Slightly too early predictions for this season

[The Prowler]

It's an interesting scenario.  Would we fire a coach after a 10-win season, even though he cannot beat our two biggest rivals?

No.

[Snaggletiger]

We may not fire him if that happens.  But I'd absolutely want it to happen.

[wesfau2]

You know who fires 10-win coaches?

Ole Miss and Nebraska.

How'd that work out for them?

[Snaggletiger]

You know who fires 10-win coaches?

Ole Miss and Nebraska.

How'd that work out for them?

Wouldn't be apples to apples in this case, IMO.  I've backed Malzahn to a fault up until last year.  During the last 3 years, he's proven to be a Head Corch with no direction and no self confidence.  He's changed stream in his philosophy 4-5 times during that stretch and now, he's basically said I can't do this.  I need to step away and be a figurehead and let my assistants handle it. (He probably won't, given his history) 

He may have finally hit on the right formula.  I hope so, but I stand by what I said earlier.  It's a minimum of 10 wins AND beating at least one of UGA and UA. Anything less won't do.

[wesfau2]

Wouldn't be apples to apples in this case, IMO.  I've backed Malzahn to a fault up until last year.  During the last 3 years, he's proven to be a Head Corch with no direction and no self confidence.  He's changed stream in his philosophy 4-5 times during that stretch and now, he's basically said I can't do this.  I need to step away and be a figurehead and let my assistants handle it. (He probably won't, given his history) 

He may have finally hit on the right formula.  I hope so, but I stand by what I said earlier.  It's a minimum of 10 wins AND beating at least one of UGA and UA. Anything less won't do.

Then you set an unrealistic bar for the new coach...and you're stuck taking another up-and-comer.

Rinse repeat.

[AUChizad]

Then you set an unrealistic bar for the new coach...and you're stuck taking another up-and-comer.

Rinse repeat.

Auburn fans are fickle AF. You have to fire a coach after the year Chizik posted before we fired him. And you have to fire a coach after multiple under .500 seasons in a row. You maybe get by firing a coach if he can't post more than 7 wins several years in a row.

You don't fire a coach for 12-2, 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 10-3. The grass is not always greener and Auburn fans always have a hard time grasping that concept. Especially when the other team in the state is dominating nationally.

[wesfau2]

Auburn fans are fickle AF. You have to fire a coach after the year Chizik posted before we fired him. And you have to fire a coach after multiple under .500 seasons in a row. You maybe get by firing a coach if he can't post more than 7 wins several years in a row.

You don't fire a coach for 12-2, 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 10-3. The grass is not always greener and Auburn fans always have a hard time grasping that concept. Especially when the other team in the state is dominating nationally.

Yes yes yes.

Gets it.

[WiregrassTiger]

Yes yes yes.

Gets it.

^^I doubt the first time he's screamed yes...yes...yes to Chizad.

[wesfau2]

^^I doubt the first time he's screamed yes...yes...yes to Chizad.

You don't wear green well, lover.

[Kaos]

Auburn fans are fickle AF. You have to fire a coach after the year Chizik posted before we fired him. And you have to fire a coach after multiple under .500 seasons in a row. You maybe get by firing a coach if he can't post more than 7 wins several years in a row.

You don't fire a coach for 12-2, 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 10-3. The grass is not always greener and Auburn fans always have a hard time grasping that concept. Especially when the other team in the state is dominating nationally.

The point is that I don't give a plastic shit how many times an Auburn coach beats Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vandy, Arkansas, Missouri, Mercer, Western Kentucky, South Dakota or Chicken Dick State. 

Those things better happen most every time.  A blind capybara could coach the average Auburn team to six wins.

It's what happens against LSU, Georgia, Alabama and to a much lesser extent A&M that matters. Period. 

If we are Big Six, we should act like it. 

Can we get a better coach than Malzahn?  Can't answer that.  Florida did okay after Zook. 
Do I want to go coach searching with the oily hustler leading the parade? Nope.

BUT... we've crapped the bed against some of the weakest UGA teams in memory. Looked clueless and inept in doing so.  That cannot continue.  There was NO excuse for losing to that abysmal team last season. The losses to A&M are not tolerable.

I can handle staying competitive against the most corrupt and unethical team in the history of the sport. I'm patient with that knowing that all things must end and when they do it will be glorious. I'm sort of okay with LSU because we trade blows and I have no expectation that Orgeron will be successful.  But we can't start dropping inexplicable games to the yaw yaw bengals.

So. I don't want to start the process over but it's past time for this learning-on-the-job greenhorn to prove he's more than a glorified in over his head high school coach. 

He's got to solve the Georgia problem. And he's got to avoid us looking utterly inept and baffled in meaningful games.

[AUChizad]

The point is that I don't give a plastic shit how many times an Auburn coach beats Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vandy, Arkansas, Missouri, Mercer, Western Kentucky, South Dakota or Chicken Dick State. 

Those things better happen most every time.  A blind capybara could coach the average Auburn team to six wins.

It's what happens against LSU, Georgia, Alabama and to a much lesser extent A&M that matters. Period. 

If we are Big Six, we should act like it. 

Can we get a better coach than Malzahn?  Can't answer that.  Florida did okay after Zook. 
Do I want to go coach searching with the oily hustler leading the parade? Nope.

BUT... we've crapped the bed against some of the weakest UGA teams in memory. Looked clueless and inept in doing so.  That cannot continue.  There was NO excuse for losing to that abysmal team last season. The losses to A&M are not tolerable.

I can handle staying competitive against the most corrupt and unethical team in the history of the sport. I'm patient with that knowing that all things must end and when they do it will be glorious. I'm sort of okay with LSU because we trade blows and I have no expectation that Orgeron will be successful.  But we can't start dropping inexplicable games to the yaw yaw bengals.

So. I don't want to start the process over but it's past time for this learning-on-the-job greenhorn to prove he's more than a glorified in over his head high school coach. 

He's got to solve the Georgia problem. And he's got to avoid us looking utterly inept and baffled in meaningful games.

I mean I agree with all of this. The Georgia problem, primarily, is embarrassing. But as I mentioned, this "problem" dates back into the Tuberville era. Can changing the man at the helm radically redirect that? I doubt it. Same with beating LSU in Baton Rouge. Dates back even further. The Bama problem is tied the coach on the other team rather than ours, as much as I hate saying it.

What I'm saying is I can agree with all of that, but see that as a completely separate issue from whether or not a coach needs to be fired and a new one hired.

[Snaggletiger]

I'm not looking for greener pastures with another coach and I still want Malzahn to succeed.  It's not about being fickle either. It's two things for me.  First, Malzahn appears to be someone who has lost confidence in his abilities.  His wishy-washy, "I'm running everything, no I'm not, yes I am, nope you take it....wait, I think I'd better step away because it's too much for me" behavior is unsettling at best. Bordering on incompetency as a head coach.  That may be extreme but have you ever seen a coach waffle as much as he has the last 3 years? And I believe it's been some of you that have placed the blame squarely on his shoulders for either ruining JJ, not giving Sean proper coaching or play calling and/or just plain screwing up in the evaluation of talent.

Second, you can call it fickle or fackle or whatever you want to call it.  Losing to both UGA and Bama 4 years in a row is unacceptable.  I go back to a talk I heard Tuberville give years ago.  He said championships are our goal, but make no mistake, Alabama is circled on the calendar every year.  You have to beat your rivals.

 

[Snaggletiger]

He's got to solve the Georgia problem. And he's got to avoid us looking utterly inept and baffled in meaningful games.

^^This too^^.  Last night, I was flipping channels and came across last year's Texas/ND game.  ESPN has been playing the best (Their version) games from last year.  On a Texas drive, UT changed the QB a couple of times based on the situation.  The announcers said if you think this is bad, it's nothing compared to what Gus Malzahn did against Clemson. 

[WiregrassTiger]

The point is that I don't give a plastic shit how many times an Auburn coach beats Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vandy, Arkansas, Missouri, Mercer, Western Kentucky, South Dakota or Chicken Dick State. 

Those things better happen most every time.  A blind capybara could coach the average Auburn team to six wins.

It's what happens against LSU, Georgia, Alabama and to a much lesser extent A&M that matters. Period. 

If we are Big Six, we should act like it. 

Can we get a better coach than Malzahn?  Can't answer that.  Florida did okay after Zook. 
Do I want to go coach searching with the oily hustler leading the parade? Nope.

BUT... we've crapped the bed against some of the weakest UGA teams in memory. Looked clueless and inept in doing so.  That cannot continue.  There was NO excuse for losing to that abysmal team last season. The losses to A&M are not tolerable.

I can handle staying competitive against the most corrupt and unethical team in the history of the sport. I'm patient with that knowing that all things must end and when they do it will be glorious. I'm sort of okay with LSU because we trade blows and I have no expectation that Orgeron will be successful.  But we can't start dropping inexplicable games to the yaw yaw bengals.

So. I don't want to start the process over but it's past time for this learning-on-the-job greenhorn to prove he's more than a glorified in over his head high school coach. 

He's got to solve the Georgia problem. And he's got to avoid us looking utterly inept and baffled in meaningful games.

Agreed on all counts with the exception of  Chicken Dick State. They are on a different level.

[Kaos]

I'm not looking for greener pastures with another coach and I still want Malzahn to succeed.  It's not about being fickle either. It's two things for me.  First, Malzahn appears to be someone who has lost confidence in his abilities.  His wishy-washy, "I'm running everything, no I'm not, yes I am, nope you take it....wait, I think I'd better step away because it's too much for me" behavior is unsettling at best. Bordering on incompetency as a head coach.  That may be extreme but have you ever seen a coach waffle as much as he has the last 3 years? And I believe it's been some of you that have placed the blame squarely on his shoulders for either ruining JJ, not giving Sean proper coaching or play calling and/or just plain screwing up in the evaluation of talent.

Second, you can call it fickle or fackle or whatever you want to call it.  Losing to both UGA and Bama 4 years in a row is unacceptable.  I go back to a talk I heard Tuberville give years ago.  He said championships are our goal, but make no mistake, Alabama is circled on the calendar every year.  You have to beat your rivals.

 

This is where I'm on your bus, fella.

Comparisons to Saban are unfair.  But you have to give credit. He said from the jump it was going to be his way. Win or lose he'd do it exactly the way he wanted and if it works it works. If not? Come at me bro. He wasn't afraid to piss anybody off.  His way isn't the only way. But he's in charge.

That's less possible for Gus because he's got the preening shiny peacock glory-hogging behind him. But take last year.  He's going to go back to doing what he knows best. Success or failure would be on his shoulders. Except NO!  That damn Lashlee.  Here. You do it. I can't do what I do best if I'm doing what I did best. 

I think he's a great coordinator.  When he can focus on that and not all the other things being a head coach entails, that is.  I'm still waiting for evidence that he's anything beyond a mid-major level head coach. 

Going back to Saban?  He's not a great coach.  He's just not. When faced with relatively equal talent and required to actually coach?  His teams are barely .500. He is, however, an effective manager.  He finds people to implement his overall vision. How many plays do you think he called last season compared to Gus?

In that respect chizik may have been a better head coach than Gus (for a while). He hired people and let them go to work. 

[Buzz Killington]

You don't wear green well, lover.

Desperation is a stinky cologne would also have been acceptable.

[chinook]

Auburn fans are fickle AF. You have to fire a coach after the year Chizik posted before we fired him. And you have to fire a coach after multiple under .500 seasons in a row. You maybe get by firing a coach if he can't post more than 7 wins several years in a row.

You don't fire a coach for 12-2, 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 10-3. The grass is not always greener and Auburn fans always have a hard time grasping that concept. Especially when the other team in the state is dominating nationally.

If you like medium okra sure but I don't necessarily care to change coaches every 3 - 5 years either. I'm torn.  I agree we are a finicky fan base and the success of Alabama has a lot of to do with that lately.   

10-3 ...cart before the horse. What about those three losses? ...the bowl game, Alabama and Georgia?

Gus is 1 - 2 in bowl games and 11 - 13 in conference play the last 3 seasons.  A lot of meh...quality wins well yeah, I suppose, in 2014 against Ole Miss, Kansas St.? and LSU.  You can't look at Texas A & M in any of those seasons.  Furthermore, last season's debacle was embarrassing. 

Auburn Football needs a coach who is truly an Auburn man...not one just looking to get a pay check.  The other thing that ticks me off is our coordinator position on both sides of the ball...no consistent year after year coordinator. Yeah Lashlee was in the program for 4 years or so but some of us grew weary of him.

I will take the chance on the fertilizer greening the grass but again you might find another inept lawn care service. 

Stidham is the make it or break it for Coach Malazahn this year. 
   

[Buzz Killington]

Stidham is the make it or break it for Coach Malazahn this year. 

I think we can all agree on this

[bgreene]

I think we can all agree on this

I agree!!

[Buzz Killington]

I agree!!

Well then we will just have to agree to agree.