What is the most pivotal game this season?

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

2 hours ago, DAG said:

Again, You can legitimately make the NCAA tournament if you get hot in your conference tournament. There are unranked teams making the NCAA tournament. That is not happening in college football. You have very small margin of error to make the college football playoffs. And unless, you are Bama or tOSU, someone with a proven track record, you rarely get that second chance once you make that small margin of error. So, yes, if we lose to Oregon, we could still make the playoffs, but it is a very small chance of that happening, based on what we have in store for us. If it does happen, this is great. But don't act like if we lose to Oregon, you are going to be saying "Don't worry guys we can still make the playoffs." 

Lol, actually I will. Not around here, or maybe I will and take all my red thumbs downs for being an optimist.. But ya, we lose to Oregon and we find a way to win out. I have no doubts we are in. If we don't, oh well I was wrong and have no issue with admitting that.

And I agreed with you in regards to college football. Stated from Day 1 you have to be in playoff mode.

Yes, looking at said schedule with a L to Oregon then there is a very great chance in regards to playoffs Auburn is ******. Those examples still go against logic, which was the original talking point.

I'm just gonna enjoy the fact that I get to go to two Auburn games in Texas this year and hang out with friends and family.

[beaumak 174]

On 7/11/2019 at 11:50 AM, DKW 86 said:

Lose Oregon, and its all downhill from there...

well your sig poster is spot on for your comment if that is what you are trying to display..

[Tiger 8,826]

There will be 2 parts of the season.

The part where Gus takes X number of games to figure out who he's been bringing into the program and where we dry up our entire margin for error and then the part where we will have to play literally perfect ball to reach our goals. During that stretch we will beat the have-nots in conference giving us hope while it brings our win total to the point where the raging debate of whether or not he should be fired continues. 

[DKW 86 7,425]

4 hours ago, Tiger said:

There will be 2 parts of the season.

The part where Gus takes X number of games to figure out who he's been bringing into the program and where we dry up our entire margin for error and then the part where we will have to play literally perfect ball to reach our goals. During that stretch we will beat the have-nots in conference giving us hope while it brings our win total to the point where the raging debate of whether or not he should be fired continues. 

Just as every year under CGM...

[DKW 86 7,425]

8 hours ago, beaumak said:

well your sig poster is spot on for your comment if that is what you are trying to display..

Well, 40% of the posters in this thread think the same thing, so i am in good company.

[Win4AU 4,052]

8 hours ago, Texan4Auburn said:

Lol, actually I will. Not around here, or maybe I will and take all my red thumbs downs for being an optimist.. But ya, we lose to Oregon and we find a way to win out. I have no doubts we are in. If we don't, oh well I was wrong and have no issue with admitting that.

And I agreed with you in regards to college football. Stated from Day 1 you have to be in playoff mode.

Yes, looking at said schedule with a L to Oregon then there is a very great chance in regards to playoffs Auburn is ******. Those examples still go against logic, which was the original talking point.

I'm just gonna enjoy the fact that I get to go to two Auburn games in Texas this year and hang out with friends and family.

I agree that a loss to Oregon doesn’t sink Auburn’s playoff chances.  Auburn would have made the playoffs in 2017 with losses to Clemson and LSU if Kerryon stays healthy and Auburn wins the SEC.  If Auburn loses to Oregon it would still have wins against TaMu, Florida, LSU, UGA, and Bama.  There would be no way to keep Auburn out.  I’ll go as far as saying Auburn could lose to Oregon and TaMu and still make the playoffs if it won the rest of the games.

[Auburn2Eugene 2,317]

10 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I’ll go as far as saying Auburn could lose to Oregon and TaMu and still make the playoffs if it won the rest of the games.

Well yeah. We would still be SEC Champions and wouldnt have lost since the first month of the season. 

The odds of that happening are astronomical....

But the impossible has happened before. Who's to say it cant happen again?

[Scotty2Hotty 520]

On 7/8/2019 at 10:18 PM, Auburnfan91 said:

I think  October 5 at Florida will be the most pivotal game because of where it's placed on our schedule.

Nix to Sanders .. I mean Williams with 36 seconds left wins that one.

[Scotty2Hotty 520]

On 7/9/2019 at 2:20 AM, Tigerpro2a said:

We need revenge on Jimbo. I hope the Aggies are undefeated when we go there.

I thought we exacted some revenge on Jimbo last season. No, it wasn't pivotal to win the West nor did it derail them from winning the West, but it was our first win at home over A&M when it was in the bag for them and they let us off the hook.

[Scotty2Hotty 520]

On 7/9/2019 at 9:00 AM, ellitor said:

I respect Oregon but as weak as their D is & as strong as our DL is we should beat them by at least a score of 38-20.

FWIW - Oregon returns all of their OL who have combined for a ridiculous amount of starts (153). 247, Phil Steele and Athlon has them in their Top 4 best OL units in the nation. Not saying that neutralizes our DL, but as we know from last season, cohesion on the OL is paramount.

[DAG 33,983]

2 hours ago, Win4AU said:

I agree that a loss to Oregon doesn’t sink Auburn’s playoff chances.  Auburn would have made the playoffs in 2017 with losses to Clemson and LSU if Kerryon stays healthy and Auburn wins the SEC.  If Auburn loses to Oregon it would still have wins against TaMu, Florida, LSU, UGA, and Bama.  There would be no way to keep Auburn out.  I’ll go as far as saying Auburn could lose to Oregon and TaMu and still make the playoffs if it won the rest of the games.

Obviously  if we win out they will go to the playoffs. 

If we have 2 losses 

Big ten champion, Big 12 champion, ACC champion,Pac 12 champion have 1 loss or less. 

You have to hope the committee is willing to overlook that and put us over a champion with one less loss. 

Point proven in 2017.

we had to win out because we loss a game we had no business losing. We didn’t so we didn’t make the playoffs. Almost doesn’t count.

Also Clemson was a top 3 team when we faces them. A little bit different circumstances in that regard. If we were playing OU, tOSU, Clemson, in the first game , I don’t think there would be much grinding of the teeth. But Oregon is not more talented than us and they won’t be the favorite when we play them. The expectation will be for us to be able to win against the ducks, youth and all included.

[Scotty2Hotty 520]

On 7/9/2019 at 9:54 AM, BigWhiskey91 said:

I feel like we will be 9-3 with some close losses. I think A&M, LSU and Alabama will be our losses.

With a Freshman QB, a RB1 who hasn't yet played 3 consecutive games and a new LB unit, combined with our schedule, 9-3 is a ..

 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

5 hours ago, Scotty2Hotty said:

I thought we exacted some revenge on Jimbo last season. No, it wasn't pivotal to win the West nor did it derail them from winning the West, but it was our first win at home over A&M when it was in the bag for them and they let us off the hook.

We did get some but we are far from having enough!!!

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

18 hours ago, gr82be said:

I know that's a true statement but it must also be music to Gus's ears. The years we have Georgia and Alabama at home should be the years we can contend.  Instead 4 losses could be a good season. 

4 losses is never a good season.

[gr82be 14,425]

16 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

4 losses is never a good season.

Based on projections it probably would be. Otherwise I agree. 

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

On 7/9/2019 at 9:00 AM, ellitor said:

It's cliche but the next one

Truth!  

[Carnell 592]

22 hours ago, Win4AU said:

I agree that a loss to Oregon doesn’t sink Auburn’s playoff chances.  Auburn would have made the playoffs in 2017 with losses to Clemson and LSU if Kerryon stays healthy and Auburn wins the SEC.  If Auburn loses to Oregon it would still have wins against TaMu, Florida, LSU, UGA, and Bama.  There would be no way to keep Auburn out.  I’ll go as far as saying Auburn could lose to Oregon and TaMu and still make the playoffs if it won the rest of the games.

You are right technically we are not out of the SEC and playoff race but I feel there are at least 4 other teams on our schedule that is better than Oregon.  So if we lose to Oregon technically we are not out of any race but in reality I feel we will be out of it.  I am of the conclusion that if we beat Oregon it wont tell us much about what kind of team Auburn has (similar to the Washington game last year) but if we lose it will tell me volumes about what we dont have.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

I put Oregon because it’s first but as Aujeff stated it is actually all of them. Why? Because it’s not Gus’s overall record that is the problem it’s individual games. As others have pointed out when you prove you have a capable team one week and are a complete embarrassment the next, that’s a lack of coaching. It is his job to ensure that the team is ready each and every week. Most of us get really upset when the “Gusing” starts. That’s where Gus loses a game through some stupid coaching. In example, rotating 3 QBs including a FB. Or blowing a 20 point lead trying to run up the middle ever play the second half, or several other catastrophes that Gus has engineered. No one is mad that he loses games, what they are mad about is “how” he loses games he shouldn’t because of his unexplainable stupidity sometimes. I could live with 8 or 9 wins with our schedule but not losing to a team that hasn’t beat an SEC west team in two years or requiring a miracle play to beat a non P5 team. Just saying.

[DKW 86 7,425]

Lose Oregon, and we are headed to the crapper. Our OL was mediocre at best last year. A few good plays and 1-2 good games, but all in all, very forget-able. If our OL starts slow, or isnt drastically improved over last season, well, CGM wont be our HC December 1. 

Last season, our OL was at times dreadful. Totally outclassed by UGA and bama. Not even close. 

I am predicting 6-6 or 7-5 and a new HC. I really like CGM, but...he aint getting paid to go 8-4. i doubt he gets to 8-4 this season, with this schedule. 

Losing to UT last year proved to me that he may not be as great a coach as we thought. Pruitt isnt a wunderkind, nor a mensa champ. He is at best a pretty good DC and took CGM's lunch money. If we played Pruitt again, I would bet the farm against CGM. 

I think its time CGM headed back to Ark St, Tulsa, etc. If he fools me and gets his OL to perform, than I will be the #1 Fan of his. he is a good guy. But right now, after losing to a woefully bad UT Team last season, lets just say I wish him well at his new job...

[Carnell 592]

5 minutes ago, DKW 86 said:

Lose Oregon, and we are headed to the crapper. Our OL was mediocre at best last year. A few good plays and 1-2 good games, but all in all, very forget-able. If our OL starts slow, or isnt drastically improved over last season, well, CGM wont be our HC December 1. 

Last season, our OL was at times dreadful. Totally outclassed by UGA and bama. Not even close. 

I am predicting 6-6 or 7-5 and a new HC. I really like CGM, but...he aint getting paid to go 8-4. i doubt he gets to 8-4 this season, with this schedule. 

Losing to UT last year proved to me that he may not be as great a coach as we thought. Pruitt isnt a wunderkind, nor a mensa champ. He is at best a pretty good DC and took CGM lunch money. If we played Pruitt again, I would bet the farm against CGM. 

I think its time he headed back to Ark St, Tulsa, etc. If he fools me and gets his OL to perform, than I will be the #1 Fan of his. he is a good guy. But right now, after losing to a woefully bad UT Team last season, I wish him well at his new job...

Agree, however I pick Auburn record at 6-6 or 5-7 with the swing game being State. 

However, I do disagree with you that if he puts together a good year I still wont be a fan since he puts together a good year then 3or 4 bad years.  For me to be a gus fan he is going to have to string 3 or 4 good years back to back and prove he can stop this volatility in Auburn's seasons.

[DKW 86 7,425]

3 minutes ago, Carnell said:

Agree, however I pick Auburn record at 6-6 or 5-7 with the swing game being State. 

However, I do disagree with you that if he puts together a good year I still wont be a fan since he puts together a good year then 3 or 4 bad years.  For me to be a gus fan he is going to have to string 3 or 4 good years back to back and prove he can stop this volatility in Auburn's seasons.

In the ESPN article, they talk about just what has CGM done/accomplished. He is actually achieved as much as CTT or CSJ did while here. Believe that or not. CGM has had flashes of brilliance, but like you said, he is as inconsistent as they come. Losing to UT and MSU last season, well, he pretty much is his own worst enemy. 

Losing to a woefully bad UT and MSU...you really do not have a good resume to keep your job in the state of Alabama. So, while he accomplished quite a bit, he is also losing badly to bad teams. Embarrassing your employer is never a good thing. 

[Carnell 592]

6 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

In the ESPN article, they talk about just what has CGM done/accomplished. He is actually achieved as much as CTT or CSJ did while here. Believe that or not. CGM has had flashes of brilliance, but like you said, he is as inconsistent as they come. Losing to UT and MSU last season, well, he pretty much is his own worst enemy. 

Losing to a woefully bad UT and MSU...you really do not have a good resume to keep your job in the state of Alabama. So, while he accomplished quite a bit, he is also losing badly to bad teams. Embarrassing your employer is never a good thing. 

I think the article by ESPN is misleading in comparing gus to Shug.  For instance,  Jordan took over in 1952, and from 1944 to 1951 we had two coaches and did not have a winning record so when jordan took over auburn was a perennial loser and very few true caliber SEC players on the roster.  It took several years for Jordan to build a competitive team.  While Auburn did have a losing year the year before Gus arrived, we were not perennial losers and Gus did inherit a well stocked football team,  Shug achievements were over a 25 year period and gus has been HC for less than 10 years.  Finally when Bear arrived at Alabama he was a legend.  During those time a school could give out 120 schollys a year.  With 120 schollys a year, Bear would drain the pool dry and not leave very many good players for others.  In fact Bear and his coaching staff used to brag about the large number of players on the team that would not play a down at Alabama they signed them just to keep other team especially Auburn from getting them.  While gus has to coach against Saben, Bama can offer only 25 schollys now which in no way can drain the pool.

[Hunter48 115]

On 7/9/2019 at 3:31 PM, ellitor said:

Well @Hunter48 is a member. Let's see if he has an idea to the answer to that question.

Muschamp didn’t have a very deep defense in ‘15 and pressed that the offense needed to slow down to protect the defense. Also, and this is totally my opinion, he attacked Gus’s tendencies in practice, and this lead to the idea the offense had to sub more frequently to get the perfect personnel to execute the perfect play. The culmination of such things has led to a slower operating offense that substitutes much more frequently, and in sound so inadvertently exposes more tendencies for teams to scheme for. 

[AUFriction 1,179]

My vote is for aTm. The way I look at it, Oregon, aTm, Florida, LSU, UGA,  and Bama will be our toughest games this year. We could conceivably lose all of them. But A&M will likely have the biggest impact on our season success. 

As for the last 4 games, Bama and UGA are sandwiched among a few very winnable games (and quite frankly should define our season alone anyway). I'd also expect our chances against these two to be heavily influenced by what happens earlier in the season. Success early indicates that we're legit. Failure early indicates that we are probably changing coaches next year. LSU will be tough on the road, but going in there on a win streak would be huge for momentum in that game. I think Florida is getting too much hype, but it is a road game against an at least adequate team. Still, I think success at Florida in part rides on what happens a few games prior. 

That leaves either Oregon or A&M. The attention is of course going to be on the Oregon game. As usual BSPN will probably draw the wrong conclusion either direction from that game. However, the Oregon game is neutral site, and will probably have more Auburn fans than Oregon fans. We'll be breaking in a new quarterback, new linebackers, and a new offensive coordinator. This game is immediately followed by 2 very winnable games against easy group-of-five teams. If we lose against Oregon, we may be able to identify what didn't work, and use those two weeks to fix it. If we win that game, the two weeks will be needed to ensure that the win doesn't make us overly confident. Regardless of what happens against Oregon, the season could go either way. I care more about how we react to Oregon than whether or not we win it. If we lose but are energized to fix things from the loss, things will go well. If we win but stop working as hard afterwards, things won't go well. 

However, this A&M game is huge. It will be our first SEC game of the year. It will be our first game really on the road with a new quarterback (albeit the Oregon game will give our QB a little bit of experience in this kind of situation). But more importantly, it will be our first test SINCE the Oregon game. This game will show how we have reacted to a week 1 win (or loss) and whether or not we've continued to improve since. It also starts a grueling 5 week (okay, Arkansas may not be that bad, but it's still a road game) stretch for us with several difficult SEC games, many of which are on the road. If we lose at A&M, I think we likely lose to Florida and LSU. A loss to A&M could have lingering effects into Mississippi State. If we lose to A&M, UF, LSU, and MSU, we probably aren't bowling. The team would likely collapse, and we probably wouldn't win more than 1 game the rest of the season. 

On the the other hand, if we beat A&M, we will probably beat MSU at home the following week. Then we'd be either 5-0 or 4-1 with a 4 game win streak heading into the 3 game road stretch. That would be huge for our young quarterback's confidence and our team's momentum. So... a lot hinges on A&M. 

[ellitor 33,093]

9 hours ago, Hunter48 said:

Muschamp didn’t have a very deep defense in ‘15 and pressed that the offense needed to slow down to protect the defense. Also, and this is totally my opinion, he attacked Gus’s tendencies in practice, and this lead to the idea the offense had to sub more frequently to get the perfect personnel to execute the perfect play. The culmination of such things has led to a slower operating offense that substitutes much more frequently, and in sound so inadvertently exposes more tendencies for teams to scheme for. 

In case @McLoofus, @DAG, & @AU80cruiser wanted to read the reply.