Much deeper than we think

[AUght2win 7,176]

45 minutes ago, naildawg said:

Bro, I think you're taking this a little over the top. Granted there's some bad habits (like arm tackling, poor decision making by the qb's) but "the program's broken.". C'mon, really? It's a game played by young men who seem by and large to have decent character (remember the glorious days of Kowaski Kitchens, Dakota Mosley, Antonio Goodwin and Michael McNeal pulling an armed robbery with Michael Dyer's gun. That was a "broken program." This is some poor coaching that needs to get fixed. Oh and we need a quarterback to step up and win the job.

I was at the game today. I saw KLS openly pout and drag-ass most of the game. I saw Keonte Scott refuse to fair catch punts because he wants to play hero ball. I saw a completely unnecessary roughing the passer on 3rd down because Keys wasn’t thinking of the situation. I saw Alston fumble at the 5 because he was more focused on scoring himself than helping his team. I saw our freaking punter make an incredibly stupid impromptu play because he doesn’t understand the moment he was in. I saw Coleman, for the second time this year, tip a routine pass up to get intercepted because he wasn’t focused. I saw defeated body language. I saw a void of player leadership. I saw losing football.

Broken. You can’t have watched that game and seriously come away thinking this team’s mind is right.

[Old fan 47 831]

3 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

A team reflects the attitude of its leadership. Like it or not, Freeze threw last years team under the bus for the guise of the greater good. Recruiting. Choosing better players. He continues to talk about it this year in his post game pressers. I don’t know why anyone is surprised about the lack of buy in.

Not surprised a bit. He’s a puppet to the idiots that have the money. AU has never and quite obviously will never be elite. HF should have never been hired, just as BH, or even GM for that matter. AU has become a laughingstock for paying coaches to leave. Frustration is allowed, because this is on the coaching staff and the AD, who appears to be clueless on his tenure this far. Can’t blame these young men, because they bought into a system, a coaching staff and a dream of winning at an SEC level, but have been really let down. HF is a Clown and not capable of being in charge of any FBS program, much less one in the SEC. He’s managing to make BH look better and he didn’t recruit a lick. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 9,261]

18 minutes ago, woodford said:

These games bring out the worst in the little brother complex. It’s embarrassing. People are entitled to their opinion but the world is not ending (at least not in CFB terms)

I agree that people’s opinions cascade too quickly in losses, but that’s mainly because I think people had too high an opinion of who we have running the show and our product. There was an idea that this was a 9 win team if things broke right and you got something that wasn’t possible out of Thorne. That CHF still had his mojo offensively and that the defense was going to be noticeably better than last year. 

That being said, this season is probably going to be one where Auburn wins less than 5 games. And the recruiting class has been explained as being one where proof of concept mattered. I don’t think it’s an end of the world mindset to think the worst when that class is in potential jeopardy. It’s all an Auburn fan has to look forward to for the next 2 months. 

[AUDub 12,028]

These are the kind of days people really show their monkey shines lol. 

[AUght2win 7,176]

26 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

Dude how big of a giant are we, really? Maybe like a smaller giant. But we’re never getting to Bama, Texas,Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, or Tennessee levels. It ain’t happening. Those programs are national brands in an increasingly money oriented sport. Auburn’s brand has become losing. That’s what everyone on this football team knows.

It’s going to take a true program builder. Like Saban or Kirby level. And I don’t see one that’s coming here.

Correct this to say getting *back* to those teams level. Auburn traditionally is up there with all those you mentioned.

[Shoney'sPonyBoy 441]

1 minute ago, TigerOne said:

No kidding, said this when the nil crap started. College is semi pro ball, school is just a cover. It’s amazing that so many are just now realizing this. There will be 15-20 super teams every year, and Auburn won’t be one of them. We might sneak in every once in awhile but it would be rare

Quote

It’s amazing that so many are just now realizing this.

 

Who said they were just now realizing it?

 

Quote

There will be 15-20 super teams every year, and Auburn won’t be one of them.

 

You may have missed my post above, but Auburn is in the top ten in booster money raised as of 2023.  If we aren't one of the top teams, it won't be because we didn't raise/spend enough NIL money.

[TigerOne 1,334]

1 minute ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I agree that people’s opinions cascade too quickly in losses, but that’s mainly because I think people had too high an opinion of who we have running the show and our product. There was an idea that this was a 9 win team if things broke right and you got something that wasn’t possible out of Thorne. That CHF still had his mojo offensively and that the defense was going to be noticeably better than last year. 

That being said, this season is probably going to be one where Auburn wins less than 5 games. And the recruiting class has been explained as being one where proof of concept mattered. I don’t think it’s an end of the world mindset to think the worst when that class is in potential jeopardy. It’s all an Auburn fan has to look forward to for the next 2 months. 

Ten years of disappointing Auburn football does that to a fan base 

[AUght2win 7,176]

2 minutes ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

I agree that people’s opinions cascade too quickly in losses, but that’s mainly because I think people had too high an opinion of who we have running the show and our product. There was an idea that this was a 9 win team if things broke right and you got something that wasn’t possible out of Thorne. That CHF still had his mojo offensively and that the defense was going to be noticeably better than last year. 

That being said, this season is probably going to be one where Auburn wins less than 5 games. And the recruiting class has been explained as being one where proof of concept mattered. I don’t think it’s an end of the world mindset to think the worst when that class is in potential jeopardy. It’s all an Auburn fan has to look forward to for the next 2 months. 

The end of the world comes from what I’m talking about. I don’t mind losing if we don’t have the horses yet. But we do have the horses to throttle Cal and Arkansas. We’re losing because losing has permeated the fabric of the program. And that’s really terrifying for the future.

[Shoney'sPonyBoy 441]

2 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Correct this to say getting *back* to those teams level. Auburn traditionally is up there with all those you mentioned.

Auburn is on par with Tennessee and LSU traditionally.  The rest mentioned are the next level up.

[TigerOne 1,334]

1 minute ago, AUght2win said:

The end of the world comes from what I’m talking about. I don’t mind losing if we don’t have the horses yet. But we do have the horses to throttle Cal and Arkansas. We’re losing because losing has permeated the fabric of the program. And that’s really terrifying for the future.

Auburn had gotten comfortable losing and being mediocre at best. Sure everyone wants to win, but if we don’t, oh well there’s always next time.

and the years slide on by with little change.

[Tiger Refuge 6,939]

10 minutes ago, AUDub said:

They’re paid now. They’re pros. 

You’re right.

 

So is Freeze.

[HabitualChiller 134]

15 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Correct this to say getting *back* to those teams level. Auburn traditionally is up there with all those you mentioned.

Auburn is on a higher level, historically, than UGA and LSU, but the program is nowhere near BAMA, Texas or Oklahoma.

Not in program prestige, NFL players, NCAA award winners, wins, championships, etc. 

Auburn is in that tier below the blue bloods and shares company with schools like Florida State. 

Edited September 22 by HabitualChiller

[arktiger1975 760]

18 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

All day every Saturday for the past few years, I watch teams with considerably less history and resources put a better product on the field than us. Better conditioned, tougher, more disciplined, and better game day coaching. And increasingly mediocre to below mediocre teams march into JHS and hand our rear to us. They aren’t intimated, they expect to win in our backyard. Our confidence far exceeds our competence.  It’s sad and depressing. 

I remember I used to expect to win every game. 

[Shoney'sPonyBoy 441]

2 minutes ago, TigerOne said:

Auburn had gotten comfortable losing and being mediocre at best. Sure everyone wants to win, but if we don’t, oh well there’s always next time.

and the years slide on by with little change.

What is it exactly we're supposed to do instead of look forward to next time?

The only power we have is to refuse to buy tickets and attend the games, and people have proven that they Will. Not.  Do.  That.

Too many people transport their whole families to Auburn and tailgate for the whole weekend and take their kids to the games and reminisce about when they were in college.  In fact, that's why college football is more popular than pro football.

Auburn doesn't have enough sidewalk fans to pull off any kind of boycott.

 

 

 

 

[AUDub 12,028]

3 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

You’re right.

 

So is Freeze.

Cool. So let him put the blame where it lies. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,939]

1 minute ago, AUDub said:

Cool. So let him put the blame where it lies. 

Will do.

[naildawg 120]

11 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

I was at the game today. I saw KLS openly pout and drag-ass most of the game. I saw Keonte Scott refuse to fair catch punts because he wants to play hero ball. I saw a completely unnecessary roughing the passer on 3rd down because Keys wasn’t thinking of the situation. I saw Alston fumble at the 5 because he was more focused on scoring himself than helping his team. I saw our freaking punter make an incredibly stupid impromptu play because he doesn’t understand the moment he was in. I saw Coleman, for the second time this year, tip a routine pass up to get intercepted because he wasn’t focused. I saw defeated body language. I saw a void of player leadership. I saw losing football.

Broken. You can’t have watched that game and seriously come away thinking this team’s mind is right.

I don't like the product on the field but the end of the Chizek era, Harsin's whole tenure were "broken" . This is poor uninspired leadership from Freeze , bad quarterback play. The defense played well a lot of the game but they were on the field too long.

[ScotsAU 1,390]

The older I get, the less room and gloom I get after losses. I’m not going to jump off the Freeze bandwagon yet.  I do think some of this is still the fault of Harsin. But I do have some genera thoughts:

1. Freeze is trying to build the program from the ground up and trying to avoid being overly reliant on portal players. I get that, and I support it. In modern football you do have to acknowledge and use the portal. But I’ve never understood folks like Kiffin who think they can build teamwork by bringing in a whole new team every year. To me, that doesn’t seem sustainable. However,  I also think you need to show proof of concept to keep recruiting momentum going. We haven’t seen it yet. I worry that recruits are going to start doubting him and we aren’t going to be able to sustain the recruiting momentum we’ve had. If so, this whole building for the future idea falls flat.

2. Regardless of the circumstances, the product on the field has been sub-par. With a great running back, upgrades at WR, and a returning starter at QB, there’s not a reasonable excuse for why we haven’t improved. 
 

3. Having the info we did in the off-season, I supported Feeeze’s decision to ride with Thorne. Reports were that he was feeling more confident in the offense with a spring camp under his belt. Now, I really don’t understand the move. I get that the NIL money was probably spent for the future on the folks we did bring in. But again, proof of concept. He had to know Thorne hadn’t turned a corner, right? Despite the other struggles we’ve had, we’re 4-0 right now if we have competent QB play. 
4. This might be the oddest one that has me really thinking what’s going on behind closed doors. Freeze seemed annoyed but far from panicked in his third quarter and post game interviews. I’m starting to think conversations with the AD involved a handshake deal that Freeze wouldn’t really be evaluated over on the field products this year or last. He seemed way too calm for a guy that just lost to Arkansas. Was he maybe told that he would get 2 years to rebuild the roster regardless?

 

[AUDub 12,028]

Just now, naildawg said:

I don't like the product on the field but the end of the Chizek era, Harsin's whole tenure were "broken" . This is poor uninspired leadership from Freeze , bad quarterback play. The defense played well a lot of the game but they were on the field too long.

Thorne wasn’t awful and will start come Saturday. 

[AUght2win 7,176]

5 minutes ago, HabitualChiller said:

Auburn is on a higher level, historically, than UGA and LSU, but the program is nowhere near BAMA, Texas or Oklahoma.

Not in program prestige, heisman winners, NFL players, NCAA award winners, wins, championships, etc. 

Auburn is in that tier below the blue bloods and shares company with schools like Florida State. 

That’s fine. This is a dumb thing to squabble about. Auburn should be a great team in its normal form. We should be trying to claw into the upper echelon, not down here in this Mississippi State level mediocrity.

[AUght2win 7,176]

9 minutes ago, TigerOne said:

Auburn had gotten comfortable losing and being mediocre at best. Sure everyone wants to win, but if we don’t, oh well there’s always next time.

and the years slide on by with little change.

And that started under Gus. 8 wins was “solid”. He is where this all began, and we’ve done a historically bad job trying to solve that initial problem.

[AUwent 3,845]

49 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

It’s going to take a true program builder. Like Saban or Kirby level. And I don’t see one that’s coming here.

I think at some point in the future, T-Rob (or maybe even T-Will) will be HC material. He’s going to be next up when Schumann gets hired somewhere this year.

So what I think we need to do is: go all in on an elite portal QB for a one off year to provide a bridge to and a foundation for when either of those guys is ready.

Edited September 22 by AUwent

[AUght2win 7,176]

4 minutes ago, naildawg said:

I don't like the product on the field but the end of the Chizek era, Harsin's whole tenure were "broken" . This is poor uninspired leadership from Freeze , bad quarterback play. The defense played well a lot of the game but they were on the field too long.

You’re confusing athletically broken with legitimately criminal/out of control. Two completely different things. Not what I’m talking about. 

[AUght2win 7,176]

7 minutes ago, ScotsAU said:

The older I get, the less room and gloom I get after losses. I’m not going to jump off the Freeze bandwagon yet.  I do think some of this is still the fault of Harsin. But I do have some genera thoughts:

1. Freeze is trying to build the program from the ground up and trying to avoid being overly reliant on portal players. I get that, and I support it. In modern football you do have to acknowledge and use the portal. But I’ve never understood folks like Kiffin who think they can build teamwork by bringing in a whole new team every year. To me, that doesn’t seem sustainable. However,  I also think you need to show proof of concept to keep recruiting momentum going. We haven’t seen it yet. I worry that recruits are going to start doubting him and we aren’t going to be able to sustain the recruiting momentum we’ve had. If so, this whole building for the future idea falls flat.

2. Regardless of the circumstances, the product on the field has been sub-par. With a great running back, upgrades at WR, and a returning starter at QB, there’s not a reasonable excuse for why we haven’t improved. 
 

3. Having the info we did in the off-season, I supported Feeeze’s decision to ride with Thorne. Reports were that he was feeling more confident in the offense with a spring camp under his belt. Now, I really don’t understand the move. I get that the NIL money was probably spent for the future on the folks we did bring in. But again, proof of concept. He had to know Thorne hadn’t turned a corner, right? Despite the other struggles we’ve had, we’re 4-0 right now if we have competent QB play. 
4. This might be the oddest one that has me really thinking what’s going on behind closed doors. Freeze seemed annoyed but far from panicked in his third quarter and post game interviews. I’m starting to think conversations with the AD involved a handshake deal that Freeze wouldn’t really be evaluated over on the field products this year or last. He seemed way too calm for a guy that just lost to Arkansas. Was he maybe told that he would get 2 years to rebuild the roster regardless?

 

If #1 really is the case then why aren’t we playing all these freshmen? Let Riddick play. Let Walker play. If it’s a youth movement then go all-in on it. 

[AuCivilEng1 12,660]

2 minutes ago, AUwent said:

I think at some point in the future, T-Rob (or maybe even T-Will) will be HC material. He’s going to be next up when Schumann gets hired somewhere this year.

So what I think we need to do is: go all in on an elite portal QB for a one off year to carry us over to when he’s

I do think they need to redirect some funds to the portal. We need experienced players with maturity who have won.  Especially at QB