Much deeper than we think

[AuCivilEng1 12,661]

1 minute ago, AUDub said:

We have a more recent national title than either of them. Quit being a cuck. 

Keep living in Lala land brother. You’re smarter than everyone, so why should I argue with you. Same type of mf who was shouting “give Harsin a chance” while he was tanking the program. You guys are just sooooo football savvy. 

[AuCivilEng1 12,661]

2 minutes ago, AUwent said:

If being middle of the pack means we can get back to where we were in the 2010s, I’ll happily take it. I have completely learned my lesson!

Oh don’t get me wrong I’d take 8-9 wins all day at this point. Tired of the 6-7 seasons. 

[AUDub 12,028]

Just now, AuCivilEng1 said:

Keep living in Lala land brother. You’re smarter than everyone, so why should I argue with you. Same type of mf who was shouting “give Harsin a chance” while he was tanking the program. You guys are just sooooo football savvy. 

Hey I was one of those. I was wrong. The recruiting stuff and him never darkening the doors of our local schools came out. That flipped me.

You’re a talker. Bring me one of those chickens. 

[AuCivilEng1 12,661]

Just now, AUDub said:

 I was wrong. 

Who would’ve thought.

[AUwent 3,845]

1 minute ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

Oh don’t get me wrong I’d take 8-9 wins all day at this point. Tired of the 6-7 seasons. 

I do think a playoff appearance every few years (even making a quarterfinal) is a very reasonable ask. We would’ve done just that under Gus, AFTER 2013.

[AuCivilEng1 12,661]

4 minutes ago, AUwent said:

I do think a playoff appearance every few years (even making a quarterfinal) is a very reasonable ask. We would’ve done just that under Gus, AFTER 2013.

It’s reasonable. But again. We aren’t in a league where there is a big 6 (Bama, Georgia, LSU, Tenn, Auburn, FL) anymore. There’s like a Big 10 now. And we have to consistently recruit and make better coaching hires enough to put us at least in the top 3 of those 10 every season, in order to make playoff appearances. Ole Miss looks like they’re going to do it, so it’s possible. 
 

I’m just hoping we can beat teams like Cal and NMST for now😂

Edited September 22 by AuCivilEng1

[abw0004 10,448]

49 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Next week will be tons of empty seats. Mark it down.

Yeah I don’t see that happening.  Same when Penn State came into town.  People want to watch us host Oklahoma.  

[Shoney'sPonyBoy 441]

9 minutes ago, aubcali said:

When I went to Auburn, we were giants.  4 SEC championships in that era.  Never felt inferior to Bama.  Didn’t know the feeling — still don’t.  My brother played football/baseball there in the early-mid 80s.  I was there at the tail-end late 80s - early 90s.   No disrespect to you, but it amazes me Auburn’s own base devalues its own history and importance.  Most sports writers have Auburn in the top 15-20 football programs of all time in NCAA history. This is an elite program.  

I understand the frustration, but Auburn has been, still is, and will continue to be regarded as a great athletic program.  

Well, yeah, we're number 18 in all time wins. 

Not number 2 like uat or number 4 like Texas.

Georgia is at 11, between us and uat.

We're historically comparable to LSU and Tennessee.  We are a top 20 team.  Not a top 5 team.

I was at AU from 1988 to 1992.  I grew up in Auburn and I have been a fan since I was old enough to care, maybe around 8 or 9.  I sold programs from '81-'84 so that I could go to the games.

I'm pretty sure I know who we are.

We're one of the most successful non-state programs in the history of the game and arguably THE most successful non-state school when you consider that we share the state with the 2nd most successful school of any kind in the history of the game and that the entire state media and almost 100% of high school coaches in the state have always been loyal to uat and dismissive of Auburn.

But we have not ever had the historical success that the best state schools in the game have had.  Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, etc. We've never sustained success like Alabama did in the 60s and 70s and again during the era of Saban or like Michigan did in the 70s and most of the 80s and 90s or like Texas did for around 20 years under Daryll Royal and for another ten years under Mack Brown. 

We just haven't.  O.k., we had 8-9 years under Dye that would qualify if we'd had 2-3 of those stretches, but we had one.

What Auburn has done for almost my entire lifetime is crash with a couple of 5 or 6 win seasons, (usually) make a change, then enjoy big success for a season or three during which we win championships and/or otherwise perform unusually well, then slip into more of a middle of the road level of success (7-8 wins), then crash, then rinse and repeat.  We've always been a very cyclical program.

Until now.

it's been a loooooong time now since we competed favorably with almost all of our major historical rivals. And 2010 was 14 years ago now.  

Plus, the game is just different now.

[TigerOne 1,334]

1 minute ago, abw0004 said:

Yeah I don’t see that happening.  Same when Penn State came into town.  People want to watch us host Oklahoma.  

Auburn will beat Oklahoma 

[AUght2win 7,176]

4 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

I just sat here and rattled off all the reasons that we can’t just call ourselves an elite power. Using actual evidence. And still, you guys think your feelings are what matters. You can feel like we are elite all you want. And you can be proud of our history. But you can’t argue that in this 16 team SEC we are middle of the pack historically. 

You really and truly didn’t. CFB program stats are not like baseball card stats. They’re wildly subjective and require boatloads of context.

Let’s just pick apart one, for example. You say we’re 8th/16 in win percentage. We’re seventh, actually. But you’re also counting Texas and Oklahoma - who spent 100+ years playing freaking Kansas and Iowa State. But here’s the kicker to prove your take incoherent - we’re 13th in the NATION all time in win percentage. Hell just last week we became the 13th program ever to reach 800 wins. 

Respond if you want but this is the last I’ll say on it, as it’s not worth arguing. Just know nobody who knows college football would classify Auburn as anything less than a big-time program with great history. 

[AUght2win 7,176]

5 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

Yeah I don’t see that happening.  Same when Penn State came into town.  People want to watch us host Oklahoma.  

People hadn’t given up hope yet for that Penn state game. We were unbeaten. If you don’t believe me, check out the forum archives at that time. This is different. This year is sunk.

[Shoney'sPonyBoy 441]

21 minutes ago, arktiger1975 said:

At the end of the 2012 season, there were probably less than 60,000 people in the stands. So you are absolutely correct. The fans will quit coming if this continues.

And then what?

[TripleDegreeTiger 281]

56 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Next week will be tons of empty seats. Mark it down.

I agree, there will probably be 22 or 23 seats that would usually hold a 175lb individual that will be empty 😀.

People will show up cause its a first time SEC game against Oklahoma.

[AuCivilEng1 12,661]

3 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

You really and truly didn’t. CFB program stats are not like baseball card stats. They’re wildly subjective and require boatloads of context.

Let’s just pick apart one, for example. You say we’re 8th/16 in win percentage. We’re seventh, actually. But you’re also counting Texas and Oklahoma - who spent 100+ years playing freaking Kansas and Iowa State. But here’s the kicker to prove your take incoherent - we’re 13th in the NATION all time in win percentage. Hell just last week we became the 13th program ever to reach 800 wins. 

Respond if you want but this is the last I’ll say on it, as it’s not worth arguing. Just know nobody who knows college football would classify Auburn as anything less than a big-time program with great history. 

We are 27th in winning % all time. So there’s that.
 

And we are comparing ourselves to our peers. That’s all that matters. Yes we have a winning percentage that is higher than most college programs. But we don’t compete with all of those programs year in and year out. We compete against the SEC. 

[TigerOne 1,334]

3 minutes ago, TripleDegreeTiger said:

I agree, there will probably be 22 or 23 seats that would usually hold a 175lb individual that will be empty 😀.

People will show up cause its a first time SEC game against Oklahoma.

Hard sellout 

[autiger88 3,900]

To add insult to injury FSU just beat Cal 🤣🤣 we suck!

[JMassie11 1,754]

To make matters worse FSU beat Cal….told everyone they are not a good team

[JMassie11 1,754]

Just now, autiger88 said:

To add insult to injury FSU just beat Cal 🤣🤣 we suck!

Beat me to it lol

[Shoney'sPonyBoy 441]

4 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Just know nobody who knows college football would classify Auburn as anything less than a big-time program with great history. 

That's a textbook example of the True Scotsman Fallacy.

And I would say that Auburn is generally regarded as a good but not elite program historically.  People would not put us in the same historical category as uat or Michigan or Texas.  Not only wouldn't they, but I think most would be amused that there are people like yourself who insist that they would.

But you're right...this is not worth arguing over b/c history doesn't matter in this context.  What we did 20 or 40 or 75 years ago is of no consequence whatsoever.

The game in 2024 is completely different.

[autiger88 3,900]

Just now, JMassie11 said:

Beat me to it lol

It's cool just means we are on the same page haha

[AUght2win 7,176]

1 minute ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

We are 27th in winning % all time. So there’s that.
 

And we are comparing ourselves to our peers. That’s all that matters. Yes we have a winning percentage that is higher than most college programs. But we don’t compete with all of those programs year in and year out. We compete against the SEC. 

You’re right, I was looking at total wins. But even by percentage, that’s not right. Subtracting non-FBS schools (and App State, who spent most of their history in FCS), were 14th. Right behind the U. A top 15 program no matter how you slice it. That’s good enough to be called a “giant” in a sport with 135 teams.

[TexasTiger 14,606]

1 hour ago, AUDub said:

I’m not heartbroken lol. Just pissed off. 

I've moved on to acceptance. But grief is a bitch.

[AuCivilEng1 12,661]

13 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

But you’re also counting Texas and Oklahoma - who spent 100+ years playing freaking Kansas and Iowa State. 

Also just going to leave this here for you, Mr. Know it All. Crossed out the new Big 12 teams. Not all that different.

[AUght2win 7,176]

3 minutes ago, Shoney'sPonyBoy said:

That's a textbook example of the True Scotsman Fallacy.

And I would say that Auburn is generally regarded as a good but not elite program historically.  People would not put us in the same historical category as uat or Michigan or Texas.  Not only wouldn't they, but I think most would be amused that there are people like yourself who insist that they would.

But you're right...this is not worth arguing over b/c history doesn't matter in this context.  What we did 20 or 40 or 75 years ago is of no consequence whatsoever.

The game in 2024 is completely different.

I love that there’s no in-between with you guys. You’re either a blueblood or you’re Arizona State. Maybe, just maybe, in a sport with 150+ years of history and 135 teams, being a top 15 team historically is enough to be considered “great” or “elite”.

This isn’t the NFL. It’s not 13th out of 30. It’s 13th of 135. Literally top 10%.

[TigerOne 1,334]

As long as we keep arguing about the distant past which is irrelevant to today’s college game  then that’s where Auburn will remain. Obviously haven’t learned anything.