Your choice for the 3 permanent opponents?

[DAG 34,103]

Just now, CoffeeTiger said:

 

So playing more harder opponents with more talent and bigger players wouldn't lead to more injuries? 

Injuries and exhaustion from playing top ranked opponents every week would have no impact on AU?  

Auburn has been playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation for years and that has never been a major issue. Now you just making up stuff unless you have data points to prove this assertion

[W.E.D 11,070]

12 minutes ago, CoffeeTiger said:

We're not terrified, we just realize that in todays college football landscape, super tough schedules don't benefit you in terms of championship rankings and winning. 

Massive playoff expansions will change this

[DAG 34,103]

People need to stop being victims of the moment too. UGA was not always big and bad. UF is not big and bad right now. Good gracious, get a grip.

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 minute ago, DAG said:

People need to stop being victims of the moment too. UGA was not always big and bad. UF is not big and bad right now. Good gracious, get a grip.

Right.  The recency bias of people's minds is really effecting people

[DAG 34,103]

3 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Right.  The recency bias of people's minds is really effecting people

And guess what? Say we get a vandy as a permanent opponent, the SEC is just going to add an additional tough opponent in one of the six games lol. Then people are going to be crying about that haha.

[Dom1ni0n 51]

Even almighty bama was not always as dominant as they are now.  Between Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings there were the Ray Perkins years for them.  Between Stallings and Saban there were the Dubose, Price and Fran years.  It's all cyclical.

[W.E.D 11,070]

2 minutes ago, DAG said:

And guess what? Say we get a vandy as a permanent opponent, the SEC is just going to add an additional tough opponent in one of the six games lol. Then people are going to be crying about that haha.

The real fall out of people crying, complaining, and bitching will be the mix of the 6 Home/Away rotations.  Let's pretend we got Bama/UGA/Arkansas....what if we got @LSU/@TX/@Oklahoma and home UT/UF/Ole Miss?

Gonna be a lot of crying

[Dom1ni0n 51]

To answer the question, UGA, bama & UF. 

[CoffeeTiger 5,380]

14 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Right.  The recency bias of people's minds is really effecting people

There are teenage AU fans today who weren't alive last time AU-UGA was a real competitive rivalry on a year to year basis, and UGA is as strong now as its ever been in it's history. 

What classifies as recent? 

 

 

I just want a fair schedule for Auburn that is similar in difficulty to our rivals and the top of the SEC. No other team in the SEC would accept 3 top SEC/high resource teams as permenent opponents because everyone knows it would be bad for them.

As for "Recency bias" and "ups and downs",  Even though Florida (for example) is down and not the super team it once was, it still has vastly more resources, recrui8ting budget, recruiting rankings, etc, on a year to year basis than Miss St, Vandy, Mizz, etc have and likely will ever have. Florida will always be capable of higher and bigger highs than those other teams... even if Florida does have down years or even a down decade. 

 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by CoffeeTiger

[Randman5000 4,238]

I hope Texas A&M gets TX, Arkansas and LSU. Or Oklahoma. 

Bury them. 

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,959]

22 minutes ago, DAG said:

People need to stop being victims of the moment too. UGA was not always big and bad. UF is not big and bad right now. Good gracious, get a grip.

yep.  teams go up and down.  That is why I based my perms on how much I like to visit the opposing school's campus and area. 

[DAG 34,103]

Just now, Quietmaninthecorner said:

yep.  teams go up and down.  That is why I based my perms on how much I like to visit the opposing school's campus and area. 

I agree. I think the atmosphere is very much worth it. This is why this conference is the best and a major reason why the commissioner is trying to go to a 9 game schedule to get more teams visiting other campuses.

[NWALA Tiger 3,536]

Be interesting to see how these posts age in 2024

[cctiger 572]

Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,841]

The most fun conclusion is UF at the third spot 

[AUwent 3,784]

I have much to respond to:

@CoffeeTiger: Thank you so much for being a voice of reason. How do people think Clemson has been able to do so well in the playoffs the last decade? They only have to get up for maybe three regular season games, and what'dya know, they're fully rested by the time the playoffs come around.

@Dom1ni0n: Things might be cyclical, but there's a very good possibility Saban is there for at least 10 more years. Wouldn't it be nice to have a lower level team just in case they don't fall back to the Mikes years like you seem to assume? If you want to doom us to a decade of irrelevance waiting for him to ride off into the sunset, be my guest! It's also very clear that on average, UAT, UGA and UF are going to be up much more often and for longer periods of time than MSU and Vandy. Puh-leeze.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but UAT fans are being smarter than our fans here (stopped clock and all)--they all wisely want MSU over a game that's consistently been one of the most high-profile matchups this century so far (and where is this "it's only been big since Saban got to UAT" coming from? It was a big rivalry before then too). If UAT fans don't want three traditional powers, why should we?

@DAG: It's true that in 2017 we would have hosted a quarter. In 2019 we would've been passed over for Memphis (highest ranked G5 champ) despite playing IMO the toughest schedule we've ever had. I would argue however that your wished schedule would be even tougher. 

@JerryAU and @W.E.D: To dispel of the notion that permanents will be offset by rotating, you have to look at the details: there are generally nine teams that could be considered "upper tier" based off the resources they have--the eight that have won an NC since the BCS began and TAMU. If we are the only ones getting three permanents from this category, that means we alternate between five and six of them every other year. No other team, assuming everyone else got at least one from the lower seven, would be playing more than five any year. If you count A&M on the lower tier, we would have to play five every year while every other team at worst would alternate between four and five.

So yes, it would be a substantial disadvantage.

Furthermore, claiming that "we've always had a tougher schedule and been fine" is absurd. We've been at a massive disadvantage since the playoff era began. We've played the toughest or damn near the toughest every year since then, and what a shock, we can't break the four loss barrier. It's true that he neglected the OL and that was cause for needing to move on, but maybe Gus should be cut some slack? Because I guarantee you we will never lose fewer if you get what you want.

So we have an opportunity to level the playing field in our favor. And so many of our fans are against the idea. It's baffling! I hope y'all have enough spare planks of wood.

And you wonder why we've had trouble attracting coaches. "We INSIST on playing the toughest schedule every year, but you'd better be competing for championships every year!" So you'd better not complain about going to bowls "no one cares about" (Tampa, Nashville).

With all that said, I completely agree that I like the idea of rotating opponents...massive improvement over the system we've had over the last decade.

Edited February 24, 2023 by AUwent

[DAG 34,103]

16 minutes ago, AUwent said:

I have much to respond to:

@CoffeeTiger: Thank you so much for being a voice of reason. How do people think Clemson has been able to do so well in the playoffs the last decade? They only have to get up for maybe three regular season games, and what'dya know, they're fully rested by the time the playoffs come around.

@Dom1ni0n: Things might be cyclical, but there's a very good possibility Saban is there for at least 10 more years. Wouldn't it be nice to have a lower level team just in case they don't fall back to the Mikes years like you seem to assume? If you want to doom us to a decade of irrelevance waiting for him to ride off into the sunset, be my guest! It's also very clear that on average, UAT, UGA and UF are going to be up much more often and for longer periods of time than MSU and Vandy. Puh-leeze. Our power brokers should raise total hell if the league tries to give UAT MSU and us Florida.

@DAG: It's true that in 2017 we would have hosted a semi. In 2019 we would've been passed over for Memphis (highest ranked G5 champ) despite playing IMO the toughest schedule we've ever had. I would argue however that your wished schedule would be even tougher. 

To dispel of the notion that permanents will be offset by rotating, you have to look at the details: there are generally nine teams that could be considered "upper tier" based off the resources they have--the eight that have won an NC since the BCS began and TAMU. If we are the only ones getting three permanents from this category, that means we alternate between five and six of them every other year. No other team, assuming everyone else got at least one from the lower seven, would be playing more than five any year. If you count A&M on the lower tier, we would have to play five every year while every other team at worst would alternate between four and five.

So yes, it would be a substantial disadvantage.

Furthermore, claiming that "we've always had a tougher schedule and been fine" is absurd. We've been at a massive disadvantage since the playoff era began. We've played the toughest or damn near the toughest every year since then, and what a shock, we can't break the four loss barrier. It's true that he neglected the OL and that was cause for needing to move on, but maybe Gus should be cut some slack? Because I guarantee you we will never lose fewer if you get what you want.

So we have an opportunity to level the playing field in our favor. And so many of our fans are against the idea. It's baffling! I hope y'all have enough spare planks of wood.

And you wonder why we've had trouble attracting coaches. "We INSIST on playing the toughest schedule every year, but you'd better be competing for championships every year!" So you'd better not complain about going to bowls "no one cares about" (Tampa, Nashville).

With all that said, I completely agree that I like the idea of rotating opponents...massive improvement over the system we've had over the last decade.

Well I give you props that was a thorough and rational response. 

[Viper 3,150]

4 hours ago, CoffeeTiger said:

Just a (not so fun)fact, in the last 15 years, Georgia Tech and Auburn have the same exact record in their yearly rivalry game vs Georgia. 

3-12

5 of those 12 losses were to Richt, who retired 4 years ago.

[Viper 3,150]

4 hours ago, Dom1ni0n said:

Between Stallings and Saban there were the Dubose, Price and Fran years.

[Dom1ni0n 51]

@AUwent If Saban is there for another 10 years, good on him.  Makes for great Iron Bowl TV and can potentially help Auburn win a few more recruiting battles if we play them close and win some. When Auburn has recruited well, it's not as if Saban was leaps and bounds better.  Auburn has beaten Saban four times with Chiz and Malzahn as HC.  During that stretch, there were four AU losses to bama were close at the halves with AU leading once or twice if I recall correctly.  When Auburn hasn't recruited well and/or had poor coaching, it's been occasionally reflected in blowouts against bama and other SEC powers.

Auburn has a strong historic recruiting pipeline in the state of Florida that goes back decades.  Like, during a time when Miami, FSU and eventually Florida became perennial powerhouses.   Proximity also played a huge role in that.  Besides, neither one of those programs are the monsters they once were.  Will UF have some years where they're top15?  Absolutely.  But they've been hit or miss just like Auburn has since Urban departed them.   If Freeze can leverage that into consistently bringing top Florida talent here, then I want to play the Gators every year so Auburn has direct exposure playing the 'flagship' state team.  

We don't know if we will be 'doomed to mediocrity' under Freeze by playing these schools. I'd rather let the story write itself.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Dom1ni0n

[Dom1ni0n 51]

@Viper Memory's failing me. 

I don't know how I could've left him off the list after the Brody sack game.  Thank you sir!

[AUwent 3,784]

1 hour ago, Dom1ni0n said:

@AUwent If Saban is there for another 10 years, good on him.  Makes for great Iron Bowl TV and can potentially help Auburn win a few more recruiting battles if we play them close and win some. When Auburn has recruited well, it's not as if Saban was leaps and bounds better.  Auburn has beaten Saban four times with Chiz and Malzahn as HC.  During that stretch, there were four AU losses to bama were close at the halves with AU leading once or twice if I recall correctly.  When Auburn hasn't recruited well and/or had poor coaching, it's been occasionally reflected in blowouts against bama and other SEC powers.

Auburn has a strong historic recruiting pipeline in the state of Florida that goes back decades.  Like, during a time when Miami, FSU and eventually Florida became perennial powerhouses.   Proximity also played a huge role in that.  Besides, neither one of those programs are the monsters they once were.  Will UF have some years where they're top15?  Absolutely.  But they've been hit or miss just like Auburn has since Urban departed them.   If Freeze can leverage that into consistently bringing top Florida talent here, then I want to play the Gators every year so Auburn has direct exposure playing the 'flagship' state team.  

We don't know if we will be 'doomed to mediocrity' under Freeze by playing these schools. I'd rather let the story write itself.

Yes we have beaten Saban four times with Chizik and Malzahn. But pre-playoff era at this point is rather irrelevant to the outlook. 2010 and 13 (and even mores 2004, but that's besides the point) were very favorable schedules, with Georgia being completely unremarkable.

2017 and 19 are far more relevant. Admittedly, in 2017 we would've hosted Miami in the first round and likely would've won (they did worse in the postseason than we did). We would've got torn to shreds by Oklahoma in the quarters, but fine. 2019, we wouldn't have even gotten in despite being 9-3 against our toughest schedule ever (yes, moreso than '83). And I'd argue that our schedules will get at least as tough as that each year if you get that exciting third rivalry--have you considered that maybe we were very close to our ceiling against such a schedule that year?

(Oh, and if Napier doesn't get Florida going--which I think is very likely, they've been doing very very well in recruiting--they'll find someone who will.)

Why should we have to have a significantly tougher schedule than anyone else in the league? The sentiment some of you have reminds me of this. 

I could maybe understand if Alabama fans all wanted LSU to go along with us and Tennessee. But they don't. They want a team that's beaten them fewer than 20 times in 100 attempts. UAT-LSU has routinely been one of the most anticipated games each year--even before Saban went to UAT it was quite big. UAT-MSU has been a snoozer almost every year since the series began. And don't give me the "but they're close to each other/played hte most!" line. We've played MSU more than UAT, does that mean the Cowbells should be higher priority?

 If they don't want three powers, why should we? How do UAT fans have more common sense about this process than us?!

Edited February 16, 2023 by AUwent

[Mikey 16,781]

5 hours ago, Dom1ni0n said:

I want to play the Gators every year so Auburn has direct exposure playing the 'flagship' state team.  

When AU was faced with dropping either Tennessee or Florida, Pat Dye kept Florida for this very reason. The game gives us an opportunity for a big recruiting boost.

[Dom1ni0n 51]

6 hours ago, Mikey said:

When AU was faced with dropping either Tennessee or Florida, Pat Dye kept Florida for this very reason. The game gives us an opportunity for a big recruiting boost.

I hated AU lost the rivalry with UF when the SEC changed the conference scheduling format from two permanent cross division rivals to one

[AUBwins 10,157]

16 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

The most fun conclusion is UF at the third spot 

Especially since we went, what 11 years between trips to Gainesville? Or something like that.