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.

[The Six]

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

Missed the point. A dynamic playmaker would deliver the same quick-flash success but it's not foundational. The foundation is bad. And the "kick ass" recruits? Let's see who stays and how portals. Word is out on the Beav.

[wesfau2]

Missed the point. A dynamic playmaker would deliver the same quick-flash success but it's not foundational. The foundation is bad. And the "kick ass" recruits? Let's see who stays and how portals. Word is out on the Beav.

Yup.

We're digging out of a big hole.  Something like 50 scholarship players on the roster when HF took over.

[jmar]

So I'm sort of in- between Nooky and CCTAU as far as Freeze is concerned.

True he put together an amazing staff of recruiters and he might be the GOAT when it comes to gathering talent. This staff has made huge inroads at the high school level.

He's going to get another season but he has to really show some improvement or be gone come this time next December even at the risk of an exodus of part of the talent he's assembled as well as those who will be verbally committed-Auburn sells itself to a great degree.


If Freeze can't deliver, I sacrifice some of the talent to retain as much of the staff as his replacement deems fit.


There's simply no way of determining who that might be at this point or for how long. So go interim coach from the current staff, go Tater Tot, Brother Oliver, Kevin Steele (do something) just not more of the same expecting different results and I will yield to our distinguished and all around good guy Snakebite who will discuss our current dilemma in the form of a microcosm.

[Snaggletiger]

Missed the point. A dynamic playmaker would deliver the same quick-flash success but it's not foundational. The foundation is bad. And the "kick ass" recruits? Let's see who stays and how portals. Word is out on the Beav.

The foundation is 1000X better than it was when Freeze got here.  And I never said a dynamic playmaker would deliver any quick-flash success.  I believe an SEC caliber QB would have taken us to 8 wins, which was right about where everybody on the planet said would be the indicator that this program was about to be a real player again.  Bama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, maybe A&M and Vandy all have legit SEC caliber quarterbacks.  We didn’t!  That was literally the biggest difference in almost every one of our losses.  That’s on Freeze.

I believe the terms you guys used were, “Severe state of disrepair”, and “We’re fucked for a good long while”. This team finished #33 in total offense, ahead of Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M.  They finished #31 in total defense, ahead of Bama, Georgia and Texas A&M.  The offense needs a QB and an upgrade on the line.  The playmakers are in great shape.  The D was young as hell, and is about to get a real boost if this recruiting class stays in-tact.

 Everybody is going to face attrition.  Not one program is immune anymore in this environment, and everybody, including us, are going to be asking, WTF in the next few days and weeks. But, maybe it’s just my glass half full mentality that says there’s not that big of a gap between us and the teams in the playoffs. We’re not there quite yet, but we’re certainly not going to be wandering in the desert for the next decade.

[The Six]

The foundation is 1000X better than it was when Freeze got here.  And I never said a dynamic playmaker would deliver any quick-flash success.  I believe an SEC caliber QB would have taken us to 8 wins, which was right about where everybody on the planet said would be the indicator that this program was about to be a real player again.  Bama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, maybe A&M and Vandy all have legit SEC caliber quarterbacks.  We didn’t!  That was literally the biggest difference in almost every one of our losses.  That’s on Freeze.

I believe the terms you guys used were, “Severe state of disrepair”, and “We’re fucked for a good long while”. This team finished #33 in total offense, ahead of Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M.  They finished #31 in total defense, ahead of Bama, Georgia and Texas A&M.  The offense needs a QB and an upgrade on the line.  The playmakers are in great shape.  The D was young as hell, and is about to get a real boost if this recruiting class stays in-tact.

 Everybody is going to face attrition.  Not one program is immune anymore in this environment, and everybody, including us, are going to be asking, WTF in the next few days and weeks. But, maybe it’s just my glass half full mentality that says there’s not that big of a gap between us and the teams in the playoffs. We’re not there quite yet, but we’re certainly not going to be wandering in the desert for the next decade.

I just don't have faith that the PTB who love, pet, and squeeze Auburn football until is suffocates are going to get this right for the long haul. Could they? Sure. Could we be hit by a meteor in the next 752 days? Sure. It's not the bottoming out that I think is happening. It's the continued mediocrity with fleeting moments of glory. I just don't see a bright future. It's just not there in a conference that's getting deeper, better, and so many teams way ahead.

[jmar]

The foundation is 1000X better than it was when Freeze got here.  And I never said a dynamic playmaker would deliver any quick-flash success.  I believe an SEC caliber QB would have taken us to 8 wins, which was right about where everybody on the planet said would be the indicator that this program was about to be a real player again.  Bama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, maybe A&M and Vandy all have legit SEC caliber quarterbacks.  We didn’t!  That was literally the biggest difference in almost every one of our losses.  That’s on Freeze.

I believe the terms you guys used were, “Severe state of disrepair”, and “We’re fucked for a good long while”. This team finished #33 in total offense, ahead of Alabama, Georgia, and Texas A&M.  They finished #31 in total defense, ahead of Bama, Georgia and Texas A&M.  The offense needs a QB and an upgrade on the line.  The playmakers are in great shape.  The D was young as hell, and is about to get a real boost if this recruiting class stays in-tact.

 Everybody is going to face attrition.  Not one program is immune anymore in this environment, and everybody, including us, are going to be asking, WTF in the next few days and weeks. But, maybe it’s just my glass half full mentality that says there’s not that big of a gap between us and the teams in the playoffs. We’re not there quite yet, but we’re certainly not going to be wandering in the desert for the next decade.

So were you disagreeing or agreeing with me or just flat out ignoring me? Because it seems like we are on the same page minus the rainbows and pixie dust.

[Kaos]

Yup.

We're digging out of a big hole.  Something like 50 scholarship players on the roster when HF took over.

At some point, O’Biden, you’ve got to stop blaming Trump. 

[GH2001]

At some point, O’Biden, you’ve got to stop blaming Trump.

I get that but recruiting and/or lack thereof has a 2-3 year lag in both directions. It's always been that way. Now with the portal, it's even more schizo. That said? I agree with the Nutless Wiregrass Counsel. Thorne is totally on Freeze. Thats his F Up and he has to own it and fix it. It literally set us back a year. Nook mentioned other coaches would have taken us to more wins - thats true. Mainly because those coaches would not have ridden their entire 2nd season on Thorne when they knew that "mid" was his ceiling. His gaffe and a big one. That cannot happen again. It's do or die now.

Im with you K in that I would rather Freeze stick with what hes good at. Navigating the politics/boosters, kissing babies, elite recruiting, being the overseer of the program. Absolutely get out of coaching on the field. Not sure it will ever happen completely but I think a step in that direction is a start. Hes 100% one of the best recruiters I have ever seen. It's bewildering almost how hes able to do this with his baggage and last two season records. Before we hired him, Pawlll mentioned he was the best salesman he had ever seen in CFB and that he could sell ice to eskimos. Thats great - seriously - let him do that mostly. Its obviously a huge strength.

[chinook]

the arctic ice is melting...just sayin.

welcome back.

[jmar]

I'm okay with Freeze as a shepherd of the program and recruiter but he cannot manage an offense. Given equal rosters I think Hugh and Lane (though different) arrive at 8 or 9 wins max.
Hope I'm wrong and the first sign of that possibly being disproven will be the first time Freeze puts two very good offensive games together against P5 teams.

[Snakebite]

Fuck Georgia!

[The Six]

Fuck Georgia!

I'm going to give them a tip of the hat in respect this year. Texas was grooved the easiest schedule and they found ways to not be distinguishable AND lose to the same Georgia team twice.

Georgia still has a rock hound defense. They aren't the pseudo-NFL unit of recent years (because most of that is actually in the NFL), but they are still capable, especially up front. Their offense lacks serious pop. They don't have a difference maker at WR or a cheat code at TE. Ettienne is their most electric player and he's been in and out of the lineup with injury all season. Beck is a front runner QB. As long as the talent around him is elite, he looks elite. Without that, he's as mid as Peyton Thorne. (I said what I said.)

Every team in the SEC had a bad loss this year (some more than one) Ole Miss is that for Georgia. That loss against Bama showed us how get-able any team was and no one wanted to admit it.  Well, they have to admit it now.

So in summation, fuck Georgia forever, but congrats to the Dawgs for at least keeping Horns Down for one more year.

[GH2001]

I'm okay with Freeze as a shepherd of the program and recruiter but he cannot manage an offense.

That ^....but I'm just not confident that will happen.