Popular Post JMR 2,118 Posted July 3, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted July 3, 2017 It's obvious that football season is almost here. Here in the Deep South, the beginning of fall practice signals that the race is officially underway, and our interest in what's happening with our team heats up. For Auburn fans, there are lots of unknowns, and questions to be answered. Here are some thoughts that have been rolling around in my head all summer, with many of them certain to be answered one way or another over the next few weeks.... Will Jarrett Stidham be the starter at QB, and assuming that he is, how will he do after a year and a half off the game field? I think most of us expect Stidham to win the job officially in the first couple of weeks of fall camp. While I do believe Sean White will be much more comfortable in the Chip Lindsey offense, Stidham appears to be the more refined passer. With White having been unable to participate fully in spring practice, Stidham seems to have entrenched himself firmly in the pole position. Noticing that White has added 21 pounds of body weight since the beginning of spring practice, I'm curious to see if that's "good weight", and if it is, how it will affect his game and his durability. And speaking of durability, it would seem that with White healthy and very experienced, Auburn will have a little depth at the quarterback position we haven't enjoyed in a while. Adding to that is the enormous potential of Malik Willis, the true freshman. I don't have a clue how well-versed Willis is in the offense at this point, but his athletic ability is obvious, and his work ethic will definitely affect his learning curve in a positive way. What to make of Chip Lindsey as Offensive Coordinator? Known as something of a passing game guy, with roots in the Air Raid, it seems likely that this year's AU offense will be far more proficient in the throwing game than at any time in recent years. Logic says that the ability to throw the ball effectively will make the offense much more difficult to defend, and benefit Auburn's historically strong running game. I'm curious to see what the "personality" of this Auburn offense will be. Will the running game be the bell cow it has been, will there be a roughly even split between running and passing, or will Lindsey's penchant for throwing the ball mean more of the dreaded three-and-outs? And where will Malzahn draw the line as far as allowing Lindsey to run his offense? What about the offensive line, especially the offensive tackle situation? In my opinion, Herb Hand is an excellent offensive line coach when it comes to the running game. Like many such OL coaches, he doesn't seem nearly as strong in pass protection. With Lindsey in the control tower and Stidham at the stick, pass pro is going to be a critical requirement for this group. There is always the quick game, and I've seen both Lindsey and Stidham run that component very well, but Lindsey is going to want to throw the ball down the field, and that requires adequate protection. I think Auburn has at least four players who can be effective at offensive tackle, but those guys will need to be well-coached. The addition of transfers Wilson Bell and Casey Dunn potentially frees up other options for Hand in terms of position changes and depth. We can only guess at this point, but I expect both Bell and Dunn to be major factors, either as starters or as first-off-the-bench backups. I've seen some discussion of whether Dunn is actually big enough to function at this level, but based on his tape, he reminds me of former AU center Ryan Pugh in terms of size and playing style. Will Kodi Burns continue to develop as our wide receiver coach? Given that most of his coaching experience has been with the running back position, I thought Burns did a respectable job last year. The hope is, of course, that he will continue to grow and develop as a wide receiver coach. The talent and depth at the WR position is nothing short of stellar. The development and refinement of that group of players could have a huge positive effect on this offense. Will Marlon Davidson continue to mature? He was absolutely outstanding for a freshman last year. If he can avoid the "sophomore slump" that so many young players encounter, he can be one of the premier defensive linemen in the conference. Same for Derrick Brown. Will Byron Cowart finally begin to reach his potential? He's not particularly big for a defensive tackle, but neither was Jay Ratliff. Can we get lucky enough to avoid key injuries in the secondary? I love the ability of "the Davis brothers", Javaris and Carlton at the corners, and if Jamel Dean can stay healthy, we have exceptional talent there, assuming Jeremiah Dinson is fully recovered from his horrendous injuries. Safety is a concern, both from a depth standpoint and coverage skills. Trey Matthews and Stephen Roberts are both very capable, but both will need to be more consistent, especially in coverage. Nick Ruffin has added some weight and may be able to help there. The transfer of Marlon Character hurts from a depth standpoint, but some believe that to be a case of addition by subtraction. How will the defensive backs play under the tutelage of Greg Brown? Will they use their hands, and if so, will they be technically proficient enough to do that without drawing PI penalties? I've heard lots of positives from players on the techniques being taught by Brown, and I'm anxious to see what the buzz is about. How much difference will it make having a Defensive Coordinator in place for a second year? Rumor is that Kevin Steele has spent a great deal of time this summer working on some of the defensive principles employed by Pete Carroll. I'm anxious to see how that plays out, as I believe Carroll is one of the top defensive minds in the game. Will there be changes in the way we deploy on special teams? With former special teams coach Scott Fountain now a Georgia Bulldog, and long-time running backs coach Tim Horton leading special teams, will there be substantive changes? In that vein, I've heard that other coaches on the staff have been drafted to help significantly with special teams. I think that's a good thing, and I'm looking forward to seeing more emphasis put on that phase across the board. On the subject of special teams, we obviously have one of the top kickers in college football, but have we developed a consistent punter? There is just a lot we don't know at this point. In addition to the above, there are other issues, like using the tight ends in the passing game, or the running backs, that we can only guess at. Lots to find out as fall camp nears. The bottom line, though, we have more of the "pieces" than we've had in quite a while. What happens from here is up to the players and coaches, but from the outside, it sure seems like a great time to be an Auburn fan. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's obvious that football season is almost here. Here in the Deep South, the beginning of fall practice signals that the race is officially underway, and our interest in what's happening with our team heats up. For Auburn fans, there are lots of unknowns, and questions to be answered. Here are some thoughts that have been rolling around in my head all summer, with many of them certain to be answered one way or another over the next few weeks.... Will Jarrett Stidham be the starter at QB, and assuming that he is, how will he do after a year and a half off the game field? I think most of us expect Stidham to win the job officially in the first couple of weeks of fall camp. While I do believe Sean White will be much more comfortable in the Chip Lindsey offense, Stidham appears to be the more refined passer. With White having been unable to participate fully in spring practice, Stidham seems to have entrenched himself firmly in the pole position. Noticing that White has added 21 pounds of body weight since the beginning of spring practice, I'm curious to see if that's "good weight", and if it is, how it will affect his game and his durability. And speaking of durability, it would seem that with White healthy and very experienced, Auburn will have a little depth at the quarterback position we haven't enjoyed in a while. Adding to that is the enormous potential of Malik Willis, the true freshman. I don't have a clue how well-versed Willis is in the offense at this point, but his athletic ability is obvious, and his work ethic will definitely affect his learning curve in a positive way. What to make of Chip Lindsey as Offensive Coordinator? Known as something of a passing game guy, with roots in the Air Raid, it seems likely that this year's AU offense will be far more proficient in the throwing game than at any time in recent years. Logic says that the ability to throw the ball effectively will make the offense much more difficult to defend, and benefit Auburn's historically strong running game. I'm curious to see what the "personality" of this Auburn offense will be. Will the running game be the bell cow it has been, will there be a roughly even split between running and passing, or will Lindsey's penchant for throwing the ball mean more of the dreaded three-and-outs? And where will Malzahn draw the line as far as allowing Lindsey to run his offense? What about the offensive line, especially the offensive tackle situation? In my opinion, Herb Hand is an excellent offensive line coach when it comes to the running game. Like many such OL coaches, he doesn't seem nearly as strong in pass protection. With Lindsey in the control tower and Stidham at the stick, pass pro is going to be a critical requirement for this group. There is always the quick game, and I've seen both Lindsey and Stidham run that component very well, but Lindsey is going to want to throw the ball down the field, and that requires adequate protection. I think Auburn has at least four players who can be effective at offensive tackle, but those guys will need to be well-coached. The addition of transfers Wilson Bell and Casey Dunn potentially frees up other options for Hand in terms of position changes and depth. We can only guess at this point, but I expect both Bell and Dunn to be major factors, either as starters or as first-off-the-bench backups. I've seen some discussion of whether Dunn is actually big enough to function at this level, but based on his tape, he reminds me of former AU center Ryan Pugh in terms of size and playing style. Will Kodi Burns continue to develop as our wide receiver coach? Given that most of his coaching experience has been with the running back position, I thought Burns did a respectable job last year. The hope is, of course, that he will continue to grow and develop as a wide receiver coach. The talent and depth at the WR position is nothing short of stellar. The development and refinement of that group of players could have a huge positive effect on this offense. Will Marlon Davidson continue to mature? He was absolutely outstanding for a freshman last year. If he can avoid the "sophomore slump" that so many young players encounter, he can be one of the premier defensive linemen in the conference. Same for Derrick Brown. Will Byron Cowart finally begin to reach his potential? He's not particularly big for a defensive tackle, but neither was Jay Ratliff. Can we get lucky enough to avoid key injuries in the secondary? I love the ability of "the Davis brothers", Javaris and Carlton at the corners, and if Jamel Dean can stay healthy, we have exceptional talent there, assuming Jeremiah Dinson is fully recovered from his horrendous injuries. Safety is a concern, both from a depth standpoint and coverage skills. Trey Matthews and Stephen Roberts are both very capable, but both will need to be more consistent, especially in coverage. Nick Ruffin has added some weight and may be able to help there. The transfer of Marlon Character hurts from a depth standpoint, but some believe that to be a case of addition by subtraction. How will the defensive backs play under the tutelage of Greg Brown? Will they use their hands, and if so, will they be technically proficient enough to do that without drawing PI penalties? I've heard lots of positives from players on the techniques being taught by Brown, and I'm anxious to see what the buzz is about. How much difference will it make having a Defensive Coordinator in place for a second year? Rumor is that Kevin Steele has spent a great deal of time this summer working on some of the defensive principles employed by Pete Carroll. I'm anxious to see how that plays out, as I believe Carroll is one of the top defensive minds in the game. Will there be changes in the way we deploy on special teams? With former special teams coach Scott Fountain now a Georgia Bulldog, and long-time running backs coach Tim Horton leading special teams, will there be substantive changes? In that vein, I've heard that other coaches on the staff have been drafted to help significantly with special teams. I think that's a good thing, and I'm looking forward to seeing more emphasis put on that phase across the board. On the subject of special teams, we obviously have one of the top kickers in college football, but have we developed a consistent punter? There is just a lot we don't know at this point. In addition to the above, there are other issues, like using the tight ends in the passing game, or the running backs, that we can only guess at. Lots to find out as fall camp nears. The bottom line, though, we have more of the "pieces" than we've had in quite a while. What happens from here is up to the players and coaches, but from the outside, it sure seems like a great time to be an Auburn fan.
kd4au 1,145 Posted July 3, 2017 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Agree with everything in your post and I thank you for your input.As you stated the O-line is critical,if they can come together we may have a great year. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle79 3,569 Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 21 hours ago, JMR said: And where will Malzahn draw the line as far as allowing Lindsey to run his offense? That's going to be very interesting to watch play out, and will be key to GM's success as a HC. 21 hours ago, JMR said: Rumor is that Kevin Steele has spent a great deal of time this summer working on some of the defensive principles employed by Pete Carroll. I hope that is true and if so, I salute KS who's been around forever, but is still trying to learn and expand. Everyone has a year of film on his D at Auburn now, so it will be important to throw in some new wrinkles and break some tendancies. 21 hours ago, JMR said: I've seen some discussion of whether Dunn is actually big enough to function at this level, but based on his tape, he reminds me of former AU center Ryan Pugh in terms of size and playing style. I'll definitely be more comfortable if he is more similar to Ryan Pugh as opposed to Joe Cope. O-line will be the deciding factor this year for sure. Nice write up and I really enjoyed reading your perspective on the upcoming team and season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunInRed 14,946 Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Good stuff, Coach, ... getting ready to crank things up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abw0004 9,903 Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Thank you for your input. Looking forward to your podcast as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian of Cleveland 6 Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Enjoyed it as always, Marine. I'm looking forward to this season to see if all these things do happen. If so, it should be an interesting season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddc 12,268 Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 Man this article fired me up, even though there are still lots of questions to be answered! Trying hard to not get overly optimistic because I been burned before! Love me some AU 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift 350 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Man, that's a lot of things to sort out between now and then........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCPeePants 202 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Love the post; great breakdown. I'm primarily scared in regards to 2. The pessimist in me is comparing this to 2008 when we hired Tony Franklin and Loeffler in 2012. I understand those are worst-case scenarios, and I'm likely being overly half-empty, but it seems like when we go "against the grain," we crap out. That said, I am completely sold on Stidham with White as a back-up, and I think the OL will be a force to be reckoned with if they gel early in camp. Skills position is sewed up with Kyle Davis and NCM wide (among others) and Jason Smith and JF3 in slots (I have high hopes in getting that kid the ball). I'm stoked as all hell with a legit TE/big WR prospect in Sal Cannella (hoping he has hit the weights hard) and legit TE Brandon Fulse. RB is stacked with a great duo in KP and KJ and Chandler Cox in there for a H-Back and change-of-pace RB. Defense was a strength last year for once in a long while, so I really hope we continue momentum there, and I have faith it will be a strength. ST, same boat. New staff, and in need of a punter, but I have faith. Offensive philosophy just scares me. Time will tell! I've heard great things about CCL, but I had with TF and SL also. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
passthebiscuits 6,200 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Ok, it's getting ahead of ourselves, but it's the offseason... IF Gus stays out of Chip's way and we are successful, is it a little weird that we will have an offensive guru as a head coach that is paid an awful whole lot of moolah to stay out of the offense? In other words, while I'm hoping for a great year, I'm at least a LITTLE worried that given Gus' penchant for overplanning, that he might be tempted to involve himself too much in Chip's offense, fearing that if he doesn't that the success of said offense isn't his own... just thinking out loud. Lots of things to sort out for sure. Here's hoping! War Eagle! thanks for the input as always, coach! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triangletiger 1,599 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 5 hours ago, MCPeePants said: Love the post; great breakdown. I'm primarily scared in regards to 2. The pessimist in me is comparing this to 2008 when we hired Tony Franklin and Loeffler in 2012. I understand those are worst-case scenarios, and I'm likely being overly half-empty, but it seems like when we go "against the grain," we crap out. That said, I am completely sold on Stidham with White as a back-up, and I think the OL will be a force to be reckoned with if they gel early in camp. Skills position is sewed up with Kyle Davis and NCM wide (among others) and Jason Smith and JF3 in slots (I have high hopes in getting that kid the ball). I'm stoked as all hell with a legit TE/big WR prospect in Sal Cannella (hoping he has hit the weights hard) and legit TE Jalen Harris. RB is stacked with a great duo in KP and KJ and Chandler Cox in there for a H-Back and change-of-pace RB. Defense was a strength last year for once in a long while, so I really hope we continue momentum there, and I have faith it will be a strength. ST, same boat. New staff, and in need of a punter, but I have faith. Offensive philosophy just scares me. Time will tell! I've heard great things about CCL, but I had with TF and SL also. FIFY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey 15,763 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 4 hours ago, passthebiscuits said: Ok, it's getting ahead of ourselves, but it's the offseason... IF Gus stays out of Chip's way and we are successful, is it a little weird that we will have an offensive guru as a head coach that is paid an awful whole lot of moolah to stay out of the offense? In other words, while I'm hoping for a great year, I'm at least a LITTLE worried that given Gus' penchant for overplanning, that he might be tempted to involve himself too much in Chip's offense, fearing that if he doesn't that the success of said offense isn't his own... just thinking out loud. Lots of things to sort out for sure. Here's hoping! War Eagle! thanks for the input as always, coach! If Gus, or any other head coach isn't "meddling" in the offense then he's not doing his job. I'm hoping to see Gus's offense when it's running right, which means not ignoring the HU part of HUNH and having a healthy QB. If Chip adds a few wrinkles in the passing game, that's good too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellitor 31,690 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 5 hours ago, passthebiscuits said: is it a little weird that we will have an offensive guru as a head coach that is paid an awful whole lot of moolah to stay out of the offense? No. Happens quite a bit now a days. HCs have too much on their plate to often times micromanage successfully the side of the ball they specialize in. 5 hours ago, passthebiscuits said: I'm at least a LITTLE worried that given Gus' penchant for overplanning, that he might be tempted to involve himself too much in Chip's offense, fearing that if he doesn't that the success of said offense isn't his own... Definitely a concern. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kd4au 1,145 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 6 hours ago, passthebiscuits said: Ok, it's getting ahead of ourselves, but it's the offseason... IF Gus stays out of Chip's way and we are successful, is it a little weird that we will have an offensive guru as a head coach that is paid an awful whole lot of moolah to stay out of the offense? In other words, while I'm hoping for a great year, I'm at least a LITTLE worried that given Gus' penchant for overplanning, that he might be tempted to involve himself too much in Chip's offense, fearing that if he doesn't that the success of said offense isn't his own... just thinking out loud. Lots of things to sort out for sure. Here's hoping! War Eagle! thanks for the input as always, coach! IMO that's because Gus is a better OC than head coach at this point.Hope he figures it out soon or we will have a new head coach.Maybe he has learned he can't do both,I'm fine with him having all the input he wants, but as a head coach he may not have time to game plan like he did as an OC and do it right. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger 8,634 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 (edited) Would you rather be hands-off and increase your chance of winning or be involved and decrease your chance of winning? Only saying decrease because as HC you have an insane amount of other stuff you have to handle Edited July 7, 2017 by Tiger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autigersj 122 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 Good stuff! I am excited to see what changes will happen on the offense. I will be happy to see more passing on first down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLoofus 35,182 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 13 minutes ago, Tiger said: Would you rather be hands-off and increase your chance of winning or be involved and decrease your chance of winning? Only saying decrease because as HC you have an insane amount of other stuff you have to handle I think those questions are maybe more easily answered before and/or after the fact. Once camp starts, I imagine a guy like Gus starts operating on a purely id level. Or like one of Pavlov's dogs. When a guy can't get through lunch without drawing up plays with the condiments, it's almost not a matter of choice. I'm not in management, but I've heard and seen delegation being one of the hardest skills to develop. Now imagine Gus, whose entire professional identity is "offensive guru", being asked to let someone else run the offense. I don't begrudge him having a tough time with it. Especially when there are several head coaches who haven't had to give up playcalling. If I'm not mistaken, Gus wears a visor because Steve Spurrier is one of his role models. I begrudge him some other things, but not that. If he pulls this off with Chip, I'll be impressed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger 8,634 Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 23 minutes ago, McLoofus said: I think those questions are maybe more easily answered before and/or after the fact. Once camp starts, I imagine a guy like Gus starts operating on a purely id level. Or like one of Pavlov's dogs. When a guy can't get through lunch without drawing up plays with the condiments, it's almost not a matter of choice. I'm not in management, but I've heard and seen delegation being one of the hardest skills to develop. Now imagine Gus, whose entire professional identity is "offensive guru", being asked to let someone else run the offense. I don't begrudge him having a tough time with it. Especially when there are several head coaches who haven't had to give up playcalling. If I'm not mistaken, Gus wears a visor because Steve Spurrier is one of his role models. I begrudge him some other things, but not that. If he pulls this off with Chip, I'll be impressed. I definitely get that, as someone who has had to delegate I understand how tough that transition can be. Especially since I, in some aspects of my life, am not a trusting individual and am a control freak. So I understand how challenging that can be. And I also have enough perspective to know that my opinion on the matter is completely selfish because I want AU to win. It's a million times easier for me to say "Hey, you, let someone else do it" then to have someone tell me that same thing and for me to actually do it. How dare Gus not deviate from how he's been wired to appease my recreational desires!?!?! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WarEagleSteve Posted July 7, 2017 Share Posted July 7, 2017 13 hours ago, MCPeePants said: I'm primarily scared in regards to 2. The pessimist in me is comparing this to 2008 when we hired Tony Franklin and Loeffler in 2012. I understand those are worst-case scenarios, and I'm likely being overly half-empty, but it seems like when we go "against the grain," we crap out. I understand the skepticism for sure but I think the context here is different. Chizik and Tubs were both defensive-minded coaches who hired coordinators they'd never worked with before and whose philosophies clashed with the way their teams were constructed (i.e. Franklin's hurry-up offense ran counter to Tubs' ball control, grind it out tendencies and Loeffler tried to build a square peg pro-style attack with a group of round hole spread players and that's not even considering the inter-personal strife that doomed the 2012 staff/team). In Chip Lindsey, Gus hired a guy he's familiar with and has worked with before and with whom he also shares much in common from an offensive philosophy stand point (both are hurry-up, spread guys at their core). Their differences are a small gap. Tubs and Franklin's were a chasm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCPeePants 202 Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 On 7/7/2017 at 3:45 AM, triangletiger said: FIFY Thanks! That was a brain fart. 18 hours ago, WarEagleSteve said: I understand the skepticism for sure but I think the context here is different. Chizik and Tubs were both defensive-minded coaches who hired coordinators they'd never worked with before and whose philosophies clashed with the way their teams were constructed (i.e. Franklin's hurry-up offense ran counter to Tubs' ball control, grind it out tendencies and Loeffler tried to build a square peg pro-style attack with a group of round hole spread players and that's not even considering the inter-personal strife that doomed the 2012 staff/team). In Chip Lindsey, Gus hired a guy he's familiar with and has worked with before and with whom he also shares much in common from an offensive philosophy stand point (both are hurry-up, spread guys at their core). Their differences are a small gap. Tubs and Franklin's were a chasm. I can dig all that. Great points. (still scared) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aucanucktiger 1,697 Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Gus was hired as our head coach almost exclusively for his offensive mind. If Chip's balanced attack has too many growing pains & losses - AL.com & many here will be licking their chops if head coach Gus "meddles" in young Chip's master plan. Here's hoping it fires on all cylinders...and quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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