A look at our last 4 Classes. This is the issue:

[DKW 86 7,486]

10 hours ago, AUwent said:

As I previously alluded to...if we claw our way back to relevancy over the next five years, we might look back on losing the 2021 IB as a blessing in disguise. Because we would've been guaranteed at least another year of Potato's criminal negligence.

I live in a nightmare that you just described. We would have held on to that loser at least another year if not more if we had won that game...

[DKW 86 7,486]

8 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You don't think this team would look a lot better with Pegues, Hudson, Hunter, Nix and the others on the squad? You're saying that the four teams I saw on TV yesterday just happened to have all the successful AU transfers on them? That's statistically improbable.

Hudson just finished his third straight game with over 100 yards receiving. That's trash to you?

Our coaching issues moved those players to move on, just like others.

 

[drɘxɘl 69]

19 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

There really aren't any. You mentioned 5 guys. Dawson would be 6 at Colorado.

Gus's final two classes+Harsin's two classes were horrendous.  It's pretty much trash outside DB and RB

Stayed up late watching USC, & Romello Height looked damn good starting on their D.

[keesler 5,934]

12 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You don't think this team would look a lot better with Pegues, Hudson, Hunter, Nix and the others on the squad? You're saying that the four teams I saw on TV yesterday just happened to have all the successful AU transfers on them? That's statistically improbable.

Hudson just finished his third straight game with over 100 yards receiving. That's trash to you?

IMO, we’d benefit from having those guys in O&B this season if for no other reason than having mature, veteran players at key positions.  They’d add leadership, knowledge, depth and experience.  It’s water under the bridge now and Auburn will sink or swim with what they’ve got.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Someone add HS QB recruiting to this data over the last decade. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

I will say that the ONLY HS qb we recruited worth a darn over the last decade was Nix and he would immediately make us much better today, but the failed recruiting and coaching from Gus and Harsin left him no choice to leave… and good thing he did. 

People that see where this program is now but are still defending the last 2 coaches have an agenda, plain and simple. Everyone can see we need players and it starts at QB, then OL. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by gr82b4au

[auburnatl1 5,284]

1 hour ago, DKW 86 said:

When I knew CHF was the correct choice, was when he defined THE PROBLEM AT AU is a ROSTER PROBLEM.

Remembering our epic chf vs cds debates last fall, I’m wondering if you’d be quite  as passionate about the situation had the choice gone the other way. But regardless, yes the roster is/was a train wreck.  It was well known then and that  was much of the debate - would chf (who undoubtedly is a better booster “fit”) be a big enough hire to turn this dumpster fire around. CDS would nationally splash, CHF would do the more traditional relationship grind. Only time will tell.

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, Mikey said:

You don't think this team would look a lot better with Pegues, Hudson, Hunter, Nix and the others on the squad? You're saying that the four teams I saw on TV yesterday just happened to have all the successful AU transfers on them? That's statistically improbable.

Hudson just finished his third straight game with over 100 yards receiving. That's trash to you?

5 guys out of 100 kids across four classes is the point.

We didn't lose much talent due to firing coaches. 

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, drɘxɘl said:

Stayed up late watching USC, & Romello Height looked damn good starting on their D.

Forgot about him tbqh....but we kicked him off the team...right?

[WeaglWeaglWDE 599]

Gus's OL-coach carousel and subsequent lack of OL-recruiting, in my opinion, was his undoing. Less and less push. Less and less time. Mentally breaking both play calling and QB confidence. Happy feet accelerating to flushing the pocket practically every time. Even when there's no pressure actually there.   

[W.E.D 11,070]

42 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

I will say that the ONLY HS qb we recruited worth a darn over the last decade was Nix and he would immediately make us much better today, but the failed recruiting and coaching from Gus and Harsin left him no choice to leave… and good thing he did. 

People that see where this program is now but are still defending the last 2 coaches have an agenda, plain and simple. Everyone can see we need players and it starts at QB, then OL. 

100% agree.  Nix then Brandon Cox in 2005

Malik Willis probably counts but was never going to get developed by the past staff 

[auburnatl1 5,284]

1 minute ago, WeaglWeaglWDE said:

Gus's OL-coach carousel and subsequent lack of OL-recruiting, in my opinion, was his undoing. Less and less push. Less and less time. Mentally breaking both play calling and QB confidence. Happy feet accelerating to flushing the pocket practically every time. Even when there's no pressure actually there.   

The question I always had about gus was did he/the staff just suddenly forget to recruit for the OL, or was he unable to compete with Kirby suddenly showing up and the rise of Clemson. It happened about the same time.

[drɘxɘl 69]

6 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Forgot about him tbqh....but we kicked him off the team...right?

No, he transferred.

[TigerHorn 1,354]

4 minutes ago, auburnatl1 said:

Remembering our epic chf vs cds debates last fall, I’m wondering if you’d be quite  as passionate about the situation had the choice gone the other way. But regardless, yes the roster is/was a train wreck.  It was well known then and that  was much of the debate - would chf (who undoubtedly is a better booster “fit”) be a big enough hire to turn this dumpster fire around. CDS would nationally splash, CHF would do the more traditional relationship grind. Only time will tell.

We had a different roster problem than UC had. They pretty much didn't have anybody. We had a core that needed to be supplemented and built around. Would CDS have recognized that, or would he have gone scorched earth the way he did at UC? Some of you are old enough to remember the media and public reaction when CTT ran off a few too many in his first year. We wound up having to find ways to put at least one of those kids on a non-football scholly, maybe more than one. The kid's mom made national headlines crying about him losing his path to an education. CTB's recruiting had been almost as bad as our last four years have been, and part of the problem was OL again. 

For my part, I'd be passionately defending AU's coach regardless of which was picked. CDS has had an equal number of plusses and minuses in the way he's handled media/PR out there IMO. It was impressive how he took the high road on the late hit by the CSU player on Hunter for one. He would have done well here for a year or two at least, and likely recruited better than he is at UC. My main concern with him was always health, and it is being said more often now that he will likely lose his leg sometime next year. Coaching in the SEC pressure cooker is a heavy load for a healthy man of our age, much more so for one with serious chronic health issues. I also don't think CDS will coach in college for long regardless of health. The man is living every dad's fantasy of coaching his sons to the heights at every level they've played. Why would he stop doing that when they graduate? He will move on with them. 

[auburnatl1 5,284]

1 minute ago, TigerHorn said:

We had a different roster problem than UC had. They pretty much didn't have anybody. We had a core that needed to be supplemented and built around. Would CDS have recognized that, or would he have gone scorched earth the way he did at UC? Some of you are old enough to remember the media and public reaction when CTT ran off a few too many in his first year. We wound up having to find ways to put at least one of those kids on a non-football scholly, maybe more than one. The kid's mom made national headlines crying about him losing his path to an education. CTB's recruiting had been almost as bad as our last four years have been, and part of the problem was OL again. 

For my part, I'd be passionately defending AU's coach regardless of which was picked. CDS has had an equal number of plusses and minuses in the way he's handled media/PR out there IMO. It was impressive how he took the high road on the late hit by the CSU player on Hunter for one. He would have done well here for a year or two at least, and likely recruited better than he is at UC. My main concern with him was always health, and it is being said more often now that he will likely lose his leg sometime next year. Coaching in the SEC pressure cooker is a heavy load for a healthy man of our age, much more so for one with serious chronic health issues. I also don't think CDS will coach in college for long regardless of health. The man is living every dad's fantasy of coaching his sons to the heights at every level they've played. Why would he stop doing that when they graduate? He will move on with them. 

Didn’t mean to start the cds thing. It was more a tease at Mikey. Totally irrelevant at this point. The only thing I’ll add is that it’s a very AU thing to immediately worry about a coach leaving us, even though no one ever has (we’re instead a buy out machine). It came up with every single candidate considered last fall. Hell I just want for once a coach someone/ anyone else wants. It’s a good sign. Hopefully chf will become that.

[WeaglWeaglWDE 599]

Just now, auburnatl1 said:

The question I always had about gus was did he/the staff just suddenly forget to recruit for the OL, or was he unable to compete with Kirby suddenly showing up and the rise of Clemson. It happened about the same time.

Us being sandwiched between Tuscaloosa and Athens certainly doesn't help. It's certainly multiple things happening at the same time. 

[Viper 3,142]

11 hours ago, AU-24 said:

Why can’t everyone understand this?

[AUwent 3,778]

Alright, so I've blown off some of my knee-jerk reaction steam.

After what Harsin and to a lesser extent Malzahn did to our roster, relying on first year results for recruiting success was an absolute no-go. There's been PLENTY of coaches who have had losing records their first year and pulled together a great class, so no excuses there. 

Slightly revising my expectations, keeping to regular season:
By year 2--7 wins
By year 3--8 wins
By year 4--9 wins
By year 5--10 wins/playoff berth

Thoughts?

Edited September 24, 2023 by AUwent

[JDUBB4AU 5,138]

1 hour ago, Viper said:

This is a large problem with the administration as well. The whole freaking thing 

[tigerrules 517]

4 hours ago, keesler said:

IMO, we’d benefit from having those guys in O&B this season if for no other reason than having mature, veteran players at key positions.  They’d add leadership, knowledge, depth and experience.  It’s water under the bridge now and Auburn will sink or swim with what they’ve got.

Auburn will not sink, but it will definitely be gasping for breath when it finally reaches the side of the pool. 

[tigerrules 517]

37 minutes ago, JDUBB4AU said:

This is a large problem with the administration as well. The whole freaking thing 

Where can I buy some these, I need some right about now. 

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, AUwent said:

Alright, so I've blown off some of my knee-jerk reaction steam.

After what Harsin and to a lesser extent Malzahn did to our roster, relying on first year results for recruiting success was an absolute no-go. There's been PLENTY of coaches who have had losing records their first year and pulled together a great class, so no excuses there. 

Slightly revising my expectations, keeping to regular season:
By year 2--7 wins
By year 3--8 wins
By year 4--9 wins
By year 5--10 wins/playoff berth

Thoughts?

Way too long.  Pitch forks will be out at the end of year 3

[Mikey 16,778]

12 hours ago, W.E.D said:

5 guys out of 100 kids across four classes is the point.

We didn't lose much talent due to firing coaches. 

Up-thread you said it was six. Someone adds Romello Height and now you're saying five? 6+1=7 and that's just a tiny sample of the teams others may have gone to. 20 players left between Harsin's first and second year alone. We lost a lot of talent. You're putting up numbers after those players left and blaming the result on recruiting.

I'm not saying the recruiting was fine. What I am saying is your method is flawed.

[AUwent 3,778]

6 hours ago, Mikey said:

Up-thread you said it was six. Someone adds Romello Height and now you're saying five? 6+1=7 and that's just a tiny sample of the teams others may have gone to. 20 players left between Harsin's first and second year alone. We lost a lot of talent. You're putting up numbers after those players left and blaming the result on recruiting.

I'm not saying the recruiting was fine. What I am saying is your method is flawed.

Po-tae-to, po-tah-to (pun absolutely intended). Either way, he destroyed our roster.

[W.E.D 11,070]

9 hours ago, Mikey said:

Up-thread you said it was six. Someone adds Romello Height and now you're saying five? 6+1=7

OMG 5 or 7 out of 100 players.  What does it matter?

9 hours ago, Mikey said:

20 players left between Harsin's first and second year alone. We lost a lot of talent

All that talent an nearly none of them are contributing anywhere.  Why would you expect all of those guys who can't contribute else where to be better than what we have now?  Doubtful

Those were trash Gus recruits.  You're capping for them for one single reason and it's a bit pathetic.

9 hours ago, Mikey said:

You're putting up numbers after those players left and blaming the result on recruiting.

There is an evaluation component of recruiting and a numbers game.  Zero quality OL across those 4 classes is abhorrent.  QB recruiting is a close 2nd.   LB talent evaluation is 3rd.