The Problem

[TAYLORKEETON 858]

Everybody is trying to point a finger or find a reason for us not to be undefeated or whatever. People, its not that we suck or that our coaches suck (iffy on Roof) but look at our starting depth start. We are inexpierenced! QB thats started 2 games. Young line, young D. I mean our starting D line is all sophmores! Dont expect to win a tittle 36 years straight. We lost SO many players from last year. We have talent but its young. Give us two years and i believe we will be a contender again. Why are so many people B*tching about our record?  We were predicted to not even go to a bowl by mostly everbody! So be happy and shut up and quit crying. Be PATIENT. Trust Chizik.

#WDE

[ballen76 0]

I wasn't expecting to win them all, being competitive would have been nice though.

[Orange and Blue 17211345162833 0]

Most Auburn fans knew this would be a rebuilding year. No sensible fans expected a repeat national championship. Our W/L record is about what i expected. I did expect a much improved football team from the Utah State game until now, but have not seen it.

[shceagle 0]

Most fans on this site knew that this team was going through a rebuilding process, and a SEC Championship appearance was going to be slim to none.

But every one of us was expecting to see a big improvement in our team from game 1 to the bowl game.

Well, that hasn't happened.  After watching the UGA game, where have we improved?

We are in the bottom half statistically in the SEC on scoring offense and defense as well as yardage.

A likely 7-5 or 8-5 record is not a bad season for an inexperienced team, but getting blown out in a few of our games is  totally unacceptable

A sub-par finish to our season will really hurt the momentum going into next year!

I guess the 2010 National Championship has really spoiled us

[Warbird82 160]

Most fans on this site knew that this team was going through a rebuilding process, and a SEC Championship appearance was going to be slim to none.

But every one of us was expecting to see a big improvement in our team from game 1 to the bowl game.

Well, that hasn't happened.  After watching the UGA game, where have we improved?

We are in the bottom half statistically in the SEC on scoring offense and defense as well as yardage.

A likely 7-5 or 8-5 record is not a bad season for an inexperienced team, but getting blown out in a few of our games is  totally unacceptable

A sub-par finish to our season will really hurt the momentum going into next year!

I guess the 2010 National Championship has really spoiled us

^^^Lot of good points.  In the games that we have lost, we were not even competitive.  That is a glaring issue and I for one did not expect us to be that far off competitively.

[auriptide 0]

Most Auburn fans knew this would be a rebuilding year. No sensible fans expected a repeat national championship. Our W/L record is about what i expected. I did expect a much improved football team from the Utah State game until now, but have not seen it.

Yes, the "we're young blah blah blah" excuse is old and doesn't work when the team hasn't improved. 7-5 was expected, but not the numerous beat downs and the team quitting this weekend.

Chizik will make the needed changes after the season and I expect us to be much improved next year.

[WarEagle10 77]

I don't think one person thought we would go undefeated. If they did they were in denial. I think everybody wanted to see improvement during the season. This is just my opinion but we haven't improved in every aspect of the game. Some positions have improved. Some positions haven't IMO. I think everybody was disappointed in the LSU loss. I really didn't think we had a shot of winning it. I may get blasted for feeling that way, but that's how I felt. However I was pulling for Auburn just as hard as I always do. Yes we were absolutely manhandled, but our guys competed to the final whistle IMO. I think most people were upset by the UGA game, at least this is my biggest problem with that game, because our guys stopped playing. In sport there will be days where things just don't go your way. Some of these days you will be run off of the field. But not one single game should you ever stop playing under any circumstances. That is what I think freaked most of us out about last weekend.

[rollsroyce5 0]

Most fans on this site knew that this team was going through a rebuilding process, and a SEC Championship appearance was going to be slim to none.

But every one of us was expecting to see a big improvement in our team from game 1 to the bowl game.

Well, that hasn't happened.  After watching the UGA game, where have we improved?

We are in the bottom half statistically in the SEC on scoring offense and defense as well as yardage.

A likely 7-5 or 8-5 record is not a bad season for an inexperienced team, but getting blown out in a few of our games is  totally unacceptable

A sub-par finish to our season will really hurt the momentum going into next year!

I guess the 2010 National Championship has really spoiled us

^^^Lot of good points.  In the games that we have lost, we we not even competitive.  That is a glaring issue and I for one did not expect us to be that far off competitively.

Agreed, I'm okay with who we've lost to except for thUGa. Just not okay with EVERY ONE OF OUR FOUR losses being blowouts.

[bigbird 60,941]

I think that the blowouts were a product of just being over matched...mentally and physically just over matched. We weren't mentally or physically tough enough, wide-eyed and weak is a sure recipe for a blowout. However, they now have the game experience and our team now knows what it'll take to compete with the big boys. I believe this off season will be one of the most brutal in recent history.  Next year they will take the field as men rather than boys.

[rollsroyce5 0]

I think that the blowouts were a product of just being over matched...mentally and physically just over matched. We weren't mentally or physically tough enough, wide-eyed and weak is a sure recipe for a blowout. However, they now have the game experience and our team now knows what it'll take to compete with the big boys. I believe this off season will be one of the most brutal in recent history.  Next year they will take the field as men rather than boys.

I certainly hope that is the case.

[bigbird 60,941]

me too.  If not, then the alternative is very scary

[solideagle 0]

We will have another excuse next year. We need a change in strategy and alot more work in the off season. If you think we are just going to be better you are crazy. We aren't the only school with young guys. Our D line is all sophomores and a freshman so is lsu's. Our o line isn't a bunch of freshmen. We have two seniors on it uga has 3. On offense they killed us with sophomores and freshmen. Yeah we will be stronger next year and guess what? They will too. Only team that will have major losses from their team next year is bammer. Lsu and uga will be right back and I guess we are going to be saying I thought u were old...what are u still doing here. It's not about pointing a finger we are all in this together but you have to call a spade a spade we have to identify the problem to fix it. The last reason we lost is because they were older. They were coached better their players were better and they played better. More fight was in them. They wanted it more.

[auriptide 0]

Yes, our team strength looks to be an issue and not just the young guys. Getting blown off both lines and unable to get off blocks shows lack of strength.

[bigbird 60,941]

What excuse could there be?  We'll return the entire two deep on the line, 4 or 5 returning LBs with significant experience, and 3 starters in the secondary and all of their back ups.  They will have bulked up and added good weight during the offseason as well as gained a lot of chemistry.  I don't see any excuses.

[solideagle 0]

This may make some people mad but whatever....returning our starting linebackers isn't good. This is about as good as they are going to be. We need to hope that frost and Garrett and Landrum are great. Holland and especially white have a chance to be very good. Our secondary should be good but I don't know what the hell is going on with them or what they are being taught. The mistakes our corners made last game would piss a high school coach off.

[Orange and Blue 17211345162833 0]

Three areas still bothers me for 2012:

1. We will again be inexperienced on the OL.

2. What playmakers will emerge to help Blake at wide receiver?

3. I still have huge concerns about our QBs entering next season.

[3rdgen 2]

Three areas still bothers me for 2012:

1. We will again be inexperienced on the OL.

2. What playmakers will emerge to help Blake at wide receiver?

3. I still have huge concerns about our QBs entering next season.

I think 1 really effects what happens with 2 and 3.  Bray and Reed have shown they will catch the ball if it is thrown to them.  CM has shown he can throw when given time and KF has shown he can run with blocking.  CM is unlikely to get anymore mobile.  But I think KF passing will improve this offseason. 

[Browning4AU 410]

Since I was young, all I can remember people telling me was *and I'm sure you've all heard it before*, "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."

Thus the reason I'm upset. I don't mind so much that Auburn has lost games, in fact, I expected them to. The fact that they haven't played competitively is the reason many of us are upset. The post above with the 3 things that bother him about 2012 also proves the point. If AU had played competitively and not gotten completely waxed by others then I'd say there's hope for 2012, but since there are still huge holes to fill, the youth and inexperience card will once again be in play.

[Ronald McDonald 0]

#WDE

A hashtag on a messageboard? Just when I thought I'd seen it all

[BaldDisciple 0]

I think it's time for a change in philosphy with Yox and do more strength training

[gonefhin 8]

I think our biggest single problem is we have no senior class, I checked our roster on the au website, we have 13 total seniors, five (maybe 6) are scholarship players, we have 17 juniors, 11 are scholarship players, total of 30 upper classman.  I realize that many people say well LSU, Georgia etc have lots of young players and they do and their youngins are beating the heck out of ours.  But on a football team it takes a core of upperclassmen to bring along the young ones.

My kids were fortunate enough to play at a very good 6A school here in Alabama, their coach, who coached at Alabama and Troy, once told the parents it takes 90 to 95 hard working players, at practice to get 30 to 34 kids ready to play on Friday night.  I always was amazed at how many seniors we had on the team that never got to play except in blowouts, but they were the ones that made the others great, they motivated the younger ones at practice, they made it hard work, but fun work.  

We lost so many seniors last year and lost 5 or 6 to discipline problems last year.  I think the total was around 35 players.

We will rebuild, next year will be better and the year after even more so.

War Eagle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AUIH1 1,515]

I think that the blowouts were a product of just being over matched...mentally and physically just over matched. We weren't mentally or physically tough enough, wide-eyed and weak is a sure recipe for a blowout. However, they now have the game experience and our team now knows what it'll take to compete with the big boys. I believe this off season will be one of the most brutal in recent history.  Next year they will take the field as men rather than boys.

No doubt.  I think there was alot of basking (which was to be expected) in the National Championship by both the players and the coaches.  The problem is that many of the players that were counted on to carry the mantle in 2011 never played in 2010 and thus got caught up in the I am a Champion fervor and were spoiled without realizing what it took to become a Champion.  I would like to point out that kids like Dyer, Lutz, Blake and Eltoro are some of the few that I felt played like they did in 2010 in terms of effort and intensity.   The coaches should have no problem with the current players on this team feeling entitled.  As much of a hard @$$ as Saban is, he even admitted he couldn't get his to work as hard in 2010 as it took to win a title.

wde

[InfernoOrangeSS 322]

I think our biggest single problem is we have no senior class, I checked our roster on the au website, we have 13 total seniors, five (maybe 6) are scholarship players, we have 17 juniors, 11 are scholarship players, total of 30 upper classman.  I realize that many people say well LSU, Georgia etc have lots of young players and they do and their youngins are beating the heck out of ours.  But on a football team it takes a core of upperclassmen to bring along the young ones.

My kids were fortunate enough to play at a very good 6A school here in Alabama, their coach, who coached at Alabama and Troy, once told the parents it takes 90 to 95 hard working players, at practice to get 30 to 34 kids ready to play on Friday night.  I always was amazed at how many seniors we had on the team that never got to play except in blowouts, but they were the ones that made the others great, they motivated the younger ones at practice, they made it hard work, but fun work.  

We lost so many seniors last year and lost 5 or 6 to discipline problems last year.  I think the total was around 35 players.

We will rebuild, next year will be better and the year after even more so.

War Eagle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent post!  I truly believe in what you are saying.    I know a lot of people are tired of the youth excuse, but it is plain and simple our greatest weakness right now.  In the future, we will be strong again.

JJ said when he talked with Chizik after he was hired, (or maybe it was in his interview), that the third year would be the most brutal for AU.  He knew what AU was losing and what it would take to get us back on track.  I trust him to get us back on top again.

War Eagle!!!

[TAYLORKEETON 858]

#WDE

A hashtag on a messageboard? Just when I thought I'd seen it all

i have to bring my youth here...

[aubcali 465]

Originally, I thought in 2012 Auburn would be competing for the SEC Championship and possibly the NC.  I'm not saying that won't happen, but I'm pushing back my forecast for the 2013 season.  Auburn will be monsters in 2013.