Muschamp

[atltigerfan 0]

I'm not ready to pull the plug on WM just yet, but a sour taste is beginning to form. He deserves time to implement his system & recruit personel but personally I am starting to suspect the man behind the curtain of all those great LSU defenses was not WM but Saban.

Doesn't mean WM won't grow into a fine DC & one day HC but right now perhaps we are expecting to much.

[TexasTiger 13,119]

I'm not ready to pull the plug on WM just yet, but a sour taste is beginning to form. He deserves time to implement his system & recruit personel but personally I am starting to suspect the man behind the curtain of all those great LSU defenses was not WM but Saban.

Doesn't mean WM won't grow into a fine DC & one day HC but right now perhaps we are expecting to much.

Do you think the offense has performed better than the defense in the last 4 games, including LSU?

If not, why focus on Muschamp?

[damabama 15]

he didnt get any help yesterday when the cbs camera man was filming his chalkboard session and whoever is in charge put it up on the minitron. he's busy trying to make adjustments and his board is being broadcast live. i'm almost positive if i saw it, maybe a couple of the arkansas coaches saw it too. more than likely, they knew more about what they were seeing than i did.

[Ryan Sanders 123]

Coordinators at Auburn don't stay long enough to implement anything.. that annoys me.

[Ranger12 46]

Has anybody thought about this when it comes to CWM...he is basically working with a defense made up of players he did not recruit. Gibbs relied on a small, fast defense. Maybe CWM's type of defense needs a different type of setup.

Not saying that is or is not the problem, just throwing that out there for discussion.

It just seems to me that after the LSU game, the defense has forgotten some of the basics and maybe the coaches have too. CWM is not some green DC. He is a proven DC. So, I am still weary fo saying it is his style of defense. I have to wonder if he has the right personnel. He did until after LSU. What has changed? What has happened that has some AU fans, who were calling him a genuis at the beginning of the year, now questioning his ability?

[kickerman97 3]

Has anybody thought about this when it comes to CWM...he is basically working with a defense made up of players he did not recruit. Gibbs relied on a small, fast defense. Maybe CWM's type of defense needs a different type of setup.

Not saying that is or is not the problem, just throwing that out there for discussion.

It just seems to me that after the LSU game, the defense has forgotten some of the basics and maybe the coaches have too. CWM is not some green DC. He is a proven DC. So, I am still weary fo saying it is his style of defense. I have to wonder if he has the right personnel. He did until after LSU. What has changed? What has happened that has some AU fans, who were calling him a genuis at the beginning of the year, now questioning his ability?

I don't think this is "his" style of D, it's what he has to work with at the moment. This is the style that we became accustomed too when Chizik was here, and after the success of '04, it was probably assumed that it was great. But, when I see our D on the field, for the most part, I see very undersized guys which makes it hard to compete with guys that are very large and powerful. And it's pretty much the norm for the SEC, big tough players. Just my 2cents.

[Ranger12 46]

Has anybody thought about this when it comes to CWM...he is basically working with a defense made up of players he did not recruit. Gibbs relied on a small, fast defense. Maybe CWM's type of defense needs a different type of setup.

Not saying that is or is not the problem, just throwing that out there for discussion.

It just seems to me that after the LSU game, the defense has forgotten some of the basics and maybe the coaches have too. CWM is not some green DC. He is a proven DC. So, I am still weary fo saying it is his style of defense. I have to wonder if he has the right personnel. He did until after LSU. What has changed? What has happened that has some AU fans, who were calling him a genuis at the beginning of the year, now questioning his ability?

I don't think this is "his" style of D, it's what he has to work with at the moment. This is the style that we became accustomed too when Chizik was here, and after the success of '04, it was probably assumed that it was great. But, when I see our D on the field, for the most part, I see very undersized guys which makes it hard to compete with guys that are very large and powerful. And it's pretty much the norm for the SEC, big tough players. Just my 2cents.

I agree. The tackling is pretty pathetic, but what I saw of the game (only was able to watch the first 3 quarters), I saw a defensive line getting pushed back 5 yards to say the least.

[Dye Hard AU Fan 0]

Will Muschamps quick fix can be expressed in two words...."Tray Blackmon"

[Ranger12 46]

Will Muschamps quick fix can be expressed in two words...."Tray Blackmon"

Yeah, a redshirt freshman that has not played a down in a Div-1 game is the answer to all our defensive woes. I bet he would have made such a big difference all by himself in the game Saturday.

Look, I am eager to see the what the kid can do also. But I don't know if the kid can live up the high expectations that some seem to have for him. The "lust fest" for Blackmon is starting to get old with me. Let the kid play and let's see what kind if impact he makes before we anoint him as the next "savior of the defense".

[AUman43 5]

Gibbs wasn't at Auburn long enough to have any impact on the type of players we recruit on Defense and therefore, cannot be blamed for this team's performance. The blame must fall on Muschamp for preparation and motivation and the whole staff for the players they have recruited on Defense. By the way, the Offense hasn't played worth a crap either and that can ONLY be explained by coaching, preparation and motivation. The talent is there! Tubs and staff just seem to take the day off regularly once or twice each year and as long as they do that, we won't go undefeated again or win a NC.

BTW, any number of "other things" can explain why this team hasn't lived up to expectations. Gibbs leaving, Muschamp's coaching, losing Bennett and Cope, suspensions of Sears and Blackmon, temporary loss of Wilhite, young receivers with only one veteran (Taylor), A beat up Cox and Irons, a undersized defensive line, etc.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Can't lay all the blame on Muschamp. We have all been singing the praises of Herring but he missed a chance to take down the Arky RB who ran wide left for a TD from our 1 yd line.

[auwallace 6]

can anyone come up with the number of three and outs in the past two games, i'm guessing its less than five. I'm not going to blame muschamp but we haven't stopped anyone in two games.

[Ranger12 46]

Can't lay all the blame on Muschamp. We have all been singing the praises of Herring but he missed a chance to take down the Arky RB who ran wide left for a TD from our 1 yd line.

Agreed. That is why I asked what has changed since LSU. Before, most were singing his praises about his defensive philosophy, which I am guessing has not changed since then. So what has changed? It seemed to work for the first three games, why is not working now. What happened after LSU? I have a hard time accepting that CTT has all of a sudden quit taking the games as serious as some posts I have read on the board suggest. I think such talk shows a lack of knowledge about CTT and smells like whining to me.

Gibbs, may have only been at AU one year, but his recruits are in their second year at AU. Umm...if you look at the defensive depth chart, it has quite a few RS Freshman and Sophomores listes as the 1st string and backups. So, either those players are Gibbs or Chiziks recruits. Both Gibbs and Chizik's defenses were not that dissimilar from each other. Gibbs liked a little more speed, but if you put their philosophies side by side, you will some alot of the same things.

With that said, I am not going to say CWM is not to blame either. The great defensive mind that he is, should be able to work with what he has. He was able too for the first three games, so again, I ask, what has happened since then. What is missing now?

[kickerman97 3]

Can't lay all the blame on Muschamp. We have all been singing the praises of Herring but he missed a chance to take down the Arky RB who ran wide left for a TD from our 1 yd line.

Agreed. That is why I asked what has changed since LSU. Before, most were singing his praises about his defensive philosophy, which I am guessing has not changed since then. So what has changed? It seemed to work for the first three games, why is not working now. What happened after LSU? I have a hard time accepting that CTT has all of a sudden quit taking the games as serious as some posts I have read on the board suggest. I think such talk shows a lack of knowledge about CTT and smells like whining to me.

Gibbs, may have only been at AU one year, but his recruits are in their second year at AU. Umm...if you look at the defensive depth chart, it has quite a few RS Freshman and Sophomores listes as the 1st string and backups. So, either those players are Gibbs or Chiziks recruits. Both Gibbs and Chizik's defenses were not that dissimilar from each other. Gibbs liked a little more speed, but if you put their philosophies side by side, you will some alot of the same things.

With that said, I am not going to say CWM is not to blame either. The great defensive mind that he is, should be able to work with what he has. He was able too for the first three games, so again, I ask, what has happened since then. What is missing now?

I am beginning to think that the boys let all the hype of being number 2 go to their head. Sadly, I think that maybe they thought they could go out and play a so-so game and because they were ranked number 2, the other team would be scared or something and just lay down. I don't want to think this, but since we won " the epic battle" with LSU, it seems that they haven't give it their best since and expected these unranked teams not to try as hard or something... I'm sure they realize now, this is not the case.

Just a thought.

[creed 1,666]

Will Muschamps quick fix can be expressed in two words...."Tray Blackmon"

...i'm not sure tray would have helped against arkansas...maybe but i doubt it. arkansas plays a style of fooltball that that is opposite of what we're built for. they have large lineman that tackle and guard trap very effictively. basically straight ahead football with large lead blockers. i watched our linebackers yesterday and noticed our linebackers sitting on their heals waiting for the ball carrier. not one of our linebackers looked like they wanted to take the lead block on. that coupled with our dl being blocked bacwards was a recipe for disaster.

[Dye Hard AU Fan 0]

Will Muschamps quick fix can be expressed in two words...."Tray Blackmon"

Yeah, a redshirt freshman that has not played a down in a Div-1 game is the answer to all our defensive woes. I bet he would have made such a big difference all by himself in the game Saturday.

Look, I am eager to see the what the kid can do also. But I don't know if the kid can live up the high expectations that some seem to have for him. The "lust fest" for Blackmon is starting to get old with me. Let the kid play and let's see what kind if impact he makes before we anoint him as the next "savior of the defense".

I have seen this sophomore (not redshirt freshman anymore) play in high school and in previous practices. He plays with intensity and with heart. Something our defense seemed to lack on Saturday. I am not saying he will single-handedly take on offenses on his own but I think he will bring a level of competitiveness that will spark our players' attitudes. Lust fests don't usually occur for no reason. This kid has something special...something I don't think any of our current linebackers have. But I agree...he has yet to play. I believe you will eventually be sucked into the Tray Blackmon bandwagon once you see the kid consistently perform.

[kickerman97 3]

Will Muschamps quick fix can be expressed in two words...."Tray Blackmon"

Yeah, a redshirt freshman that has not played a down in a Div-1 game is the answer to all our defensive woes. I bet he would have made such a big difference all by himself in the game Saturday.

Look, I am eager to see the what the kid can do also. But I don't know if the kid can live up the high expectations that some seem to have for him. The "lust fest" for Blackmon is starting to get old with me. Let the kid play and let's see what kind if impact he makes before we anoint him as the next "savior of the defense".

I have seen this sophomore (not redshirt freshman anymore) play in high school and in previous practices. He plays with intensity and with heart. Something our defense seemed to lack on Saturday. I am not saying he will single-handedly take on offenses on his own but I think he will bring a level of competitiveness that will spark our players' attitudes. Lust fests don't usually occur for no reason. This kid has something special...something I don't think any of our current linebackers have. But I agree...he has yet to play. I believe you will eventually be sucked into the Tray Blackmon bandwagon once you see the kid consistently perform.

Just remember when u watch high school films, that is what they are high school. I'll be glad to see him pay as well, but I hate when there's so much hype around a young player. He's setup to disappoint right off the bat. And I stay on the AU bandwagon all year long!! WDE

[weagl1 1,789]

The D yesterday, and the whole team for that matter, looked like the same team that played the Citrus Bowl last year. Didn't even look like they were interested in playing.

[atltigerfan 0]

Don't kid yourself into thinking Gibbs was out beating down the recruiting trail the one year he was here. Coaches scout players from their sophmore years in high school on. TT & the other assistant coaches already had the D players on their board for last year before Gibbs even signed on.

I'm sure they "asked" for his input to make him part of the process but don't kid yourself.

WM is looking like he is a fraud. Those championship D's at LSU were built on speed as well. There is not a deficit of D talent to work with out there. Perhaps the wizard behind the curtain on those D's was Saban, not WM.

[sogaaufan 27]

Can't lay all the blame on Muschamp. We have all been singing the praises of Herring but he missed a chance to take down the Arky RB who ran wide left for a TD from our 1 yd line.

Agreed. That is why I asked what has changed since LSU. Before, most were singing his praises about his defensive philosophy, which I am guessing has not changed since then. So what has changed? It seemed to work for the first three games, why is not working now. What happened after LSU? I have a hard time accepting that CTT has all of a sudden quit taking the games as serious as some posts I have read on the board suggest. I think such talk shows a lack of knowledge about CTT and smells like whining to me.

Gibbs, may have only been at AU one year, but his recruits are in their second year at AU. Umm...if you look at the defensive depth chart, it has quite a few RS Freshman and Sophomores listes as the 1st string and backups. So, either those players are Gibbs or Chiziks recruits. Both Gibbs and Chizik's defenses were not that dissimilar from each other. Gibbs liked a little more speed, but if you put their philosophies side by side, you will some alot of the same things.

With that said, I am not going to say CWM is not to blame either. The great defensive mind that he is, should be able to work with what he has. He was able too for the first three games, so again, I ask, what has happened since then. What is missing now?

The emphasis on speed is TUBERVILLE'S, not any DC that we have had. He has always said that he learned to recruit speed when he was at Miami in the eighties under Jimmie Johnson. BTW, LB is the only position where our players are undersized. Thompson, Marks, Sims, and Dolittle are all 300 pounders (or pretty close). Groves and Gunn are 250 to 260, which is fine for a DE. Browder is around 270, which is big for a DE. LB is the only position where we are undersized. Most schools' LB's are in the 220-240 range. We only have two that are that big (Herring and Sears). Johnson and Dede would probablt be strong safeties at any other school. Don't forget, since everyone is clamoring for his return, that Blackmon will just be another undersized LB. He may have more skills than anyone else at the position, but I doubt if he can change an entire game by himself.

However, as long as CTT is here, don't expect the emphasis on speed to change no matter who the coordinators are.

[sogaaufan 27]

The D yesterday, and the whole team for that matter, looked like the same team that played the Citrus Bowl last year. Didn't even look like they were interested in playing.

That was the thing that most frustrated me in watching the game. I hope I'm wrong, but it seemed as though everyone involved (coaches, fans, and players) acted totally uninterested in what was going on. Courtney loafed down the field and let a sure TD go right through his hands. Then he got up smiling. I knew then that this team had a HUGE motivation problem going into this game. I think back to the LSU game. Josh Thompson was unblockable in that game. He was able to play across the center's face and wreck nearly everything LSU ran. He got blown off the ball all day against Arkansas. Am I to believe that Arkansas' interior line is better than LSU? Barring injury, the only explanation is a lack of motivation. I can handle a loss, but to watch the Tiger get embarrassed by a team who just wants it more is hard to swallow.

[AUChE94 0]

Tubs and staff just seem to take the day off regularly once or twice each year and as long as they do that, we won't go undefeated again or win a NC.

I'm glad to hear someone else make that point. I've been saying for years that you can expect at least one poor performance a year rom CTT teams. I don't know why that is but it happens every year. We seem to take teams lightly as we are nearing and "big" matchup. Our team was uninspired and unprepared on Saturday. That falls on the coaching staff and, with CTT being the only constant, on CTT in particular.

[Raven_tiger 5]

Tubs and staff just seem to take the day off regularly once or twice each year and as long as they do that, we won't go undefeated again or win a NC.

I'm glad to hear someone else make that point. I've been saying for years that you can expect at least one poor performance a year rom CTT teams. I don't know why that is but it happens every year. We seem to take teams lightly as we are nearing and "big" matchup. Our team was uninspired and unprepared on Saturday. That falls on the coaching staff and, with CTT being the only constant, on CTT in particular.

Well if there is any team that has, in the past, upset Tommy's applecart in the SEC it's been Arkansas. For CTT to take the Arky game for granted is unfathomable.

[AUChE94 0]

Tubs and staff just seem to take the day off regularly once or twice each year and as long as they do that, we won't go undefeated again or win a NC.

I'm glad to hear someone else make that point. I've been saying for years that you can expect at least one poor performance a year rom CTT teams. I don't know why that is but it happens every year. We seem to take teams lightly as we are nearing and "big" matchup. Our team was uninspired and unprepared on Saturday. That falls on the coaching staff and, with CTT being the only constant, on CTT in particular.

Well if there is any team that has, in the past, upset Tommy's applecart in the SEC it's been Arkansas. For CTT to take the Arky game for granted is unfathomable.

Agreed. I don't think CTT took Arky for granted, but the intensity was lacking. I'm certainly not saying I know the answer. It happens to alot of teams every year. That's why an undefeated season is so elusive.

[DCWarEagle 0]

I just think we have not been the same on defense since the LSU game. I thought we looked pretty good up through that, but since then we have not been able to stop a drive until the other team gets in our red zone. Even Saturday, we were okay in the redzone, holding Arkansas to FGs a couple of times when they were close. We just play way too soft from the start of the drive, and let the other team dink and dunk on us. I couldn't watch it, but my Dad told me that even in the Buffalo game that was happening, then of course the whole country saw it against SC and Arkansas.

Of course this week another problem was just giving up the big plays b/c of mistakes. Wilhite falling on that first TD reception, then Herring missing the tackle later. It looked to me like he was maybe trying to strip the ball and force a turnover, which would have been great if he could have done it, but since he didn't it is obvious he should have just tackled the guy instead.

I think it is way too early to make any sweeping statements about Muschamp yet. I thought the D played well through three games, then has not been so great. But the problems Saturday went beyond defense. We just got beat at all aspects of the game. Offense, defense and special teams (what happened to our kickers?)

We can still have a great season if we turn things around against Florida, and even if we lose next week we can have a good season. After next week we have a few less intense games to get the ship right before Georgia and Alabama. I know I'd still be happy w/ a 11-1 or 10-2 regular season (especially if one of the 10 is Bama).