This will not be a popular opinion, but my take...

[aucanucktiger 1,794]

16 hours ago, Auburnfan91 said:

Name one former Auburn head football coach that left Auburn and became more successful than when they were at Auburn? Go ahead name them. Shug Jordan retired. Doug Barfield coached high school football after getting fired at Auburn, Pat Dye retired. Bowden went down to division 2 at North Alabama before landing an FBS job at Akron almsot 14 years after he resigned at Auburn. Tuberville landed at Texas Tech and is now at Cincinnati. None of Auburn's past head coaches have come close to having the amount of success they had at Auburn.

Gus isn't going to get a better job than Auburn if we let him go.

John Heisman.

[Tiger 8,825]

23 hours ago, Mike4AU said:

I don't care if Gus gets fired, and I don't care if he stays.  But I do care that the players deserve better coaching, planning and play calling than they are getting.  I am weary of watching bewildering offensive displays that come from this staff far too often. 

I agree. Out of likes so I'm quoting. Also curious what your sig means? What's the link between Skittles and Pettway/running over things? Does he hate Skittles? Love Skittles? Big Marshawn Lynch fan? Our own version of beast mode?

[Mike4AU 1,739]

ML was known for eating Skittles on the sidelines, during games.  I assume he did that to get a burst of energy.  ML was one of my favorite players and KP has a similar running style. 

[Tiger 8,825]

Just now, Mike4AU said:

ML was known for eating Skittles on the sidelines, during games.  I assume he did that to get a burst of energy.  ML was one of my favorite players and KP has a similar running style. 

Solid. Yes I love(d) watching both guys run!

[vhsandaufan 15]

On Sunday, November 13, 2016 at 7:52 AM, TitanTiger said:

Auburn should not have lost to Georgia yesterday.  The UGA offense is anemic and our defense totally controlled it aside from a few amazing passes from Eason.  They held them to two FGs the entire game and anytime that happens, you should win.

At the same time, Auburn is a very beat up team, far more beat up that the coaching staff has let on.  Sean is obviously not himself and unable to generate any velocity on passes beyond 5-10 yards without really screwing up his mechanics and thus his accuracy.  I think it's also causing him to throw the ball quicker to try and avoid hits because any strong hit could spell the end of the season in his mind and it's painful.  Kerryon is not the same back he was early in the year because of the ankle and Pettway just bring another dimension to this offense.  Not having all of those key pieces working properly are just too much to overcome.

And finally, the JF3 thing has been an extreme disappointment not only in terms of evaluation by the staff (in hindsight we should have signed Jerod Evans) but in JF3's own development.  He simply should be better now so that when Sean isn't 100% the offense can do something.  But this is not a problem unique to Auburn.  A&M is a totally different team without Trevor Knight.  Louisville is a 3 or 4 loss team without Lamar Jackson.  Who knows what Clemson is without Watson?  You name me a team and virtually any of them are going to suffer greatly without their starter.  Most backups are not stars who just haven't gotten their chance.  They are backups because they are either flat out not as good, or because they are young and not ready for the lead role and there will be tremendous dropoff.

All of that said, I feel like in many ways Gus has taken some steps forward as a coach this year.  We finally have a defense that can carry a team and keep us in any game.  That hasn't happened since Tubs was here.  He finally understands his role as a HEAD coach and is allowing his assistants to do what he hired them to do.  And while we are paying the price for missing on Jerod and JJ's mental breakdowns, I think what this team did when it was healthy shows great promise.

So what do we do?  We are likely to lose to Alabama and finish 8-4.  Is it time to repeat the 4-year "Auburn gets a new head coach" cycle?  Thoughts on that:

1.  Well, I don't want to break up this defensive staff especially.  It's taken 6-7 years to get an Auburn defense back around here and I love what T-Will and McGriff have done.  And our D-line is killing it.  It's nice to know we don't have to score 40 points every outing to have a chance.

2.  Yesterday showed that every coach is susceptible to losing games they shouldn't.  Clemson lost at home to unranked Pitt (giving up 43 points in the process), Michigan lost to unranked Iowa, only scoring 13 in the process, and Washington lost to USC, managing only 13 points at home.  And other coaches have had their struggles this year:  Jimbo at FSU, Stoops at Oklahoma, Herman at Houston.  This is not an exact science.

3.  What coach do you realistically think we go after and get?  Herman maybe, but like Gus he's learning on the job as well.  Jimbo has shown himself to be a monumental whiner and without Jameis is having a hard time of it.  Petrino is having a great year but I don't think he's leaving Louisville a second time so quickly and the PTB at Auburn just aren't going to hire him.  Briles is radioactive for a few years.  So I'm struggling to come up with someone.

Taking all of the above into consideration, I think we're better off staying with Gus for another year, hopefully adding Stidham as QB this offseason, getting Woody Barrett ready after a redshirt year and anticipating Joey Gatewood after him.  It's not going to make a lot of folks happy, but I just don't think blowing things up again after 4 years is the right way to go.

This was a great post in so many ways

[TigerNBham 3]

We are just not  evaluating recruiting and developing  QBs.  We should be able to get to the end of the season and not be without a back up season after season.  Depending upon JUCO is the band aid fix and some times it works, Marshall, and sometimes not so much.  We. IMHO, need consistency with a competent big league OC, who can  evaluate,  recruit,  development and game some QBs at AU. Just win Baby, WDE.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Just now, TigerNBham said:

We are just not  evaluating recruiting and developing  QBs.  We should be able to get to the end of the season and not be without a back up season after season.  Depending upon JUCO is the band aid fix and some times it works, Marshall, and sometimes not so much.  We. IMHO, need consistency with a competent big league OC, who can  evaluate,  recruit,  development and game some QBs at AU. Just win Baby, WDE.

I honestly think we need a coach who can focus on QBs, instead of one who is trying to run an offense and coach-up a bunch of QBs at the same time.

[Tiger 8,825]

1 hour ago, lionheartkc said:

I honestly think we need a coach who can focus on QBs, instead of one who is trying to run an offense and coach-up a bunch of QBs at the same time.

That would be an awesome way to utilize the (potential?) extra coach allowed on staff. I think there was talk about increasing the on-field coaching staff by 1 earlier this year. We certainly could use a bonafide QB coach.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

32 minutes ago, Tiger said:

That would be an awesome way to utilize the (potential?) extra coach allowed on staff. I think there was talk about increasing the on-field coaching staff by 1 earlier this year. We certainly could use a bonafide QB coach.

Agreed.  Even if I don't share the vocal minority's opinion that Gus/Rhett can't coach QBs, with our continual injury issues, we need someone who can be coaching 3-4 deep instead of focusing on the primary or first back-up.

[Tiger 8,825]

Just now, lionheartkc said:

Agreed.  Even if I don't share the vocal minority's opinion that Gus/Rhett can't coach QBs, with our continual injury issues, we need someone who can be coaching 3-4 deep instead of focusing on the primary or first back-up.

Rhett can call an offense IMO, I am convinced of that by our winning streak (there has been some alluding to Gus taking play calling back from him the past 2 weeks grrrrrrrr). As far as coaching proper fundamentals into a QB and holding him accountable, IDK if we have seen that yet....But if Rhett (or whoever our next OC is) can focus on game planning and attacking the opposition in the best way possible while someone else is ensuring our QBs are getting the full attention of a QB coach IMO it would do wonders for us in the event of injury or someone just having on-field freakouts where we have to try other options.

[aubaseball 2,602]

If all these rumors on this board were true, AU is on the same path as before with Tuberville.   It's only a matter of time on when he will be fired due to CGM sticking with Lashlee.  In order for AU to move in a direction that will benefit the program for the long run, it needs an OC that will run their version of the HUNH offense with Gus' flavor for being smash mouth run team.  

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Something I've thought about all year, but we're just one superstar away from being world beaters. Sean White is a good enough QB that if we had a stud WR to lean on or Pettway were a tad faster, ESPN would be praying for someone to stop us... we're so close to elite status that it hurts us as a fanbase to see us sputter so close to the peak.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

14 hours ago, JBiGGiE said:

Something I've thought about all year, but we're just one superstar away from being world beaters. Sean White is a good enough QB that if we had a stud WR to lean on or Pettway were a tad faster, ESPN would be praying for someone to stop us... we're so close to elite status that it hurts us as a fanbase to see us sputter so close to the peak.

Even more that we're sputtering a second year in a row, and injuries are the main culprit.  We have to get that fixed.  We can bet the best team in the world and it won't mean crap if we can't stay healthy.

[cole256 17,065]

2 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

Even more that we're sputtering a second year in a row, and injuries are the main culprit.  We have to get that fixed.  We can bet the best team in the world and it won't mean crap if we can't stay healthy.

But here's the thing, it's not rocket science. Week 3 or 4 I said if we keep this up pettway will be hurt when we need him against the good teams on our schedule....guess what he's hurt. Before the season started when everybody was arguing about sw can run or not I said it's not about that, it's can he take hits if he does run.....too many his he's hurt. Playing the guys the entire game during blow outs....that's stupid on every level. Now everybody is surprised but I don't see why

[alexava 6,973]

2 hours ago, cole256 said:

But here's the thing, it's not rocket science. Week 3 or 4 I said if we keep this up pettway will be hurt when we need him against the good teams on our schedule....guess what he's hurt. Before the season started when everybody was arguing about sw can run or not I said it's not about that, it's can he take hits if he does run.....too many his he's hurt. Playing the guys the entire game during blow outs....that's stupid on every level. Now everybody is surprised but I don't see why

We were in a 7 point nail biter when he went down. If he had got hurt vs miss st or Arkansas I would agree. 

[80Tiger 899]

20 hours ago, JBiGGiE said:

Something I've thought about all year, but we're just one superstar away from being world beaters. Sean White is a good enough QB that if we had a stud WR to lean on or Pettway were a tad faster, ESPN would be praying for someone to stop us... we're so close to elite status that it hurts us as a fanbase to see us sputter so close to the peak.

A superstar at QB would make a difference in quite a few teams. LSU has the faster Petteway, great D, and some studs at WR. Just hurting at QB like a lot of teams. 

[Farmer Brown 2,391]

Gus acts like a scared coach. He coaches like he is afraid to change things up. Surely he is smarter than a bunch of posters on a football fan forum. Why can't he see the things that some of the smarter football savvy guys on here see? Stat Tiger needs to do a stat sheet on our offensive tendencies and email it to him. We are so predictable after the first quarter. We most always have a third quarter lull. He is not very good at in game adjustments at all. IMO. He, by his own admission, has the first plays scripted, and that is usually when we are productive. As soon as the opposition makes adjustments, he is lost and or is afraid to try something else. Some of our better players seldom see the field. He cannot develop a qb. JUCO coaches do a better job than he does in that area. But, what do I know?

[alexava 6,973]

5 hours ago, 80Tiger said:

A superstar at QB would make a difference in quite a few teams. LSU has the faster Petteway, great D, and some studs at WR. Just hurting at QB like a lot of teams. 

They don't grow on trees and they are more likely to develop behind a d solid line. If you have more than one you won't keep them both for long. 

[cole256 17,065]

6 hours ago, alexava said:

We were in a 7 point nail biter when he went down. If he had got hurt vs miss st or Arkansas I would agree. 

You don't see the big picture. Yes the particular play that's when he was hurt. Running backs have a shelf life, you run them 40 times in one game a injury is coming around the corner. The body can only take so much. So when a back is ran into the ground no it's not look at that particular play it's look at all the carries he's had in such a small window.  Yes he's going to get hurt, especially when half of those runs are directly up the middle on first down and EVERYBODY knows it

[WarTim 3,456]

8 hours ago, alexava said:

We were in a 7 point nail biter when he went down. If he had got hurt vs miss st or Arkansas I would agree. 

Agree 100%...

[AUApostle 7,651]

11 hours ago, alexava said:

We were in a 7 point nail biter when he went down. If he had got hurt vs miss st or Arkansas I would agree. 

The (un)funny thing is, the biggest reason he was playing at that moment is likely because Sean was injured and could not start the game / throw an effective pass.  A healthy Sean starts that game and we're up 3 or 4 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter.

Outside of Gus's dumb decisions to open the season, we have a very promising team that injuries have decimated.  As big as Sean's was, Miller's injury was probably the second biggest.  We needed that guy toting the rock in the 2nd halves of games when we're up big.  We needed him to give Kam a breather from time to time during Johnson's injury.

[alexava 6,973]

I don't know enough about that injury to know if repeated contact caused the non contact injury or even if it is possible. 

[alexava 6,973]

1 hour ago, AUDevil said:

The (un)funny thing is, the biggest reason he was playing at that moment is likely because Sean was injured and could not start the game / throw an effective pass.  A healthy Sean starts that game and we're up 3 or 4 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter.

Outside of Gus's dumb decisions to open the season, we have a very promising team that injuries have decimated.  As big as Sean's was, Miller's injury was probably the second biggest.  We needed that guy toting the rock in the 2nd halves of games when we're up big.  We needed him to give Kam a breather from time to time during Johnson's injury.

It took me a moment to remember who Miller  was. It's been a while. Lol

[keesler 5,924]

19 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

Even more that we're sputtering a second year in a row, and injuries are the main culprit.  We have to get that fixed.  We can bet the best team in the world and it won't mean crap if we can't stay healthy.

Third year in a row....started sputtering in the red zone back in 2014.  Maybe if Gus changes nothing and just gets the players healed up AU will be world beaters soon.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Just now, keesler said:

Third year in a row....started sputtering in the red zone back in 2014.  Maybe if Gus changes nothing and just gets the players healed up AU will be world beaters soon.

He has to change something. One year of injuries is a coincidence.  Two years is symptomatic of a problem.

I think the 2014 red zone issues were more about good D coordinators figuring out his system.