Thoughts - That's It

[Townhallsavoy]

That's the finale.  Not the worst way to go out - losing by three to the #1 team in the country in the BCSCG. 

But I was really disappointed that the Georgia game issue creeped back in.  Up 21-3, dominating on defense, gashing them on offense and with the chance to really put the game out of reach, we give up a fake punt.  It wasn't so much that fake punts are easy to stop, but we should have stopped that one.

Melvin Ray's job was to keep containment.  He got sucked in.  They ran around him.  He keeps containment?  He either makes the tackle or slows the guy enough for him to not get the 1st down.  No doubt in my mind if we stop them there, we score again, and it's 28-3 going into the half. 

Instead, they keep going and get a freaky scramble and then score a touchdown right before the half.

And that's what been a plague all season and was a plague throughout the game.  A few undisciplined issues keeping the other team in the game.

A wide open receiver, and we under-throw him.  Or in week 1, we overthrow him twice. Or throughout the season, we miss him.  Over and over.

We hit a running back in the backfield and instead of it being a loss, it's a four yard gain. 

We put pressure on a quarterback, and he runs for fifteen yards.

We have the chance for an interception, we drop it. 

We have the chance to add three points, we miss a chip shot field goal. 

We seem to be on a roll on offense, we run three straight cutesy plays for no gain.

But with all of that said, we still only lost two games, won the SECCG, and were seriously fucking close to winning the BCSCG.  We were able to overcome not just the random blunders of this year, but the abortion that was 2012. 

Gus Malzahn hired a stellar staff, brought in future superstars in recruiting, and established a culture of winning all in one offseason.  Our players are more mature, more NFL ready, and more competitive.  Our offense is one of the top offenses in the country.  Our defense is improving. 

Our whole team is improving.  It's improved all year.  It'll improve with recruiting.  It'll improve with another spring practice.  It'll improve with winter and summer conditioning. 

We'll be ready for 2014. 

[Come Honor Face]

Agree with everything. I had to remind myself that all of this was accomplished in one fucking year. I'm not about moral victories, but with the playoffs next year I think they'll be wanting to prove themselves again.

Wish we could've won, but the future looks bright.

Now please get some mean ass fuckers on defense that attack instead of react.

[Tiger Wench]

We get our entire offensive line back next year.

OUR ENTIRE LINE.

The importance of this cannot be overlooked. This is a major component.

We will easily be top 3 preseason.

[ssgaufan]

I'm fucking pissed.  Yeah I know we didn't expect to be here this year, but we made it and we had our chances to win it, yet we pissed it away with stupid ass play calling.  I FUCKING HATE THE WILDCAT!  I also hate how saban is sucking jimbo's cock on the post game show.  He's so god damn happy that we lost, fuck him and his loser ass team that got raped in the Sugar Bowl.  I'm probably going to end up punching some redneck fucker straight in the mouth tomorrow.

[Townhallsavoy]

How about we not punch anyone?  Why meltdown over this?  Who the hell expected us to get here and even compete the way we did? 

I refuse to let one game bring down this season.  I'm not sour or even that upset.  I'm bummed that we were close to hoisting the trophy and are not just watching everyone else attempt to have fun at our expense.

But like Wench said, we return just about everybody next year.  And those areas we need help?  More receivers?  Middle linebacker?  More depth in the secondary?

Yeah, we're on schedule to have all of that with our incoming recruiting class. 

This was a mulligan season.  It sucked to lose, but it always sucks to lose.  Everything that happened this year, Gus gets to now put his thumbprint on fixing it.

[Townhallsavoy]

- Tonight snapped our 30-point streak.  We scored 31 and lost.

[CCTAU]

Love Parkey, but damn, not one kickoff out of the end zone!

And the the missed chip shop. Odd night for him!

[Townhallsavoy]

Love Parkey, but damn, not one kickoff out of the end zone!

And the the missed chip shop. Odd night for him!

Yeah that was strange.  He was obviously feeling off tonight. 

Marshall was too.  Marshall played tonight like he did in the weeks leading up to the LSU game.  Much less accurate, slow to react, and poor decisions on the read option.  Some players just don't handle the 30 day layoff and/or huge national stage. 

[Token]

12-2 and an SEC championship is a hell of a season.  Especially in year 1. I've said it once and I'll say it again....with Nick Marshall Auburn's offense was dangerous. With Jeremy Johnson it's going to be lethal.

And on defense, I envy the pash rush. After 6 years of 290lb defensive ends and a containment heavy front seven, watching this game tonight makes me see how important it is to get after a quarterback's ass.  If Saban is going to continue to thrive in the era of high octane offense, he is going to have to evolve away from heavy front.

You guys had a hell of a season and have even more to build off of.   

[Ranger12]

Yeah, I was starting to see some of the UGA game also midway at the end of the 3rd quarter. I thought we started getting too conservative with the play calling when we should have kept our foot on their throats. Herbie and Brent were talking like the game was over when halftime was approaching and it was pissing me off, because I knew it was far from it.

A win would have been the first in major college football history that a team beat three top five teams in a row. I am guessing there is a very good reason that has never happened. I could not be more proud of Coach Malzhan and the team. I am not even mad like I thought I would be over the loss. I am disappointed, but given what our program looked like at the end of last year, I will never take a winning season for granted again, much less complain even a little about a season like this. I sure hope Tre Mason returns, but if not, we will do what we always do at the RB position.

[The Prowler]

I ain't even mad...just disappointed that we didn't cover just about any of their receivers in the second half (atleast it seemed that way).

I'm still very happy with what this Auburn team was able to accomplish. Doorstep in the SEC to SEC Champions, come within a few plays from beating the #1 team in the Country ("experts" said that they were the best top to bottom team in a long time) and end up #2 in the final AP Poll...in one year. That's fucking awesome.

I hope Tre comes back. He is a Elite type RB with a heart bigger than his body. I can't wait until next year, already.

[Saniflush]

I really hate that we let that one get away from us.  It shouldn't have happened.  We kicked their door in and had them completely dumbfounded for so long and they should have never been able to recover. 

I love this team for erasing the ghosts of the 2012 season. 

The future is super nova bright.

Is it time for Spring ball yet?

[AUownsU]

Lots of what ifs from tonight. The onus is on Auburn as there were about 10 or more plays that could have gone either way and the outcome would have been different. Marshall over throwing Coates in the endzone with the score 21-20 & Johnathon Jones getting a cramp on that kick return were both huge.

With that said there were four calls/non-calls by the refs that really cost us bigtime. The calls came at 2 different points in the game on back-to-back plays. First was the obvious PI on Sammie Coates. Total bullshit considering the defender never even looked back to the ball and ran him the fuck over while the ball was sailing towards the endzone. Very next play Marshall hits Sammie at the FSU 22 only to have it called back on what would be the only holding call of the night against either team, a ticky tac call on Greg Robinson which was a total joke of a call considering how the game was being officiated. Which leads me to the next set of calls, the PI on Chris Davis and the TD play after it. First let me say it was prob PI on Chris but again with the way the game was being called how in the hell do you throw that flag with a National Championship hanging in the balance. They sure as fuck didn't call it on Sammie's 3rd and 11 catch on Auburn's last TD drive and I promise you that MFer was hell of alot more obvious than Chris' play. Yet the real killer was the next play. On FSU's TD throw Gabe Wright made a hell of a swim move and was 2 steps into the backfield before Winston even got his head back around on the play action. Gabe was there and about to make the play but the FSU lineman who was smoked literally dives and tackles Gabe right as he is closing in. There is no doubt in my mind that if that MFer doesn't tackle Gabe, Gabe makes that play. However, Wright stumbles and Winston's throw goes right beside him as Gabe was stumbling. Biggest non-call of the game imo. Sucks like a son of a bitch to lose that game like that and it really pisses me off to see an officiating crew pick and chose when they want to throw their flag. Especially in critical moments.

[Saniflush]

Hey, you fuckers had a chance to be celebrating another N.C. this morning.  All you had to do was send Chief and I to the game.  But you got cheap and thought you didn't need our mojo. 
I blame the lot of you.

[GH2001]

On another note, Fuck FSU, their fans, players and coach. Win with class you assholes. Gloating and dancing like thugs the whole game, and gloating after as if you just won by 50 with ease. Yes, fuck you FSU. Bunch of classless thugs.

Proud of our guys. Not mad at them at all. Pure guts they laid out there. They contained FSU's O as long as they could. Future is bright. On to 2014.

[djsimp]

Tough loss but I love AU. Those players fought hard and played their asses off.

[dallaswareagle]

To me it boils down to four plays:

Missing a wide open Ricardo
Missing their fake punt
Missing the field goal
Their kick-off return.

I am a shiton happier this year than last. The team got thirty days more of practice which I think will pay off giant dividends next year.

The one area that I think we need the most work on in the off season is NM passing skills.

[JR4AU]

To me it boils down to four plays:

Missing a wide open Ricardo
Missing their fake punt
Missing the field goal
Their kick-off return.

I am a shiton happier this year than last. The team got thirty days more of practice which I think will pay off giant dividends next year.

The one area that I think we need the most work on in the off season is NM passing skills.

Special teams were the difference for sure.  2 defensive stops erased.  One with a roughing call, the other on the fake.  It was a situation where we should have been very aware it was possible too.  We had them down big, they needed something to light a fire in them, and the field position was right.  Very bad.  A major turning point.  Had we gotten the ball then, we'd done some things to counter their defensive game plan, and could have put another score up.  Instead they got a TD.  HUGE swing.  You might as well count them as 2 turnovers though they don't show up that way in the stats. 

A missed FG and that's a 10pt swing in the whole game there. 

Then the KO return, and that's 7 more.

The game as a whole played out the way 2 championship level teams should.  Swings in momentum.  We stifle them early with great D, and then they do the same to us after half.  By game's end, our game plan was coming to fruition with their D getting tired.  We score late for the lead, but they've made the offensive adjustments to counter what our D had done to them early, and they score last.  A minute more on the clock, or 40 seconds less when Tre scores to go ahead....oh well... 

Close game.  Disappointing loss based on it really coming down to special teams play, but that's football. 

Auburn has a lot to be proud of...an SEC Championship, and Gus has us way ahead of schedule in turning the program around.   

Future is bright though today is a little sad. 

War Damn Eagle

[CCTAU]

To me it boils down to four plays:

Missing a wide open Ricardo
Missing their fake punt
Missing the field goal
Their kick-off return.

I am a shiton happier this year than last. The team got thirty days more of practice which I think will pay off giant dividends next year.

The one area that I think we need the most work on in the off season is NM passing skills.

Agree with JR. I still think the biggest issue was our special teams play. It has been great all year and it was just so-so. Missed FG,it happens. not kicking off out of endzone, rarely happens to us. Allowing a kickoff return in a NC game, killer. No kickoff return, no lead.

It was

[CCTAU]

To me it boils down to four plays:

Missing a wide open Ricardo
Missing their fake punt
Missing the field goal
Their kick-off return.

I am a shiton happier this year than last. The team got thirty days more of practice which I think will pay off giant dividends next year.

The one area that I think we need the most work on in the off season is NM passing skills.

To me it boils down to four plays:

Missing a wide open Ricardo
Missing their fake punt
Missing the field goal
Their kick-off return.

I am a shiton happier this year than last. The team got thirty days more of practice which I think will pay off giant dividends next year.

The one area that I think we need the most work on in the off season is NM passing skills.

Agree with JR. I still think the biggest issue was our special teams play. It has been great all year and it was just so-so. Missed FG,it happens. not kicking off out of endzone, rarely happens to us. Allowing a kickoff return in a NC game, killer. No kickoff return, no lead.

It was a hard fought game that AU won in the trenches. Unfortunately, you have to play special teams too.

So take away those four plays and we absolutely crush FSU. And if we can get everybody back, or at least get a suitable replacement for Tre, we can be scary good.