Thoughts week four

Townhallsavoy · « **on:** September 21, 2013, 10:56:39 PM »

I am impatient. I am fucking tired of being this far behind LSU, Georgia, and Alabama.

2010 was an anomaly.

This sucks. Makes beating Miss State worth nothing knowing that we'll just get our ass beat by the important teams.

Tiger Wench · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2013, 11:25:16 PM »

It sucks but I'm not upset. #6 team. In their house. No quit in this team. Not claiming any kind of moral victory, but this works for me.

Not to mention that deep deep in the 4th we still look fresh and have energy. Improvement in conditioning.

Did not expect miracles this season. I did expect improvement. I did expect competitiveness. And I have seen both.

GH2001 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2013, 11:30:21 PM »

Quote from: Tiger Wench on September 21, 2013, 11:25:16 PM

It sucks but I'm not upset. #6 team. In their house. No quit in this team. Not claiming any kind of moral victory, but this works for me.

Not to mention that deep deep in the 4th we still look fresh and have energy. Improvement in conditioning.

Did not expect miracles this season. I did expect improvement. I did expect competitiveness. And I have seen both.

I'm with her ^

oldautiger · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2013, 11:33:15 PM »

Quote from: Tiger Wench on September 21, 2013, 11:25:16 PM

It sucks but I'm not upset. #6 team. In their house. No quit in this team. Not claiming any kind of moral victory, but this works for me.

Not to mention that deep deep in the 4th we still look fresh and have energy. Improvement in conditioning.

Did not expect miracles this season. I did expect improvement. I did expect competitiveness. And I have seen both.

Yep, last years team would have rolled over and died. This bunch didn't quit, yeah we had some fuck ups but overall there is improvement. I wish we would have won, but shit, I am proud of this bunch.
War Damn Eagle

GH2001 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2013, 11:46:27 PM »

Not to try and sound like a ga fan, but take away that first quarter and its a totally different ball game. We came out, got punched in the mouth, recovered from it but not in time. We wore their asses out the last 2 quarters statistically. Lsu's d was visibly gassed.

Most importantly, we did not quit.

Yoda · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2013, 11:54:45 PM »

I'm also tired of being behind the pack but at the same time we all knew this year was not going to be a miracle year. The Chizik years set us back and we should be grateful for 2010 and Cam. If not for that year we would be on a 6 year run of misery.

That said after what I saw tonight I actually do have faith in CGM. The team did not quit and is playing without a lot of talent and undersized players at key positions. We get the recruits we need and things will change. This year will not be a complete disgrace we will win some games that we shouldn't and end up middle of the road. Personally I would like to see Jeremy Johnson in the rotation because he will be our future QB.

LSU will beat Bama.

Tiger Wench · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2013, 11:57:23 PM »

Quote from: Yoda on September 21, 2013, 11:54:45 PM

LSU will beat Bama.

This. ^^^^

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #7 on:** September 22, 2013, 12:05:03 AM »

I liked our effort in this game,but it was obvious that when LSU turned it on, when they needed to respond, we were greatly out manned. They gashed us for thirty yard chunks with ease.

I do not buy into the idea that if our punter didn't drop the ball that we would have playing until the last minute for OT. I think they would have scored on their possession anyway.

We have some really good players. We have some depth at a few positions. We have some young guys that have potential. But we still have a few positions lacking SEC talent.

CCTAU · « **Reply #8 on:** September 22, 2013, 12:49:13 AM »

Quote from: oldautiger on September 21, 2013, 11:33:15 PM

Yep, last years team would have rolled over and died. This bunch didn't quit, yeah we had some fuck ups but overall there is improvement. I wish we would have won, but shit, I am proud of this bunch.
War Damn Eagle

I wish people would quit saying that. Last year we only lost 12-10.

Preface it by "the decimated team at the end of last season... "

AUownsU · « **Reply #9 on:** September 22, 2013, 12:50:59 AM »

I know this isn't the place for moral victories and sunshine but fuck it. Im gonna do it anyway. Imo there is not a team on schedule we can't compete with. Most of the mistakes I saw can be corrected and many were in the 2nd half. Clark's bobble was a fluke play that gave them a TD. When CEJ finally brought the safties down we started stuffing the run. Solid adjustments were made at the half however the hole was to big and the stakes were to many to overcome on the road. It is what is. A loss and hopefully a lesson learned. And that's you better bring your A game if your gonna beat the big boys. Especially at their place. Tonight we didn't. If we do who knows?

CCTAU · « **Reply #10 on:** September 22, 2013, 12:54:08 AM »

Quote from: AUownsU on September 22, 2013, 12:50:59 AM

I know this isn't the place for moral victories and sunshine but fuck it. Im gonna do it anyway. Imo there is not a team on schedule we can't compete with. Most of the mistakes I saw can be corrected and many were in the 2nd half. Clark's bobble was a fluke play that gave them a TD. When CEJ finally brought the safties down we started stuffing the run. Solid adjustments were made at the half however the hole was to big and the stakes were to many to overcome on the road. It is what is. A loss and hopefully a lesson learned. And that's you better bring your A game if your gonna beat the big boys. Especially at their place. Tonight we didn't. If we do who knows?

Dry day, we fight and make it very close. We are an inexperienced team that played in a deluge and made the mistakes that we just could not come back from. I like our chances form here on out...as long as it don't rain.

jmar · « **Reply #11 on:** September 22, 2013, 01:12:11 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on September 22, 2013, 12:05:03 AM

I liked our effort in this game,but it was obvious that when LSU turned it on, when they needed to respond, we were greatly out manned. They gashed us for thirty yard chunks with ease.

I do not buy into the idea that if our punter didn't drop the ball that we would have playing until the last minute for OT. I think they would have scored on their possession anyway.

We have some really good players. We have some depth at a few positions. We have some young guys that have potential. But we still have a few positions lacking SEC talent.

^Agree. LSU had a decided advantage and the immediate implosion was just too much to overcome but we fought hard and I'm proud for that.

*NM struggled with his mechanics and hope he can get it corrected for Ole Miss. I had to listen to the radio broadcast for the first half and Stan said Nick wasn't setting his feet or squaring his shoulders and continued to do so throughout.

The Prowler · « **Reply #12 on:** September 22, 2013, 02:41:36 AM »

I saw Chad Slade actually getting after the DLinemen, even mauling a few of them. I guess he didn't like me calling him a Coke Machine that just stands there in the hole.

Kaos · « **Reply #13 on:** September 22, 2013, 08:08:15 AM »

When the home team has to get home cooking even when they are obviously the better team? I'm ok.

The call on the onsides kick was abysmal. That was our ball and who knows what happens if we get that.

The motion penalty after the fake injury was also bogus -- as was the fake injury to give their defense time to breathe when we were about to make it a one-score game.

Yeah, they bumbled away one score with the fake field goal, and fumbled away another but we handed them three scores by letting Jake play and by dropping the punt snap.

The only thing that worries me is that Ole Miss, Arkansas, anybody we play is going to run right at Jake and he's going to dance backwards or sideways every time. There has to be another option. All of their big back-breaking runs were partially his fault.

JR4AU · « **Reply #14 on:** September 22, 2013, 08:44:45 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on September 22, 2013, 12:05:03 AM

I liked our effort in this game,but it was obvious that when LSU turned it on, when they needed to respond, we were greatly out manned.

I think I have mentioned this being the case, but nobody seems to want to accept it. Now that you've seen it first hand maybe?

Jake Holland sucks. Any and every barb that's been thrown his way is on target and deserved. That said, last night, for most of the game when LSU needed yards, they ran right between the tackles from the I formation. Old fashioned, power football. Blackledge called it the first time they needed it ("they like to run to the left") and they did. They got huge chunks of yards, and TDs. That mammoth FB LSU had had nothing but clear sailing through the line of scrimmage to draw a bead on Jake, and he flattened him routinely. The FB could have run for 150 yard with no lead blocker. Why? Our DL parting like the red sea. We're woefully undermanned on D. Therezie is about the only thing like a player we have there. Our DBs are playing much better technique wise, but still get beat badly. In an effort to slow this down we crammed every gap on run downs, and still they gained positive yards.

I saw this in the spring, and accepted it. I said it here. Some refuse to believe it, while others think "coach em up" or "imaginative 3rd down play calling" will make it all better. It won't. When we step on the field vs bammer, and Ugay, we'll be just as outmanned.

Bright side? Wench said it. We see great improvement in the things coaching can fix: effort, technique, team culture, conditioning. Ark. and UT suck.

Ole Miss isn't that much more talented, if at all, but they're not that much more lacking in talent either (like they should be compared to Auburn) and they have a year jump on us with their new coach/systems, plus confidence. We might actually eek out 8 wins (9 with a bowl win) IF we don't have a game where we don't show up at all. But, with our D, Ole Miss could score early and often. Not sure we'll feel any better, and may feel worse after next Sat.

You don't have to claim a moral victory to see things to build on with this team. I think the future is bright for Gus and company, but the future isn't now.

The Six · « **Reply #15 on:** September 22, 2013, 09:07:38 AM »

Defensive lacking will keep us from beating the better teams in the West (Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama) and East (Georgia) left on the schedule. Ole Miss and Texas A&M will use their speed and misdirection to get our D out of position and break big the opposite ways. Alabama and Georgia will line up and run it right at us - especially Georgia.

We should be able to outscore Arkansas and Tennessee and by the time we get to the latter, they may not have much fight left. We'll wax Western Carolina and FAU as should be expected.

That's 7-5 with a bowl bid coming. Not too bad but hopefully won't become the norm.

Outside of Auburn:

Southern Cal should go ahead and start the coaching search now. They are pathetic and shouldn't be. Ever.

Notre Dame and Michigan are totally propped up by ESPN. Those teams are aided by a weak conference (or not one in NDs case) and a weak schedule. There's nothing tough about either of them.

LSU will beat Georgia and Alabama this year. That's a nasty, big team with a chip on the shoulder. The biggest obstacle is Les and his awful game management. If they can overcome or work around that, they could run the table.

If the media could arrange it, the national title game would be Oregon - Ohio State. And the game would be awful. Ohio State would be little more than cannon fodder for the Ducks.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #16 on:** September 22, 2013, 10:03:45 AM »

Also jumping off JR's post -

If we go 9-4, is it normal for a 9 win SEC team to be so ar behind the best SEC teams?

The SEC has been pretty lopsided lately. I agree we could squeak out nine wins or eight but it seems silly that a team like that would have little chance of NOT being blown out against Alabama, LSU etc.

Maybe I just didn't pay attention to the mid tier teams when we were rolling n the mid 2000s.

GH2001 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 22, 2013, 10:14:50 AM »

Quote from: TheSix on September 22, 2013, 09:07:38 AM

Defensive lacking will keep us from beating the better teams in the West (Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama) and East (Georgia) left on the schedule. Ole Miss and Texas A&M will use their speed and misdirection to get our D out of position and break big the opposite ways. Alabama and Georgia will line up and run it right at us - especially Georgia.

We should be able to outscore Arkansas and Tennessee and by the time we get to the latter, they may not have much fight left. We'll wax Western Carolina and FAU as should be expected.

That's 7-5 with a bowl bid coming. Not too bad but hopefully won't become the norm.

Outside of Auburn:

Southern Cal should go ahead and start the coaching search now. They are pathetic and shouldn't be. Ever.

Notre Dame and Michigan are totally propped up by ESPN. Those teams are aided by a weak conference (or not one in NDs case) and a weak schedule. There's nothing tough about either of them.

LSU will beat Georgia and Alabama this year. That's a nasty, big team with a chip on the shoulder. The biggest obstacle is Les and his awful game management. If they can overcome or work around that, they could run the table.

If the media could arrange it, the national title game would be Oregon - Ohio State. And the game would be awful. Ohio State would be little more than cannon fodder for the Ducks.

Oregon is a misfit and in a weird way I like it. To me Espn wants bammer - tosu.

Stanford, lsu, Oregon, even A&M all equally deserving if not more. I'd love for aggy to get in after losing to bammer. Would be the ultimate karma after what happened last year.

Louisville and tosu have no business in the conversation with their schedules.

Godfather · « **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2013, 10:31:28 AM »

Quote from: AUownsU on September 22, 2013, 12:50:59 AM

I know this isn't the place for moral victories and sunshine but fuck it. Im gonna do it anyway. Imo there is not a team on schedule we can't compete with. Most of the mistakes I saw can be corrected and many were in the 2nd half. Clark's bobble was a fluke play that gave them a TD. When CEJ finally brought the safties down we started stuffing the run. Solid adjustments were made at the half however the hole was to big and the stakes were to many to overcome on the road. It is what is. A loss and hopefully a lesson learned. And that's you better bring your A game if your gonna beat the big boys. Especially at their place. Tonight we didn't. If we do who knows?

add to this Gus made some stupid ass calls. He didn't help.

We should have been running the fast paced all damn night. Jake Holland has no business out on that field...period!

AUChizad · « **Reply #19 on:** September 22, 2013, 10:39:43 AM »

The aforementioned home cooking aside, the second half was much better than the first.

I was at the game. It was unbelievably fucking loud every time Auburn had the ball. In another sign of disrespect, the corn dogs were filing out at halftime. I think that had something to do with a better 2nd half performance. Also, the downpour in the first half didn't help. That had cleared up in the 2nd.

If we played that game in Auburn last night, I think we would have won.