Yeah, I know it's everyone's favorite. But, a lot of this is where I'm at.
Why has Oklahoma crashed and burned in Brent Venables’ first season as a head coach? I don’t know and don’t claim to know. Why is Nebraska a shell of what it once was? I don’t know that either. Why did Texas go into a decade-long tailspin? Got me. I don’t cover those programs. I could speculate, but what good is meaningless speculation?
However, there are those who work for national outlets – ESPN in particular – who seemingly believe that, by working there, they become experts. They are convinced Auburn boosters want to take over the program. Why? They read something somebody wrote or heard somebody say it. They talk about Auburn coaches being mistreated and being quickly fired. All they have to do is compare Auburn to other SEC schools to know that is a bunch of hooey.The world of clicks and hits and ratings in which we live no longer values truth and research. For too many in too many places, it’s all about seeking attention. As an old newspaper hack, that makes me sad.
* Will Auburn make a move on head coach Bryan Harsin if the Tigers lose at Ole Miss on Saturday? Maybe, but it would be a mistake to assume anything.
* Here is where NIL is headed. The programs with the resources to win at a high level are going to have NIL money, thus reducing its importance on the recruiting trail. If a player can get similar money from schools offering scholarships, recruiting returns to where he feels comfortable, his relationships with coaches and all the things that have always been important to high school players making decisions about their futures.
* Just a thought: Auburn could be heading toward a second consecutive losing season. Based on what I saw last Saturday, LSU could be headed toward its third consecutive non-winning season. Why are the two viewed so differently? If its recruiting rankings, that is silly. Until those 5-stars play like 5-stars, they are nothing more than players with potential.
* Texas A&M was two yards away from winning at Alabama last Saturday, but before getting carried away, it should be pointed out that Alabama rushed for almost 300 yards but had four turnovers and missed two field goal tries.
* Anyone who doesn’t believe “fit” matters for coaches needs only to look at Bret Bielema. He was highly successful at Wisconsin. He moved to Arkansas, had some limited early success and then flamed out. Now he has Illinois in the Top 25.
* There is a reason I have not speculated on who might be Auburn’s next coach. You could talk to trustees or donors or whomever and get an impression that one coach or another is in the mix.
But unless you have talked to Chris Roberts or the small (and silent) circle of people with whom he consults, you do not know. I could say this coach is the leading candidate or that coach is in the mix. It would be nothing but a blind guess, which would accomplish nothing but generating talk. Not going to do it. The time will come, but that time is not now.
* I don’t watch a lot of NFL games, but I watch enough to know the roughing the pass penalties are completely out of control. I understand owners want to protect their franchise quarterbacks, but it’s football. Maybe they ought to just put flags on their pants. I’m serious. Make it flag football for quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage. That would be better than games being changed because quarterbacks are tackled too hard.
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