Umm, What About the Rest of the Season?

by Mattco on Oct 5, 2008 12:00 PM CDT Comment 26 comments

Well. Here we are, 4-2, most likely and deservingly no ranked in a couple hours and I can't help but to think, what happens from here. I said 8 months ago that if Tubberville can't win a championship with the talent we have this year, he won't win one at Auburn and looking now, we might not even make a bowl game. Take a gander at the schedule:

08/30/08	vs. Louisiana-Monroe	Auburn, Ala.	W, 34-0
09/06/08	vs. Southern Miss	Auburn, Ala.	W, 27-13
09/13/08	at Mississippi State #	Starkville, Miss.	W, 3-2
09/20/08	vs. LSU #	Auburn, Ala.	L, 26-21
09/27/08	vs. Tennessee #	Auburn, Ala.	W, 14-12
10/04/08	at Vanderbilt #	Nashville, Tenn.	L, 14-13
10/11/08	vs. Arkansas #	Auburn, Ala.	4:00 p.m. CT
10/23/08	at West Virginia	Morgantown, W.V.	6:30 p.m. CT
11/01/08	at Mississippi #	Oxford, Miss.	TBA
11/08/08	vs. Tennessee-Martin (HC)	Auburn, Ala.	1:30 p.m. CT
11/15/08	vs. Georgia #	Auburn, Ala.	TBA
11/29/08	at Alabama #	Tuscaloosa, Ala.	TBA

With our offensive performance to date this season, Arkansas and Tenn-Martin might be our only two wins left in the season and Arkansas will be a fight. As a 6 win team, we really don't deserve a bowl game. I fell horrible for our team since I think that we might be the most talented team in the SEC with the exception of Georgia and our coaches have done the best job of not having them prepared for any game, much less off-season training that I have ever seen.

This is me trying to stay upbeat, but I just don't see anything positive from this season. Do you think that recruits want to go to a school with such dysfuntionality as we have had this year? Do you think that IF we get rid of Franklin this year, do you think that another good offensive coodinator would want to come into a situation where he doesn't have the ability to put his system in place? Don't get me wrong, I think we have to get rid of Franklin whether it is his fault or not. I say this since there is a disease on the offense, whether it is Franklin or the fact that no one will allow him to run his system.

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Rankings are up.

Well somehow we remain in the top 25 in both polls, 20 and 23. Not sure how or why we are ranked.

by Mattco on Oct 5, 2008 12:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Recruiting

If CTT doesn’t make drastic changes to right this season, Sabin will win the recruiting battle in our own back yard. That is completely unacceptable.

At the beginning of the season, I really believed that we had a shot at the national championship. Now we’re lucky if we make a bowl game.

by PAAuburnfan on Oct 5, 2008 3:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree completely.....

Tuberville has already compiled a top 10 recruiting class that should stay in the top 15 by signing day and that is a typical solid recruiting class for AU. The problem is that unless Tuberville wants to start completely over on the recruiting trail he is all but married to the spread at this point whether that is Franklins spread or not remains to be seen. And I also thought we had a chance at the National Championship and it wouldn’t have mattered how we won as long as we won. And somehow I doubt we will have a problem going to a bowl game this year (probably the peach again or maybe the music city unless we show marked improvement).

by Todd92 on Oct 5, 2008 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Recruits, stay or go.

Does the name Enrique Davis mean anything. Isnt he the verbal commitment that backed out? If I’m not mistaken , weren’t the coaches counting on him to sign, and thought they had him . Evidently , he saw something that didnt appeal to him. Until they put their name on the dotted line , Auburn cannot count on them.

by thewall77 on Oct 5, 2008 7:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Are you kidding??????

I said 8 months ago that if Tubberville can’t win a championship with the talent we have this year, he won’t win one at Auburn

What talent advantage are you talking about? Name one position that Auburn has a talent advantage over LSU, USC or OU?

Your statement above is uttered by every ignorant fan of every top 25 team every year. Auburn has good or great talent at every position. But its not so much better than you can say:

if Tubberville can’t win a championship with the talent we have this year, he won’t win one at Auburn

You aren’t even taking into account things like injuries or schedule or the fact that you have TWO new coordinators or the fact that you have a new starting QB.

Mattco, if you won’t accept anything less than a championship every time AU has the talent level of this 2008 team you will be disappointed far more times than you will be able to enjoy the season.

by LSU Jonno on Oct 6, 2008 9:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice call...

Jonno, I’m in agreement with you on this point. Auburn has plenty of talent, but it’d be hard to compare the talent level in the right positions to anyone at USC or OU, and even LSU to a point. We have raw talent, but there’s little QB and WR development. Our RB’s are always some of the best in the land, which is a credit to Eddie Gran’s amazing ability to develop his guys into consistently great RB’s. When it comes down to it, Auburn still needs talent in the right positions to be truly successful. From a defensive standpoint, we’re always there. From an offensive standpoint we’ve struggled due to guys not fully developing, not fully believing, and not pushing themselves to be the ultimate playmakers they need to be.

Honestly folks, we all know overall our offensive coaching isn’t quite up to par and can take some blame, but there’s still no Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford or Terrell Pryor to lead our team (sorry Kodi, you have to step up). Then look at our WR’s and you’ll not find a Juaquin Iglesias (OU), Michael Crabtree (TexTech) or even Julio Jones for that matter. So lets not get wrapped up in this talk that if “Tuberville can’t win a championship with the talent we have this year, he won’t win one at Auburn” crap because it’s not true. This team couldn’t hold the 2004 AU team’s jock-strap when it comes to talent, and I’m tired of everyone using some unknown rating to say that this year’s or even next year’s talent is up to par with 2004. With that said, I still think we’ve got an incredibly talented team and all the offensive talent Auburn possesses is not being used to its full potential. When coaches aren’t getting the most out of their talent (regardless of how many 5-star or 3-star recruits there are), then that’s a problem not to be overlooked. And that’s my take on this…

by crashmattb on Oct 6, 2008 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I will tell you why I thought AU could contend for a championship this season....

DEFENSE. Whether our defensive talent is better than anyone elses is arbitrary. The collective unit is better than OU’s, USC’s or even your beloved gold and purple tiger unit Jonno (that is my opinion). If our offense could have been just an average SEC offense we would contend. But to this point we have not been an average SEC offense. Now our defense is starting to bleed from injurys and wear down from the load they are being forced to carry. Defense does win championships but not without help from the offense and right now there is no help in any form coming from the offensive side of the ball.

by Todd92 on Oct 6, 2008 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

AU's defense as a whole might be better...

But I still think LSU has more depth at every position except LB, and talent is probably about equal.

LSU is breaking in 3-5 new DB’s (depending on our defensive formation) and has allowed some big plays through the air due to coverage breakdowns (see the AU game), but nobody has been able to burn through our D-line like LSU did to AU’s D-line.

I’m not bashing AU fans who “thought AU could contend for a championship”. Every fan should expect that. I’m bashing fans who think:

if Tubberville can’t win a championship with the talent we have this year, he won’t win one at Auburn

Thinking you’re a contender, and expecting nothing less than a championship are two different things. There are plenty of teams with AU’s talent level, and only one championship, you do the math.

by LSU Jonno on Oct 6, 2008 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still say the only reason for the second half....

of the LSU game (mostly 4th quarter) rushing yards had every thing to do with AU’s offense not giving the defense the rest they needed. Had the offense been able to move the ball consistantly in the 4th we would not be having this discussion and LSU would not have racked up the rushing yards.

by Todd92 on Oct 6, 2008 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and you are correct....

about the contending vs. expecting. Wasn’t arguing your point there.

by Todd92 on Oct 6, 2008 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Alright. My turn.

A. We are loaded with raw talent and bad coaches to take advantage.
B. We have one of the most talented defenses in the country and a very good coordinator.
C. LSU at home.
D. Georgia at home.
E. Arkansas at home.
F. West Virginia losing their head coach and should have been in disarray, which happened.
G. Alabama having talent but not being able to take full advantage of it, did not happen.
H. Our running backs. Still pretty damn talented with injuries.

As you see, with all of these things added up, if Tubberville couldn’t win a championship this year, he won’t win one at Auburn. I stick by this statement.

by Mattco on Oct 6, 2008 7:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hogwash and more hogwash.....

You have no frame of reference donnie your out of your element.

by Todd92 on Oct 6, 2008 9:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

who is this reply to?

Are you calling me donnie? I have no idea who you are talking to here or even what you mean.

by Mattco on Oct 6, 2008 10:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok...?

Nothing you just told me supports any kind of National Championship or SEC Championship run. I think a reasonable expectation of a West Division title would be fair.

A. We are loaded with raw talent and bad coaches to take advantage.
-This is not a point to support a championship run
B. We have one of the most talented defenses in the country and a very good coordinator.
-Which lost a starter and two backups for the year in fall ball in an already thin secondary, no depth
C. LSU at home.
-Concur
D. Georgia at home.
-Concur
E. Arkansas at home.
-Who cares?
F. West Virginia losing their head coach and should have been in disarray, which happened.
-Concur
G. Alabama having talent but not being able to take full advantage of it, did not happen.
-I’m not going to say that I predicted Bama to be this good, but in his second year at LSU he won the SEC Championship. Everyone should have known that Bama would be very competitive this year, and win several big games.
H. Our running backs. Still pretty damn talented with injuries.
-Your RB’s are good, but there are tons of teams with “good” RB’s (LSU, USC, OU, Bama). Besides, your O-line blew big donkey balls last year, and hasn’t improved this year, which pretty much negates any good RB’s anyway.

So after combining your points, it looks like AU had a great defense with depth issues, and a favorable schedule this year. Combine that with a new QB, and a new offensive system, and a below average SEC O-line and really this isn’t all that surprising.

by LSU Jonno on Oct 7, 2008 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok back.

I said this 8 months ago. You would have expected an OC to be able to put together a reasonable offense with a solid offensive line and a good set of running backs. You couldn’t have expected our offense to be nearly this bad.

Again, I said this 8 months ago, I didn’t predict us to lose several defensive backs for the season before kickoff.

Everything should have leaned itself to us more than it has this season. I also had a post somewhere about the same time stating that I thought that the Auburn nation wouldn’t want a pass heavy offense and would in the end stifle Franklin’s offense and blame it on lack talent. Sound familiar?

by Mattco on Oct 7, 2008 7:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually....

Our O-line played awesome once we found the components (3 freshman) for the UF game. The original line up for the first 3 games did however Blow.

by Todd92 on Oct 8, 2008 10:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry for the Big Lewbowski reference (one of my favorite movies).....

but yes I was referring to you. It takes much more than a talented team to win a Championship. It takes a tremendous amount of luck as well. Your argument doesnt hold water in the least. With the most talented team you need many things to fall your way (if you don’t think we had that happen in 2004 then you are lacking the ability to be objective entirely). The best team is not always the one who wins the NC (note 2007 and most likely this season as well as both UGA and USC could be left out). I will be the first to admit that AU should have and (I thought would have) contended for the NC this season had the offense been even somewhat productive but contending is not necessarily winning. I expect AU to contend every year and our talent level will not drop next year so I expect AU to contend next year. In order to win a championship a team must be in contension that is all the faithful can ask the rest is up to blind luck (especially in the SEC).

by Todd92 on Oct 8, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was hoping that was a Lebowski reference!

But the best team most definitely won the NC in 2007. Nobody could beat that LSU team at full strength on a neutral field last year.

by LSU Jonno on Oct 8, 2008 1:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Now thats not a homer statement is it?

Note the above question should be read wth as much sarcasm as your statement should be.

by Todd92 on Oct 8, 2008 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LSU won the SEC championship

Beat the ACC champion and the Big 10 champ all in one year when healthy. No other team had our resume, and it wasn’t close. To be honest, I think the best team last year was Oregon with Dixon, but after he went down, the choice was easy. LSU.

And what makes you think UGA is one of the top two teams this year? Bama kicked them in the balls and laughed!

by LSU Jonno on Oct 8, 2008 3:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I see your point.

I understand there is a great deal of luck when it comes to winning the championship and I know that we will have a ton of returning talent again and some key positions should improve, see our offensive line. But with LSU finding itself this year again, with new quarterbacks getting better, UGA’s talent coming more into itself and Alabama should return stronger next year. These things and our schedule being much more brutal next season with tougher road games, next season shapes up to be tougher.

by Mattco on Oct 8, 2008 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs