Changing scheme...keeping scheme....

[JR4AU]

2001 OC, Noel Mazzone, DC John Lovett, Auburn went 7-5

2002 OC Bobby Petrino, DC Gene Chizik, Auburn went 9-4

2003 OC Nallsminger, DC Chizik, Though Auburn kept the same offense (run by committee), and the same Defense and DC, they regressed to 8-5, and though some were ready to hang Tubs, it was still a winning season, including SEC play.

2004 OC Al Borges, DC Gene Chizik, Completely different OFF. System, new language, new way of installing, and much more balanced philosophy, and the players hit the ground running and went 13-0 with the same team that had gone 8-5.

2005 OC Al Borges, DC David Gibbs, we go 9-3 after losing a shit ton of NFL talent.  2 regular season losses, one in OT to LSU in their house, and Gibbs defense only gave up more than 23 points twice the entire season, yet I sat in Orlando for the bowl game, and felt like I was ass raped losing to Wisc 24-10 in the Alverez swan song. 24 points!  That was shitty defense in 2005 at Auburn!  Gibbs got run!

2006 OC Al Borges, DC Coach Boom.  We go 11-2, and are actually in the NC talk until we got ass raped by UGA.  Coach Boom's defense gave up more than 17 pts only twice that season, both losses.  The loss to UGA was 37-15 and felt like they'd run up and down the field on us. 

2008 OC Tony Franklin, DC Paul Rhodes.  We go 3-8 with an offense that can be installed in 9 days and can be easily grasped and executed by HS kids.  Even at that, with all the offensive struggles, Auburn's defense with new DC is still the #14 Defense in all the land.

2009 OC Gus Malzahn, DC Ted Roof, even with a shitty Defense, the hapless Chris Todd sets a new Auburn passing TD record, and they go 8-5 setting high offensive marks, and low defensive marks. 

Bottom line, there's far more success stories in year one of new schemes, than not.  Even one where we keep the same Off. Scheme with different coaches looking disastrous.  It's just not that big a deal or "learning curve" as folks make of it, and it's far more about how you're doing what you do, than what you do.   I mean folks were wanting a "new pro style" offense last year, am I right?  Everybody agrees the 4-3 Def. is proven to work, but sure as hell didn't under Roof! 

It's not about the Xs and Os.   

[JR4AU]

Steve Spurrier took over an old school Galen Hall team at FL in 1990, installed what was then a radical new age offense, with players recruited to an antiquated system, and won the SEC in year one going 9-2. 

[Yoda]

Steve Spurrier took over an old school Galen Hall team at FL in 1990, installed what was then a radical new age offense, with players recruited to an antiquated system, and won the SEC in year one going 9-2.

Your point is well made to most.  The real problem is our coaching staff can't develop players.  On that note, things could change on defense with the right players.

[Greaseyweasel]

Steve Spurrier took over an old school Galen Hall team at FL in 1990, installed what was then a radical new age offense, with players recruited to an antiquated system, and won the SEC in year one going 9-2.

Coaches can and do teach.
chizik has not done shit.

[Townhallsavoy]

Coaches can and do teach.
chizik has not done shit.

I bet you're eating shit right now. 

[JR4AU]

Your point is well made to most.  The real problem is our coaching staff can't develop players.  On that note, things could change on defense with the right players.

An undercurrent to my point that changing schemes shouldn't take years, or even half a season to get right, is how Roof got us so used to shitty defense.

I've said before that the 2008 hapless Tigers still had the #14 Def nationally.  It's possible to have good defense and shitty offense.  And with that, you can keep yourself in games you shouldn't be in.

The 2004 Auburn Tigers gave 14 or more only 2 times, and never gave up 30. 

The 2010 Tigers gave up 24 or more 9 times.  30+ 4 times.

[Townhallsavoy]

Excellent points, JR.

And schemes have nothing to do with the aloofness of our players on both sides of the ball. 

[JR4AU]

I bet you're eating shit right now.

Straight out of a hobo's ass.

[Townhallsavoy]

Excellent points, JR.

And schemes have nothing to do with the aloofness of our players on both sides of the ball.

I don't like the word choice I used.  Aloofness isn't the problem.

It's the inability to do football player things like shed blocks and tackle. 

If it were a scheme problem, we'd see blown coverages, linebackers blitzing the wrong holes, missed blocks on blitz pick up, running backs going out for a pass when they should be blocking, receivers running wrong routes. 

Not seeing a whole lot of that.  It looks more like we're just getting our asses beat physically. 

[JR4AU]

I don't like the word choice I used.  Aloofness isn't the problem.

It's the inability to do football player things like shed blocks and tackle. 

If it were a scheme problem, we'd see blown coverages, linebackers blitzing the wrong holes, missed blocks on blitz pick up, running backs going out for a pass when they should be blocking, receivers running wrong routes. 

Not seeing a whole lot of that.  It looks more like we're just getting our asses beat physically.

Without knowing player assignments, there's no way to know if we're seeing those things or not.  Those things are coaching too, which makes it a fair assumption that we're getting some of that too, but your point about being beaten physically is spot on, and I'll add to that mentally.

[JR4AU]

Or maybe they're spending so much time getting "scheme" perfected, that they've forgotten to coach basic football skills.

[GH2001]

Or maybe they're spending so much time getting "scheme" perfected, that they've forgotten to coach basic football skills.

You just hit the nail on the head.

[JR4AU]

You just hit the nail on the head.

I've seen this before.  And I think maybe it's a big part of the problem.  Chiz is so hell bent on changing the personality of the team to pro style, and defense, that they've given up practice time to that end, that should be spent coaching basic skills.