his faith in his play calling is reborn, until he meets another P5 team again.It is like watching Ground Hog Day, you think surely he will see that he is just doing the same foolish thing over and over and decide to change. But no, he just keeps on. I am pretty sure Einstein would sum it up as insanity. WDE

[AuGrad2004 100]

Remember also that in 2013, without two fantastic "miracle" plays we are a 3 loss team with no SEC Championship and a mid tier bowl.

[Gibson SG 88]

8 minutes ago, AuGrad2004 said:

Remember also that in 2013, without two fantastic "miracle" plays we are a 3 loss team with no SEC Championship and a mid tier bowl.

I agree on the 2013 GA miracle.  But, the UAT game was no miracle.  Unexpected, yes.  Remember, we were tied and had the momentum.  If Davis steps out of bounds, I have no doubt we win in overtime.

[Tiger 8,833]

Shoot, I'd settle for a 9-3 record right now lol

[autigeremt 6,790]

#1 reason? A lack of an ability to adjust to what a defense is doing to stop you and this notion that being stubborn is a good thing.

[aubaseball 2,699]

I completely disagree with the  notion that he knows how to attack an opponents weakness'.   When you continue to run the ball up the middle on almost every first down call, how is that exploiting the weakness.  Good teams use their best player to exploit another teams weakest player.   For instance , watch kiffin  put Ridley in certain positions on the field to attack a teams weakness.    We never do that

[aubaseball 2,699]

Strengths of aTm:defensive ends and defensive tackles

weakness of aTm: defensive back

what auburn ran.  Plays up the middle and short passes.  Played right into the strength of aTm.  Where were the fade routes?  When is the last time you have seen a tailback screen play? Ronnie brown?

[ellitor 33,137]

22 hours ago, countoff said:

So what happened?  How can the offensive genius be such an idiot now? 

Because he thinks he is the greatest offensive football mind in the world & therefore has listened to nobody til now.

[jared52 4,354]

1 hour ago, Gibson SG said:

I agree on the 2013 GA miracle.  But, the UAT game was no miracle.  Unexpected, yes.  Remember, we were tied and had the momentum.  If Davis steps out of bounds, I have no doubt we win in overtime.

This. And the UGA miracle shouldn't have had to happen. Murray was short of the goal line.

[subterranean_jack 112]

I do not come to bury Gus Malzahn. I have supported and defended him since before he was even named head coach. But, the evidence is overwhelming. I wish the facts were different, but it is long past time to deal with reality.

• Gus had no head coaching experience at a major level before being hired. This isn't Gus' fault, it is Jacobs'. The AD's No. 1 job is to hire the right coaches. Jacobs has failed. Utterly. Miserably. Totally. Despite huge support by the fan base, he has used up all good will. How he could give Malzahn an extension after last season is inexcusable. He MUST go ASAP and cannot be trusted to make another coaching hire. Name a building after him or a practice field and show him the door. Not at the end of the season. Now. Right now.
• Recruiting isn't everything. It's the only thing. Malzahn should know who he needs to run his system. Evaluating talent, knowing how to develop it, and gaining commitments from the players you need to be successful is a head coach's No. 1 job. Gus has failed. I don't think there is an SEC-caliber QB on the roster, save possibly Woody Barrett. LB performance has been lacking for long before Gus arrived on the scene, and he has failed to address the problem (I will grant the young LBs starting this year are a marginal improvement, but it is too little too late). Maybe Alabama buys the players they want, I don't know, but Saban comes away with nearly every player he wants, at least a high enough percentage to be very successful. Maybe Gus and staff have worked their butts off, but Auburn has not been recruiting on the level that Alabama has for nearly a decade (star ratings be damned). Hiring a more established and respected head coach would have brought more clout when it came to recruiting. Bottom-line: Gus has failed to challenge Alabama, LSU, Georgia, etc for players and the program has suffered.
• Player evaluation and development is a problem across the board. How a head coach in a major conference could not foresee the dumpster fire that was building at QB before the start of 2015 is beyond comprehension. Yet, given an off-season to recruit and develop the players on-hand, the level of improvement is barely perceptible. Offensively, at nearly every position, the level of performance has depreciated. The defense is marginally better this season, but Steele and the defensive staff is largely responsible for this improvement. There is no excuse for some of the players this staff has backed away from, especially Lamar Jackson.
• The offense has been in decline going on 3 seasons. I can't stand Alabama, but, begrudgingly, Saban has earned my respect in that he recognized shortfalls, especially offensively, and addressed them. He hired Lane Kiffen because he was a proven talent and didn't give a damn what anyone thought. Alabama has started a new QB for 3 straight seasons, and, instead of controversy, it has been a strength. Auburn has been struggling at QB for nearly the same amount of time, and what has Gus done to address the situation? A good coach knows to adapt to a changing game, even if it is a hard thing to accept. A poor coach hunkers down and continues to do the same thing over and over.
• Gus hasn't done anything to warrant being fired mid-season. He hasn't brought disgrace on the program, just disappointing results. There isn't anything an interim coach could do to turn this around in the short-term anyway. We are all just going to have to grit our teeth and bare the rest of the season the best that we can. But, if the BOT tries to put a band-aid on this, it's only going to get worse. The athletic department needs to be rebuilt from the top down with new blood, a fresh approach, and a lot more smarts. Anything less is not going to achieve the desired result. We must demand competence. We deserve it for all the BOT and Jacobs have put us through.

[tigerman1186 537]

I know a lot feel that teams have figured out our offensive scheme....and if that is true, wouldn't you think Coach Steele would let Gus know why teams have had success against us???? Last years LSU game we didn't do anything in the 1st half....just my though 

[GwillMac6 20,805]

For our inevitable next coaching hire can we please Hire a guy that is from a legit coaching tree who learned under a great or heck even really good coach? Is that to much to ask? A guy that was groomed in how to run a successful program day in and day out. Who were Gus mentors for running a major college program? One season under the buffoon mediocre Houston Nutt a guy he butted heads with? And 2 seasons under Todd Graham a solid but not spectacular head coach? MEH. Even Chizik had better mentors and learned under better head coaches how to run a program in Tubs and Mack Brown.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

As much as I've been off the bus this season so far, firing Gus would be detrimental to the success of the program. 

[ellitor 33,137]

40 minutes ago, tigerman1186 said:

I know a lot feel that teams have figured out our offensive scheme....and if that is true, wouldn't you think Coach Steele would let Gus know why teams have had success against us???? Last years LSU game we didn't do anything in the 1st half....just my though 

He very well may have but remember, Gus doesn't listen to anybody concerning his offense.