predictions for the season

[woodford 3,688]

On 8/30/2021 at 12:56 AM, Mikey said:

I had been very optimistic about this season. I was going to predict 10-2, while expecting even better. A lot of the pieces are in place.

However, this bungling of the Covid situation has me worried. Is this an indication of the overall management capability of this staff? If it is, there's no way to predict a record. The season could be a complete fiasco. On the other hand, if the Covid bungle was a one-time thing a 10-2 or better season is possible.

I can't see how to predict anything, I'll just watch with extreme interest.

Covid is outside Harsin’s control. Auburn can be 100% vaccinated and players can still test positive. That has nothing to do with Auburn. That is on the SEC and their silly rules. 

[Sani-Freeze 552]

On 9/1/2021 at 9:43 PM, Auhud08 said:

We arent giving this defense and derek mason enough credit. Which is exactly what he wants im sure. But that D plus a strong ground game will lower the amount of possessions and shorten the game. Idk how many wins its worth but  it keeps it close enough to win a lot

My (unpopular) prediction is that the defensive front is still too soft, and teams will run it up the middle on us. When we had Truesdell coming back, folks on here were downplaying Fair as an overweight rotational guy who couldn't even start at UAB. Now, suddenly I'm supposed to believe he is ready to anchor a defensive front that will dominate the SEC? Along with Pegues, who hasn't played a single down on defense. Seems like a bit of a reach.

 

Sorry, I hope I am wrong and you can throw this back in my face in a couple of months. But I think the new scheme coupled with the personnel we have will need another year to flourish. 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Sani-Freeze

[Old fan 47 777]

5 hours ago, Mikey said:

No, but we've got more returning players than usual, and we shouldn't experience less improvement than the teams we beat last season.

One thing could throw a monkey wrench into this optimistic view and it's the virus situation. If we have to forfeit one or two games or key players have to be held out, then all bets are off. However, that's been fully discussed elsewhere.

I just think Miss is going to be even better this year. Doesn’t mean we can’t or won’t beat them, but they are going to be a tough out against most teams. 

[oracle79 3,569]

On 9/1/2021 at 11:39 PM, Mikey said:

Last year's team had 10 big games and won six.

Dude just STFU. Vegas has us at 7.5 regular season wins. We do have exp with less than stellar players on the O-line, and NO exp at WR, and exp at QB with a dude that we know can't complete 60% of his passes. New offense, new defense, but some good athletes. I put $200 on the over so I think we can win 8 or 9 regular season games and possibly a bowl game, but to expect 10 wins in regular season is delusional. Please just go to the UCF boards and pump your BS there.

[Mikey 16,781]

4 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Dude just STFU.

When you are this board's owner, you can ban me. In the meantime, you can simply scroll past my posts. I do that to some here. It's easy, just try it!

Edited September 4, 2021 by Mikey

[oracle79 3,569]

2 minutes ago, Mikey said:

When you are this board's owner, you can ban me. In the meantime, you can simply scroll past my posts. I do that to some here. It's easy, just try it!

Nah. I ignore posters who are totally ignorant on all their posts. You are only ignorant on some posts. I actually like some of your posts that actually make sense and are well thought out. It's just your ones trying to make Gus look like a football coach that I despise. 😉

[Mikey 16,781]

10 hours ago, woodford said:

Covid is outside Harsin’s control. Auburn can be 100% vaccinated and players can still test positive. That has nothing to do with Auburn. That is on the SEC and their silly rules. 

No, it is not out of his control.. Getting 85% of the team vaccinated removes the testing requirements. The players at AU aren't that different from players at UAT, Ol' Miss, Georgia and so forth. If their coaches figured out how to get their players close to or at 100% vaccinated, our coach should have too.

[Mikey 16,781]

3 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

It's just your ones trying to make Gus look like a football coach that I despise. 😉

He looked like one last night. I'd all but forgotten about Coach Malzahn until I started seeing all the spiteful, mean spirited posts by people here. Now I  can enjoy  laughing at them when his team wins.

[fredst 9,064]

Man, the Stockholm syndrome is alive and well on this board. The rush to passionately defend a slightly-above-average, now fired, ex-coach at every opportunity is so weird. Maybe it’s just the internet, but I’ll be damned if I remember any previous ex-coach having a more passionate group of defenders after his departure. Look forward to kickoff tomorrow to hopefully put that in the rear view once and for all. Excited about the new era and hoping for success. I have no prediction but hope for less gum smacking and booger picking, which will be an upgrade in my book.

[auburnphan 6,050]

If Bo Nix can perform at a Jake Fromm level we will have a successful year.

[Mikey 16,781]

8 hours ago, fredst said:

Man, the Stockholm syndrome is alive and well on this board. The rush to passionately defend a slightly-above-average, now fired, ex-coach at every opportunity is so weird. Maybe it’s just the internet, but I’ll be damned if I remember any previous ex-coach having a more passionate group of defenders after his departure. Look forward to kickoff tomorrow to hopefully put that in the rear view once and for all. Excited about the new era and hoping for success. I have no prediction but hope for less gum smacking and booger picking, which will be an upgrade in my book.

The difference is, never before have we had such a petty, small-minded, bitter group of posters attacking a former coach long after he's gone. Most who defend him are like me, we'd put Malzahn in the past and were looking forward to rooting for the new regime.

However, when every time you open a page some jerk who couldn't carry Gus's briefcase is making nasty remarks it's hard to put Gus in the past. I think the problem is that many of these bashers are jealous because Gus made millions of dollars coaching football and they know they will never be capable of reaching the top of their own professions.

[auburnphan 6,050]

I am more jealous that an obsessive booger picker had success, my grandma told me that could never happen.

[AUwent 3,786]

12 hours ago, oracle79 said:

Dude just STFU. Vegas has us at 7.5 regular season wins. We do have exp with less than stellar players on the O-line, and NO exp at WR, and exp at QB with a dude that we know can't complete 60% of his passes. New offense, new defense, but some good athletes. I put $200 on the over so I think we can win 8 or 9 regular season games and possibly a bowl game, but to expect 10 wins in regular season is delusional. Please just go to the UCF boards and pump your BS there.

Almost all of our starters are seniors. Expecting 8 regular season wins and then a bowl win is completely justified.

Edited September 4, 2021 by AUwent

[Hank2020 3,233]

13 hours ago, Mikey said:

No, it is not out of his control.. Getting 85% of the team vaccinated removes the testing requirements. The players at AU aren't that different from players at UAT, Ol' Miss, Georgia and so forth. If their coaches figured out how to get their players close to or at 100% vaccinated, our coach should have too.

They must have still tested at Ole Miss as HC is in quarantine.

[Hank2020 3,233]

2 hours ago, auburnphan said:

I am more jealous that an obsessive booger picker had success, my grandma told me that could never happen.

 

2 hours ago, auburnphan said:

I am more jealous that an obsessive booger picker had success, my grandma told me that could never happen.

Seemed to have worked for him Thursday. I personally hope he does well at UCF. I’m sure he has moved on.

[japantiger 4,069]

5 hours ago, auburnphan said:

If Bo Nix can not be Bo Nix perform at a Jake Fromm level we will have a successful year.

FIFY

[AU9377 5,370]

8 wins I hope. 7 is my prediction. 6 would be a troubling start, considering the fact that there is talent on the roster.

[AU9377 5,370]

15 hours ago, fredst said:

Man, the Stockholm syndrome is alive and well on this board. The rush to passionately defend a slightly-above-average, now fired, ex-coach at every opportunity is so weird. Maybe it’s just the internet, but I’ll be damned if I remember any previous ex-coach having a more passionate group of defenders after his departure. Look forward to kickoff tomorrow to hopefully put that in the rear view once and for all. Excited about the new era and hoping for success. I have no prediction but hope for less gum smacking and booger picking, which will be an upgrade in my book.

I don't remember any previous coach being targeted like he is every time some make a post.  There are valid criticisms, but many just pretend that he did nothing for the program and had no success.  That makes people look silly and for the fan base to come across as childish.

People say things like "we will finally have NFL talent on the field."  Really?  I realize that it's just a faceless message board, but nonsense still deserves to be called out.

Edited September 4, 2021 by AU9377

[DAG 34,126]

15 hours ago, fredst said:

Man, the Stockholm syndrome is alive and well on this board. The rush to passionately defend a slightly-above-average, now fired, ex-coach at every opportunity is so weird. Maybe it’s just the internet, but I’ll be damned if I remember any previous ex-coach having a more passionate group of defenders after his departure. Look forward to kickoff tomorrow to hopefully put that in the rear view once and for all. Excited about the new era and hoping for success. I have no prediction but hope for less gum smacking and booger picking, which will be an upgrade in my book.

WDE my friend . Let the Gus fringe do their celebrating. We know who they are and where they stand. Just glad I can watch Auburn play again in front of a crowd. Let’s go CBH! 

[AUwent 3,786]

Counting a bowl, 8 (but we should shoot for 9).

Next year I just hope to go to and win a bowl.

Year after that 9 wins minimum.

I’m hoping we can beat UAT at least once over the next five years.

[fredst 9,064]

1 hour ago, AU9377 said:

I don't remember any previous coach being targeted like he is every time some make a post.  There are valid criticisms, but many just pretend that he did nothing for the program and had no success.  That makes people look silly and for the fan base to come across as childish.

People say things like "we will finally have NFL talent on the field."  Really?  I realize that it's just a faceless message board, but nonsense still deserves to be called out.

Don’t disagree necessarily but this is one of the main reasons I’m glad for a change. There seemed to be no middle ground with a divided/ polarized fan base unlike anytime during my ~50 years of fandom. Would love to see the fan base united in their support for the team *and* the coach rather than having to make a distinction between the two. WDE!

[AU9377 5,370]

3 hours ago, fredst said:

Don’t disagree necessarily but this is one of the main reasons I’m glad for a change. There seemed to be no middle ground with a divided/ polarized fan base unlike anytime during my ~50 years of fandom. Would love to see the fan base united in their support for the team *and* the coach rather than having to make a distinction between the two. WDE!

My experience is that winning is the only thing that does that.  Bowden could do anything he wanted with the support of a united fan base in 1994, as could Tubs in 2005, Chizik in 2011 and Malzahn in 2014.  When a coach, any coach really, loses a game or two that he should win, everyone has an opinion.  That happens anywhere that fans care as much as we do about winning and the respect that follows.  Honestly, I would rather it be that way than not be. 

It was time for a change last year.  Most coaches get burned out somewhat between the 7 and 10 year mark.  New perspective and ideas can invigorate things when excitement starts to wane.  Unfortunately, that change at Auburn cost an obscene amount of money due to bad decision making on the part of Auburn's administration.  Auburn is a pressure cooker of a job, but also a rewarding job where every coach in the past 40 years has ridden the program to the top of the sport.  I just reject the line of thinking that seems to think it's cute to trash talk former coaches simply because they aren't at Auburn.  That just seems childish to me.  Nothing more... nothing less.

[fredst 9,064]

10 years is the standard life of a coach before they lose support or burn out. Anybody that was looking at the product on the field, not just W& L, should have realized after 2015 (2016 at the latest) that a change at AU was needed. Instead, we used a 4 loss season to justify an absurd contract extension and raise. Tired of rehashing, glad we have someone that acts like a professional and will run a disciplined program. Hope that success follows and the fan base unites; and, if the coach is obviously deficient, I hope that people acknowledge that instead of twisting themselves into a pretzel to “support the coach” and show themselves  to be the “true” Auburn fans. 

[Hank2020 3,233]

8 hours ago, japantiger said:

FIFY

He did pretty well tonight I thought.

[oracle79 3,569]

On 9/3/2021 at 10:58 PM, Mikey said:

He looked like one last night.

David Letterman's Top 10 reasons GM is coaching/still coaching college football:

1) Mitch Mustain

2) Paul Smith

3) David Johnson

4) Cam Newton

5) Ryan Aplin

6) Nick Marshall

7) Nick Marshall

8.) Jarrett Stidham

9) Jimmy Sexton

10) Kristi Malzhan and God