AU gets no respect

[alexgreatau 0]

I just don't think that I can take this anymore. I'm losing my mind and my sanity left me a long time ago.

As a football program, Auburn gets no respect. I've seen all these preseason polls, magazines, and expert opinions and I see Auburn no higher than 18th preseason. I've been informed that some polls out there have Auburn in the top ten but I have yet to see any of them.

I'm aware of the fact that these so called "experts" have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, that was obvious last season. Also, I'm aware that championships aren't won in the preseason polls, as was obviously the case with us the last two seasons.

However, what I am saying is that 18th is an utter disgrace for a team that finished last season #2 in both major polls, national champions in other publications. I know that we lost a lot offensively but what people don't realize is that we have so much coming back. We have 6 returning starters on offense and 6 on defense. More importantly, it's not like we're going through a major coaching overhaul like some programs in the SEC who are top ten ranked: LSU, UF, and USC. Okay, the gamecocks are not top ten but the media is still salivating over the possibilities they have under Spurrier.

The fact that UA is ahead of us in some of the polls is pathetic. If the rolls with AU and UA were reversed, do you think that Auburn players would be running their mouths and ranked ahead of UA in the preseason polls? No. Just look at preseason 1993 for reference. We weren't even preseason ranked and ended up fourth but our players didn't talke before the season and the media didn't have us ranked ahead of UA either.

In my opinion, these same media hacks still respect UA more than they do AU. Maybe they're having acid flashbacks and have returned back to the 1960's or someting. I don't know but I need to quit looking at polls.

It's bad enough that we had to listen to these idiots disrespect AU last year but their this obvious lack of respect has not yet abated.

Let's face it, we're currently the Rodney Dangerfield of college football. We get no respect. It's just sickening to see teams like SC and OU play in pansy conferences and get all the accolades when all of us know good and darn well that AU would be a annual powerhouse if we played in the Pac Ten or Big Twelve.

I need a drink. I'm gonna lock myself in my room and not come out until Auburn wins a national championship and does not get screwed over. I just can't take this lack of respect anymore. These people make me sick!

Alex

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Alex, calm down, man. Get a hold of yourself.

As a lifelong Auburn fan, I am relishing this a bit. Who cares if we don't get the love from the media? They look at things like losing so much talent (ya gotta admit, we did.) We look at the character and desire of the kids that are left.

I have always been a big fan of the underdog. Being an Auburn fan made me that way.

Don't worry about things you can't control. Just relax, the nip is just around the corner. And Georgia Tech is right on its heels.

Just relax and everything will work out fine.

[alexgreatau 0]

Major,

Thanks for the kind words. Maybe I'm suffering from preseason anxiety.Maybe I've heard the term, "one hit wonder" used in reference to Auburn one too many times.

Either way, I hope that the next two weeks fly by and our boys in Orange and Blue can get down to the business of winning another championship.

Alex

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Here, here. I don't expect another 13-0 season, but I will not expect a loss until it happens. I just look forward to every game and plan on enjoying each one, preaseason experts be damned.

OR-RANGE!

[AUesquire 1]

Oklahoma returns only 5 starters on each side of the ball according to Sporting News. Now, granted they have one of the best running backs in the nation returning but to still give that program this much love is ridiculous. Isn't the OU logo in Websters beside the word, "Overrated"?

In the last 2 years, they've gotten slapped around in the thier CCG, beaten by LSU in the BCS championship(When they didn't deserve to be there) and then utterly embarrased by USC. They lose over half their starters and the "experts" act as if they won't skip a beat. In the meantime, AU drops about 15 places in the polls.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

OR-RANGE!

174421[/snapback]

BLUUUUUE!

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Oklahoma returns only 5 starters on each side of the ball according to Sporting News.  Now, granted they have one of the best running backs in the nation returning but to still give that program this much love is ridiculous.  Isn't the OU logo in Websters beside the word, "Overrated"?

In the last 2 years, they've gotten slapped around in the thier CCG, beaten by LSU in the BCS championship(When they didn't deserve to be there) and then utterly embarrased by USC.  They lose over half their starters and the "experts" act as if they won't skip a beat.  In the meantime, AU drops about 15 places in the polls.

174422[/snapback]

And Choklahoma is a media darling. Just like a 6-6 team that returns an injury plagued backfield, an inexperienced O-line, a good defense, and a suspect coaching staff. And yet they are ranked 24th, 23rd, 16th in preseason polls.

Some teams (Texas, Meechigan, USC, OU) will get the preseason pub as long as they are decent. One day, the pundits will be right.

[Draven 0]

Personally I like the role as underdog and being an Auburn fan all my life have just come to the realization we get no love from the media 85' and last year are great examples of that. I say forget the polls and get respect on the field.

[tgr4lfe 220]

Oklahoma returns only 5 starters on each side of the ball according to Sporting News.  Now, granted they have one of the best running backs in the nation returning but to still give that program this much love is ridiculous.  Isn't the OU logo in Websters beside the word, "Overrated"?

In the last 2 years, they've gotten slapped around in the thier CCG, beaten by LSU in the BCS championship(When they didn't deserve to be there) and then utterly embarrased by USC.  They lose over half their starters and the "experts" act as if they won't skip a beat.  In the meantime, AU drops about 15 places in the polls.

174422[/snapback]

That is basically one of the things CTT said in a speaking engagement with the Opelika Kiwani last Thursday. Saying how much talent OU lost but to still be ranked high and for us to be so far down the line AGAIN. I hate it!! I just want our Tigers to have the chance to show the nation that AUBURN football is for real and here to stay as a dominate national powerhouse!!!!!!

[Raven_tiger 5]

The only poll that we should concern ourselves with is the one that is released the second week of January.

That's the one that counts.

[auskull 239]

Under Dye, Auburn achieved an expectation from the national media. It happened because of 4 straight SEC championships, 3-3 against Fla St. and winning against UT, UAT, and UGA (amend corner). We just need to go out and show that the SEC comes through AU year after year, play better against national opponents, and win 9 or 10 games annually. Last year was a start. Talent wise, coaching, and facilities, we are there. Schedule wise, we are not there with 1-AA games. We are close, very close to achieving that again IF we take care of business this year.

[passthebiscuits 6,873]

Auskull hit the nail on the head.

Remember that in the late nineties and early 2000s we weren't even ranked preseason...now we've had a few good years in a row with Capital one Bowls and a Sugar Bowl...but we've also been picked in the top 10 preseason and blew it.

We need consistency. Right now, we are consistently a top 20 team--we need to be a top 10 team to be ranked there. Remember, Tennessee didn't always get ranked in the top 10..but they kept racking up 9,10 win seasons a couple SEC championships. same for florida, same for USC, same for Texas--these teams weren't always there...remember when USC sucked? I do! Remember when UAT sucked and they couldn't beat us for three years in a row and had to have a senior quarterback just to be picked THIRD in the SEC west!>wait, oh, that wasn't a flashback-

The respect will come when we earn it consistently. Until then, let's be happy with the journey to that point.

[rolltoomer 0]

O.K., so we went 13-0. (That's terrific!)

But:

1. How many 10-win seasons has Tuberville produced? One. Last year.

2. Sure, we've got a good staff, probably. ( Who knows what effect the Chizik-Gibbs swap will have?) But the staff doesn't play.

3. What percentage of our offense is coming back? 10%?

4. This year's squad? Auburn's recruiting marches to a different drummer. We were ranked relatively low last year because we didn't sign big numbers--nowhere near 25--so the ranking dropped. We didn't sign 25 because we didn't have room. We may sign as few as 15-16 players this year. We'll be ranked low again. We recruit players of good character and brains, who stick around and who are really good contributors. It's the best way. It's working. But the "experts" don't understand that some self-centered jet-jocky can do more harm than good. Look at Tennessee. Look at, yes, "academic" Georgia Tech. The nation's best players don't do you any good if they're tangled up in discipline problems or academic problems or even legal problems. Their loss can't do anything but demoralize the rest of the guys.

In sum, the coaching staff is doing great, but the media hot-shots don't have the time to seriously analyze the intangibles Tubs' system uses. They're too busy adding up stars in a column.

5. What did we do in '03 with high pre-season rankings? Make the raters gun-shy. Reputation is just like a savings account: so hard to build up but so easy to blow away.

We have to earn the right to be a darling. We can help make our case with another good year. I believe we can and hope that we will. But even two stellar years won't do a whole lot to change things.

To finish, I'd rather have a low ranking and do good that have a high one and go 8-4 or 7-5, by far.

The rankings produced on the field are the only ones that matter. I can wait. If we do good, it only makes the pollsters look like idiots.

[AUHansel 0]

personaly i'm not concerned with not getting respect. we don't really deserve it. we've lost a lot of key players and they were key positions. i think this season is going to be hit or miss. we have good players, but it all depends on the players that have to step up and start for the first time this year. someone mentioned oklahoma, but i don't understand that. they deserve to be there. they've only lost 7 games total since the 2000 season. they have been a winning team consistently and they deserve to have whatever ranking they want. just because they can't win the biggest game in college football doesn't mean they shouldn't be ranked high. our team is a little more in doubt than oklahoma's. we get ranked high in preseason one year and then take a nosedive. i think that we have a chance to be a very good team but let's face it, on paper, we aren't even the best team in the SEC West.

and think about it this way...if we go undefeated again, or are deserving of being in the NC game, then there is no way they will leave us out two years in a row.

[Draven 0]

The rankings produced on the field are the only ones that matter.  I can wait.  If we do good, it only makes the pollsters look like idiots.

174438[/snapback]

[aumoore 0]

I beg to differ sir

Auburn does get respect.

If you don't believe me ask Notre Dame and Michigan's AD's because they refuesed to play us. Probably was looking for the powerhouse that is Bowling Green

[quietfan 233]

O.K., so we went 13-0.  (That's terrific!)

But:

1.  How many 10-win seasons has Tuberville produced?  One.  Last year.

2.  Sure, we've got a good staff, probably.  ( Who knows what effect the Chizik-Gibbs swap will have?)  But the staff doesn't play.

3.  What percentage of our offense is coming back?  10%? 

4.  This year's squad?  Auburn's recruiting marches to a different drummer.  We were ranked relatively low last year because we didn't sign big numbers--nowhere near 25--so the ranking dropped.  We didn't sign 25 because we didn't have room.  We may sign as few as 15-16 players this year.  We'll be ranked low again.  We recruit players of good character and brains, who stick around and who are really good contributors.  It's the best way.  It's working.  But the "experts" don't understand that some self-centered jet-jocky can do more harm than good.  Look at Tennessee.  Look at, yes, "academic" Georgia Tech.  The nation's best players don't do you any good if they're tangled up in discipline problems or academic problems or even legal problems.  Their loss can't do anything but demoralize the rest of the guys.

In sum, the coaching staff is doing great, but the media hot-shots don't have the time to seriously analyze the intangibles Tubs' system uses.  They're too busy adding up stars in a column.

5.  What did we do in '03 with high pre-season rankings?  Make the raters gun-shy.  Reputation is just like a savings account:  so hard to build up but so easy to blow away.

We have to earn the right to be a darling.  We can help make our case with another good year.  I believe we can and hope that we will.  But even two stellar years won't do a whole lot to change things.

To finish, I'd rather have a low ranking and do good that have a high one and go 8-4 or 7-5, by far.

The rankings produced on the field are the only ones that matter.  I can wait.  If we do good, it only makes the pollsters look like idiots.

174438[/snapback]

I agree with most of what you say.

I would quibble with the suggestion that we only return 10% of our offense. Perhaps if Jason is credited alone for his passing yards and Ronnie & Carnell were soley responsible for their rushing yards, then the numbers might show 90% of our yardage leaving. But these guys did not work in a vacuum. Jason did not complete his passes by himself and we return most of the offensive line & receivng corps that made his passing possible. How far could Carnell & Ronnie have run without that same offensive line & the receivers as decoys? Much as we'll miss our 1st-round draft choices, it's hardly accurate to say the majority of our offense is gone. Our line & receiving corps should be even better this year (and Brandon Cox & the running backs aren't chopped liver even if they're not 1st-rounders at this point).

Also, while it's true CTT has only one 10-win season on his resume, he also has tremendous credit for rebuilding shattered programs at both Ole Miss and here. We need only look to the western portion of our state to see how difficult that is to do. I'm glad he's finally getting to reap the rewards of a head coaching career that's been spent rebuilding programs up to now.

[alexgreatau 0]

I beg to differ sir

Auburn does get respect.

If you don't believe me ask Notre Dame and Michigan's AD's because they refuesed to play us.  Probably was looking for the powerhouse that is Bowling Green

174466[/snapback]

Michigan and Notre Dame don't want to play us anytime soon, that may be true. Both of these institutions are looking for an easy win and it won't come against Auburn. Most of the AD's at Big Ten and SEC schools are looking for the easier game because they feel like their in conference schedules are tough enough and one loss to a non conference team could ruin any chances their teams have of a national championship. With the mess and failure that is the BCS these days, I really don't blame them. These AD's are looking for an opponent like Bowling Green from a mid major conference who can easily be beaten but has just enough credibility to enhance their strength of schedule rankings in the BCS. For reference, see Oklahoma last year. For reference, see Auburn last year.

I'm just not sold on any argument that Auburn gets any respect. For reference, see last year. Auburn fans like to make a big deal about how we got screwed by the BCS. That's all true. What most people don't realize, however, is that we were also 3rd in the coaches poll at the end of last season.

After watching USC, OU, and Auburn through 11 games last year, any reasonable person would conclude that Auburn was the best team in America considering that Auburn played one close game all year while USC struggled to beat teams like Stanford and UCLA while OU barely survived against OSU and Texas A&M. Yet, Auburn remained third at season's end in the coaches poll.

Some coaches voted us number one, but most had us third. If that's not lack of respect, especially after what you've seen on the field, than I don't know what is.

Alex

[Shug2003 1]

AlexgreatAU My Man, I have been following Auburn for over 50 years and we have always been "an underdog team." The downside to this philosopy is that you get NO RESPECT when you prove you can't handle the pressure of being picked high as WE HAVE done so often. Hey, it's our own fault to a degree. I think Tubs is trying to get us out of that syndrome of being an up and down team that does nothing but piss off the oddsmakers in Vegas trying to cover the spread. We have made paupers out of princes many times....with our unpredictable play. Pat Dye attempted to rectify this syndrome and to some degree, succeeded but eventually fell victim to it too.

We need to learn to EXPECT GREAT THINGS and then DELIVER THEM on a consistent basis IF we expect media respect and higher ratings. The down side of this is we become spoiled like the Bammers and lose perspective of a "game" and "players" and elevate them to Gods and the game to a life or death situation. NOT GOOD EITHER! OK, had my say. Roll on Baby Roll on...

[rolltoomer 0]

O.K., so we went 13-0.  (That's terrific!)

But:

1.  How many 10-win seasons has Tuberville produced?  One.  Last year.

2.  Sure, we've got a good staff, probably.  ( Who knows what effect the Chizik-Gibbs swap will have?)  But the staff doesn't play.

3.  What percentage of our offense is coming back?  10%? 

4.  This year's squad?  Auburn's recruiting marches to a different drummer.  We were ranked relatively low last year because we didn't sign big numbers--nowhere near 25--so the ranking dropped.   We didn't sign 25 because we didn't have room.  We may sign as few as 15-16 players this year.   We'll be ranked low again.  We recruit players of good character and brains, who stick around and who are really good contributors.  It's the best way.  It's working.  But the "experts" don't understand that some self-centered jet-jocky can do more harm than good.  Look at Tennessee.  Look at, yes, "academic" Georgia Tech.  The nation's best players don't do you any good if they're tangled up in discipline problems or academic problems or even legal problems.  Their loss can't do anything but demoralize the rest of the guys.

In sum, the coaching staff is doing great, but the media hot-shots don't have the time to seriously analyze the intangibles Tubs' system uses.  They're too busy adding up stars in a column.

5.  What did we do in '03 with high pre-season rankings?   Make the raters gun-shy.   Reputation is just like a savings account:  so hard to build up but so easy to blow away.

We have to earn the right to be a darling.  We can help make our case with another good year.  I believe we can and hope that we will.  But even two stellar years won't do a whole lot to change things.

To finish, I'd rather have a low ranking and do good that have a high one and go 8-4 or 7-5, by far.

The rankings produced on the field are the only ones that matter.  I can wait.  If we do good, it only makes the pollsters look like idiots.

174438[/snapback]

I agree with most of what you say.

I would quibble with the suggestion that we only return 10% of our offense. Perhaps if Jason is credited alone for his passing yards and Ronnie & Carnell were soley responsible for their rushing yards, then the numbers might show 90% of our yardage leaving. But these guys did not work in a vacuum. Jason did not complete his passes by himself and we return most of the offensive line & receivng corps that made his passing possible. How far could Carnell & Ronnie have run without that same offensive line & the receivers as decoys? Much as we'll miss our 1st-round draft choices, it's hardly accurate to say the majority of our offense is gone. Our line & receiving corps should be even better this year (and Brandon Cox & the running backs aren't chopped liver even if they're not 1st-rounders at this point).

Also, while it's true CTT has only one 10-win season on his resume, he also has tremendous credit for rebuilding shattered programs at both Ole Miss and here. We need only look to the western portion of our state to see how difficult that is to do. I'm glad he's finally getting to reap the rewards of a head coaching career that's been spent rebuilding programs up to now.

174467[/snapback]

And I agree with you.

What I was trying to say was that the "indicators" that the alleged experts use give cause to their predictions. The indicators can be very misleading, as you pointed out. Quite frankly, I believe we will do some pretty good stuff this year, but I understand why the writers may have doubts.

[Aubie7 0]

I just don't think that I can take this anymore. I'm losing my mind and my sanity left me a long time ago.

As a football program, Auburn gets no respect. I've seen all these preseason polls, magazines, and expert opinions and I see Auburn no higher than 18th preseason. I've been informed that some polls out there have Auburn in the top ten but I have yet to see any of them.

I'm aware of the fact that these so called "experts" have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, that was obvious last season. Also, I'm aware that championships aren't won in the preseason polls, as was obviously the case with us the last two seasons.

However, what I am saying is that 18th is an utter disgrace for a team that finished last season #2 in both major polls, national champions in other publications. I know that we lost a lot offensively but what people don't realize is that we have so much coming back. We have 6 returning starters on offense and 6 on defense. More importantly, it's not like we're going through a major coaching overhaul like some programs in the SEC who are top ten ranked: LSU, UF, and USC. Okay, the gamecocks are not top ten but the media is still salivating over the possibilities they have under Spurrier.

The fact that UA is ahead of us in some of the polls is pathetic. If the rolls with AU and UA were reversed, do you think that Auburn players would be running their mouths and ranked ahead of UA in the preseason polls? No. Just look at preseason 1993 for reference. We weren't even preseason ranked and ended up fourth but our players didn't talke before the season and the media didn't have us ranked ahead of UA either.

In my opinion, these same media hacks still respect UA more than they do AU. Maybe they're having acid flashbacks and have returned back to the 1960's or someting. I don't know but I need to quit looking at polls.

It's bad enough that we had to listen to these idiots disrespect AU last year but their this obvious lack of respect has not yet abated.

Let's face it, we're currently the Rodney Dangerfield of college football. We get no respect. It's just sickening to see teams like SC and OU play in pansy conferences and get all the accolades when all of us know good and darn well that AU would be a annual powerhouse if we played in the Pac Ten or Big Twelve.

I need a drink. I'm gonna lock myself in my room and not come out until Auburn wins a national championship and does not get screwed over. I just can't take this lack of respect anymore. These people make me sick!

Alex  

174410[/snapback]

Stock up on bourbon and get food sent to you if you are going to stay in there that long! Good Luck!

My glass was full (13-0!) Now it is empty!

[Aubie7 0]

Personally I like the role as underdog and being an Auburn fan all my life have just come to the realization we get no love from the media 85' and last year are great examples of that. I say forget the polls and get respect on the field.

174426[/snapback]

Why should we have gotten anything from the media in 1985? We had an 8-5 record and just did not look good.

[tgr4lfe 220]

I just don't think that I can take this anymore. I'm losing my mind and my sanity left me a long time ago.

As a football program, Auburn gets no respect. I've seen all these preseason polls, magazines, and expert opinions and I see Auburn no higher than 18th preseason. I've been informed that some polls out there have Auburn in the top ten but I have yet to see any of them.

I'm aware of the fact that these so called "experts" have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, that was obvious last season. Also, I'm aware that championships aren't won in the preseason polls, as was obviously the case with us the last two seasons.

However, what I am saying is that 18th is an utter disgrace for a team that finished last season #2 in both major polls, national champions in other publications. I know that we lost a lot offensively but what people don't realize is that we have so much coming back. We have 6 returning starters on offense and 6 on defense. More importantly, it's not like we're going through a major coaching overhaul like some programs in the SEC who are top ten ranked: LSU, UF, and USC. Okay, the gamecocks are not top ten but the media is still salivating over the possibilities they have under Spurrier.

The fact that UA is ahead of us in some of the polls is pathetic. If the rolls with AU and UA were reversed, do you think that Auburn players would be running their mouths and ranked ahead of UA in the preseason polls? No. Just look at preseason 1993 for reference. We weren't even preseason ranked and ended up fourth but our players didn't talke before the season and the media didn't have us ranked ahead of UA either.

In my opinion, these same media hacks still respect UA more than they do AU. Maybe they're having acid flashbacks and have returned back to the 1960's or someting. I don't know but I need to quit looking at polls.

It's bad enough that we had to listen to these idiots disrespect AU last year but their this obvious lack of respect has not yet abated.

Let's face it, we're currently the Rodney Dangerfield of college football. We get no respect. It's just sickening to see teams like SC and OU play in pansy conferences and get all the accolades when all of us know good and darn well that AU would be a annual powerhouse if we played in the Pac Ten or Big Twelve.

I need a drink. I'm gonna lock myself in my room and not come out until Auburn wins a national championship and does not get screwed over. I just can't take this lack of respect anymore. These people make me sick!

Alex  

174410[/snapback]

Stock up on bourbon and get food sent to you if you are going to stay in there that long! Good Luck!

My glass was full (13-0!) Now it is empty!

174593[/snapback]

Alex, I agree with your lack of respect from media world and sporting world for that matter. How else would, other than sure stupidity, would they rank OU so high,when they lost their great heisman QB and about a dozen starters AND rank UA aboce us, who yes returns a lot, but has a lack of depth and prone to injury, or even FSU who lost a starting QB just a few weeks ago and will have a Freshman starting the opener against UM? I don't understand these things. and they iritate the crap out of me . You think all they look at is what players you lost and not what you have, but that logic is thrown out when you consider OU this year. Stop their run and I think you beat them this year. They lose at least two games, getting beat by Texas for sure!! I just don't think the sportswriters out there really watch football games thruout the season and keep up with returning talents, etc.

[Draven 0]

Personally I like the role as underdog and being an Auburn fan all my life have just come to the realization we get no love from the media 85' and last year are great examples of that. I say forget the polls and get respect on the field.

174426[/snapback]

Why should we have gotten anything from the media in 1985? We had an 8-5 record and just did not look good.

174594[/snapback]

sorry it was 83'-84' win over UM in sugar I was referring not 85'.

[rebdawg 5]

Just be glad we still get to use our mascot during post season play.