Most troubling thing I see (or don’t)

[Win4AU 4,202]

This team has not gotten any better from game 1.  I wasn’t expecting a 2013, 1993, 1983, but a 2009, or even a 1999 would have been plausible.  At this point in the season they have had enough reps to have an idea about what they are supposed to do.  Things should be happening on the field to give us hope that things are on the right track.  Has anyone else seen something that does that?  I get talent is off but it’s not this far off.  Auburn has 4 games against teams in equal or worse situations to show some sort of improvement on offense.  If they can’t perform in these games you’re talking 2012 territory.

[AUDub 11,974]

I don’t know that we hit 2012 bad because that team just straight up quit. 

[WillMunny 1,620]

1 hour ago, Win4AU said:

This team has not gotten any better from game 1.  I wasn’t expecting a 2013, 1993, 1983, but a 2009, or even a 1999 would have been plausible.  At this point in the season they have had enough reps to have an idea about what they are supposed to do.  Things should be happening on the field to give us hope that things are on the right track.  Has anyone else seen something that does that?  I get talent is off but it’s not this far off.  Auburn has 4 games against teams in equal or worse situations to show some sort of improvement on offense.  If they can’t perform in these games you’re talking 2012 territory.

The only real improvement this year over the past few years is recruiting, but that's a very important thing. 

The on-field product has been disappointing.  I thought we would be better.  And I thought we would show more improvement as the season progressed.

I thought Peyton Thorne and the other transfers would have made a bigger positive difference.

Better days are coming soon, I think.  That's what I keep telling myself.

 

[Auburn93 812]

1 hour ago, Win4AU said:

This team has not gotten any better from game 1.  I wasn’t expecting a 2013, 1993, 1983, but a 2009, or even a 1999 would have been plausible.  At this point in the season they have had enough reps to have an idea about what they are supposed to do.  Things should be happening on the field to give us hope that things are on the right track.  Has anyone else seen something that does that?  I get talent is off but it’s not this far off.  Auburn has 4 games against teams in equal or worse situations to show some sort of improvement on offense.  If they can’t perform in these games you’re talking 2012 territory.

I understand what you are saying, but it is not what the good and elite recruits are saying. We can agree we need players. Let's all get on board with what the recruits are saying-which is I love Auburn and I see where I can make a difference and that AUBURN is only a few players away. Let's speak this into being.

[creed 1,802]

1 hour ago, Win4AU said:

This team has not gotten any better from game 1.  I wasn’t expecting a 2013, 1993, 1983, but a 2009, or even a 1999 would have been plausible.  At this point in the season they have had enough reps to have an idea about what they are supposed to do.  Things should be happening on the field to give us hope that things are on the right track.  Has anyone else seen something that does that?  I get talent is off but it’s not this far off.  Auburn has 4 games against teams in equal or worse situations to show some sort of improvement on offense.  If they can’t perform in these games you’re talking 2012 territory.

IMO, talent is off, and I see it as "far" off. It will take a couple of very good recruiting classes, including an eye for overall positional managment (not just stars), to fix the line of scrimmage, overall speed, and athletism that is missing. The good news Freeze appears to be recruiting well for the 2024 and 2025 classes. 

[auburnatl1 6,232]

The issue is what impact these games  will have on recruiting.  The offenses’s optics are literally painful. There’s a difference between a talent disadvantage and what seems like dysfunction.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,130]

Without looking at the record, you had 3 games in 2012 where it wasn't a complete monolith of atrociousness, and by the time we got to October, it became what it was. We're almost done with this season and they're still playing in one score games - its just too late for that comparison. 

[JDUBB4AU 5,362]

This is the worst AU offense in its history probably. It’s extremely difficult to Play this bad. This team has not thrown for 1k yards yet and it’s 7 games in. Let that sink in. Rebuilding or not to be this bad on O is hard to do. 

[Old fan 47 819]

1 hour ago, auburnatl1 said:

The issue is what impact these games  will have on recruiting.  The offenses’s optics are literally painful. There’s a difference between a talent disadvantage and what seems like dysfunction.

Very true. I know PT appears confused, but his coaches just aren’t helping him one bit. Saw where someone said on another thread, HF didn’t forget how to coach and I don’t believe for one minute PT forgot how to play QB, but this is really poor and I’m not optimistic about next year. The bigger key, is putting this product on the field and convincing big time recruits to buy in to coming here. 

[Hank2020 3,387]

3 hours ago, AUDub said:

I don’t know that we hit 2012 bad because that team just straight up quit. 

This team was playing hard Saturday.

[passthebiscuits 7,021]

Played hard. Were right there to win it. Have to make some plays. Have to coach better if you wanna win. That 3rd and 6 play (after it was going to be 3rd and inches) was brutal. That decision was the ballgame right there. 
 

We are a few players away from being right in these things. But dang. It’s frustrating to see. 

I’ve been watching some high school football lately, and our team is particularly good. I can look before the game begins and look at the players on each side, and I’m almost 100% confident who is going to win. 
 

In college, I can get a pretty good idea because I’ve been around so long. There are times when I’m surprised (like hanging in there against Ga). But most of the time, you can tell by the athletes. We may have 2-3 nfl-abled players on our team. Until we get that number up to like 7-8, we are going to lose these games imo. We will be right there, close but not quite….until we get those players. 
 

that does not remedy my opinion that our team doesn’t look particularly coached well. 

[johnnyAU 3,745]

2012 was worse. 2011 wasn't stellar. Somewhere in the vicinity of 1998 was bad and the back end of 2008 wasn't great. This most closely resembles to me the 2016 unit that rotated 2 or 3 average QB's against Clemson. The night game where the D played lights out and well enough to beat an eventual NC at home. Our offense couldn't break its way out of a wet paper bag. The D eventually gave way and Clemson snuck out of there with a win we gifted them. 

[keesler 5,967]

2 hours ago, auburnatl1 said:

The issue is what impact these games  will have on recruiting.  The offenses’s optics are literally painful. There’s a difference between a talent disadvantage and what seems like dysfunction.

 

How do you keep WR recruits on the hook and excited about joining this program when they watched the last 2 games and specifically yesterday when there was zero passing game?

[auburnatl1 6,232]

2 minutes ago, keesler said:

 

How do you keep WR recruits on the hook and excited about joining this program when they watched the last 2 games and specifically yesterday when there was zero passing game?

Again, 37 total yards in WR offense last night with probably 8-9 attempts max. Hurts my head.

[keesler 5,967]

There’s no one to get them the ball, no current coach in staff appears to be able to scheme for a passing game…. Why would a top ranked prospect want to sign on for that when they could go elsewhere to show their skills and have fun competing for championships?

[keesler 5,967]

1 hour ago, War Damn said:

Two words…Walker White.  

I sure hope so, because Freeze/Montgomery haven’t been able to do much with 2 veteran QBs that have been in the college game for years.

[DAG 35,091]

2 hours ago, War Damn said:

Two words…Walker White.  

I am going to predict right now walker white will take time to get acclimated at the next level. 

[Auburn x 3 24]

2 minutes ago, DAG said:

I am going to predict right now walker white will take time to get acclimated at the next level. 

I agree.  Let’s not turn him into Bo Nix 2.0.  Give him some time. 

[aucanucktiger 1,896]

Agreeing with Finebaum is usually cringeworthy, but his comparison of Dye's first season (Ken Hobby?!?🤣) to Freeze's is spot on, so far.

All we need now is for Bo Jackson to show up next season...

[e808 3,209]

Maybe it’s something or maybe nothing but not being in the locker room 30 or 40 minutes prior to kickoff is odd. I know u want to recruit but u still have an obligation to the guys in that locker room. U already repeatedly say there is a talent deficiency then on game day the bulk of the time is spent with recruits

[Gowebb11 9,964]

6 hours ago, auburnatl1 said:

The issue is what impact these games  will have on recruiting.  The offenses’s optics are literally painful. There’s a difference between a talent disadvantage and what seems like dysfunction.

Yes, our offense is terrible. And yet Lacey and Williams to forego being in Tuscaloosa for UA-UTenn and chose to come to Auburn. Cam Coleman too. Somehow, Some way, Hugh is getting their interest and has already flipped Thompson. He’s making them believe. So far, the recruits are still buying in and that’s all that matters. 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Gowebb11

[aubaseball 2,869]

1 hour ago, keesler said:

I sure hope so, because Freeze/Montgomery haven’t been able to do much with 2 veteran QBs that have been in the college game for years.

One has no business being a QB and for to long coaches have let him continue to play the position.  One who is home sick, scared to death of making a mistake and has no confidence with the system and the coach has no confidence in him 

[DAG 35,091]

18 minutes ago, War Damn said:

A five year starter that will do well in the draft next year and beat Alabama with a little help from the defense?  Yeah, that would suck. 

Kids stay off fentanyl .

[AUINSY 2,285]

19 minutes ago, War Damn said:

A five year starter that will do well in the draft next year and beat Alabama with a little help from the defense?  Yeah, that would suck. 

That’s pretty funny. I think they meant the pre-Oregon Bo, not the post-Auburn Bo. But yeah, if we could have had Bo be what he is but at Auburn and on an accelerated timeline, that would be great

[AUINSY 2,285]

Just now, War Damn said:

Bo wasn’t horrible at Auburn. Do you forget who his coach was his junior year?   

He wasn’t horrible but he wasn’t great either. He’d definitely not be anywhere near what he is now at Oregon if he’d stayed at Auburn.