What If? - Auburn Football Edition

[woodford 3,678]

Since it's slow I wanted to bring this up, Little thought exercise.

I'm a big fan of alt/speculative history (ex, what if WWI never happened, what if Soviets discovered the bomb first, etc)

The 2014 BCS National Championship was a pivotal moment in recent CFB history. It was the end of an era, and it was time where offenses were changing. Our own Gustavo was right in the middle of the HUNH revolution and was helping change the sport. However, we painfully know how this ended. So, I wanted to pose this question.

What if Jameis throws a pick on that final drive and Auburn wins 31-27? Greatest CFB story by far. No other team even comes close. Does this change Auburn's destiny going forward?

Perhaps with the exposure they are able to bring in a couple more 5* guys or even better assistants? Maybe Gus gets lured away by an NFL team convinced he is the next great offensive guru?

 

What do yall think? I'll share my thoughts soon.

 

 

 

[W.E.D 11,070]

Probably the only material change is Gus has an even larger buyout and costs Auburn more money 

Edited January 19, 2022 by W.E.D

[aubiefifty 17,100]

i think the claims against cam hurt us more than losing to crablegs and company. people claim we were cheaters and even acted like we reinforced their beliefs when we hired bruce which i think is a bunch of bull. remember cam caught more  hell over the bama kid who beat his gf or wife and nick said he was going to give him another chance.

[augolf1716 21,434]

56 minutes ago, woodford said:

Since it's slow I wanted to bring this up, Little thought exercise.

I'm a big fan of alt/speculative history (ex, what if WWI never happened, what if Soviets discovered the bomb first, etc)

The 2014 BCS National Championship was a pivotal moment in recent CFB history. It was the end of an era, and it was time where offenses were changing. Our own Gustavo was right in the middle of the HUNH revolution and was helping change the sport. However, we painfully know how this ended. So, I wanted to pose this question.

What if Jameis throws a pick on that final drive and Auburn wins 31-27? Greatest CFB story by far. No other team even comes close. Does this change Auburn's destiny going forward?

Perhaps with the exposure they are able to bring in a couple more 5* guys or even better assistants? Maybe Gus gets lured away by an NFL team convinced he is the next great offensive guru?

 

What do yall think? I'll share my thoughts soon.

 

 

 

If you  like alt/speculative history you should watch this series.

 

 

[ThurstontheWelshCorgi 576]

What if Ricardo didn't drop the touchdown pass in the first half, what if trey Mason just went down on the 1 yard line instead of scoring late in the 4th what if Cody parkey hit the fg what if the refs called holding on fsu for any of the twenty times it was obvious.. Gosh that was such a fun game to be at, just a magical atmosphere that far exceeded the 2010 bcs game I was at and it sucks we didn't win because we beat that team... But somehow didn't.

[DAG 34,034]

1 hour ago, woodford said:

What if Jameis throws a pick on that final drive and Auburn wins 31-27? Greatest CFB story by far. No other team even comes close. Does this change Auburn's destiny going forward?

Yes. Gus for sure isn't fired after last year

[JMassie11 1,610]

He might have been able to recruit an offensive line and a WR with some size 🤷‍♂️

[Tiger1992 999]

What if? I certainly would have been happier for the last 13 seconds of the game while sitting in the end zone where are season ended.

[slyinsocal 831]

1 hour ago, woodford said:

Since it's slow I wanted to bring this up, Little thought exercise.

I'm a big fan of alt/speculative history (ex, what if WWI never happened, what if Soviets discovered the bomb first, etc)

The 2014 BCS National Championship was a pivotal moment in recent CFB history. It was the end of an era, and it was time where offenses were changing. Our own Gustavo was right in the middle of the HUNH revolution and was helping change the sport. However, we painfully know how this ended. So, I wanted to pose this question.

What if Jameis throws a pick on that final drive and Auburn wins 31-27? Greatest CFB story by far. No other team even comes close. Does this change Auburn's destiny going forward?

Perhaps with the exposure they are able to bring in a couple more 5* guys or even better assistants? Maybe Gus gets lured away by an NFL team convinced he is the next great offensive guru?

 

What do yall think? I'll share my thoughts soon.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, woodford said:

Since it's slow I wanted to bring this up, Little thought exercise.

I'm a big fan of alt/speculative history (ex, what if WWI never happened, what if Soviets discovered the bomb first, etc)

The 2014 BCS National Championship was a pivotal moment in recent CFB history. It was the end of an era, and it was time where offenses were changing. Our own Gustavo was right in the middle of the HUNH revolution and was helping change the sport. However, we painfully know how this ended. So, I wanted to pose this question.

What if Jameis throws a pick on that final drive and Auburn wins 31-27? Greatest CFB story by far. No other team even comes close. Does this change Auburn's destiny going forward?

Perhaps with the exposure they are able to bring in a couple more 5* guys or even better assistants? Maybe Gus gets lured away by an NFL team convinced he is the next great offensive guru?

 

What do yall think? I'll share my thoughts soon.

 

 

 

Leading 21-3 late in the first half, stop the fake punt. Go into the locker room leading 21-3, 24-3, or 28-3.

Would keeping Jeff Grimes as OL coach from Chizik's staff have altered history? Or was Grimes offered, but left anyway?

[McLoofus 35,182]

Doesn't change much because it wouldn't have changed who Gus is. In fact, it only would have made him that much more stubborn and self-impressed. 

Whether this season or next, we'd mostly be in the same place. 

[LPTiger 5,202]

What if we don't give up the kickoff return because one of our guys pulls a hammy covering

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 minutes ago, LPTiger said:

What if we don't give up the kickoff return because one of our guys pulls a hammy covering

At least 10 plays that all went the wrong way for us. 

We were one missed block away from winning it on the last play of the game. That's the one that bothers me. We had the Prayer and then the Kick Six, and we would've topped them both. The two greatest finishes in CFB history and the previous best one of the season in a four game stretch. It would have been in the conversation for the greatest story in the history of American sports.

But as for what actually lost the game, it was a whole bunch of things. I always laugh when folks try to say it was this one play or that other one. 

[woodford 3,678]

43 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Doesn't change much because it wouldn't have changed who Gus is. In fact, it only would have made him that much more stubborn and self-impressed. 

Whether this season or next, we'd mostly be in the same place. 

See, I lean towards this but there's also a possibility where Gus no longer has to prove anyone wrong and therefore doesn't dig his heels in as much. Maybe hes a little more open to change because he has the success and can gamble a little more. Maybe not. Still fun to think about.

 

I think if Gus invested in a top notch QB coach after the 2014 season, more proactive in scheming, and made an emphasis to build the team from the OL out, then Auburn has a drastically different future. JJ isn't near the flop he is, and the run game shines even more. That's fun to speculate too. Probably go 10-2 or better the next few years with a playoff appearance or two.

2015-18 are the most maddening years of the Gus era. So many losses that could have easily been wins left on the table.

[AUght2win 6,883]

2 hours ago, woodford said:

Since it's slow I wanted to bring this up, Little thought exercise.

I'm a big fan of alt/speculative history (ex, what if WWI never happened, what if Soviets discovered the bomb first, etc)

The 2014 BCS National Championship was a pivotal moment in recent CFB history. It was the end of an era, and it was time where offenses were changing. Our own Gustavo was right in the middle of the HUNH revolution and was helping change the sport. However, we painfully know how this ended. So, I wanted to pose this question.

What if Jameis throws a pick on that final drive and Auburn wins 31-27? Greatest CFB story by far. No other team even comes close. Does this change Auburn's destiny going forward?

Perhaps with the exposure they are able to bring in a couple more 5* guys or even better assistants? Maybe Gus gets lured away by an NFL team convinced he is the next great offensive guru?

 

What do yall think? I'll share my thoughts soon.

 

 

 

It would have changed everything, and no I'm not joking. That loss irreparably wounded Gus' ego and confidence. He went from aggressive, fast, and fearless to always second guessing and panicking. I think the team's mantra all offseason following it was "13 seconds". Which showed how Gus couldn't shake it off.

Blowing that 21-3 lead haunted him the rest of his Auburn tenure and I hope he is out from under it finally at UCF. 

[LPTiger 5,202]

44 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

 

But as for what actually lost the game, it was a whole bunch of things. I always laugh when folks try to say it was this one play or that other one. 

Loof, I hear you but how many kickoffs have been returned for a touchdown in all the history of football because a player (in our case  -- one of our best players -- Jonathan Jones) covering the kick pulls a hamstring.  The chance of that actually occurring has to be one in a million.  It is one thing to give up a 100 kickoff return, it is another to give it up because someone got hurt on the play.   That fact distinguishes, in my mind, that one play from the other 70-90 plays in the game.  On another topic, in researching who the hurt player was, I was reminded that Winston was a red-shirt freshman.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, LPTiger said:

Loof, I hear you but how many kickoffs have been returned for a touchdown in all the history of football because a player (in our case  -- one of our best players -- Jonathan Jones) covering the kick pulls a hamstring.  The chance of that actually occurring has to be one in a million.  It is one thing to give up a 100 kickoff return, it is another to give it up because someone got hurt on the play.   That fact distinguishes, in my mind, that one play from the other 70-90 plays in the game.  On another topic, in researching who the hurt player was, I was reminded that Winston was a red-shirt freshman.

Yep. That game was definitely a house of horrors. 

[LPTiger 5,202]

Just now, McLoofus said:

Yep. That game was definitely a house of horrors. 

Somehow I forgot about their fake punt conversion.  I wonder how many times a team's special teams has executed a fake punt and a 100 yard kickoff return in the same game.    I also forgot that on a 3rd and 8 incompletion immediately before the Benjamin TD, Chris Davis was called for PI giving them the ball at the 2.    To your earlier point, there were about 10 plays that if any of them went the other way, we win the game.   But the freaking Seminoles batted 1.00 in that game.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

22 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

It would have changed everything, and no I'm not joking. That loss irreparably wounded Gus' ego and confidence. He went from aggressive, fast, and fearless to always second guessing and panicking. I think the team's mantra all offseason following it was "13 seconds". Which showed how Gus couldn't shake it off.

Blowing that 21-3 lead haunted him the rest of his Auburn tenure and I hope he is out from under it finally at UCF. 

This is kind of where I am. I think this game initiated the crack in the Gus we used to know, and the 2014 TAMU game broke him the rest of the way. Never was the same again. Coached in big games against big teams not to lose instead of coaching to win. I think 

[Carnell 592]

Even if we do get a defensive stance in that game, win or lose gus would have still been gus.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 minute ago, Carnell said:

Even if we do get a defensive stance in that game, win or lose gus would have still been gus.

To an extent yes, but go back and watch the intro to that game....Gus had a different fire about him prior to that. He had a confidence about him. He tried to destroy teams. Don't let off the gas. That all changed. Now, maybe he still fails miserably at OL recruiting and QB recruiting and nothing changes, but I think we win several more games over the last 7 years if he doesn't lose that one.

[AUght2win 6,883]

1 minute ago, Tigerpro2a said:

This is kind of where I am. I think this game initiated the crack in the Gus we used to know, and the 2014 TAMU game broke him the rest of the way. Never was the same again. Coached in big games against big teams not to lose instead of coaching to win. I think 

It amazes me he couldn't figure himself out. One session at a sports psychologist and Gus would be unstoppable.

In 2013, he was coaching a team at the bottom with nothing to lose and was dominant. The only other highlights in his career was when his seat was on fire, he had lost his status as a tier 1 coach, and again, he had nothing to lose. 

Gus can't handle being on the mountaintop. He panics. He thinks it is all going to go wrong. Which, of course, with that attitude it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I think it all started that night in Pasadena. He was already envisioning being a NC up 21-3. Then he lost and vowed to never let it happen again. That's why whether it be in a single game or his program at-large, he never did well when he was supposed to.

[AUght2win 6,883]

11 minutes ago, Carnell said:

Even if we do get a defensive stance in that game, win or lose gus would have still been gus.

I think it altered who Gus was. 2015 Gus and 2013 Gus were not the same person at all.

[JDUBB4AU 5,138]

Hypothetical thread , but sure brings pain back up . Deep unfiltered pain guys 

thats my only response  . Sorry guys 

[cbo 7,979]

Wouldn't have changed much. Defenses would have still caught up with Gus' O and he still wouldn't be able to adjust.

His tragic flaw is hubris and a national championship definitely wouldn't have helped that. 

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

Yeah, in the long run, I don’t think it would change much of anything, but it would give us another NC, so I’d take it!!!😁