How Good/Bad Are the Tigers?

[wesfau2]

The defense is stellar.  Championship quality.

The offense appears to be hitting its stride, but our competition has been questionable.  It's difficult to allocate credit for the improvement between coaching and execution because of the yet undefined quality of the Mississippi State squad. 

I was curious about the statistical rankings of the defenses we've faced.  They rank thusly:

Clemson - #18
Ga So - #20
Miss St - #46
Mizzou - #75

What to make of that?  Fuck if I know.

Will Ole Miss provide us a barometer?  It's likely that bama beat the fight out of the Rebels on Saturday.  The trip to Baton Rouge looks like we'll be celebrating our first win there in forever while Yaw Yaw stalks the sidelines.  How about the following week in Fayetteville?  The hogs appear to be on the verge of their own implosion.

Is it possible that until we travel to College Station (or perhaps the UGA game if Sumlin pulls his usual mid-late season collapse) we won't really know how good this team is?

[Pell City Tiger]

It is very possible that we hit Amen Corner with only 1 loss. Whether that's a barometer of our improvement or an indication that the conference is full of meh this season, who knows. If nothing else, should this run actually occur, we should be a very confident club when Georgia (fuck them) comes to town.

My torch has been extinguished for the moment and the pitchfork is propped up against the wall.

[wesfau2]

the conference is full of meh this season

I think this is much more true than it has been since the late 90s.

If nothing else, should this run actually occur, we should be a very confident club when Georgia (fuck them) comes to town.

I also think this is true.  They can fake it til they make it.

[GH2001]

The defense is stellar.  Championship quality.

The offense appears to be hitting its stride, but our competition has been questionable.  It's difficult to allocate credit for the improvement between coaching and execution because of the yet undefined quality of the Mississippi State squad. 

I was curious about the statistical rankings of the defenses we've faced.  They rank thusly:

Clemson - #18
Ga So - #20
Miss St - #46
Mizzou - #75

What to make of that?  Fuck if I know.

Will Ole Miss provide us a barometer?  It's likely that bama beat the fight out of the Rebels on Saturday.  The trip to Baton Rouge looks like we'll be celebrating our first win there in forever while Yaw Yaw stalks the sidelines.  How about the following week in Fayetteville?  The hogs appear to be on the verge of their own implosion.

Is it possible that until we travel to College Station (or perhaps the UGA game if Sumlin pulls his usual mid-late season collapse) we won't really know how good this team is?

I heard bramlett or one of the others post game saying the msu pass d was ranked 9th. If true that makes what Stove, Hastings and Stidham did look even better.

[wesfau2]

I heard bramlett or one of the others post game saying the msu pass d was ranked 9th. If true that makes what Stove, Hastings and Stidham did look even better.

They're currently 31st.  Not sure if they'd drop that precipitously after one game, but I suppose it's possible.

[GH2001]

They're currently 31st.  Not sure if they'd drop that precipitously after one game, but I suppose it's possible.

So sounds like their pass d is indeed their strength and was at least top 25 before the game. I'm ok with that.

[Snaggletiger]

I said several times before this season that this receiving corp would be one of the best in this conference, which means the nation.  We are.  My concerns moving forward are:

1.) I don't trust Gus.  He WILL interfere.  We WILL be fucked.

2.)  Running back.  I can't recall a more offensively misuse of a unit than this.  Holy Hell, how bad can you mismanage a group of running backs?  Kam is hurt.  But you run him 32 times against an FCS team.  Kam Martin comes in and saves the day after Carry On gets hurt and the kid hasn't see the field since.  Carry On can't run 25 yards without pulling up lame and you keep him in there. Sweet Haysus, how fucking dumb is this staff?

[Kaos]

I said several times before this season that this receiving corp would be one of the best in this conference, which means the nation.  We are.  My concerns moving forward are:

1.) I don't trust Gus.  He WILL interfere.  We WILL be fucked.

2.)  Running back.  I can't recall a more offensively misuse of a unit than this.  Holy Hell, how bad can you mismanage a group of running backs?  Kam is hurt.  But you run him 32 times against an FCS team.  Kam Martin comes in and saves the day after Carry On gets hurt and the kid hasn't see the field since.  Carry On can't run 25 yards without pulling up lame and you keep him in there. Sweet Haysus, how fucking dumb is this staff?

Item #2 is a pattern with Malzahn.  Always has been.  He wants to ride one into the ground regardless of what he has on the bench. 

In 2013, Tre Mason carried the ball 317 times.  Payne?  91. Grant? 66.
In 2014  Payne carried 307 times.  Grant? 60.
In 2015 Barber carried 238 times.  Robinson 117 (off the team). Thomas 43 (off the team)
In 2016 it was more balanced Pettway 209 and Johnson 182.  But that's deceiving. Johnson ran 23 times against Clemson.  Pettway never saw the field.  Pettway ran 39 times against MSU. 25 even though injured against Vandy. 

[WiregrassTiger]

They're currently 31st.  Not sure if they'd drop that precipitously after one game, but I suppose it's possible.

I do not think rain was a factor.

[wesfau2]

I said several times before this season that this receiving corp would be one of the best in this conference, which means the nation.  We are.  My concerns moving forward are:

1.) I don't trust Gus.  He WILL interfere.  We WILL be fucked.

2.)  Running back.  I can't recall a more offensively misuse of a unit than this.  Holy Hell, how bad can you mismanage a group of running backs?  Kam is hurt.  But you run him 32 times against an FCS team.  Kam Martin comes in and saves the day after Carry On gets hurt and the kid hasn't see the field since.  Carry On can't run 25 yards without pulling up lame and you keep him in there. Sweet Haysus, how fucking dumb is this staff?

Those are my concerns as well.

[Buzz Killington]

Is it possible that until we travel to College Station (or perhaps the UGA game if Sumlin pulls his usual mid-late season collapse) we won't really know how good this team is?

I'd say it's almost probable at this point...unless Gus does Gus again before that point.

[wesfau2]

I'd say it's almost probable at this point...unless Gus does Gus again before that point.

So, hypothetically:

We roll into the UGA game at 8-1.  Gus puckers and interferes.  We drop UGA and Bama to finish the regular season at 9-3 and 3rd in the SEC (2nd in the West).  Losses to Clemson, Bama and UGA.  Two of those are probably playoff locks and UGA has a chance to run the table to Atlanta.

In a vacuum, the continued losing to our biggest rivals is unacceptable.  At what point, though, are (presuming a bowl win) 10-win seasons just not enough?  Do we go the way of Ole Miss and Nebraska, ousting 10-win coaches only to dwell in mediocre suckitude?

With the expanded regular and post-seasons are 10-win seasons just not as valuable as they once were?  Is 10-2 the new 8-4?

[GH2001]

 

Those are my concerns as well.

As soon as we were up 28-10 sat both pettway and kj should have been benched for the night. Same with this weekend if it happens against ole miss. We've got to get these guys healthy down the stretch or we are screwed clme amen corner. I would even venture to start kam Martin come sat and only resort to the main two if absolutely needed.

[Snaggletiger]

So, hypothetically:

We roll into the UGA game at 8-1.  Gus puckers and interferes.  We drop UGA and Bama to finish the regular season at 9-3 and 3rd in the SEC (2nd in the West).  Losses to Clemson, Bama and UGA.  Two of those are probably playoff locks and UGA has a chance to run the table to Atlanta.

In a vacuum, the continued losing to our biggest rivals is unacceptable.  At what point, though, are (presuming a bowl win) 10-win seasons just not enough?  Do we go the way of Ole Miss and Nebraska, ousting 10-win coaches only to dwell in mediocre suckitude?

With the expanded regular and post-seasons are 10-win seasons just not as valuable as they once were?  Is 10-2 the new 8-4?

I say out on his keester. I said before the season that 2 things have to happen to keep his job.  IMO, not Jay's.  Those two things are a 10 win minimum and beating either Georgia or Alabama.  If both aren't accomplished, I want him gone. 

[wesfau2]

I say out on his keester. I said before the season that 2 things have to happen to keep his job.  IMO, not Jay's.  Those two things are a 10 win minimum and beating either Georgia or Alabama.  If both aren't accomplished, I want him gone.

I get where you're coming from, but disagree.

[RottenBottom]

I get where you're coming from, but disagree.

We should keep Gus because he can put talent the Mississippi schools? That doesn't make much sense. Now, if we get to Georgia and Alabama and the offense has a pulse in those games, it will be hard to say Fire Gus with the shape the SEC is in right now. Gus's main key now is how much better can the offense get before Amen Corner.  This is what will determine his career imo.

[Kaos]

It's a little like that relationship thing right now. 

You're with somebody and you're mostly content.  But every once in a while she'll pull a bat-shit burger out of nowhere.  You come home, she throws shit at you, takes your phone and smashes it on the ground in tears because she saw you texting about Bertha yesterday and she's tried to be calm, but WHO THE FUCK IS BERTHA!  Bertha is your driver.  Your golf club. 

So that blows over. Everything's cool. 

You come in another day and she's dressed up like Winnie The Pooh.  Wants you to wear a Tigger outfit and fuck out in the back yard because it sounds like furry fun. Then you notice Winnie is wearing a purple strap on.  And she's invited your next door neighbor "Todd" to film the whole thing because that adds to the thrill of it. 

Another time you come home and she's drained the bank account buying cosmetics.  Shaved her eyebrows and drew them back on with an eyebrow pencil.  Shaved half her head but hasn't shaved her underarms. 

At some point, you have to decide how much crazy you can take.   Is the relationship good enough the rest of the time that you can overlook the days of major crazy?  Do you like wearing the Tigger outfit while Todd plays with his tools and watches? 

Beyond that, are you willing to walk before you have a safe place to land?  I'm usually not.  I'll take the crazy and find something else before I leave it behind. 

[Snaggletiger]

I get where you're coming from, but disagree.

8 straight losses to UGA and Bama won't cut it.  Went to some AU meet and greet with Tuberville as the main speaker years ago.  He said winning is great, but make no mistake about it, if you don't beat your biggest rivals at Auburn, you won't be here long.  For $5 Large a year, we should expect/demand better and not worry about public perception or going the way of Ole Miss or Nebraska.  Georgia finally tired of a much better coach than Gus and one year later, they're one of the best teams in the country. 

BTW, At Ole Miss, David Cutcliffe was 8-4, 7-5, 7-4. 7-6, 10-3 and was fired after the following season when he was 4-7.   The 10-3 record was with a Heisman finalist named Eli Manning. 

[Buzz Killington]

So, hypothetically:

We roll into the UGA game at 8-1.  Gus puckers and interferes.  We drop UGA and Bama to finish the regular season at 9-3 and 3rd in the SEC (2nd in the West).  Losses to Clemson, Bama and UGA.  Two of those are probably playoff locks and UGA has a chance to run the table to Atlanta.

In a vacuum, the continued losing to our biggest rivals is unacceptable.  At what point, though, are (presuming a bowl win) 10-win seasons just not enough?  Do we go the way of Ole Miss and Nebraska, ousting 10-win coaches only to dwell in mediocre suckitude?

With the expanded regular and post-seasons are 10-win seasons just not as valuable as they once were?  Is 10-2 the new 8-4?

If we lose those two at the end due to Gus' bungling ways, then I wholeheartedly agree that the new AD should be looking for a new coach.  If we play well and somehow still lose two close games, all bets are off.  My gut tells me we will have either a QB or a RB hurt from overuse (or possibly both again) by the time amen corner rolls around and Chandler Cox will be running the Bubbacat while we get punked again by our two biggest rivals

[WiregrassTiger]

I say out on his keester. I said before the season that 2 things have to happen to keep his job.  IMO, not Jay's.  Those two things are a 10 win minimum and beating either Georgia or Alabama.  If both aren't accomplished, I want him gone.

When you said this earlier, I paid no attention. Like most of us do with the drivel you post.

But post Clemson, I tend to agree. My difference would be looking good in a loss. It would be hard to cut ties after close losses to those 2 schools this year. A loss like Clemson? You bet. We were helpless on O.

But if we keep making steps, I truly believe we will win 1 of the 2. And possibly both.

The RB situation is concerning but I doubt Gus is overriding team docs and the players. Hammy is just nagging. Will probably be with kj the remainder of season, regardless.

And our o line woes are def improving. Even as little as you know about football, you had to see this, right?

Stidham is getting rust off. We are looking more 2013ish than 2012. Except, we play defense. And well.

Yeah, I had jumped off too but he's doing lots of stuff right now. We can nit pick but it's hard for me to find too many faults in MSU game.

Gus isn't Saban. You're never going to be the Alabama Hammer, no matter how hard you try.