The Landscape Changed A Bit

[Snaggletiger]

Probably the craziest foosballz Saturday of the season so far.  I honestly have no idea where we're ranked anymore but I think quite a few teams lost in front of us.  Penn State let one slip at tOSU.  I thought that would be a blowout the way it started.  TCU goes down to the giant slayer, Iowa State.  In my best Jerry Seinfeld voice, "What's the deal with the Cyclones?"  That's two teams that were probably going to be in the initial playoff rankings that come out Tuesday.

Washington State, Meatchicken State and South Florida, who I thing are all in front of us, also choked on a 12" dong. In other news, neither Clemson or Miami have impressed me at all this year.  Very lackluster wins at home against very meh opponents.  Dabo will find a way to sneak them back into the playoff though. Hate to say it, but the Golden Homos may wind up top 4.  The second half of their schedule is brutal and so far, they've throttled USC and handled NC State (Ahead of us) pretty easily yesterday.

As mentioned in the Home Stretch thread, A&M got raped by the Bullpuppies, and that makes me warm and fuzzy inside. 

Okay, so does it turn out that it really was McElwain spooning that shark?  The talk last night was that he may be let go today.  Has he?  They win the East his first two years, albeit by default.  But, I thought it was a pretty decent coaching job overall because I thought their overall talent was way down.  Yes, they've sucked this year but geez Louise, 10 players were booted including their best running back and best overall playmaker.  Plus they've had some injuries that include their starting DE.  But, the bigger issue is it looks like Mac has checked out.  He was asked point plank yesterday if he would be surprised if they canned him and he openly said nothing would surprise him. 

Didn't K or somebody say in anther thread that firing McElwain may be the worst thing to happen to this league.  They definitely have the resources to go out and make the splash hire.   

[WiregrassTiger]

I just hope photos of me and that mudcat don’t surface.

[Kaos]

Unbelievable to me that by tomorrow morning Tennessee and Florida could both be coachless. 

I'm beginning to think the resurrection of Georgia football (and maybe even the deification of Alabama) is more a product of the implosion of all around them than it is any greatness on either of their parts. 

Let's examine. 

UGA's record consists of beating:

Appy State - cupcake
Notre Dame - Probably a decent team but does anyone really believe they're anything other than the same old folding Irish tent?
Samford - cupcake
Mississippi State - We beat the shit out of them too
Tennessee - trash can fire
Missouri - miserable
Vanderbilt - terrible
Florida - landfill fire

That's a great big ball of nothing, honestly.   Other than Notre Dame and Mississippi State there's not a team on there that will even make a bowl game.

Alabama's myth is the result of beating:

FSU - won't make a bowl game and a complete fraud this season
Fresno State - cupcake
Colorado State - cupcake
Vanderbilt - terrible and still Vandy
Ole Miss - joke
Arkansas - joke
A&M - flop
Tennessee - trash can fire

There's not a team on that list that's going to make a bowl except possibly A&M.  What about that list shows any competence whatsoever? 

I honestly believe that Auburn -- even with Gus as HC -- would be 15-1 or 16-0 against that shoddy slate. That's what makes the complete fucktardery against LSU even more galling.  If he hadn't shit the bed there those playoff pipe dreams might have some legitimacy. 

Maybe it's just false hope, but based on the resumes of both UGA and UAT, I'm not buying the "inevitable 12-0 SEC Championship Game" horseshit I'm seeing everywhere today. 

You could take all 16 teams the two have played so far and not come up with two good coaches and 22 decent players.  By season's end, there could be five or six coaching changes among that motley crew. 

[WiregrassTiger]

Unbelievable to me that by tomorrow morning Tennessee and Florida could both be coachless. 

I'm beginning to think the resurrection of Georgia football (and maybe even the deification of Alabama) is more a product of the implosion of all around them than it is any greatness on either of their parts. 

Let's examine. 

UGA's record consists of beating:

Appy State - cupcake
Notre Dame - Probably a decent team but does anyone really believe they're anything other than the same old folding Irish tent?
Samford - cupcake
Mississippi State - We beat the shit out of them too
Tennessee - trash can fire
Missouri - miserable
Vanderbilt - terrible
Florida - landfill fire

That's a great big ball of nothing, honestly.   Other than Notre Dame and Mississippi State there's not a team on there that will even make a bowl game.

Alabama's myth is the result of beating:

FSU - won't make a bowl game and a complete fraud this season
Fresno State - cupcake
Colorado State - cupcake
Vanderbilt - terrible and still Vandy
Ole Miss - joke
Arkansas - joke
A&M - flop
Tennessee - trash can fire

There's not a team on that list that's going to make a bowl except possibly A&M.  What about that list shows any competence whatsoever? 

I honestly believe that Auburn -- even with Gus as HC -- would be 15-1 or 16-0 against that shoddy slate. That's what makes the complete fucktardery against LSU even more galling.  If he hadn't shit the bed there those playoff pipe dreams might have some legitimacy. 

Maybe it's just false hope, but based on the resumes of both UGA and UAT, I'm not buying the "inevitable 12-0 SEC Championship Game" horseshit I'm seeing everywhere today. 

You could take all 16 teams the two have played so far and not come up with two good coaches and 22 decent players.  By season's end, there could be five or six coaching changes among that motley crew.

^^makes a lot of sense.

I do believe the thugs and inbreds both have very good teams. And, are likely to beat us.

But neither have beaten anyone noteworthy.

[The Six]

Jay Jacobs is still Auburn’s AD.

Gus Malzahn is still Auburn’s head coach.

Nothing has changed and nothing else matters.

F*** the college football world and everything thing in it.

[Snaggletiger]

I love the off week.  No pressure or anxiety over what AU team will show up.  And, we get to point and laugh at everybody else's misery. 

As much as I loathe UGA, they may actually be pretty good, shitty schedule and all.  But they've probably got the best RB tandem in the game and Jake Fromm State Farm seems to be more consistent than frat boy Eason.  Haven't seen his numbers but he always looks like he's playing well in the short stints I can stomach watching them.  Having said that, if Malzahn were to choose to stay out of that game (He won't) we can beat that bunch.  But again...he won't.

[WiregrassTiger]

Let me be clear that I have not written us off yet. I still believe that we can win out. Not that we will but that we can.

More realistic is that we beat Georgia but Bama is possible.

Even if it get Gus an extension, I will love winning out.

[jmar]

We have the talent to run the table.
Healthy bodies are returning and Lindsey, so much as we can tell is a good play caller overall.

But here's the problem as I see it.

When we do not score from the open field and instead end up in the redzone, we become our most predictable.
This is when we go automatic wildcat with Kerryon. And while it is almost a given for us to score on the likes of Missouri, defenses of equal or better talent such as Georgia and Alabama can and will scheme to shut it down limiting us to field goals.

So I hope we can avoid the redzone as much as possible because the wildcat will just be too easy to stop.
Malzahn refuses to allow our offense to run slants, tight end drag's and corner fades and we will not beat either of our rivals solely with the wildcat. We can't.

And if we get behind I do not think we can play catch-up and so far Stidham hasn't lead us in any comeback efforts. The other side of that is that Gus has plenty of experience with a lead only to lose it by taking over and going ultra conservative.

We might be as much as 70 or 80 % successful against weak defenses in the redzone but I think that number will be reduced significantly to around 30% at Amen Corner unless we add some variations that could improve our chances such as the forward pass.

Malzahn might add a couple of wrinkles during those games to amp up excitement but when push comes to shove he will resort to strategy that will continue to fail in the games that mean the most. I just can't see him suddenly changing at season's end.

[The Prowler]

Landscape is definitely changing, Florida and McElwain have reportedly parted ways, looking at Memphis HC Mike Norvell

[WiregrassTiger]

We have the talent to run the table.
Healthy bodies are returning and Lindsey, so much as we can tell is a good play caller overall.

But here's the problem as I see it.

When we do not score from the open field and instead end up in the redzone, we become our most predictable.
This is when we go automatic wildcat with Kerryon. And while it is almost a given for us to score on the likes of Missouri, defenses of equal or better talent such as Georgia and Alabama can and will scheme to shut it down limiting us to field goals.

So I hope we can avoid the redzone as much as possible because the wildcat will just be too easy to stop.
Malzahn refuses to allow our offense to run slants, tight end drag's and corner fades and we will not beat either of our rivals solely with the wildcat. We can't.

And if we get behind I do not think we can play catch-up and so far Stidham hasn't lead us in any comeback efforts. The other side of that is that Gus has plenty of experience with a lead only to lose it by taking over and going ultra conservative.

We might be as much as 70 or 80 % successful against weak defenses in the redzone but I think that number will be reduced significantly to around 30% at Amen Corner unless we add some variations that could improve our chances such as the forward pass.

Malzahn might add a couple of wrinkles during those games to amp up excitement but when push comes to shove he will resort to strategy that will continue to fail in the games that mean the most. I just can't see him suddenly changing at season's end.

Yet, every time that we get a young offensive skilled position player that shows promise, you start a campaign to move him to cornerback.

[War Eagle!!!]

We have the talent to run the table.
Healthy bodies are returning and Lindsey, so much as we can tell is a good play caller overall.

But here's the problem as I see it.

When we do not score from the open field and instead end up in the redzone, we become our most predictable.
This is when we go automatic wildcat with Kerryon. And while it is almost a given for us to score on the likes of Missouri, defenses of equal or better talent such as Georgia and Alabama can and will scheme to shut it down limiting us to field goals.

So I hope we can avoid the redzone as much as possible because the wildcat will just be too easy to stop.
Malzahn refuses to allow our offense to run slants, tight end drag's and corner fades and we will not beat either of our rivals solely with the wildcat. We can't.

And if we get behind I do not think we can play catch-up and so far Stidham hasn't lead us in any comeback efforts. The other side of that is that Gus has plenty of experience with a lead only to lose it by taking over and going ultra conservative.

We might be as much as 70 or 80 % successful against weak defenses in the redzone but I think that number will be reduced significantly to around 30% at Amen Corner unless we add some variations that could improve our chances such as the forward pass.

Malzahn might add a couple of wrinkles during those games to amp up excitement but when push comes to shove he will resort to strategy that will continue to fail in the games that mean the most. I just can't see him suddenly changing at season's end.

Spot on post on Malzahn struggles

[bgreene]

I can honestly say, I didn't watch one second of football all weekend long

[Snaggletiger]

Any predictions on the top 4 being released tonight?  I think the media consensus is Bama/UGA 1-2.  Some have ND in there because of their Skrength of Schedule.  I've seen some with tOSU over Oklahoma even though the Sooners gut punched the Buckeyes in Columbus.  But OU hasn't impressed me at all since that win.  Lost to ISU and has struggled in a lot of their games.  Wisconsin anyone?

I'll go:

Bama
UGA (Frick I hated typing that)
Notre Dame
tOSU

[CCTAU]

Any predictions on the top 4 being released tonight?  I think the media consensus is Bama/UGA 1-2.  Some have ND in there because of their Skrength of Schedule.  I've seen some with tOSU over Oklahoma even though the Sooners gut punched the Buckeyes in Columbus.  But OU hasn't impressed me at all since that win.  Lost to ISU and has struggled in a lot of their games.  Wisconsin anyone?

I'll go:

Bama
UGA (Frick I hated typing that)
Notre Dame
tOSU

Once we beat Uga and bama, will the SEC be screwed?

[dallaswareagle]

Once we beat Uga and bama, will the SEC be screwed?

Will never allow that to happen. They want a Kirby/saban SEC final.