Chizik, Kiffin and Mullen

[Kaos]

Are you referring to the same West Virginia team that took Cincinnati to the brink, and just finished an upset of then #8 Pittsburgh?  That West Virginia?

I don't see how in the world you can put Mullen ahead of Chizik in any way, form or fashion.  They played over their heads and won their rivalry game.  That is it.

As much as it pains me to say it, I do agree on Kiffin though.  They started slow, but seemed to get better as the season wore on.

Mississippi State:

Went 3-3 over the last six games, beat Kentucky and Ole Miss during that span.  Scored 31 on Kentucky on the road. 

Considering where that team started, getting to five wins is a major achievement. Drubbing their biggest rival is also worthy of accolades.

They also had more moral victories than Auburn. Pushed Florida and had LSU beat but couldn't finish. 

If you say before the season that Chizik is going to go 7-5 and lose to LSU, Alabama and Georgia everybody goes "meh... about what's expected."

You say  MSU is going 5-7 but will beat Ole Miss and you're buying Mullen a cigar. 

Not saying MSU is a better team (or even Tennessee for that matter) but that Mullen did a better job with what he had.  He didn't have a Kentucky fart away game.

I'd hate to play either of them right now, though. 

[Saniflush]

You say  MSU is going 5-7 but will beat Ole Miss and you're buying Mullen a cigar. 

If you are a MSU fan you might be but that's the only way.

I know what evil lurks in the Grove and there is no way that fucktard was going to produce anything close to the expectations that were upon him this year.

[Kaos]

If you are a MSU fan you might be but that's the only way.

I know what evil lurks in the Grove and there is no way that phuktard was going to produce anything close to the expectations that were upon him this year.

Irrelevant.  Even a 6-5 Ole Miss would have been favored over a MSU team that was expected to win three games.

[Saniflush]

We were expected to win 5-6 and lose to ole miss.

[Pell City Tiger]

We were expected to win 5-6 and lose to ole miss.

Some prognosticators on this board had us at 3-4 wins max.

[Mr. Sensible]

We were expected to win 5-6 and lose to ole miss.

Yeah, but Kentucky was ours.

Just stop.

[Buzz Killington]

Yeah, but Kentucky was ours.

Just stop.

So now, we're basing the entire season and the balance of Chizik's career on one game?  Mmmmmmkay.

Georgia was ours too...right there for the taking.  Alabama was ours too, for a little more than three and a half quarters.

I was just as pissed as anybody else walking out of Jordan Hare after the Kentucky game, and momentarily had some of the same thoughts.  However, what I have seen out of the team and coaching staff as a whole since the LSU debacle has been nothing but positive. 

[Saniflush]

Yeah, but Kentucky was ours.

Just stop.

Just stop what?  I am no sunshine pumper but I am not preaching doom and gloom yet either.

[Kaos]

Some prognosticators on this board had us at 3-4 wins max.

Most people with any credibility had Auburn winning seven games at minimum.  Many thought eight or nine.  

[Mr. Sensible]

Chizik won games he was supposed to, lost one he wasn't supposed to, and pulled one upset.

How's that any different than Tubs other than the offense was different and the defense was horrendous?

[Saniflush]

Chizik won games he was supposed to, lost one he wasn't supposed to, and pulled one upset.

How's that any different than Tubs other than the offense was different and the defense was horrendous?

Nobody ever loses ones they are supposed to win.
signed,
Alabama '08

[Mr. Sensible]

Nobody ever loses ones they are supposed to win.
signed,
Alabama '08

Sugar Bowl reference?

[Saniflush]

Sugar Bowl reference?

Yeah but I guess that should have been '09.

Fail

[AUChizad]

Yeah but I guess that should have been '09.

Fail

Or ULM in 07.

Most people with any credibility had Auburn winning seven games at minimum.  Many thought eight or nine. 

I'm sorry, but everyone on this board knows this to be bullshit. You're going to make me waste a day digging for a preseason prediction thread.

You gave people down the road for being sunshine pumpers and Chizdick sucking loons for predictions like that early last offseason.

You, in the very least, insinuated that Chizik's record would be similar to that at Iowa State (5-19 over two years).

Revise history all you want, as I've seen you do numerous times, but you didn't start with the "anything below 7 is failure, anything above is success" stance until the season was underway. And even then, you did so because you thought he'd fail your "standards test", and you could use that to point and say "See, he underperformed by my standards I set at the beginning of the season". It didn't work out, and by your own bar you intentionally set too high to begin with, you should be satisfied.

[GH2001]

Or ULM in 07.
I'm sorry, but everyone on this board knows this to be bullpoop. You're going to make me waste a day digging for a preseason prediction thread.

You gave people down the road for being sunshine pumpers and Chiztool sucking loons for predictions like that early last offseason.

You, in the very least, insinuated that Chizik's record would be similar to that at Iowa State (5-19 over two years).

Revise history all you want, as I've seen you do numerous times, but you didn't start with the "anything below 7 is failure, anything above is success" stance until the season was underway. And even then, you did so because you thought he'd fail your "standards test", and you could use that to point and say "See, he underperformed by my standards I set at the beginning of the season". It didn't work out, and by your own bar you intentionally set too high to begin with, you should be satisfied.

Damn....

[jadennis]

I'm not sure where everyone is getting that Tennessee got "progressively" better as the year went on.

Crompton sucked less for a few random games, that's it.  That's the only difference.

Look at their schedule.

Western Kentucky    W 63-7   1-0 (0-0)
UCLA                     L 19-15   1-1 (0-0)
at No. 1 Florida             L 23-13   1-2 (0-1)
Ohio                            W 34-23   2-2 (0-1)
Auburn                     L 26-22   2-3 (0-2)
Georgia                    W 45-19   3-3 (1-2)
at No. 2 Alabama    L 12-10   3-4 (1-3)
South Carolina            W 31-13   4-4 (2-3)
Memphis                    W 56-28   5-4 (2-3)
at Mississippi            L 42-17   5-5 (2-4)
Vanderbilt                    W 31-16   6-5 (3-4)
at Kentucky            W 30-24   7-5 (4-4)

I see a close loss to Florida in game #3.  A loss to Auburn in game #5.  A win at home against struggling UGA in game #6.  A close loss to Alabama in game #7.  A win against SC (3-5 in the SEC) in game #8.  But then a blowout loss in game #10 to Ole Miss.  Expected wins against Memphis and Vandy, and a not-very-impressive OT win against Kentucky (who they haven't lost to since 1984) in game #12.

Where exactly is the "trend" upward that people are speaking of?  

So the last few games were...blowout loss to Ole Miss, wins against 2-10 Memphis (1-7 in C-USA), 2-10 Vandy (0-8 in the SEC) and an OT win against Kentucky.  

Again, I don't see the "upward" trend...not at all.  It's been the same all year....Crompton plays well, they can beat anyone.  He doesn't, they are mediocre.  

Game #3 was a loss to Florida.  
Game #5 was a loss to Auburn.  
Game #6 was a win against Georgia.
Game #7 was a loss to Alabama.
Game #8 was a win against SC.
Game #10 was a loss to Ole Miss.
Game #12 was an OT win against Kentucky.

To me, that's loss, loss, win, loss, win, loss, win.  I would even venture to say that Georgia, Alabama, and SC were their best games, right in the middle of the season.  Ole Miss to Kentucky was not impressive at all.

[Kaos]

you didn't start with the "anything below 7 is failure, anything above is success" stance until the season was underway.

You're full of shit. 

Dig away.

[jadennis]

I also think Mullen did a good job, but not anything award winning.

This Mississippi State team wasn't completely devoid of talent.  Last year they were 2-6 in the SEC.  This year they were 3-5, one game better.  Last year they were 4-8 overall, this year 5-7.  That's one game better. Not to mention that they won 8 games just two years ago.  Their defense has been pretty good in recent years, and they are running a first round NFL back out of the backfield.

Again, Mullen did a good job, but look at what the team did from last year to this year.  If we're not handing out moral victories to Auburn, then why hand them to Mullen for losing to LSU, Florida, etc.  Sure, they just beat Ole Miss, which was predictable (go back and look at my post from two weeks ago, I said "Nutt will probably beat LSU and then lose to Mississippi State).  But don't forget MSU just got destroyed 42-21 the week before by Arkansas (which you used against Auburn, but not against MSU?), and was destroyed the week before that by Alabama, a team Chizik's team had a lead on into the last minute and half of the game.

And if you go back to early in the year, you'll find Auburn's most complete win of the year...over Mississippi State.  Followed by a 15-3 victory over 0-8 in the SEC Vanderbilt.

Come on Kaos, I'm honestly not sure why you want to slant it so badly.  Moral victories to MSU and Tennessee, but not to Auburn.  Ignoring the head to head victories Chizik has over both coaches.  Using a loss to Kentucky as the staple bad game, yet Tennessee (during their upward swing) beats the same team in OT.

I'm not sure how you can't at least grade them all equally.

[Kaos]

I also think Mullen did a good job, but not anything award winning.

This Mississippi State team wasn't completely devoid of talent.  Last year they were 2-6 in the SEC.  This year they were 3-5, one game better.  Last year they were 4-8 overall, this year 5-7.  That's one game better. Not to mention that they won 8 games just two years ago.  Their defense has been pretty good in recent years, and they are running a first round NFL back out of the backfield.

Again, Mullen did a good job, but look at what the team did from last year to this year.  If we're not handing out moral victories to Auburn, then why hand them to Mullen for losing to LSU, Florida, etc.  Sure, they just beat Ole Miss, which was predictable (go back and look at my post from two weeks ago, I said "Nutt will probably beat LSU and then lose to Mississippi State).  But don't forget MSU just got destroyed 42-21 the week before by Arkansas (which you used against Auburn, but not against MSU?), and was destroyed the week before that by Alabama, a team Chizik's team had a lead on into the last minute and half of the game.

And if you go back to early in the year, you'll find Auburn's most complete win of the year...over Mississippi State.  Followed by a 15-3 victory over 0-8 in the SEC Vanderbilt.

Come on Kaos, I'm honestly not sure why you want to slant it so badly.  Moral victories to MSU and Tennessee, but not to Auburn.  Ignoring the head to head victories Chizik has over both coaches.  Using a loss to Kentucky as the staple bad game, yet Tennessee (during their upward swing) beats the same team in OT.

I'm not sure how you can't at least grade them all equally.

State finished 3-3

Tennessee finished 4-2

Auburn finished 2-5. 

State beat its biggest rival.

Tennessee beat one of its two biggest rivals. 

Auburn?  Moral victory against Alabama.  Blown out at LSU. Blown out at Arkansas.  Unless Ole-Fucking-Miss is a main rival now we didn't get one.

B's for Mullen and Kiffin.  C for Chizik.  The book is closed.

[Snaggletiger]

Chizik

Kiffin

Mullen

Chizik beat em' both.