For those of you who think firing Malzahn for Harsin was a mistake

[Rednilla 5,401]

Just now, Win4AU said:

Hard to compare Shug and Harsin.  No message boards, social media, or dramatic “Sports Journalists” in the 50s.  Tubs or Dye would be the example I would use. Tubs might of actually had a good year in 99 if Leard doesn’t get hurt against Ole Miss.  

He also beat LSU in Baton Rouge his first season, so there is that similarity, which stands out since we didn't win there in between those two instances.

[Win4AU 4,055]

1 minute ago, Rednilla said:

He also beat LSU in Baton Rouge his first season, so there is that similarity, which stands out since we didn't win there in between those two instances.

Too bad both those teams weren’t so hot.  Need to go in there and beat a top 10 LSU team.

[murpjf88 506]

4 hours ago, autiger88 said:

Umm I don't know if you are jk or not but he was here for longer then 2 seasons? 2009-2012. I know math is hard but I'm pretty sure that's more than two seasons but I'm not 100% on that. 🤣🤷

4 seasons but just one season of under .500 football got CGC canned. If Harsin has another season like this, his seat will be blazing hot. If TJ Finley is Auburn's starting QB,  they will be hard pressed to win more than three games next season.

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, Win4AU said:

Too bad both those teams weren’t so hot.  Need to go in there and beat a top 10 LSU team.

That's an awfully big ask.

The bigger point with the losing streak in BR was that we lost to several mediocre teams down there, too. 

We got over a hump, in a season where we weren't very good. If folks are looking for improvement, that's improvement.

[autiger88 3,777]

1 hour ago, murpjf88 said:

4 seasons but just one season of under .500 football got CGC canned. If Harsin has another season like this, his seat will be blazing hot. If TJ Finley is Auburn's starting QB,  they will be hard pressed to win more than three games next season.

Also that's not what was said, the post said he was here for two seasons. 

But that's not really what got him fired, he lost control of not only the locker room and the players but the coaches as well, that's why he went winless in the SEC in 2012, Hence why Gus was able to come in and win like he did, with the help of Nick Marshall.

I can almost guarantee TJ won't be the starter next year, so this is all a moot point.

Edited January 2, 2022 by autiger88

[murpjf88 506]

15 minutes ago, autiger88 said:

Also that's not what was said, the post said he was here for two seasons. 

But that's not really what got him fired, he lost control of not only the locker room and the players but the coaches as well, that's why he went winless in the SEC in 2012, Hence why Gus was able to come in and win like he did, with the help of Nick Marshall.

I can almost guarantee TJ won't be the starter next year, so this is all a moot point.

We went winless in the SEC because we didn't have a QB. Frasier, Malzahn's recruit, absolutely bombed.  It's easy for a team to become unhinged when the team is losing. Gus was able to come in and win with Chizik's roster plus a QB. 

[autiger88 3,777]

Just now, murpjf88 said:

We went winless in the SEC because we didn't have a QB. Frasier, Malzahn's recruit, absolutely bombed.  It's easy for a team to become unhinged when the team is losing. Gus was able to come in and win with Chizik's roster plus a QB. 

He lost the team before the season, stuff wasnt looking good way before the season. He didn't lose them because of no QB but you can believe what you wanna believe. 

The second part I said that so can't really argue that point lol 😂

[Win4AU 4,055]

2 hours ago, McLoofus said:

That's an awfully big ask.

The bigger point with the losing streak in BR was that we lost to several mediocre teams down there, too. 

We got over a hump, in a season where we weren't very good. If folks are looking for improvement, that's improvement.

If Auburn is gonna get to where most fans want them to be they’re gonna have to be able to go on the road and beat a top 10 team.  There will need to be a time when Athens, Tuscaloosa, LSU, or wherever isn’t an automatic L before the game is played.  It hasn’t been that way since 2005.   The Cam back and a couple years at LSU have been the exception.  2019 and 2013 LSU and 2014 Bama only times Auburn has been competitive against good rival teams on the road.  

[AU9377 5,136]

14 hours ago, bigbird said:

Except it does and it will continue to be addressed until it's bred out. 

Many like yourself want to discuss CBH's shortcomings, but, at the same time, don't want to discuss the missteps of the previous regime... although they had profound and lasting effects that directly caused many of the perceived shortcomings you do want to discuss.  It's silly to want to address current issues without discussing the direct cause of many of them 

........and now who is talking about Gus?  Look, of course there were deficiencies.  There were things done well in addition to those things not done well.  If not, we wouldn't know who Harsin was.  The nauseating things I read are those that pretend that the program was a wreck.  It wasn't.  That narrative is like reading a novel of fiction.  We then turn to the new chapter and some want to pretend that the new coach is a savant of some kind that can do no wrong.  That is also fiction.  As with most things, the truth is in the middle somewhere.

[AU9377 5,136]

42 minutes ago, murpjf88 said:

We went winless in the SEC because we didn't have a QB. Frasier, Malzahn's recruit, absolutely bombed.  It's easy for a team to become unhinged when the team is losing. Gus was able to come in and win with Chizik's roster plus a QB. 

Gus had actually recruited most of the offensive players on the roster while OC.  The piss poor coaching hire of Loeffler really killed any hope of success.

Edited January 2, 2022 by AU9377

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, Win4AU said:

If Auburn is gonna get to where most fans want them to be they’re gonna have to be able to go on the road and beat a top 10 team.  There will need to be a time when Athens, Tuscaloosa, LSU, or wherever isn’t an automatic L before the game is played.  It hasn’t been that way since 2005.   The Cam back and a couple years at LSU have been the exception.  2019 and 2013 LSU and 2014 Bama only times Auburn has been competitive against good rival teams on the road.  

I hear you. It's just hard to say that any team "should" ever beat a top-10 LSU in BR. 

It might be pedantic of me, but I'd be more comfortable with "Auburn should be able to split two top-10 road games in a given season".

I do hear you, though. Maybe at least any notion of invincibility is gone, from both sides.

[Win4AU 4,055]

20 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I hear you. It's just hard to say that any team "should" ever beat a top-10 LSU in BR. 

It might be pedantic of me, but I'd be more comfortable with "Auburn should be able to split two top-10 road games in a given season".

I do hear you, though. Maybe at least any notion of invincibility is gone, from both sides.

I’d be happy at a split at this point as well.  I just miss games when there was some doubt in the outcome between our rivals.  When was the last time Auburn has been competitive on the road against Bama or UGA?  2016 with a lame duck Qb in Athens?  I guess 2014 Bama but that really wasn’t that close in the end.  Before those games 2006 Bama?  2005 UGA?

[e808 3,028]

16 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I’d be happy at a split at this point as well.  I just miss games when there was some doubt in the outcome between our rivals.  When was the last time Auburn has been competitive on the road against Bama or UGA?  2016 with a lame duck Qb in Athens?  I guess 2014 Bama but that really wasn’t that close in the end.  Before those games 2006 Bama?  2005 UGA?

2010 Bama and 2014 Bama. Auburn just didn’t have the defense in 2014 so Bama basically outscored them . I forgot the other year at Bama where Shivers ran a touchdown but a phantom holding call nullified it and that was the end of that

Edited January 3, 2022 by e808

[ScotsAU 1,343]

On 1/1/2022 at 12:19 PM, aubaseball said:

Here is where your comment failed, why would you wait to come available?  If you have someone targeted, you go out and make it happen.   I’m not talking about any particular coach or even this particular coach, but as an Athletic Director if you think a program needs a change and you have someone picked out, you go and make it happen.    Waiting for a “splash hire” to become available, how long would that take?  Would you stick or wait one year, two years, three years with the current situation? 

We don’t have the pull of some of the other programs. I think Kelly to LSU was a bad hire. But it was a splash hire. Auburn would never pull off that kind of move.

[Rednilla 5,401]

30 minutes ago, e808 said:

2010 Bama and 2014 Bama. Auburn just didn’t have the defense in 2014 so Bama basically outscored them . I forgot the other year at Bama where Shivers ran a touchdown but a phantom holding call nullified it and that was the end of that

That run wasn't in Tuscaloosa, because I was sitting in Jordan-Hare screaming my head off watching it happen. Which means it would have been 2017, Shivers' freshman season, because I didn't attend the 2019 Iron Bowl.

At least, if you're talking about the one where he went right up the middle and had two DBs trailing right behind him virtually the entire run. (Man, that dude can fly!)

Wait...maybe I'm thinking wrong...jeez, I must be getting old. I can only imagine how Golf feels.

Well, yeah, going back to check, Shivers didn't get here til 2018... I could have sworn I was at the game when he did that, and I don't remember going to the 2019 Iron Bowl. Hmm.

[McLoofus 35,182]

40 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

I’d be happy at a split at this point as well.  I just miss games when there was some doubt in the outcome between our rivals.  When was the last time Auburn has been competitive on the road against Bama or UGA?  2016 with a lame duck Qb in Athens?  I guess 2014 Bama but that really wasn’t that close in the end.  Before those games 2006 Bama?  2005 UGA?

With you.

[e808 3,028]

6 minutes ago, Rednilla said:

That run wasn't in Tuscaloosa, because I was sitting in Jordan-Hare screaming my head off watching it happen. Which means it would have been 2017, Shivers' freshman season, because I didn't attend the 2019 Iron Bowl.

At least, if you're talking about the one where he went right up the middle and had two DBs trailing right behind him virtually the entire run. (Man, that dude can fly!)

Wait...maybe I'm thinking wrong...jeez, I must be getting old. I can only imagine how Golf feels.

 

9 minutes ago, Rednilla said:

That run wasn't in Tuscaloosa, because I was sitting in Jordan-Hare screaming my head off watching it happen. Which means it would have been 2017, Shivers' freshman season, because I didn't attend the 2019 Iron Bowl.

At least, if you're talking about the one where he went right up the middle and had two DBs trailing right behind him virtually the entire run. (Man, that dude can fly!)

Wait...maybe I'm thinking wrong...jeez, I must be getting old. I can only imagine how Golf feels.

Ok I found it . It was 2018 . He was number 25. Would have put Auburn ahead 7-0. It was early in the game though 

[Rednilla 5,401]

1 minute ago, e808 said:

 

Ok I found it . It was 2018 . He was number 25. Would have put Auburn ahead 7-0. It was early in the game though 

I could have sworn I remembered seeing that from the stands... but I know for a fact I wasn't in T-town, so I guess I'm imagining things.

[e808 3,028]

4 minutes ago, Rednilla said:

I could have sworn I remembered seeing that from the stands... but I know for a fact I wasn't in T-town, so I guess I'm imagining things.

All good. I can’t remember what I did this morning 

[1716AU 732]

29 minutes ago, Rednilla said:

That run wasn't in Tuscaloosa, because I was sitting in Jordan-Hare screaming my head off watching it happen. Which means it would have been 2017, Shivers' freshman season, because I didn't attend the 2019 Iron Bowl.

At least, if you're talking about the one where he went right up the middle and had two DBs trailing right behind him virtually the entire run. (Man, that dude can fly!)

Wait...maybe I'm thinking wrong...jeez, I must be getting old. I can only imagine how Golf feels.

Well, yeah, going back to check, Shivers didn't get here til 2018... I could have sworn I was at the game when he did that, and I don't remember going to the 2019 Iron Bowl. Hmm.

Sorry, I'm laughing at the Golf comment

[AUwent 3,778]

2 hours ago, Win4AU said:

I’d be happy at a split at this point as well.  I just miss games when there was some doubt in the outcome between our rivals.  When was the last time Auburn has been competitive on the road against Bama or UGA?  2016 with a lame duck Qb in Athens?  I guess 2014 Bama but that really wasn’t that close in the end.  Before those games 2006 Bama?  2005 UGA?

We were ahead 36-34 entering the 4th in 2014. Good ol' Ellis.

Edited January 3, 2022 by AUwent

[e808 3,028]

1 hour ago, AUwent said:

We were ahead 36-34 entering the 4th in 2014. Good ol' Ellis.

It’s sad that never could get offense and defense in the same season. Defense was the issue in 2013 and 2014. The difference is in 2013 was able to outscore everyone but caught up to them in the natty when a stop was needed

[Carnell 592]

12 hours ago, Rednilla said:

What had Dye accomplished at Auburn that earned him forgiveness for going 5-6 his first year? Or Tuberville, for that matter? 

And are you calling yourself a bandwagon fan? Because I'm a fan of Auburn, which means I'm going to support Auburn through the thick AND the thin, not just when they're doing well.

They both inherited teams that were not very talented.  The only real starters for Dye that were returning from the year prior were Kieth Uecker, Edmund Nelson (and I am not sure he was a starter the year before but played a good bit), Bob Harris and Mark Dominey.  We were competitive that year and should have beaten Miss State and Georgia.

Tubs same scenario inherited a team that was not so talented.  Both  Auburn teams the year before Dye and Tubbs took over had losing records.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Carnell

[Beaker 2,457]

I want to go back a page and without calling anyone out,  I absolutely start every season on the bandwagon.  I graduated from Auburn and love Auburn first and before the football program.   And I saw some special moments from Bo to The Big Hurt, Sir Charles and er, um The Rifleman.  I saw Ruthie Bolton and Kevin Green achieve greatness and while serving in ROTC simultaneously.  It would be easy to just love the sports programs from what I got to see.   Auburn taught us all to have a sound mind and good judgment.   Auburn builds special people....with special values.

I look at how Harsin is changing everything and laying the same kind of foundation that Pat Dye built, I will argue he is earning alot of  trust and the benefit of some doubt.   What he is doing is crazy hard and not the easy way.   He let most of starters from the DL transfer and look at where we are today, looking at the DL for next year:  that is a freaking scary DL room!  Maybe the best in the SEC next year.   Please don't say "that's all Derek Mason".   Stop it...

Even 2 seasons ago, I was all on board and publicly stated so, but privately did not have a ton of faith in the program's direction.   We lost some very winnable games this year, but all of that is not on one guy's feet.  No person of "sound mind" with good judgment can argue such or overlook the fact Harsin is taking a path that gives us the best chance for sustainable results (if he can be successful).    He has already made coaching changes and player changes, like hours after the last game.   He didn't stand pat and say, "trust the process  or we just got to execute better" or some worthless coach-speak.

Let's stop finding ways to chip away at the coach who gave up a job where he was a millionaire and a hometown hero and winning a ton of games.  Harsin uproots  his family from all this success in a vacation destination and moves to the deep south to lead a program sandwiched between the two biggest, cheatingest  gorillas in college football, and oh with the hardest schedule in the nation (read below).. I bet most of his family honestly did not know what state Auburn is  in.  I know Idaho don't have cockroaches and skeeters as big as we do! 

Don't forget, this is the most accomplished HC Auburn has EVER hired, much more accomplished than even Pat Dye.   He didn't forget how to coach and  I think he has earned more than just 365 days of leeway.     

(read below): when Brent Venables said he did not take the Auburn job "because of  alignment," I am convinced it is because of the division, recruiting  battles and general alignment within the conference.  Auburn does not garner any advantages regarding recurring schedules, rotating schedules, facilities, recruiting or such.  He saw how alignment and recruiting advantages helped build Clemson into a juggernaut.   I don't buy  it was JABA and we have pesky money people.  All programs do.  Auburn is a challenging place to operate and be successful.  But every coach since 1980 has won and won big at Auburn (either an SEC conf championship or undefeated season or better). Harsin will too I think. 

 Let's give Harsin  time to earn our distrust or  show us his inability to drive the program in the right direction.    Do I have some questions?  Darn right I do.  But, I caution us all not to be the kind of fanbase  that falls apart so quickly and builds a reputation where good coaches don't want to come because the fans won't support a building process.  Auburn men and women are better than that. 

[AU-24 3,118]

On 12/31/2021 at 10:34 AM, e808 said:

Furthermore  6-7 is not even mediocre that’s a losing record. 8 wins is probably the floor for next year. Again college football is a results based business.  

Exactly! Losing five in a row, blowing the biggest lead in Auburn history and losing the Birmingham bowl is not mediocre either.