Freeze dismisses OC Philip Montgomery

[e808 3,028]

6 minutes ago, woodford said:

I’m with you on firing during Covid, but it was way past time for CGM. 
 

The issue wasn’t firing CGM at the end of the Covid season, it was hiring Bryan Harsin. 

That’s my point. During that time there were some many restrictions not sure a proper vetting of coaches could be conducted. The following year there were less and Auburn would have saved firing Gus.

Edited January 6 by e808

[jknighton 310]

10 minutes ago, woodford said:

I’m with you on firing during Covid, but it was way past time for CGM. 
 

The issue wasn’t firing CGM at the end of the Covid season, it was hiring Bryan Harsin. 

 

[Hank2020 3,205]

43 minutes ago, Elephant Tipper said:

Some of UM's behavior (he touched a woman inappropriately, ONCE) was certainly bad, but his actions and HF's are not even in the same ballpark.  HF's hooker transgressions were over a continuous 3-year period (at minimum) which eventually helped cause his program to implode and be sanctioned for 4 seasons.  HF has habitual boundary and ethical issues.  Even at Liberty he was reprimanded for his inappropriate contact.  If a father must have his daughter be his morality overseer, then he is a weak man. 

Well, not going to argue with you, we disagree though. Have a good day sir.

[woodford 3,659]

1 hour ago, e808 said:

That’s my point. During that time there were some many restrictions not sure a proper vetting of coaches could be conducted. The following year there were less and Auburn would have saved firing Gus.

I agree. I actually want to retract everything I said about Gus back in 2020 when he was fired. I was excited but wrong. Auburn should have waited a year then fired him unless there was drastic changes. 
 

We could’ve made a better hire but then again this is with A. Greene in charge so there’s no telling who we could’ve gotten. Personally, I really wanted Luke Fickell but that was a long shot. 

[Old fan 47 772]

15 hours ago, gman87 said:

Kiffin managed to call plays so maybe Freeze should focus on that and hire recruiters for gaining talent.

Kiffin is a much greater OC than HF could ever dream of. There is no comparison there. 

[Elephant Tipper 430]

21 hours ago, Gowebb11 said:

Count me in as a fan who doesn’t consider us an elite program. Top 15 maybe. We’re a very solid program with an occasional elite season. That’s what the facts support. I wish we were elite though, and hope in my lifetime that happens. 

The 25 best college football teams from the 2010s (msn.com)

Two of those years reference AU's winning the NC and being runner up.  

13 teams have won the NC over the past 25 years: UA-6, LSU-3, Clemson-2, FSU-2, OSU-2, UF-2, UGA-2, AU-1, Miami-1, OK-1, Texas-1, USC-1, UT-1. 

Maybe the reason you think AU isn't an elite team is because we are overshadowed in the SEC which has won 15 of those 25 NCs among 6 teams, but nationally AU stands head and shoulders with every other team.  It's hard to stand out when 9 of those NCs were won by just 2 of AU's competitors in the West Division, the toughest in the nation, and now we have UGA to the east of us winning 2 NCs.  That's 3 schools which have dominated the NC berth with 11 of those 15 SEC NC wins. 

No other conference takes a pounding like the SEC and AU is in the trenches annually with the best of the best by having one of the most difficult schedules in college football, again, just because of 3 teams, UA, LSU and UGA.  None of those 3 teams has to consistently fight for its life like AU does because we play numerous NC winners every year.  UA, LSU and UGA each plays only 1 NC winner annually.  AU plays 3.  The SEC is the only conference with this kind of competition.

Once AU hits all cylinders, then you'll think differently about AU being an elite school.

AU has done well.  AU is an elite college football team.

Edited January 7 by Elephant Tipper

[NCAubs 377]

2 hours ago, Elephant Tipper said:

The 25 best college football teams from the 2010s (msn.com)

Two of those years reference AU's winning the NC and being runner up.  

13 teams have won the NC over the past 25 years: UA-6, LSU-3, Clemson-2, FSU-2, OSU-2, UF-2, UGA-2, AU-1, Miami-1, OK-1, Texas-1, USC-1, UT-1. 

Maybe the reason you think AU isn't an elite team is because we are overshadowed in the SEC which has won 15 of those 25 NCs among 6 teams, but nationally AU stands head and shoulders with every other team.  It's hard to stand out when 9 of those NCs were won by just 2 of AU's competitors in the West Division, the toughest in the nation, and now we have UGA to the east of us winning 2 NCs.  That's 3 schools which have dominated the NC berth with 11 of those 15 SEC NC wins. 

No other conference takes a pounding like the SEC and AU is in the trenches annually with the best of the best by having one of the most difficult schedules in college football, again, just because of 3 teams, UA, LSU and UGA.  None of those 3 teams has to consistently fight for its life like AU does because we play numerous NC winners every year.  UA, LSU and UGA each plays only 1 NC winner annually.  AU plays 3.  The SEC is the only conference with this kind of competition.

Once AU hits all cylinders, then you'll think differently about AU being an elite school.

AU has done well.  AU is an elite college football team.

That was a great analysis. It will be wasted on some because…

 

But Gus…

 

New Mexico State/Maryland

 

4th and 31

 

Harsin, Harsin, Harsin!

 

The cupboard is bare.

 

(Other generic knee jerk reactions)

[Gowebb11 9,328]

2 hours ago, Elephant Tipper said:

AU has done well.  AU is an elite college football team.

I guess it’s how you define elite. When I think of elite, I think of teams perennially finishing in the Top 10. Teams that have multiple double digit win season in a row. Teams that go several seasons in a row with 3 or less loses. Teams that win a large percentage of their bowl games against other conferences. We’ve done none of that.

Yes, we’ve done well. And yes we’ve had occasional elite individual seasons. But in this century we’ve lost 5 or more games 13 out of 24 seasons. 5 more of those season we’ve lost 4 or more games. Only five of those season have we had double digit wins. We have an abysmal bowl record the past decade against weaker teams from weaker conferences. We haven’t had back to back 10 win seasons since ‘88 and ‘89. That’s closing in on 40 years. There’s nothing elite about our won-loss record the past quarter of a century. I desperately hope that changes in the next few seasons. 

 

Edited January 7 by Gowebb11

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,945]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

  But in this century we’ve lost 5 or more games 13 out of 24 seasons. 5 more of those season we’ve lost 4 or more games. Only five of those season have we had double digit wins.  

I would be interested to see how many top 5 teams, top 10 teams and top 25 teams we have played in those 24 years compared to other "elite" programs.,

[Hank2020 3,205]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

I guess it’s how you define elite. When I think of elite, I think of teams perennially finishing in the Top 10. Teams that have multiple double digit win season in a row. Teams that go several seasons in a row with 3 or less loses. Teams that win a large percentage of their bowl games against other conferences. We’ve done none of that.

Yes, we’ve done well. And yes we’ve had occasional elite individual seasons. But in this century we’ve lost 5 or more games 13 out of 24 seasons. 5 more of those season we’ve lost 4 or more games. Only five of those season have we had double digit wins. We have an abysmal bowl record the past decade against weaker teams from weaker conferences. We haven’t had back to back 10 win seasons since ‘88 and ‘89. That’s closing in on 40 years. There’s nothing elite about our won-loss record the past quarter of a century. I desperately hope that changes in the next few seasons. 

 

What teams fit that definition of “elite”?

[Elephant Tipper 430]

31 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

I guess it’s how you define elite. When I think of elite, I think of teams perennially finishing in the Top 10. Teams that have multiple double digit win season in a row. Teams that go several seasons in a row with 3 or less loses. Teams that win a large percentage of their bowl games against other conferences. We’ve done none of that.

Yes, we’ve done well. And yes we’ve had occasional elite individual seasons. But in this century we’ve lost 5 or more games 13 out of 24 seasons. 5 more of those season we’ve lost 4 or more games. Only five of those season have we had double digit wins. We have an abysmal bowl record the past decade against weaker teams from weaker conferences. We haven’t had back to back 10 win seasons since ‘88 and ‘89. That’s closing in on 40 years. There’s nothing elite about our won-loss record the past quarter of a century. I desperately hope that changes in the next few seasons. 

 

All hail Dye !  One thing for sure, Nostradamus may have predicted Saban, but he sure as hell didn't see Kirby.  With those 2 AU has had to be on tsunami watch year round.

What you say is definitely true, but bear in mind the ruthlessness of the West Division plus Jawja and that AU gets beat up by season's end because of it's unique schedule.  Just  one or two less difficult games for UA, LSU and Jawja makes a world of difference by season's end.  AU doesn't have that same luxury, plus, AU gets a double whammy by playing UA and Jawja home and home or away and away each season and when AU isn't a good team for those home games, like 2023, then it does us no good.  We get dinged just for that kink in our schedule.  Unless AU has a regular schedule modification with any of those 3 teams, then we'll have to hit on ALL cylinders perfectly to elbow our way back to #1 in the SEC.  Some other teams will have to take the steam out of UA's and Jawja's win/loss record.  Maybe UA will have to play Texas every year and maybe OK, UT, or UF will pick it up a notch against Jawja each season, then that will make a difference in our results.  UA plays Jawja regular season this year, so that will be a +1 for AU.  If that were permanent, then it would be a game changer for us, but it's only every few years they play regular seasonl.

WDE !!!

[NCAubs 377]

17 minutes ago, Elephant Tipper said:

All hail Dye !  One thing for sure, Nostradamus may have predicted Saban, but he sure as hell didn't see Kirby.  With those 2 AU has had to be on tsunami watch year round.

What you say is definitely true, but bear in mind the ruthlessness of the West Division plus Jawja and that AU gets beat up by season's end because of it's unique schedule.  Just  one or two less difficult games for UA, LSU and Jawja makes a world of difference by season's end.  AU doesn't have that same luxury, plus, AU gets a double whammy by playing UA and Jawja home and home or away and away each season and when AU isn't a good team for those home games, like 2023, then it does us no good.  We get dinged just for that kink in our schedule.  Unless AU has a regular schedule modification with any of those 3 teams, then we'll have to hit on ALL cylinders perfectly to elbow our way back to #1 in the SEC.  Some other teams will have to take the steam out of UA's and Jawja's win/loss record.  Maybe UA will have to play Texas every year and maybe OK, UT, or UF will pick it up a notch against Jawja each season, then that will make a difference in our results.  UA plays Jawja regular season this year, so that will be a +1 for AU.  If that were permanent, then it would be a game changer for us, but it's only every few years they play regular seasonl.

WDE !!!

I predict that Alabama is about to be the only one of the three on our schedule every year.  Haven’t you seen the tea leaves?  We don’t even play LSU next year.  

[Gowebb11 9,328]

41 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

What teams fit that definition of “elite”?

Bama, UGA, OSU, Clemson, Oklahoma for sure. Who don’t recognize as elite?

[Elephant Tipper 430]

8 minutes ago, NCAubs said:

I predict that Alabama is about to be the only one of the three on our schedule every year.  Haven’t you seen the tea leaves?  We don’t even play LSU next year.  

Yeah, we get OK instead of LSU.  Even though playing LSU is tough on our schedule I would rather have them, maybe nostalgia, but beating them is good for our cred.  I've heard in the media that the Jawja game might not be every year.  That would be a mistake.

[Gowebb11 9,328]

34 minutes ago, Elephant Tipper said:

All hail Dye !  One thing for sure, Nostradamus may have predicted Saban, but he sure as hell didn't see Kirby.  With those 2 AU has had to be on tsunami watch year round.

What you say is definitely true, but bear in mind the ruthlessness of the West Division plus Jawja and that AU gets beat up by season's end because of it's unique schedule.  Just  one or two less difficult games for UA, LSU and Jawja makes a world of difference by season's end.  AU doesn't have that same luxury, plus, AU gets a double whammy by playing UA and Jawja home and home or away and away each season and when AU isn't a good team for those home games, like 2023, then it does us no good.  We get dinged just for that kink in our schedule.  Unless AU has a regular schedule modification with any of those 3 teams, then we'll have to hit on ALL cylinders perfectly to elbow our way back to #1 in the SEC.  Some other teams will have to take the steam out of UA's and Jawja's win/loss record.  Maybe UA will have to play Texas every year and maybe OK, UT, or UF will pick it up a notch against Jawja each season, then that will make a difference in our results.  UA plays Jawja regular season this year, so that will be a +1 for AU.  If that were permanent, then it would be a game changer for us, but it's only every few years they play regular seasonl.

WDE !!!

We agree that our schedule has been brutal. And that AU has a great legacy and has potential to take off these next few years.  But that aside it’s not an excuse for our poor performance the past few years vs teams like UCF, Northwestern, Minnesota, Maryland, Houston, Wisconsin, etc…If we’re going to claim to be elite we have to win games we’re supposed to win and win games against the likes of PSU, Clemson, and USC all of which we have lost to multiple times in the past few years. 

Edited January 7 by Gowebb11

[NCAubs 377]

1 minute ago, Elephant Tipper said:

Yeah, we get OK instead of LSU.  Even though playing LSU is tough on our schedule I would rather have them, maybe nostalgia, but beating them is good for our cred.  I've heard in the media that the Jawja game might not be every year.  That would be a mistake.

Oklahoma won’t be a permanent fixture.  I hate that the UGA rivalry is probably going away but I think it is.  I would rather play them every year over Alabama. The Iron Bowl has gotten out of control. 

[TeamZero77 1,784]

4 hours ago, Elephant Tipper said:

The 25 best college football teams from the 2010s (msn.com)

Two of those years reference AU's winning the NC and being runner up.  

13 teams have won the NC over the past 25 years: UA-6, LSU-3, Clemson-2, FSU-2, OSU-2, UF-2, UGA-2, AU-1, Miami-1, OK-1, Texas-1, USC-1, UT-1. 

Maybe the reason you think AU isn't an elite team is because we are overshadowed in the SEC which has won 15 of those 25 NCs among 6 teams, but nationally AU stands head and shoulders with every other team.  It's hard to stand out when 9 of those NCs were won by just 2 of AU's competitors in the West Division, the toughest in the nation, and now we have UGA to the east of us winning 2 NCs.  That's 3 schools which have dominated the NC berth with 11 of those 15 SEC NC wins. 

No other conference takes a pounding like the SEC and AU is in the trenches annually with the best of the best by having one of the most difficult schedules in college football, again, just because of 3 teams, UA, LSU and UGA.  None of those 3 teams has to consistently fight for its life like AU does because we play numerous NC winners every year.  UA, LSU and UGA each plays only 1 NC winner annually.  AU plays 3.  The SEC is the only conference with this kind of competition.

Once AU hits all cylinders, then you'll think differently about AU being an elite school.

AU has done well.  AU is an elite college football team.

You say Georgia, Alabama and LSU only plays 1 national title team a year but Auburn plays 3 which are LSU, Bama and Georgia. 

You also say Auburn is elite and your list of the last 25 years of national champs includes several SEC teams.

So you say LSU only plays 1 national title team a year but LSU also plays Auburn and Florida every year so, by your own admission of us being elite, as well as your list of past champions that means LSU plays Alabama, Auburn and Florida each year which are 3 national champions.

Georgia plays Auburn and Florida every year so that's 2 champions they play and if we go off your list, Tennessee would also be put on that list of champions so Georgia plays 3 per year as well. 

Alabama plays LSU, Auburn and Tennessee each year and that's 3 champions as well.

[TeamZero77 1,784]

5 hours ago, Elephant Tipper said:

The 25 best college football teams from the 2010s (msn.com)

Two of those years reference AU's winning the NC and being runner up.  

13 teams have won the NC over the past 25 years: UA-6, LSU-3, Clemson-2, FSU-2, OSU-2, UF-2, UGA-2, AU-1, Miami-1, OK-1, Texas-1, USC-1, UT-1. 

Maybe the reason you think AU isn't an elite team is because we are overshadowed in the SEC which has won 15 of those 25 NCs among 6 teams, but nationally AU stands head and shoulders with every other team.  It's hard to stand out when 9 of those NCs were won by just 2 of AU's competitors in the West Division, the toughest in the nation, and now we have UGA to the east of us winning 2 NCs.  That's 3 schools which have dominated the NC berth with 11 of those 15 SEC NC wins. 

No other conference takes a pounding like the SEC and AU is in the trenches annually with the best of the best by having one of the most difficult schedules in college football, again, just because of 3 teams, UA, LSU and UGA.  None of those 3 teams has to consistently fight for its life like AU does because we play numerous NC winners every year.  UA, LSU and UGA each plays only 1 NC winner annually.  AU plays 3.  The SEC is the only conference with this kind of competition.

Once AU hits all cylinders, then you'll think differently about AU being an elite school.

AU has done well.  AU is an elite college football team.

When I think of elite, I think of teams who have won 10+ games in back to back seasons more than one time like we have done.

When I think of elite, I think of teams that don't lose 4 or more games 21 of the past 26 years like we have. Or lost 5 or more games 16 of the past 26 years like we have.

When I think of elite, I think of teams that don't go 5-7, 8-5, 14-0, 8-5, 3-9 like we did from 2008 to 2012. 

Elite teams can win in Baton Rouge, Athens and Tuscaloosa more than once every 15 or 20 years. 

Elite teams don't lose to Minnesota, Northwestern, Maryland, UCF, Wisconsin when their AD coached the damn bowl game and beat us, Penn State back to back years and so on. 

Besides the 1980's, Auburn has always been a program that goes 8-5 most years and has a great year once a decade. There's a reason why numerous articles have been written through the years stating that the Auburn football program is the most inconsistent of the programs that has success. We brag about our 2017 season which garnered 10 wins but also 4 losses. Some brag about 2019 and it was a 9-4 season. Thats what our program has been reduced to since 2020 is bragging and calling a 9-4 or 10-4 season great. 

Maybe you view elite differently than me but I don't think our football program is elite and the ONLY time I would even consider it is 1983-1988 or 2004-2006. That's it. We are good most years with 1 great year per decade. We are WILDLY inconsistent as well.

Just my opinion.

[Elephant Tipper 430]

24 minutes ago, TeamZero77 said:

You say Georgia, Alabama and LSU only plays 1 national title team a year but Auburn plays 3 which are LSU, Bama and Georgia. 

You also say Auburn is elite and your list of the last 25 years of national champs includes several SEC teams.

So you say LSU only plays 1 national title team a year but LSU also plays Auburn and Florida every year so, by your own admission of us being elite, as well as your list of past champions that means LSU plays Alabama, Auburn and Florida each year which are 3 national champions.

Georgia plays Auburn and Florida every year so that's 2 champions they play and if we go off your list, Tennessee would also be put on that list of champions so Georgia plays 3 per year as well. 

Alabama plays LSU, Auburn and Tennessee each year and that's 3 champions as well.

I'm speaking of recent NCs.  UT was '98 and UF '96.

Do you think LSU, UA or UGA would prefer our schedule ?

[TeamZero77 1,784]

6 minutes ago, Elephant Tipper said:

I'm speaking of recent NCs.  UT was '98 and UF '96.

Do you think LSU, UA or UGA would prefer our schedule ?

Florida won in 2006 and 2008 dude. Urban Meyer, Tebow???????

[TeamZero77 1,784]

7 minutes ago, Elephant Tipper said:

I'm speaking of recent NCs.  UT was '98 and UF '96.

Do you think LSU, UA or UGA would prefer our schedule ?

You didn't say recent. You made a list of last 25 years champions. 

[TeamZero77 1,784]

9 minutes ago, Elephant Tipper said:

I'm speaking of recent NCs.  UT was '98 and UF '96.

Do you think LSU, UA or UGA would prefer our schedule ?

To be honest, I don't think Georgia or Alabama would give a damn who they play. LSU faced Florida during Spurriers 7 SEC titles in 12 years at Florida, they faced Florida with Urban Meyer and Tebow winning everything for 4 years. Even when Florida has "bad" coaches they nearly play for a Natty like Muschamp nearly did at Florida, or Jim McElwain winning back to back SEC East titles, or Dan Mullen winning the SEC East and having 10 and 11 win seasons. So an easy arguement can be made that, over time, LSU playing Florida every year has been as hard or harder than us playing Georgia. 

But since you say that we are elite, that means Texas A&M, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State have to play Alabama, LSU and Auburn every year. All 3 of those elite in your opinion. Tennessee plays Alabama, Georgia and Florida every year. 

Florida plays Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Florida State every year. USCe plays Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Clemson every year. 

I know our schedule is hard but so is alot of other programs as well. I still think we are a really good program throughout our history, not elite though. Just some flashes here and there. I think fandom can override the obvious for alot of people.

Answer this: if you weren't an Auburn fan, would you look at Auburn as elite? Be honest.

[Elephant Tipper 430]

12 minutes ago, TeamZero77 said:

Florida won in 2006 and 2008 dude. Urban Meyer, Tebow???????

It's been a long day.  So I missed a detail when typing a BUNCH of details.  So what ?

11 minutes ago, TeamZero77 said:

You didn't say recent. You made a list of last 25 years champions. 

Again, do you think LSU, UA or UGA would prefer our schedule ?  The answer is NO !

[Elephant Tipper 430]

Just now, TeamZero77 said:

To be honest, I don't think Georgia or Alabama would give a damn who they play. LSU faced Florida during Spurriers 7 SEC titles in 12 years at Florida, they faced Florida with Urban Meyer and Tebow winning everything for 4 years. Even when Florida has "bad" coaches they nearly play for a Natty like Muschamp nearly did at Florida, or Jim McElwain winning back to back SEC East titles, or Dan Mullen winning the SEC East and having 10 and 11 win seasons. So an easy arguement can be made that, over time, LSU playing Florida every year has been as hard or harder than us playing Georgia. 

But since you say that we are elite, that means Texas A&M, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State have to play Alabama, LSU and Auburn every year. All 3 of those elite in your opinion. Tennessee plays Alabama, Georgia and Florida every year. 

Florida plays Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Florida State every year. USCe plays Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Clemson every year. 

I know our schedule is hard but so is alot of other programs as well. I still think we are a really good program throughout our history, not elite though. Just some flashes here and there. I think fandom can override the obvious for alot of people.

Answer this: if you weren't an Auburn fan, would you look at Auburn as elite? Be honest.

AU is an elite program.  I stand by that.

[TeamZero77 1,784]

1 minute ago, Elephant Tipper said:

It's been a long day.  So I missed a detail when typing a BUNCH of details.  So what ?

Again, do you think LSU, UA or UGA would prefer our schedule ?  The answer is NO !

So if those 3 schools not trading schedules with us makes us elite?