Are we really ready to pay the price for a BCS Title?

[DKW 86 7,440]

In the text areas, tell us what are your GOALS for the Auburn team, according to your way of thinking?

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

I put a good year is winning the SEC west, but I actually want to change that to winning 9 games. With LSU at the level that it is at its very possible that a single loss (which it has) can cause a team not to win the division.

A very good year is winning 10 games. Cause again its possible that the team that won the conference had a perfect season. Again see LSU. 10 wins has seems to be a benchmark for college football teams. It also means that you were in competition for all titles.

A great year is winning the SEC. We did it on the field, no voters, no media, no talking heads, no influence. The wins came on the field done our way and playing our game in the toughest conference in the nation.

The goal will always be to win the NC, but to do that means getting the job done against things that we can control. So first is to win the west to get to the SECG, the second is to win the SECG to get into the BCS. If teams with better records go to the BCSCG then we have noone to blame but ourselves. If teams with the same record go to the BCSCG over us then there is two scenarios, perhaps the other teams truely were better, or it was for a reason that my players couldn't control. Winning the West and the SECG means they busted their ass and gave their all and I'm not going to let anyone take that away from them.

[AUTrey 0]

To me, beating Bama makes a good year. See last year for an example. Winning the SEC west is a very good year, because that means beating out LSU and UAT, and probably at least one win against an East heavyweight. It also probably requires a 10 win season, especially with a 12 game schedule. A great year is winning the SEC.

I find it hard to say winning the BCS is what it takes for a great year, because so much is out of our control, and because it hasn't happened in my lifetime. I challenge anyone here to say that 2004 was not a great year. Winning the BCS is a great year, plus some other fortunate events, like starting out very high, or having some teams drop a game.

[Ranger12 46]

The goal every year should be to win the SEC championship first. If we don't do that, then odds are we will not even get to play in a BCS bowl, much less play for the BCS championship.

[auee90 0]

I voted a great year as winning the BCS. But I'm defining that as winning whichever BCS bowl AU is in, not neccesarily the "championship game". I'd also like to add a great year is simply going undefeated, a la 2004.

A very good year is winning the SEC. I'd be a bit disappointed that we did that well, and couldn't win our BCS bowl (referring to what I call a great year).

I voted a good year is winning the west, but with LSU being the tough competition, I'd also take a 9 win season, including a win over Bama.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

i took beating bama, winning the west, and winning the sec in that order. why? b/c auburn generally doesn't beat bama in down years. 2003 is really the only exception that springs to mind in the last two decades (or more), and that was more about bad coaching than anything else.

winning the west requires finishing above lsu and alabama which means you either won one and beat uga or won both. in most years, anything less than that isn't enough to get you to atlanta.

winning the sec is a great great season. we've only done it once since 1991. once. that's the goal every season in my eyes. some years we're really close (1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2005). some years we're no where near it (91, 92, 98, 99, 03). and now, we even have one to brag about from 2004. you win the sec title; you're in the running for the popularity contest, but that myth is all icing on an already extremely delicious cake. winning the sec is what it's all about.

[SLAG-91 1,483]

I voted 9 wins = good year, 10 wins = very good year and great year = winning the SEC...all for pretty much the same reasons T4A gave. If those things happened in their respective years, then AU is in the hunt for the things that they have control over.

I interpreted winning the BCS as "winning the BCS title game"...had the question stated "very good year = winning a BCS bowl game", then that definitely would have gotten my vote. That means either (1) the SEC title happened or (2) AU had a good enough record, say 11-1, to warrant an at-large selection.

[edgecy 3]

Pfft, come on guys. A good year has to be beating Bama. I don't care if we go 0-10 that year but any year we beat Bama is a cause for celebration

EDIT: Oh, goal would definitely be the MNC. Good year = beating Bama. Very good year = SEC Title. Great year = winning the BCS title. 2004 was a great year despite not meeting that goal, but oh it was special.. fond memories

[AUTiger94 0]

Pfft, come on guys. A good year has to be beating Bama. I don't care if we go 0-10 that year but any year we beat Bama is a cause for celebration

EDIT: Oh, goal would definitely be the MNC. Good year = beating Bama. Very good year = SEC Title. Great year = winning the BCS title. 2004 was a great year despite not meeting that goal, but oh it was special.. fond memories

Guys! I think we are past thinking that we can be 0-11 and as long as we beat Bama everything is cool. We should be expecting to beat Bama every year and not satidfied w/ anything less than a Western div title and or a 10 win season. That thinking may have been acceptable when they were the premiere program in the state, but guess what? That program is now us!

It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!

[TexasTiger 13,005]

Pfft, come on guys. A good year has to be beating Bama. I don't care if we go 0-10 that year but any year we beat Bama is a cause for celebration

EDIT: Oh, goal would definitely be the MNC. Good year = beating Bama. Very good year = SEC Title. Great year = winning the BCS title. 2004 was a great year despite not meeting that goal, but oh it was special.. fond memories

Guys! I think we are past thinking that we can be 0-11 and as long as we beat Bama everything is cool.

If we are 0-11, then we haven't beaten anyone.

[edgecy 3]

Pfft, come on guys. A good year has to be beating Bama. I don't care if we go 0-10 that year but any year we beat Bama is a cause for celebration

EDIT: Oh, goal would definitely be the MNC. Good year = beating Bama. Very good year = SEC Title. Great year = winning the BCS title. 2004 was a great year despite not meeting that goal, but oh it was special.. fond memories

Guys! I think we are past thinking that we can be 0-11 and as long as we beat Bama everything is cool. We should be expecting to beat Bama every year and not satidfied w/ anything less than a Western div title and or a 10 win season. That thinking may have been acceptable when they were the premiere program in the state, but guess what? That program is now us!

It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!

Well I am thinking like maybe years from now when UAB or Troy would be a national powerhouse... then beating Bama every year would still be a good year. Of course, the last four years, to me, have been great years:P

[Longtrainn 2]

i took beating bama, winning the west, and winning the sec in that order. why? b/c auburn generally doesn't beat bama in down years. 2003 is really the only exception that springs to mind in the last two decades (or more), and that was more about bad coaching than anything else.

winning the west requires finishing above lsu and alabama which means you either won one and beat uga or won both. in most years, anything less than that isn't enough to get you to atlanta.

winning the sec is a great great season. we've only done it once since 1991. once. that's the goal every season in my eyes. some years we're really close (1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2005). some years we're no where near it (91, 92, 98, 99, 03). and now, we even have one to brag about from 2004. you win the sec title; you're in the running for the popularity contest, but that myth is all icing on an already extremely delicious cake. winning the sec is what it's all about.

Agreed on all counts.

[jw 4 au 526]

I think our goal should always be winning the national title, but to me this does not constitute the only reason for a great year. I think Auburn has had many GREAT years, but only one national championship season. With that said, a great year cannot only be winning the BCS. Great years to me were 1983, 1993, 1994, 2004. There are probably many more years before my viewing time, such as 1957, 58, etc. Any ways, I put a good year is beating Bama, a very good year is a 10 win season, and a great year is winning the SEC.

[C-villetiger1 0]

I am still kinda new but have posted during games so some of you know I can be very negative DURING games. But to me a Great year is a year in which Our beloved Auburn Tigers go out and Play their hearts out and leave everything on the field for every game. Wins and losses are how we quantifiy good or bad but the way in which we play the game matters as well.

Lets fry some bacon gentelmen

ONE at a time!!!

[Aufan59 80]

By "pay the price" do you mean that the expectations are raised, and every season that isn't a MNC will be disapointing?

[AUwingsfan 1]

I said beating Bama was a good year!! As far as a great year, it's winning the SEC...and I'm hoping that we also beat Bama on our way to the SEC Championship game....I marked winning a national championship as a great year....but of course, we can still have a great year by winning the SEC, beating bama and having double digit wins...and a BCS bowl would be nice too! I am going to try not to worry so much about the polls at this point, as doing that at least now that we are finally up in the top 3 so early in the season is causing me way too much stress...and if we win things should take care of themselves more so than in 04, but of course I might be wrong, but chances are we've got to win all of our games to even be in the hunt for the BCS title, because of course some other teams like Notre Dame could have two losses and be invited to a BCS game...we'll see, as basically we've got to take it one game at a time and hope that we get a few bounces to go our way, not only in our games, but some to go against folks ahead of us in the polls....

Anyways, I'm proud to be an Auburn Tiger no matter what, although I'm only of college age, I've been part of the Auburn family my entire life and have been with them through the thick and thin during my lifetime....it was so awful knowing that our Tigers were undefeated and I never once got to see the team play live, only had to listen on the radio...but then again listening to an Auburn man like Jim Fyffe make the call after we won, with the 11-0 still gives me chill bumps and it'll probably stay with me forever, so it was probably worth more hearing it than seeing it. I sold programs at the games and had to try to get people to buy programs the year Bowden left mid-year and the team wasn't playing great...but I was still proud to be part of the Auburn family, and now that Coach Tubberville has taken us to another level I'm even more proud, because we're not only winning on the field, but doing it with great players.....and that is what makes me proud. I still get a bit frustrated when thinking about being left out of the title game in 04, not just because we were undefeated, but more so because those players worked so hard, and were not only very talented, but a great bunch of people...and that's why I felt it was a disservice to us to deny us a shot at a title...they did everything the media kept asking, yet in the end the matchup the media wanted to see at the start of the year was the one they got, and we all know how it turned out.

Sorry for the rambling post, but I guess what I am trying to say is I think year after year my opinion of what constitutes good, great, bad years is not only the number of wins and who we beat, but also how we go about winning. I want so much for our players to succeed not only because they are part of our Auburn family, but because they are class acts on and off the field. So I guess really answering the questions for me was tough because my criteria for judging a good or bad season involves more than just pure wins and losses...........

War Eagle!!

[AUTiger94 0]

Pfft, come on guys. A good year has to be beating Bama. I don't care if we go 0-10 that year but any year we beat Bama is a cause for celebration

EDIT: Oh, goal would definitely be the MNC. Good year = beating Bama. Very good year = SEC Title. Great year = winning the BCS title. 2004 was a great year despite not meeting that goal, but oh it was special.. fond memories

Guys! I think we are past thinking that we can be 0-11 and as long as we beat Bama everything is cool.

If we are 0-11, then we haven't beaten anyone.

We play 12 this year Smart..Well you know!

[sogaaufan 27]

Most of my points have already been expressed so I won't have anything to say that you haven't heard. I'm sorry, I know its small of me , but beating Bama is a good year. Winning the West is a very good year, because that means you beat LSU, Bama, and several other good teams (and probably have ten wins also). A great year is the SEC championship. The MNC has become such beauty contest I don't think anyone knows what it takes to win it. The SEC championship is actually won on the field in a game played by the two best teams in the conference. No argument, no playing your hearts out and being left out at the end of the year. Let's get that, and if the powers that be choose to make us MNCs, so much the better. I think the MNC is becoming more like the Heisman every year.

[KunzelTiger 0]

I took the question to be "at this point..." I would feel that now that LSU is behind us we are definitely in the driver's seat of the new Tiffin Motorhome to ATL for the SECCG...That would make a good year to me. It means we win the games we should and get the job done against our other SEC foes....

A very good year would be winning that SECCG and being SEC champ the second time in 3 years.

The great scenario is if we get all of our foes dispached and getting to the BCS champ game...

At this point 9 wins or just beating bama is not a good year to me

[DKW 86 7,440]

Paying the price means....

1) We become media whores.

2) We sell out class and dignity to have our first string in there when we are up big late in the game.

3) We have to bend to ALL media expectations.

The question I am trying hard to ask, and some of you guys are trying just as hard to NOT answer is that. Do we REALLY want to win a MNC? If you want to win an MNC, you have to play by the media rules. I do not under any circumstances see AU, CTT, or anyone in the AU Family really wanting that to happen.....EVER!

Have been trying to get you folks to realize that it really is exactly like CSS said: Win the SEC and be happy with that. I dont think any team in the SEC will ever got back to the BCS because we are just not that big of a media market.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Well, when you put it that way...

no, I'm not. Undefeated SEC Championship seasons will be just fine by me.

[Aubie16 1]

Well, when you put it that way...

no, I'm not. Undefeated SEC Championship seasons will be just fine by me.

ditto.

But I think this whole thread is one loaded question after another that don't really need answers.