Dear Kaos/GreaseyWeasel:

[AUChizad]

Please read this article. I'd love to know your thoughts. Wherever you are...

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/10/herndon_the_alternative_to_chi.html

Herndon: The alternative to Chizik proves not to be much of an option
Published: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 6:16 AM
  Mike Herndon, Press-Register

It's easy to sit here now, with Auburn at 7-0 and No. 4 in the BCS standings, and say that athletic director Jay Jacobs made the right move two years ago in bringing Gene Chizik back to the Plains. But to fully understand just how right the move has turned out to be, one needs only to catch up with the coach he passed over in favor of Chizik -- Turner Gill.

While Chizik's Tigers were scoring at will in a 65-43 win over Arkansas last week, Gill's Kansas Jayhawks were back in Lawrence, Kan., licking their wounds after a second straight bludgeoning in the Big 12. A week after absorbing a 55-7 loss at perennial Big 12 doormat Baylor, Gill's Jayhawks returned home last Thursday and were blasted 59-7 by arch-rival Kansas State.

That's two of the worst losses in a school history full of them. Oh, and the 2-4 Jayhawks also opened the season with a 6-3 loss to North Dakota State of the FCS.

All those who were lambasting Jacobs two years ago for taking a chance on a coach who went 5-19 in the Big 12 should be kissing his feet right about now. Gill would kill for five wins.

Gill was a hot coaching commodity two years ago, having built Buffalo's program from practically nothing to a bowl bid in 2008. Auburn interviewed him along with several other candidates but chose Chizik instead, and the admittedly curious hire was roundly blasted. "Give us Gill, not Chizik!" a fan yelled at Jacobs at the airport when the news broke. Famous alum Charles Barkley openly questioned whether Gill was passed over because he is black.

Turns out Jacobs must have known something the rest of us didn't. He apparently knew Chizik could recruit. He apparently knew Chizik would surround himself with a strong staff. He apparently knew Chizik was capable of putting together a program at Auburn that looks nothing like the one he had at Iowa State.

Gill, meanwhile, went to Kansas a year later brandishing a laundry list of curfews and rules and apparently little else.

It may be premature to judge Gill's worth on his first six games. But he didn't walk into a bare cupboard at Kansas, where Mark Mangino had been forced out after alleged verbal and physical abuse of his players. The Jayhawks were 5-7 in 2009, the same as Auburn in 2008, Tommy Tuberville's last year. Before that, they'd gone 8-5 in 2008 and 12-1 in 2007.

Chizik walked into a similar situation at Auburn, won his first five games en route to an 8-5 first-year record, and now has the Tigers in the national top 10.

Yes, if the Tigers' secondary doesn't play better, it's going to catch up with them. But Kansas is giving up 32 points and nearly 400 yards per game -- and it hasn't even played Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri or Oklahoma State.

This is one case where the grass isn't greener on the other side. It's dead.

[Saniflush]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I recall you screaming pretty loudly when Gill was not hired.

Not much different than most of us.

[AUChizad]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I recall you screaming pretty loudly when Gill was not hired.

Not much different than most of us.

I was definitely on the Gill train when candidates were being discussed. However, when Jacobs made the decision to go with Chizik, I had faith that he knew more than I did in making his choice. Every day after that just confirmed this more, from the coaching staff he assembled to the balls-to-the-wall recruiting efforts.

To my knowledge, the two in the thread title still believe that Chizik is the worst possible thing to happen to Auburn University. He's worse than Barfield could have ever attempted to be.

I'd love to pick either of their brains right about now. I suspect Greasey is so far removed from reality, that he would provide no insight. Kaos on the other hand. I have to believe there's just enough drizzling of rationality to admit he was wrong.

[Saniflush]

All I'm getting at is that it's real easy right now to look back and say Chizik was the right hire at the time.  Still not a slam dunk though.  This is his second year.  Things look real good but 5-7 years down the road is when the tale is told.
There were a lot of people who shit upon the wall it just so happens that up to now yours stuck.

[wesfau2]

Kaos on the other hand. I have to believe there's just enough drizzling of rationality to admit he was wrong.

I can't speak for the guy, obviously, but he always claimed that his opinion will not change on this.

It was the wrong hire, regardless of result.

I wanted Gill.  Was confused by the Chizik hire, but soon got on board after I researched Chiz and ISU a bit.  Even wrote a little article about it.

[AUChizad]

All I'm getting at is that it's real easy right now to look back and say Chizik was the right hire at the time.  Still not a slam dunk though.  This is his second year.  Things look real good but 5-7 years down the road is when the tale is told.
There were a lot of people who shit upon the wall it just so happens that up to now yours stuck.

I guess you could frame it that way...

These guys lived and died by the "shit" they threw against the wall. The obsessive focal point of every one of their combined posts. They not only believed it to be true, as if it were an opinion, but any opinion contrary was completely asinine, no matter how many solid facts to the contrary you threw in their direction.

See my signature below for some more of Kaos's "shit on the wall" that's sliding right off.

[Saniflush]

Well your second quote could have well been the case if not for Cam and his superb play up to this point.  Nobody, including you knew how well he would play.  We all knew he had the tools but that was it. To claim anything other than that is revisionist history at best and an outright lie at worst. ANYONE who really thought Cam's play would be at this level from the onset is lieing about it. 

[AWK]

I agree with Sani here a little bit.  The question you need to ultimately ask yourself about Chizik is:  What would Auburn's record be right now without Cam Newton?  What is going to happen to Auburn when Cam Newton leaves?  (See Florida this year, post-Tebow)

[AUChizad]

Well your second quote could have well been the case if not for Cam and his superb play up to this point.  Nobody, including you knew how well he would play.  We all knew he had the tools but that was it. To claim anything other than that is revisionist history at best and an outright lie at worst. ANYONE who really thought Cam's play would be at this level from the onset is lieing about it.

MOST of us were jumping for fucking joy when Cam signed the dotted line. I believe the record will show that I HAVE been  saying Newton would be a difference maker the day he stepped on the field, although, admittedly, he's surpassed even my high expectations. I was laughed at for these claims, but I did make them. I was told we would be worse without Todd's experienced leadership this year, and I laughed my ass off. I know this comers across as Prowlerish, but check the record.

All of that is irrelevant to the point that Taylor made that to fairly evaluate Chizik, you have to remove Newton from the equation.

I disagree with that statement as well. We would not have landed Newton if not for this coaching staff. He would be leading Mississippi State to their first SEC championship right about now. Recruiting is a very big part of it, and he is certainly getting the right guys to join the party.

[RWS]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I recall you screaming pretty loudly when Gill was not hired.

Not much different than most of us.

And when Chizik was hired, for that matter.

[AUChizad]

Off topic somewhat, but I just had a blast from the past about another douche poster that took his ball and went home.

Mr. Sensible.

If anyone sees that asshole, tell him he owes me money.

[Snaggletiger]

Here's the thing with me.  I was just as WTF as anyone when The Chin was named Head Corch.  I felt like Buzz probably does right now about the interim tag being taken off Quade as the Cubbies boss.  In fact, I was even less thrilled about most of the assistant hires.  Two theories here.  Splash hire...and you will succeed.  Average hire but surround yourself with great people and you will succeed.  I didn't see either.  Honestly, Gus Malzahn putting up sick numbers at Tulsa thrilled me about as much as Franklin doing the same at Troy.  And after the Franklin debacle, alll I could think of is here we go again.  This shit won't work at Auburn.

As for Roof, I have hated that hire from the start.  No need to go there.  To continue on my negative take, I thought the Tiger Prowl and all that crap was just the beginning of sending Auburn down the road towards becoming a national laughing stock.  I've certainly never been as vocal in my views as the aforementioned Kaos and GW, but in the back of my mind, that's exactly what I was thinking.  Fast forward to a 15-5 slate, a bowl win and current #4 BCS ranking...and I admit I was wrrrr.....I was wrro....I was wrrrr....I may have been a bit hasty in my judgment.

As for our status without Cam, I'm not going to even start to suggest that he's not one of the most dynamic players ever to set foot on campus.  I think he's a huge part of our #4 ranking.  However, I don't think AU would be chopped liver had Trotter taken the helm from the start.  Last year proved what AU had the potential to be with less weapons and a QB with an average arm and no legs.  I truly believe Corch Malzahn would have adjusted to his strengths and you'd still be seeing sick offensive stats and a lot of wins.  7-0 and #4??? Probably not.  But, I think we'd be happy where the program was headed.   

[AUChizad]

As for our status without Cam, I'm not going to even start to suggest that he's not one of the most dynamic players ever to set foot on campus.  I think he's a huge part of our #4 ranking.  However, I don't think AU would be chopped liver had Trotter taken the helm from the start.  Last year proved what AU had the potential to be with less weapons and a QB with an average arm and no legs.  I truly believe Corch Malzahn would have adjusted to his strengths and you'd still be seeing sick offensive stats and a lot of wins.  7-0 and #4??? Probably not.  But, I think we'd be happy where the program was headed.   

This.

It's like you read my mind on what I meant to include in my previous post concerning the matter, but got sidetracked and left out.

[Jumbo]

Off topic somewhat, but I just had a blast from the past about another douche poster that took his ball and went home.

Mr. Sensible.

If anyone sees that asshole, tell him he owes me money.

Look at the shoes man.

[JR4AU]

This is a stupid game to be playing...comparing Gill's record at Kansas and Chizik's at Auburn for the purposes of saying "we made the right or wrong move". 

[Tiger Wench]

Maybe Turner Gill is in the same sitchiashun as Chiz was at Iowa State?  In a top tier program like Auburn, he might succeed.  A bottom feeder like Kansas?  Maybe not... (and yeah, I know, they had their moments under Fat Boy... but not THAT many...)

[JR4AU]

Maybe Turner Gill is in the same sitchiashun as Chiz was at Iowa State?  In a top tier program like Auburn, he might succeed.  A bottom feeder like Kansas?  Maybe not... (and yeah, I know, they had their moments under Fat Boy... but not THAT many...)

Situation means a lot.  If it doesn't then you have to believe that Spurrier forgot how to coach when he went to SC, that Rich Rod temporarily forgot his first two seasons at Mich. and may be forgetting again, that Saban forgot how his first year at bammer, that Chizik suddenly learned this past off season, that Larry Coker is a great coach because he won a NC, and like we've seen in the Urban Meyer thread, that Urban Meyer never really knew how, he just rode great players. 

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Maybe Turner Gill is in the same sitchiashun as Chiz was at Iowa State?  In a top tier program like Auburn, he might succeed.  A bottom feeder like Kansas?  Maybe not... (and yeah, I know, they had their moments under Fat Boy... but not THAT many...)

Kansas has proven in the past few years, that although they're a mid-teir conference team, they could succeed.

Kansas is NO Iowa State, and that's a good thing for Kansas.   I can see Gill having a rougher time with a mid to low teir program, which I believe was your point, and I agree.  Just saying, he's not in quite as much of a periless position as Rhodes, or Chizik for that matter, was/ is at ISU.

[Snaggletiger]

ISU is back to their winning ways under Rhoades and....wait, what?

3-4 with wins over N. Illionois, N. Iowa and Texas Tech.  Last two games have been losses to the tune of 68-27 and 52-0.

[Saniflush]

ISU is back to their winning ways under Rhoades and....wait, what?

3-4 with wins over N. Illionois, N. Iowa and Texas Tech.  Last two games have been losses to the tune of 68-27 and 52-0.

I heard they had no cattle.