I’m Excited

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

Conversely, the bama loss might have been the catalyst to make necessary changes sooner than later and jump started the process of weeding out and toughening up.

No. There is no moral victory on that loss. No upside. It was a backbreaker and a lost opportunity pure and simple. 

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

I'm happy to know Auburn will have no financial problems paying our millions a year for 2 (TWO) head coaches + Harsin's entire staff to NOT coach at Auburn + paying a new staff upwards of $15million to come on board. 😒

If it’s not your money what are you worried about? Harsin is coaching on the relative cheap for us right now. So it makes sense we can go for a bigger fish the next time the spot is open.

[bigbird 60,573]

 

No. There is no moral victory on that loss. No upside. It was a backbreaker and a lost opportunity pure and simple. 

Nearsightedness is a bad way to try and understand football

[AuburnNTexas 7,158]

 

That’s why I’m excited. I believe we can win 8 or more. Harsin truly didn’t understand the Iron Bowl rivalry and what it meant. He doesn’t realize that had he not given that game away, EVERYTHING would look drastically different. Fans would love him. The program would have a completely different reputation. Recruiting would have a huge proof of concept that we are the future. But nope.

I still can’t talk about that game. Never seen anything like it.

How in the heck did he give that game away. The team he coached played lights out against a team that on paper was a much better team.  If Tank goes down instead of out of bounds or if the ref's would have called at least on of the two intentional groundings we win. He played one of the best teams in the country an it took that team multiple overtimes to beat us.   Based on talent level we had no business even being close to bama but we outplayed them most of the game until to be honest our lack of depth finally allowed bama to win.

[Old fan 47 773]

 

Your predictions obviously included the 3 year starting QB. You seriously would not have predicted that outcome with the backup starting the whole season. We had a seriously lacking QB group, which is why Harsin took a chance on TJ. You blame the negative end to the season on lack of progression, but I blame it on key injuries (OP and BN), and seriously lacking QB group. 

I would also throw in the very vanilla offensive play calling of Bobo for a large majority of the season. He had studs at UGA, yet they never emerged as a big offensive threat until years after he was gone. I’m not laying blame all on him and as far as Kiesau goes, that is still completely up in the air. Just in reading the snippets from the first 5 practices, it seems each QB has looked mediocre at best. The offense although wanting to be a run first, will have to also have a vertical passing game, so in my opinion, this season will come down to the QB play, whomever that may be. I kind of figure it to be Zach or TJ, where one beat Bama last year and one almost did, so that is really the only thing comparable between them, that I know of. Zach of course missed all of spring so I would expect him to be rusty. I wonder if Ashford is the wild card here? I think I will hold off on season predictions until I get to see or at least read about the Fall A Day game. Apologies for the long post. 

[Didba 5,256]

 

No. There is no moral victory on that loss. No upside. It was a backbreaker and a lost opportunity pure and simple. 

It’s not a moral victory, @bigbird makes a good point. 

[cbo 7,863]

 

No. There is no moral victory on that loss. No upside. It was a backbreaker and a lost opportunity pure and simple. 

There is huge upside to that game. As I've said before, I think it is the most tangible positive sign we've seen from Harsin. 

Our guys were outmatched, we had a limping back up QB, and we still should have won. I thought we were done as soon as it went to OT, but we kept fighting. A game like that can give players confidence and fire in the belly. 

[TheDob06 443]

 

If it’s not your money what are you worried about? Harsin is coaching on the relative cheap for us right now. So it makes sense we can go for a bigger fish the next time the spot is open.

But when has Auburn ever gone for and gotten this bigger fish you speak of? We always hope for the big name and are always disappointed.

What's different this time around?

[Tiger Refuge 6,670]

 

Are they interesting? I've never posted or read a game thread, except maybe scanned one hours after the game was over. What sort of nerd bangs away on a keyboard during an Auburn athletic event?

Nope, not at all.

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

Nearsightedness is a bad way to try and understand football

Whatever dude. If you look at that Iron Bowl loss as in any way a positive, you’re either not an Auburn fan or you’re just biased to CBH beyond reason. 

We don’t do moral victories in the Iron Bowl. Especially in the manner that one was blown.

[bigbird 60,573]

 

Whatever dude. If you look at that Iron Bowl loss as in any way a positive, you’re either not an Auburn fan or you’re just biased to CBH beyond reason. 

 

 

 

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

How in the heck did he give that game away. The team he coached played lights out against a team that on paper was a much better team.  If Tank goes down instead of out of bounds or if the ref's would have called at least on of the two intentional groundings we win. He played one of the best teams in the country an it took that team multiple overtimes to beat us.   Based on talent level we had no business even being close to bama but we outplayed them most of the game until to be honest our lack of depth finally allowed bama to win.

Don’t go down this path.

For starters, he kept a seriously injured Finley in the game. I’ve never seen a QB that hobbled.

Up two scores with 10 minutes left, the first play following a huge 4th down stop, he THREW the ball with that injured QB, resulting in a pick that brought Alabama back to life.

The very next drive we THROW AGAIN and it gets PICKED AGAIN, but fortunately it’s called back.

After Tank ran out of bounds, instead of calling a timeout on 3rd and 2 to regroup and come up with our best play to literally *win the game*, we run a vanilla dive and get stuffed.

In OT, Alabama clearly had the momentum and we had a wounded QB. We needed to end the game ASAP. But instead of going for 2 and the win, we choose to kick the PAT.

Just unbelievable blunders. 

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

There is huge upside to that game. As I've said before, I think it is the most tangible positive sign we've seen from Harsin. 

Our guys were outmatched, we had a limping back up QB, and we still should have won. I thought we were done as soon as it went to OT, but we kept fighting. A game like that can give players confidence and fire in the belly. 

Just no, respectfully.

We’re in the midst of Alabama’s greatest dynasty. Opportunities to beat them are extremely rare. We blew a historical defensive performance with a historical offensive collapse. The statcast had our odds statistically at 90+ throughout the 4th, and at 99.9% with about a minute to go.

It was hands down the most painful loss I’ve ever experienced as an Auburn fan. It wasn’t good. And it certainly wasn’t a good look for Harsin’s game management skills.

[cbo 7,863]

 

Whatever dude. If you look at that Iron Bowl loss as in any way a positive, you’re either not an Auburn fan or you’re just biased to CBH beyond reason. 

We don’t do moral victories in the Iron Bowl. Especially in the manner that one was blown.

Haha. Which category do I fall into? I'll hang up and listen. 

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

But when has Auburn ever gone for and gotten this bigger fish you speak of? We always hope for the big name and are always disappointed.

What's different this time around?

We have a much different economic situation. Top 10 most financially valuable football programs in the nation. Up there with LSU and Florida. I don’t think that was the case even when we were searching post-Chizik. 

We we’re hamstrung this time around by a fumbled search and the Malzahn money. But I don’t think that’ll be the case on the next one (if there is one in the next year or two).

[AUght2win 6,855]

 

Haha. Which category do I fall into? I'll hang up and listen. 

I’d attribute your take to copium. I was on it following Mississippi State but USCe knocked me off the stuff.

We’ll lose to Alabama this year in Tuscaloosa to make 3 in a row. It’ll tie the longest streak for Bama of the 21st century. If the streak runs to 4 I’d say he’s likely gone, unless we win 10 games in year 3.

[bigbird 60,573]

 

Which category do I fall into? 

[Hank2020 3,212]

 

No. There is no moral victory on that loss. No upside. It was a backbreaker and a lost opportunity pure and simple. 

Your just wrong on that IMO. It wasn’t a “moral victory” , but assuming there was no upside to the best game we played all year is an incorrect take. 

[cbo 7,863]

 

It was hands down the most painful loss I’ve ever experienced as an Auburn fan. It wasn’t good. And it certainly wasn’t a good look for Harsin’s game management skills.

Worse than losing a national championship in the final seconds in 2013? I love beating Bama, but getting a seventh win last season was more important to you than a national championship?

Sometimes you make excellent points. Sometimes you just say things. 

[DAG 33,997]

And this is why I said “I’ve seen this episode before” lol. To an extent I agree with the OP in some retrospect, but I can already see where this is going. 

Edited August 11, 2022 by DAG

[cbo 7,863]

 

I’d attribute your take to copium. I was on it following Mississippi State but USCe knocked me off the stuff.

We’ll lose to Alabama this year in Tuscaloosa to make 3 in a row. It’ll tie the longest streak for Bama of the 21st century. If the streak runs to 4 I’d say he’s likely gone, unless we win 10 games in year 3.

If you haven't noticed, I'm not high on Harsin these days. Almost entirely because of recruiting. 

But I can't predict the future and I can acknowledge positives when I see them. Auburn played a great game in the 2021 Iron Bowl. It far surpassed my expectations and gave me some hope. That's all. 

[bigbird 60,573]

 

Sometimes you just say things. 

[Hank2020 3,212]

 

It’s completely a money game nowadays. A coach just left the stability of blueblood Oklahoma for USC. Fisher left indisputably a historically better program to go to TAMU. Some insiders on the board say we’ll break the bank for the next coach. I’m not worried about any stigma pertaining to us firing a coach after two years. A quality coach will come for the right price.

Like it or not college football is virtually the NFL now. More money. Less leeway. Instant results expected. Whether that’s right or wrong, idk. But it does seem to be part of the trade off of bringing elements like free agency and NIL to college football. 

What gives you the impression AU will “break the bank”, especially when they were not willing to buy out the contract for someone they obviously wanted replaced/removed.

[bigbird 60,573]

 

I can acknowledge positives when I see them.

 

 

Can I just say, I'm glad you're back, Bird.

 

[DAG 33,997]

 

What gives you the impression AU will “break the bank”, especially when they were not willing to buy out the contract for someone they obviously wanted replaced/removed.

Yeah I wanted to respond to that, but decidedly not to. Supposedly that was the case right? We had the money and our guy ready, yet we didn't do it.