Season Recap: Another 5-7 Time Around

[The Six]

Alabama A&M - W, 73-3
Cal - L, 14-21
New Mexico, W, 45-19
Arkansas, L, 14-24
Oklahoma, L, 21-27
@ fGeorgia, L, 13-31
@ Missouri, L, 17-21
@ Kentucky, W, 24-10
Vanderbilt, L, 7-17
ULM, W, 48-14
Texas A&M, W, 43-41 (4OT)
@Alabama, L, 14-28

Four losing season in a row. Three Head Coaches. A whole bushel of players come, go, and wasted. A program that last hit double-digit wins in 2017 and that's the only time in the last 10 years.

Kudos to a defense that played with a lot of fury and was often left on the field or in bad positions all too often. They should not be allowed to address other players from other teams in public ever again.

The offense that never got in gear. The best two games against the nine P4 teams were Kentucky and Texas A&M. Kentucky was a mess and it's the one time we trusted Jarquez Hunter in four years. The A&M game really stands out because that's a talented defensive unit and they were countered by our offense all night. Other than that, it was a lot of fits, stops, and stupidity. Stupid design, stupid coaching, and stupid execution. Stupid.

It's time to take a look in the mirror and realize the football program is in a severe state of disrepair. There's no quick fix. No easy answers. One recruiting class is not going to fix it. Two or three might not even with how easy the transfer rules are these days. One QB isn't going to magically fix it. We had that guy. He was truly once in a lifetime. There are not Cam Newtons out there and if there are, they aren't interested in Auburn.

Patience is needed, but that's only afforded (or affordable) if we know the right people are in place all through leadership to get this right. Do we?

What do you think?

[wesfau2]

We're fucked for a good long while.  The long rebuild process to build a foundation of solid football players that can be enhanced with the occasional superstar is hamstrung by the portal and general "get mine now since we can have public bidding wars" attitude of the top recruits.

Eventually, the dust will settle on NIL and boosters will grow tired of throwing generational money at HS kids who haven't pissed a drop in the big leagues. 

For now: BOHICA.

[jmar]

There were at least 3 games where a better game plan and play calling were the difference, not talent.
Yes teams like Michigan and Alabama still benefit from the foundations that they built but we aren't eons away.
How about finding a damn playmaking QB and play hard like Ga Tech.
Isn't that Ole Miss?

[Snaggletiger]

Sorry, but I disagree wholeheartedly.  Would a legit, SEC level QB have made the difference against Cal, against Oklahoma, against Missouri?  Maybe even Bama?  You betcher ass he would have. But, Freeze F’d up and we were stuck with a 3rd Team All Sunbelt signal caller.  That’s 100% on Freeze, but make no mistake, a real QB would have all of us holding a completely different outlook right now.

You build your base through consistent, top shelf recruiting.  He’s about to bring in his 3rd straight ass-kicking class.  You take it to the next level through the portal, and that’s Freeze’s biggest responsibility this off season.  If he handles that, then 2025 looks vastly different than the last 4 seasons.

Everyone knows how quickly the landscape of college football has changed in the last 3-4 years alone.  What we’re seeing this season is just the start of the effects of NIL and the portal.  The 12 teams are about to be set.  Can you name one favorite?  One dominant team? Can you recall a time when college football looked weaker top to bottom, for lack of a better term, than it is right now? Or is it really just true parity? 

Until the NCAA, or the legislature, or the Courts get a handle on things and reign the sport back in, the days of dynasties are long gone. Everyone who consistently recruits well, including Auburn, is a few portal players away from having a good shot at having their name called tonight

[jmar]

Oh okay so you don't think we are that far from having a winning program. Just another kick ass class and a portal QB. That's encouraging. And doable.
WDE Snags.

[chinook]

Sorry, but I disagree wholeheartedly.  Would a legit, SEC level QB have made the difference against Cal, against Oklahoma, against Missouri?  Maybe even Bama?  You betcher ass he would have. But, Freeze F’d up and we were stuck with a 3rd Team All Sunbelt signal caller.  That’s 100% on Freeze, but make no mistake, a real QB would have all of us holding a completely different outlook right now.

You build your base through consistent, top shelf recruiting.  He’s about to bring in his 3rd straight ass-kicking class.  You take it to the next level through the portal, and that’s Freeze’s biggest responsibility this off season.  If he handles that, then 2025 looks vastly different than the last 4 seasons.

Everyone knows how quickly the landscape of college football has changed in the last 3-4 years alone.  What we’re seeing this season is just the start of the effects of NIL and the portal.  The 12 teams are about to be set.  Can you name one favorite?  One dominant team? Can you recall a time when college football looked weaker top to bottom, for lack of a better term, than it is right now? Or is it really just true parity? 

Until the NCAA, or the legislature, or the Courts get a handle on things and reign the sport back in, the days of dynasties are long gone. Everyone who consistently recruits well, including Auburn, is a few portal players away from having a good shot at having their name called tonight

so the bigger question can Freeze manage and coach a team? all cattle, no hat. 


my guess there's at least a dozen coaches that could have taken this team to a bowl, maybe a 9 win season. 

[CCTAU]

Maybe another coach could have won more games. But maybe that would have been all we got. The way we are building will hopefully be a sustainable success.
We shall see.