ESPN's Take

AUChizad · « **on:** October 09, 2012, 02:56:52 PM »

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/page/BMOC-100912/the-bmoc-surveys-manti-teo-season-trends-gene-chizik-heisman-race-more

Funny how they weren't hearing this logic when they were using Cam to belittle Auburn. Now, suddenly, it's valid.

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Gene Chizik: Dead coach walking

The SEC is your leading content provider for national championships and melodrama. Someone's always getting fired, hired, rumored to be fired, rumored to be hired or, when in doubt, just rumored.

The rumor that seems to be metastasising at an alarmingly fast rate is this one: Auburn's Gene Chizik could be canned at season's end and replaced by Mr. Integrity himself, Bobby Petrino.

If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'm going to go get an MRI. I think I just cracked my rib cage from laughing.

Really? Again with the Petrino-to-Auburn stuff? Didn't everyone learn their lesson the last time, when the school secretly interviewed Petrino when he was at Louisville and Tommy Tuberville was still, you know, the actual Auburn coach?

The mere idea of it is so preposterous, so absurd â€¦ that it makes perfect sense in the SEC.

Chizik is under serious duress at Auburn -- Land of Lost Memories. It doesn't seem to matter anymore that Chizik led the school to a BCS Championship in 2010. To some Tigers fans, 2010 is the same as 1910.

Chizik, they say, won with Cam Newton. Without him, Chizik is another coach with a whistle and a courtesy car.

Yes, he won a national title with Newton. But guess what? So did Urban Meyer with Tim Tebow. And Mack Brown with Vince Young. And Pete Carroll with Matt Leinart.

That's how it works. The better the player, the better the coach you are.

Right now, Auburn is 1-4 and doesn't have enough good football players. And if they do have them, they're too young to make a difference.

The offensive line is a mess with two freshmen and two sophomore starters. Sophomore quarterback Kiehl Frazier is a work in progress, which is a nice way of saying, it isn't going well. And the small senior class doesn't have any difference-making vocal leaders.

Auburn is dead last (120th) in turnover margin and tackles for losses allowed. It is tied for 118th in turnovers lost and tied for 110th in sacks allowed. And it just lost to Arkansas. Not only lost, but lost 24-7 to a team that was at the brink of its own meltdown.

So Auburn followers want their pound of flesh and, well, Chizik has some meat on his bones, right?

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #1 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:07:30 PM »

I'd say that about sums it up.

noxin · « **Reply #2 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:12:58 PM »

Quote

So Auburn followers want their pound of flesh and, well, Chizik has some meat on his bones, right?

You calling my coach fat?

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #3 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:41:22 PM »

99% of the time, I'd be lambasting fans for acting like we've been acting.

But it's blatantly obvious to those of us paying attention. And then the fact that the exact same bullshit was going on at Iowa State only makes it worse.

We need to cut him loose, take the punches, regroup, and come back in two-three years with a respectable program.

AWK · « **Reply #4 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:41:44 PM »

What the fuck? He is 1 - 4 with 3 years of top recruiting...

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #5 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:42:46 PM »

Here's the rest of the article on Auburn:

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Dead coach walking -- Part II

Maybe this is a good time to mention that Chizik has a reported $7.5 million buyout. That's a lot of money to make someone go away. Plus, you've got to hire the next guy and pay him a lot of money too.

Chizik is 9-9 since winning that national championship. Meanwhile, Auburn's Lex Luthor -- Nick Saban of Alabama -- led the Tide to a BCS championship last season (as well as in 2009) and has Bama positioned to win another one this season.

Saban is also a recruiting machine. Bama has commitments from nine 2013 prospects in the ESPN150 rankings. But Auburn is no slouch. The Tigers have commitments from three of the top eight and five in the top 129 of that ESPN150 list.

Of course, there are too many Auburns fans with the patience of a puppy. They yap on the radio shows. In the chat rooms. On the blogs. Chizik must go.

But unless Auburn suffers an absolute banana republic collapse, Chizik isn't likely to go anywhere. And by collapse, I mean go 0-for-SEC. Even then, I'm not totally convinced athletic director Jay Jacobs would fire him -- though, an 0-8 league record that included, say, a season-ending woodshed loss at Bama, might do the trick.

If Auburn did fire Chizik, then what? Would it actually hire Petrino?

If it were up to Jacobs, doubtful. Jacobs is known within the walls of Auburn as a church-going, moral guy who might find Petrino's past on the distasteful side. Then again, coaching searches make strange bedfellows.

As Chizik raised that crystal BCS trophy on Jan. 10, 2011, there's no way he thought he might have to worry about his job status 22 months later. But the SEC is a merciless, unforgiving league. And its fans, especially those from Auburn, are in the mood to blame.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #6 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:44:50 PM »

Gene W can suck a fat one for singling out Auburn fans as being some lunatic fringe (probably getting his talkign points from Finebaum.

But here's the glaring issue, Gene: But unless Auburn suffers an absolute banana republic collapse

That's EXACTLY what we're suffering! This is a complete collapse. Worried about 0-fer in the SEC? I'm worried about not going 1-11!

AWK · « **Reply #7 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:45:38 PM »

Fuck whoever wrote this article. They imply we are impatient assholes bitching for no reason... This team is fucking terrible on both sides of the ball, players are not being developed properly, and we are 1 -4 (could be 0 - 5).

Fuck You, this shit is bad.

JR4AU · « **Reply #8 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:45:42 PM »

It's a stupid take from an entity far removed. Everyone, except Prowler, sees this isn't just a decent team on the rise that's gotten a few bad breaks, and could be3-2 maybe. This team was lucky to get the OT win it got vs ULM. That simply doesn't calculate when you factor in the last 3 years recruiting. They were young last year. Yeah, young this year, but not as young, yet there's no progress being made. In fact they're going backwards. Those close to the program, Rob Pate, my skreetz source, are seeing the same things. No intensity, no fire, no sense of urgency. They're confused by the seeming "lack of talent" when we've had 3 great recruiting classes, and the one 4 years ago was still a top 20 class.

Here's the conclusion I've come to. Malzahn saw what was coming. Bad though it was last year, he managed to squeeze all the offense he could out of very little talent at QB, a bad attitude having RB in Dyer, and a TRUE Fr. laden OL. Loeffler would have trouble scoring consistently vs air. The critics were right. Malzahn was making it work. Set offensive records with Todd...the defense cost us at least 3 of the 5 losses from my memory, where we got leads, then blew them. Made the most of Cam, and won it all. And managed to win 8 last year with a QB worse than Frazier. People were pissed at the dropoff in offense last year? I'd kill to have that much now. Now? He's gone, and this is what we have. It really was all Malzahn IMHO. He left because it was in his best interests, even for a lesser job, because Chizik was eventually going to drag him down and ruin any chances he had at being a HC.

AWK · « **Reply #9 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:50:31 PM »

Quote from: JR4AU on October 09, 2012, 03:45:42 PM

It's a stupid take from an entity far removed. Everyone, except Prowler, sees this isn't just a decent team on the rise that's gotten a few bad breaks, and could be3-2 maybe. This team was lucky to get the OT win it got vs ULM. That simply doesn't calculate when you factor in the last 3 years recruiting. They were young last year. Yeah, young this year, but not as young, yet there's no progress being made. In fact they're going backwards. Those close to the program, Rob Pate, my skreetz source, are seeing the same things. No intensity, no fire, no sense of urgency. They're confused by the seeming "lack of talent" when we've had 3 great recruiting classes, and the one 4 years ago was still a top 20 class.

Here's the conclusion I've come to. Malzahn saw what was coming. Bad though it was last year, he managed to squeeze all the offense he could out of very little talent at QB, a bad attitude having RB in Dyer, and a TRUE Fr. laden OL. Loeffler would have trouble scoring consistently vs air. The critics were right. Malzahn was making it work. Set offensive records with Todd...the defense cost us at least 3 of the 5 losses from my memory, where we got leads, then blew them. Made the most of Cam, and won it all. And managed to win 8 last year with a QB worse than Frazier. People were pissed at the dropoff in offense last year? I'd kill to have that much now. Now? He's gone, and this is what we have. It really was all Malzahn IMHO. He left because it was in his best interests, even for a lesser job, because Chizik was eventually going to drag him down and ruin any chances he had at being a HC.

And him bailing to Arkansas State is starting to make sense...

JR4AU · « **Reply #10 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:51:31 PM »

Quote from: AWK on October 09, 2012, 03:50:31 PM

And him bailing to Arkansas State is starting to make sense...

Yep, that's what I said.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #11 on:** October 09, 2012, 03:59:46 PM »

Chizad...to the twatters. Battle!!!

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #12 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:07:55 PM »

I know many don't care for Herk Birdskreetz. To me, he's one of the few intelligent and rational analysts out there. I don't give a shit if he pimps THE Ohio State University more than he should but hell, if I played QB for Auburn, I'd be slipping them the tongue too. Pretty much tells it like it is here. Anywho....copypasta al.com

Mike Herndon | mherndon@al.comIt's not surprising that Auburn's offense has had its issues this year, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said Tuesday. But what happened Saturday against Arkansas not even he could explain.

"The game last week was the first time I've been really surprised," Herbstreit said on an ESPN teleconference Tuesday. "The game against Arkansas was a shocker to me. ... Not only did (Auburn) not win the game, they didn't compete."

Auburn posted 321 yards but turned the ball over five times and found the end zone just once in a 24-7 loss to an Arkansas team that had lost four straight and has the worst defense in conference.

Herbstreit said it's no surprise that Auburn's transition from Gus Malzahn's spread offense to the pro-style attack of new coordinator Scot Loeffler has been bumpy. The Tigers have a quarterback in Kiehl Frazier who grew up running a spread offense and was recruited to run Malzahn's spread at Auburn. And, Herbstreit added, they don't have the true power back that's customary in pro-style attacks.

"I think anybody would be able to tell you the next year or two would be some growing pains," he said. "You've recruited quarterbacks and skill people for (the spread). Now you're going to try to run a pro-style offense. That's a tough thing to do."

Herbstreit stopped short of laying the blame at head coach Gene Chizik's feet, noting that Chizik "inherited a veteran team" and was blessed with the superlative ability of Cam Newton in 2010. Now is a different story, he said.

As to what it all means for Chizik, Herbstreit said we need to see how Auburn responds through the rest of the season to determine that.

"I have a lot of respect for his ability to recruit and his ability to coach," Herbstreit said of Chizik, who is now 9-9 since the national championship year of 2010. "I don't have any answers. A lot is going to be predicated on what happens here this next six or seven weeks.

"They've got to get back and compete. What they did last Saturday is embarrassing."

wesfau2 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:17:21 PM »

Quote from: AWK on October 09, 2012, 03:50:31 PM

And him bailing to Arkansas State is starting to make sense...

Let's bring him back.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #14 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:19:50 PM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on October 09, 2012, 04:17:21 PM

Let's bring him back.

wizzerd

AUChizad · « **Reply #15 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:19:59 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on October 09, 2012, 03:42:46 PM

Here's the rest of the article on Auburn:

Yeah, followed by:

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4. BMOC flop of the week

The finalists: Auburn (the Tigers committed five turnovers and gave up eight sacks to a team that had been outscored, 110-10, in its first two SEC games); Florida State (the Seminoles were up 16-0 at half and apparently thought NC State would call it a night); Georgia (a no-show against South Carolina); Arizona (blew a 14-point lead in the last 6:34 of the fourth quarter against Stanford and then lost in OT).

And the flopper is ... Auburn.

AUJarhead · « **Reply #16 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:21:26 PM »

Quote from: AUChizad on October 09, 2012, 04:19:59 PM

Yeah, followed by:

I'm sure we will be in their Bottom 10 tomorrow, too.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:22:00 PM »

Yeah, I'm going with the 8 sacks and 5 turnovers as my winner too.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:24:04 PM »

Quote from: AUChizad on October 09, 2012, 04:19:59 PM

Yeah, followed by:

Right but Auburn fans are ridiculous for being worried about their program.

What a hack. And he's one of their more prominent writers.

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2012, 04:30:13 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on October 09, 2012, 04:24:04 PM

Right but Auburn fans are ridiculous for being worried about their program.

What a hack. And he's one of their more prominent writers.

Yep, it's just taking an unnecessary shot at AU. Name one school playing in a BCS conference (Who has actually had a history of success...not Baylor) whose fans wouldn't be pissed right now and calling for a change.