I wrote a couple of posts below concerning Tuberville's tenure at Auburn. Some people loved him. Some people didn't.
I never quite knew where I stood with him. I did not understand the fuss about him when he was hired. He had five years head coaching experience. This was at Ole Miss who he took over when they had been hit with major probation. He did ok. Not great, but not terrible especially considering the circumstances. But, was he the best coach Auburn could have gotten?
He came to Auburn and brought his entire coaching staff in tact. After five years he had two four loss seasons, two five loss seasons, and a six loss season. His overall record was 38-24 (0.613) No conference championships (though he did play for one). Nowhere near any National Championship contention. I was ready for him to go. So were a lot of other people. Some were not.
The powers that be then made Auburn a laughing stock. Instead of firing him or doing something to improve things and generally going about it the right way, they sercretly flew the private jet of a major donor (and Board Member) to Louisville to hire Bobby Petrino just before the Alabama Game. Apparently they were then going to fire Tuberville and announce Petrino. I am glad we did not get Petrino.
However, the best laid plans have a way of failing. The plan leaked out. AU was embarassed. Petrino was embarassed and backed out. The AD got fired. Auburn surprisingly beat Alabama. Tuberville was kept on, given an extension. He promised a National Championship in his tenure. "You can write that down."
Surprises kept coming. After starting out with no seasons in five with less than four losses, in his sixth season he went 13-0, won the SEC, should have been able to play for the National Title. All of a sudden, everyone loves Tubby. He gets a huge extension. Big money. Oh, great great Coach. What then?
They start out the 2005 season losing the Georgia Tech. However, the only other loss in regular season was an OT loss to LSU who was a pretty darn good football team. The season ended on a low note with a bowl loss to Wisconsin.
2006 was a weird year. They were highly rated at one point. The finished a very good 11-2. However, they lost to Arkansas in embarrasing fashion and did not even show up for Georgia.
In 2007 they started out 1-2, losing to South Florida and Mississippi State. They did not show up for Georgia again. They finished 9-4.
2008....well.....don't get me started.
So, really, 2004-2006 were very respectable, even very good years. But, other than those three years, Auburn lost at least four games every single year under Tubby. Sure they won six straight over Bama (a Bama that was down mostly). They kept barely winning over Bama while Bama's bookend wins over Auburn were blowouts. Tubby never had the killer instinct. He never quite got AU over the hump, and was now on the downhill slide. He had a revolving door at the coordinator positions, yet kept basically the same staff in tact for fifteen years. He totally blew the Franklin hire.
Good or bad, love him or hate him, I truly believe it was time for Tommy to go.
"We should get a great coach," I thought. When we hired Gene Chizik, a man with a head coaching record of 5-19, I was speechless.
However, while only time will tell, I am very pleased with what Chizik has done so far. He has hired Gus Malzahn as OC. Gus led Tulsa to be a top 2 offense the last two years. This year they were in the top ten in both rushing AND passing as well as scoring. He has hired what appears to be several assistants on offense that are succesful coaches plus great recruiters. He kept one of the better defensive coaches off of Tuberville's staff who also is a good recruiter. He has hired a potentially very good D Coordinator. The good thing is that between all thee guys they have recruiting connections all over from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and maybe others.
Oh, and the 13-0 season at Auburn? Chizik was the defensive coordinator. He left and went to Texas in 2005 where they went 13-0 and won the National Title. So Dude CAN coach!
It will be very interesting to see how that goes.
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Iron Bowl Prediction (well, sort of)
Last year after three games, Auburn looked very bad and Alabama looked pretty good. At that point I made the prediction that Auburn would actually beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl (you can find that prediction on this Blog). Turned out, I was a prophet, or at least lucky anyway!
This year we have now played eleven games and I have not made a prediction. Seems pretty clear. AU is 5-6, and Bama is 11-0 and ranked number one. The obvious prediction is that Alabama will win and possibly by a large margin. It's not just the records, there are other things to consider.....
1) Alabama has dominated most games this year at the line of scrimmagr on both sides of the ball. This has been evident from the first game of the year. The thing I kept thinking as I watched them this year is that their skill players are not really any better than anyone elses (although Julio Jones certainly has potential to be one of the best ever) but that their linemen just dominate the other side. And, as they say, games are won in the trenches.
2) Auburn's interior, on the other hand, has had innumerable problems all year long. Their offensive line, especially Ziemba, has had a problem with holding and false start penalties all year. More often than not, when the QB performs a deep handoff, the defensive linemen are already in the runners face. On the defensive side, AU has looked great at times, but has suffered so many injuiries that they have looked hideous at times (esp vs West Va in the second half)
3) While AU is 5-6, they have even looked unimpressive for that record. As noted earlier they only scored 20 offensive points against La Monroe. They nearly let Southern Miss back into a game that had dominated. The 3-2 win against Miss St is what I have referred to as the most embarrasing victory in the history of Auburn Football. They held on to beat the worst UTenn team in my memory, scoring one offensive and one defensive TD. They were tied 20-20 in the third quarter to a 1-AA team (UT Martin) In two games they missed PAT's which very well may have cost them the game. Their field goal kicker has choked all year.
4) Bama has six years of pent up frustration and are just aching to take revenge.
5) I think Nick Saban is probably the least likely coach to overlook AU and look ahead to Florida. I absolutely believe he will have them ready.
6) AU's coaching staff has been a fiasco this year, with the hiring of Tony Franklin, the failure of that venture (and I still do not know where the fault lies in that mess) and his subsequent firing. Since then Steve Ensminger has run the show. If we were expecting Franklin to be Baskin Robbins 31 flavors, Ensminger is, always has been and always will be just plain vanilla.
7) Bama will have home field advantage.
With all that said, and more that could be, it seems the only question is not will Bama win, but by how much.
However, perhaps I am just being an overly optimistic Tiger fan, but I do not rule out the possiblity that they will make a game of it, and even have at least some reasonable chance to win. I am not predicting they will win, but I am saying that if they do, I will not be totally stunned. Admittedly, some of this may come from the Orange and Blue colored glasses I seem to wear, but some of it comes from actual reasoning. Hear me out.
1) At times this year, AUs defense has been supurb, even suffocating. The defense is what has won the games they've won. During the middle stretch of the year, most notably at the WVA game, the defense was just riddled with injuires. Now, the defense is as healthy as it has been since the beginning of the year. Their defense should be able to at least keep them in the game.
2) With all the coaching mess this year, this will now be the sixth game this year under the 'new' system - i.e. without Franklin. As vanilla as Ensminger is, I do at least believe progress is being made from where they were earlier this year.
3) Kodi Burns is coming along. He is still a true Sophomore without tons of playing time, but he occasionally makes plays that are unbelievable, and seems to be gaining confidence. If only he had played the full year......
4) Tuscaloosa is like home away from home for Auburn. Auburn has NEVER lost there. They have that streak (which I think is six games) along with their six game win streak in the series on the line.
5) As bad as AU has been (they are 5-6 and could eaisily be 2-9 or 3-8) they are on the other side just a play here and a play there away from being 8-3 or 9-2. They led the WVa game at one point 17-3. Through the WVa game, they had led all of their games at halftime. They lost on a late score to LSU. They missed an extra point and were stopped on the goal line against Vandy and lost by one point. They led Arkansa 20-10 before losing late. They stayed toe to toe with UGa for most of the game. Missed an extra point, missed one or two field goals, and were still deep in UGa territory late with a chance to win, beofe losing 17-13.
6) Every year since he has been there (except 2004) Tuberville has had one or two games where AU has looked like they were just totally unprepared and AU has gotten beaten ugly. However, every year since he has been there, AU has had at least one game where they looked like the best prepared team in the country. Check the record. At least once per year, AU looks like world beaters. This year, they have had several of the no-shows, and none of the great games. They are due up.
When all is said and done, I am not making an actual definite prediction either way. If you absolutely forced me to say who I thought would win, I would have to say Bama for the above reasons. However, for the other reasons, I think AU actually has a better chance than most are giving them. Really, the score could be anywhere from 38-7 Bama to 20-17 Auburn!
That's all right if we lose. We can start a new streak next year!
This year we have now played eleven games and I have not made a prediction. Seems pretty clear. AU is 5-6, and Bama is 11-0 and ranked number one. The obvious prediction is that Alabama will win and possibly by a large margin. It's not just the records, there are other things to consider.....
1) Alabama has dominated most games this year at the line of scrimmagr on both sides of the ball. This has been evident from the first game of the year. The thing I kept thinking as I watched them this year is that their skill players are not really any better than anyone elses (although Julio Jones certainly has potential to be one of the best ever) but that their linemen just dominate the other side. And, as they say, games are won in the trenches.
2) Auburn's interior, on the other hand, has had innumerable problems all year long. Their offensive line, especially Ziemba, has had a problem with holding and false start penalties all year. More often than not, when the QB performs a deep handoff, the defensive linemen are already in the runners face. On the defensive side, AU has looked great at times, but has suffered so many injuiries that they have looked hideous at times (esp vs West Va in the second half)
3) While AU is 5-6, they have even looked unimpressive for that record. As noted earlier they only scored 20 offensive points against La Monroe. They nearly let Southern Miss back into a game that had dominated. The 3-2 win against Miss St is what I have referred to as the most embarrasing victory in the history of Auburn Football. They held on to beat the worst UTenn team in my memory, scoring one offensive and one defensive TD. They were tied 20-20 in the third quarter to a 1-AA team (UT Martin) In two games they missed PAT's which very well may have cost them the game. Their field goal kicker has choked all year.
4) Bama has six years of pent up frustration and are just aching to take revenge.
5) I think Nick Saban is probably the least likely coach to overlook AU and look ahead to Florida. I absolutely believe he will have them ready.
6) AU's coaching staff has been a fiasco this year, with the hiring of Tony Franklin, the failure of that venture (and I still do not know where the fault lies in that mess) and his subsequent firing. Since then Steve Ensminger has run the show. If we were expecting Franklin to be Baskin Robbins 31 flavors, Ensminger is, always has been and always will be just plain vanilla.
7) Bama will have home field advantage.
With all that said, and more that could be, it seems the only question is not will Bama win, but by how much.
However, perhaps I am just being an overly optimistic Tiger fan, but I do not rule out the possiblity that they will make a game of it, and even have at least some reasonable chance to win. I am not predicting they will win, but I am saying that if they do, I will not be totally stunned. Admittedly, some of this may come from the Orange and Blue colored glasses I seem to wear, but some of it comes from actual reasoning. Hear me out.
1) At times this year, AUs defense has been supurb, even suffocating. The defense is what has won the games they've won. During the middle stretch of the year, most notably at the WVA game, the defense was just riddled with injuires. Now, the defense is as healthy as it has been since the beginning of the year. Their defense should be able to at least keep them in the game.
2) With all the coaching mess this year, this will now be the sixth game this year under the 'new' system - i.e. without Franklin. As vanilla as Ensminger is, I do at least believe progress is being made from where they were earlier this year.
3) Kodi Burns is coming along. He is still a true Sophomore without tons of playing time, but he occasionally makes plays that are unbelievable, and seems to be gaining confidence. If only he had played the full year......
4) Tuscaloosa is like home away from home for Auburn. Auburn has NEVER lost there. They have that streak (which I think is six games) along with their six game win streak in the series on the line.
5) As bad as AU has been (they are 5-6 and could eaisily be 2-9 or 3-8) they are on the other side just a play here and a play there away from being 8-3 or 9-2. They led the WVa game at one point 17-3. Through the WVa game, they had led all of their games at halftime. They lost on a late score to LSU. They missed an extra point and were stopped on the goal line against Vandy and lost by one point. They led Arkansa 20-10 before losing late. They stayed toe to toe with UGa for most of the game. Missed an extra point, missed one or two field goals, and were still deep in UGa territory late with a chance to win, beofe losing 17-13.
6) Every year since he has been there (except 2004) Tuberville has had one or two games where AU has looked like they were just totally unprepared and AU has gotten beaten ugly. However, every year since he has been there, AU has had at least one game where they looked like the best prepared team in the country. Check the record. At least once per year, AU looks like world beaters. This year, they have had several of the no-shows, and none of the great games. They are due up.
When all is said and done, I am not making an actual definite prediction either way. If you absolutely forced me to say who I thought would win, I would have to say Bama for the above reasons. However, for the other reasons, I think AU actually has a better chance than most are giving them. Really, the score could be anywhere from 38-7 Bama to 20-17 Auburn!
That's all right if we lose. We can start a new streak next year!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Bad times on the Plains
I have been wanting to write about the sorry state of affairs at Auburn all year long, but have not gotten around to it. I'm glad I haven't because yesterday the whole thing took a major turn of events. I do not have any idea if this will be a positive move or further the slide downhill.
Tony Franklin of the much vaunted Tony Franklin System was hired last December to take Auburn's offense to new heights. After six games, they have fallen to unprecedented depths. During the middle of the week after an embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt and facing yet another conference opponent in Arkansas in three days, Coach Tommy Tuberville relieved Franklin of his duties. I really do not know what all to say about this except that I am almost one hundred percent sure there is much more than meets the eye.
Franklin coached High School Ball with apparently some level of success for several years. In the late 1990s, he became an assistant at the University of Kentucky (his home state). He was QB coach and coached such greats as Tim Couch, who set all sorts of records, as well as Jared Lorenzen, who was also quite successful. I believe both of these guys averaged well over 300 yards passing per game. Kentucky had a phenominal offense and a very average at best defense. But, Kentucky did win more than they usually have - even going to bowl games. If they only had a defense.....
However, the whole thing fell apart at KY, as Head Coach Hal Mumme was run out of town under allegations of wrongdoing. Franklin retreated out of coaching, wrote a book about his time at UK where he named names in the whole scandal. He then began developing and marketing his system mostly to high school teams all over the country.
His system drew teams from all over the place. Close to my home is Hoover High School, who had used his system to win like five out of six state championships - being so good that they got their very own MTV show called "Two a Days."
Some colleges also ran his system. Most notably of these have been Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have always been a middle of the road team. But in recent years their offense has been so good that they have begun winning. If they only had a defense......
Well, apparently, they have finally developed some defense and are now a top ten team. Last weak they scored 58 points.
I believe other teams either run the TF system or some offense similar. I believe that Oregon was running it and was undefeated and one of the best teams in the country last year until their QB got hurt. West Virginia has run some variation on the spread offense to much success. The current number one team in the country, Oklahoma, runs some variation of the spread (I do not know how related it is to the Franklin system) and they have the best offense around.
I went onto Youtube, and looked at some old Kentucky highlights with Couch and Lorenzen. VERY exciting stuff - even realizing that these were highlights and undoubtedly there were plenty of unseccuessful plays mixed in, too, that weren't shown.
So, we get this genius, this guy who makes Kentucky, Texas Tech, and Oregon to be contenders, this guy whose systems wins High School Championships, we get him to come to Auburn - a team whose offense has struggled in the past couple of years, but who has a very strong defense. We get that offense playing to the level of the defense, and we will be tough to beat. Many in AU land were excited.
I expected that they would not be lighting up the scoreboard right off the bat. I was glad we opened with a very weak team, followed by a very mediocre team, so as to help get in stride. I figured by the third game of the year, we should be showing massive improvement.
Well, the first game against La Monroe was somewhat concerning. Sure, they won 34-0, which is actually a quite modest score for a 'powerhouse' against a weak sister. However, one touchdown came on a defensive play where a fumble was recovered and returned, and another came on a beautiful punt return. Therefore, Auburn's vaunted, high octane spread offense scored a whopping 20 points against this gosh-awful team from the bayou state. On top of that, in four quarters against a warm up opponent, AU had less than 100 yards of passing, moving the ball most effectively on the ground. This is the Spread?
The next week found AU playing a fair, but not really good, Southern Miss team. The first two possessions, Auburn marched down the field beautifully, but fumbled the ball away deep in USM territory both times. They still went on to build something like a 17-0 (or something like that) halftime lead then held on to win 27-13. Not great, but at least there was promise. Without the two fumbles, it could have been 31-0 at the half, and who knows where it would have ended up. Now, this is what I am talking about!! Not great, but progress - potential greatness in the making.
However, since the first half of that game, the wheels have completely come off. Auburn beat Mississippi State, a bona finde cellar team in the SEC in probably the most embarring win in Auburn history. Their high charged offense scored five points! And two of them were for Mississippi State, winning 3-2. Oh, well, I thought. Still working some kinks out. Maybe MSU has a great defense. That was shot down for me the next week when MSU lost to Georgia Tech something like 38-7!
The next game was against LSU - the defending National Champs. Very good team. AU managed to go up 14-3 and knock their starting QB out of the game. (One of the TDs was an interception for a TD so only one offensive TD) The other QB for LSU came in and played flawlessly in the second half. Still AU managed to drive for a TD in the fourth and regain the lead at 21-20. A short punt set LSU up near midfield late, and they drove for the winning TD. Oh well. They are great. We may be making at least some progress.
Next came Tennessee - who is very sub par for a UT team. Again, we build a 14-3 lead early, in part due to a Tennessee fumble recovered in the end zone. We hang on to win 14-12 - putting constant pressure on our defense to hold UT time and again with good field position as our offense could not move the ball.
Finally, the last nail came last week against Vandy. Granted, this is the best Vandy team in a long time. They are undefeated - the deepest they have been so since WWII!! However, they have done so through just finding some way to win. Actually, coming into the game, they were rated last in the SEC in total offense and total defense. (How they could have been behind AU in offense is beyond me)
AU came out scrapping the spread and playing power ball. First three plays were sweeps to the right side by Ben Tate. All three went for over ten yards. They continued to drive down the field getting a first and goal inside the five. They then ran four straight plays up the middle and did not score. Not to worry, they stopped Vandy, got the ball back and drove down the field, mixing run and pass and scored easily.
When Vandy go the ball back again, AU intercepted a pass, then scored quickly again on a beautiful pass play. The route was on. Oh, but one minor flaw, they missed the PAT.
After one quarter, Auburn had well over one hundred yards offense, 13 points which very easily could have been 21. They were in complete control of the game.
From that point on, they scrapped what they were doing and went to the TFS spread for the rest of the game. They managed a TOTAL of 82 yards offense for the remaining three quarters. Once again, the starting QB for the opponent left the game, but the backup played beautifully. AU let Vandy hang around, until finally, Vandy won the dadgum thing 14-13.
Let's think about this. As far as offensive points produced, AU has scored 20 (out of 34), 27, 3, 14 (out of 21), 14, 13. That, my friends is an average 15 points per game, and other than LSU, this was against very subpar defenses. The worst thing is that there has been absolutely zero progression from week to week. Actually, it appears to me that there has been regression.
Tuberville insists he is sticking by Franklin and the spread. That is, until yesterday, when suddenly he fired him. I am at a loss for exactly what is going on here. I do believe there is more than meets the eye, but I have no idea precisely what it is. But, here are a few observations:
* Auburn's great offensive line has struggled constantly with procedure penatlies, holding, and just getting outmanned.
* The negative plays from the first line above have frequently happened at the most inopportune time - just as we get one or two positive plays and good field position and momentum, we have a procedure, hold, or sack.
* Watching Tim Couch highlights, I recognized right off the whole offense was not the same as AU is currently running.
----He frequently had one and sometimes two tight ends and one and sometimes two backs in the backfield. This was mixed in with an occasional no back, no tight end set. Auburn a great deal of the time runs with no backs or tight ends, placing tremendous pressure on the five linemen.
---- He would frequently line up under center - AU has stuck predominately with the shotgun play after play.
---- The UK linemen would often line up in a three point stance - AUs is almost exclusively in a two point stance.
---- UK ran a ton of quick plays - either by design, or as a safety valve drop off. Even when these only get 1-5 yards, that is better than zero or negative yardage. AU seems to run plays that take ten minutes to develop, and usually end up blowing up in their face.
---- Because of the above, UK seemed to keep pressure on the Defense. The only defense AUs offense has pressured has been their own.
I have no idea what precipitated the firing. I do not believe it came out of thin air. I believe there is something going on - whether it be chemistry among the coaches (and this could be TTs fault, or TFs - I really do not know) . there could be insurmountable frustration on the players parts. There apparently was some sort of a blow up in the last day or two - though Tuberville the Politician insists nothing of the sort led to the dismissal.
I tend to think as the season progressed, TT began pressuring TF to produce. By the time of the Vandy game, TT could well have said "Give the rest of us the first quarter to see what we can do, then I'll give it back to you." You see how that worked out. I imagine at this point, TT was calling for TF to back up and rethink what he was doing. TF probably took this as an insult. Sparks flew. TF is gone. Coaches have egos (see Nick Saban).
Tubs is actually insistent on his love for the spread and claims to keep plugging away at it. Doing so without the spread guru himself tells me there must have been major personality/philosophical issues going on behind the scenes.
One thing I do know. Auburns offense, which ranks worse than 100th in the country in virtually every stat, has been for all intents and purpose, totally non-productive. I mean totally. Yet, we have two losses each against a team that is still undefeated and highly ranked. These losses have been by a total of six points. If we can simply have an offense that can produce some time of possession, field position, and some amount of scoring, AU can end the year quite successfully. That is my hope. My fear is that this, yet another embarassing moment in AU football history, may have long term negative impacts in terms of national perception, and recruiting - as well as in terms of who in the world would now come to AU as Offensive cooridinator? TT ahs had 5 in ten years!
Oh, well, we'll just have to watch and see!
Tony Franklin of the much vaunted Tony Franklin System was hired last December to take Auburn's offense to new heights. After six games, they have fallen to unprecedented depths. During the middle of the week after an embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt and facing yet another conference opponent in Arkansas in three days, Coach Tommy Tuberville relieved Franklin of his duties. I really do not know what all to say about this except that I am almost one hundred percent sure there is much more than meets the eye.
Franklin coached High School Ball with apparently some level of success for several years. In the late 1990s, he became an assistant at the University of Kentucky (his home state). He was QB coach and coached such greats as Tim Couch, who set all sorts of records, as well as Jared Lorenzen, who was also quite successful. I believe both of these guys averaged well over 300 yards passing per game. Kentucky had a phenominal offense and a very average at best defense. But, Kentucky did win more than they usually have - even going to bowl games. If they only had a defense.....
However, the whole thing fell apart at KY, as Head Coach Hal Mumme was run out of town under allegations of wrongdoing. Franklin retreated out of coaching, wrote a book about his time at UK where he named names in the whole scandal. He then began developing and marketing his system mostly to high school teams all over the country.
His system drew teams from all over the place. Close to my home is Hoover High School, who had used his system to win like five out of six state championships - being so good that they got their very own MTV show called "Two a Days."
Some colleges also ran his system. Most notably of these have been Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have always been a middle of the road team. But in recent years their offense has been so good that they have begun winning. If they only had a defense......
Well, apparently, they have finally developed some defense and are now a top ten team. Last weak they scored 58 points.
I believe other teams either run the TF system or some offense similar. I believe that Oregon was running it and was undefeated and one of the best teams in the country last year until their QB got hurt. West Virginia has run some variation on the spread offense to much success. The current number one team in the country, Oklahoma, runs some variation of the spread (I do not know how related it is to the Franklin system) and they have the best offense around.
I went onto Youtube, and looked at some old Kentucky highlights with Couch and Lorenzen. VERY exciting stuff - even realizing that these were highlights and undoubtedly there were plenty of unseccuessful plays mixed in, too, that weren't shown.
So, we get this genius, this guy who makes Kentucky, Texas Tech, and Oregon to be contenders, this guy whose systems wins High School Championships, we get him to come to Auburn - a team whose offense has struggled in the past couple of years, but who has a very strong defense. We get that offense playing to the level of the defense, and we will be tough to beat. Many in AU land were excited.
I expected that they would not be lighting up the scoreboard right off the bat. I was glad we opened with a very weak team, followed by a very mediocre team, so as to help get in stride. I figured by the third game of the year, we should be showing massive improvement.
Well, the first game against La Monroe was somewhat concerning. Sure, they won 34-0, which is actually a quite modest score for a 'powerhouse' against a weak sister. However, one touchdown came on a defensive play where a fumble was recovered and returned, and another came on a beautiful punt return. Therefore, Auburn's vaunted, high octane spread offense scored a whopping 20 points against this gosh-awful team from the bayou state. On top of that, in four quarters against a warm up opponent, AU had less than 100 yards of passing, moving the ball most effectively on the ground. This is the Spread?
The next week found AU playing a fair, but not really good, Southern Miss team. The first two possessions, Auburn marched down the field beautifully, but fumbled the ball away deep in USM territory both times. They still went on to build something like a 17-0 (or something like that) halftime lead then held on to win 27-13. Not great, but at least there was promise. Without the two fumbles, it could have been 31-0 at the half, and who knows where it would have ended up. Now, this is what I am talking about!! Not great, but progress - potential greatness in the making.
However, since the first half of that game, the wheels have completely come off. Auburn beat Mississippi State, a bona finde cellar team in the SEC in probably the most embarring win in Auburn history. Their high charged offense scored five points! And two of them were for Mississippi State, winning 3-2. Oh, well, I thought. Still working some kinks out. Maybe MSU has a great defense. That was shot down for me the next week when MSU lost to Georgia Tech something like 38-7!
The next game was against LSU - the defending National Champs. Very good team. AU managed to go up 14-3 and knock their starting QB out of the game. (One of the TDs was an interception for a TD so only one offensive TD) The other QB for LSU came in and played flawlessly in the second half. Still AU managed to drive for a TD in the fourth and regain the lead at 21-20. A short punt set LSU up near midfield late, and they drove for the winning TD. Oh well. They are great. We may be making at least some progress.
Next came Tennessee - who is very sub par for a UT team. Again, we build a 14-3 lead early, in part due to a Tennessee fumble recovered in the end zone. We hang on to win 14-12 - putting constant pressure on our defense to hold UT time and again with good field position as our offense could not move the ball.
Finally, the last nail came last week against Vandy. Granted, this is the best Vandy team in a long time. They are undefeated - the deepest they have been so since WWII!! However, they have done so through just finding some way to win. Actually, coming into the game, they were rated last in the SEC in total offense and total defense. (How they could have been behind AU in offense is beyond me)
AU came out scrapping the spread and playing power ball. First three plays were sweeps to the right side by Ben Tate. All three went for over ten yards. They continued to drive down the field getting a first and goal inside the five. They then ran four straight plays up the middle and did not score. Not to worry, they stopped Vandy, got the ball back and drove down the field, mixing run and pass and scored easily.
When Vandy go the ball back again, AU intercepted a pass, then scored quickly again on a beautiful pass play. The route was on. Oh, but one minor flaw, they missed the PAT.
After one quarter, Auburn had well over one hundred yards offense, 13 points which very easily could have been 21. They were in complete control of the game.
From that point on, they scrapped what they were doing and went to the TFS spread for the rest of the game. They managed a TOTAL of 82 yards offense for the remaining three quarters. Once again, the starting QB for the opponent left the game, but the backup played beautifully. AU let Vandy hang around, until finally, Vandy won the dadgum thing 14-13.
Let's think about this. As far as offensive points produced, AU has scored 20 (out of 34), 27, 3, 14 (out of 21), 14, 13. That, my friends is an average 15 points per game, and other than LSU, this was against very subpar defenses. The worst thing is that there has been absolutely zero progression from week to week. Actually, it appears to me that there has been regression.
Tuberville insists he is sticking by Franklin and the spread. That is, until yesterday, when suddenly he fired him. I am at a loss for exactly what is going on here. I do believe there is more than meets the eye, but I have no idea precisely what it is. But, here are a few observations:
* Auburn's great offensive line has struggled constantly with procedure penatlies, holding, and just getting outmanned.
* The negative plays from the first line above have frequently happened at the most inopportune time - just as we get one or two positive plays and good field position and momentum, we have a procedure, hold, or sack.
* Watching Tim Couch highlights, I recognized right off the whole offense was not the same as AU is currently running.
----He frequently had one and sometimes two tight ends and one and sometimes two backs in the backfield. This was mixed in with an occasional no back, no tight end set. Auburn a great deal of the time runs with no backs or tight ends, placing tremendous pressure on the five linemen.
---- He would frequently line up under center - AU has stuck predominately with the shotgun play after play.
---- The UK linemen would often line up in a three point stance - AUs is almost exclusively in a two point stance.
---- UK ran a ton of quick plays - either by design, or as a safety valve drop off. Even when these only get 1-5 yards, that is better than zero or negative yardage. AU seems to run plays that take ten minutes to develop, and usually end up blowing up in their face.
---- Because of the above, UK seemed to keep pressure on the Defense. The only defense AUs offense has pressured has been their own.
I have no idea what precipitated the firing. I do not believe it came out of thin air. I believe there is something going on - whether it be chemistry among the coaches (and this could be TTs fault, or TFs - I really do not know) . there could be insurmountable frustration on the players parts. There apparently was some sort of a blow up in the last day or two - though Tuberville the Politician insists nothing of the sort led to the dismissal.
I tend to think as the season progressed, TT began pressuring TF to produce. By the time of the Vandy game, TT could well have said "Give the rest of us the first quarter to see what we can do, then I'll give it back to you." You see how that worked out. I imagine at this point, TT was calling for TF to back up and rethink what he was doing. TF probably took this as an insult. Sparks flew. TF is gone. Coaches have egos (see Nick Saban).
Tubs is actually insistent on his love for the spread and claims to keep plugging away at it. Doing so without the spread guru himself tells me there must have been major personality/philosophical issues going on behind the scenes.
One thing I do know. Auburns offense, which ranks worse than 100th in the country in virtually every stat, has been for all intents and purpose, totally non-productive. I mean totally. Yet, we have two losses each against a team that is still undefeated and highly ranked. These losses have been by a total of six points. If we can simply have an offense that can produce some time of possession, field position, and some amount of scoring, AU can end the year quite successfully. That is my hope. My fear is that this, yet another embarassing moment in AU football history, may have long term negative impacts in terms of national perception, and recruiting - as well as in terms of who in the world would now come to AU as Offensive cooridinator? TT ahs had 5 in ten years!
Oh, well, we'll just have to watch and see!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Brief Iron Bowl Summary
Well, I predicted it earlier in the year when it did not appear very likely. However, I must say, it still was not exactly what I thought. I actually thought UA would continue to be pretty good, and AU would improve greatly as the year progressed. However, what seemed to happen is that both teams were up and down all year and by the end of the year, AU was basically average, and UA was on a downward spiral. After the game I refered to it as the "Clash of the Mediocre", although mediocre might be a stretch for the Bama team that finished with four straight losses including La Monroe.....LA MONROE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have one word to describe this game....BORING. It was very boring. No really great plays. No memorable performances by either team or any individual player. Not much scoring but I do not believe this was because there were two great defensive performances but more because neither team has much offense.
Trying to look at it from an unbiased fan perspective, the Iron Bowl definitely hit a peak during the years 1981-1986. These games were all classic and were split 3-3. Both teams were good during several of these years.
1981 - Bear wins number 315 breaking the then record for most wins. AU had new coach Pat Dye who had them playing much tougher than in years past, but with limited talent and depth. AU played hard and actually led in the fourth Quarter. Bryant put in troubled running back Lenny Patrick who made some of the most incredible runs I'v ever seen to bring Bama the victory. 28-17.
1982 - Dye has AU competitive finally, Freshman running back Bo Jackson is starting to make waves, and Bama with Bear in his last year, is staring to show signs of weakening. A last minute drive that included a pass interference penalty against Jeremiah Castille, a screen to Bo that was stopped at the goal line, and the famous "Bo over the Top" winning TD. AU 23-22.
1983 - Dye's best year. Bo's best game ever. Some 230 yards including a TD run of 70+ yds. Later, a Bama back whose name escapes me had a long TD run giving the Tide a lead. On the first AU play from scrimmage after this, Bo runs around left end for 70+ yards again. By the end of the game the weather was horrendous with rain falling sideways in Legion Field and Tornado WARNINGS in the immediate area. AU 23-20.
1984 Ray Perkins first year and Bama is 4-6 coming in. AU (7-3) started the year with two tough losses to Miami and Texas, then a loss to Florida later in the year. AU was favored by everyone. UA played their game of the year, holding AU all game. A late drive by AU ended on a controversial play. With the greatest running back in the nation at the time in the backfield, AU tossed it to the other halfback, Brnet Fullwood. Supposedly, Bo, who was suppose to block, went the wrong way, leaving the Fullwood unprotected. He was tackled for a loss. Apparently, there was confusion on the sideline, and Bo was late getting into the huddle. When he came in, the QB gave him the wrong play - sending him in the opposite direction than the play went. AU had another late drive and kicked a last second field goal which was wide wide wide. Bama won 17-15. (Incidently, the FG kicker then left AU, went to Florida, and beat AU on a field goal the next year. Irony of Ironies!)
1985 Back and forth game. Long TD run by Bama's Gene Jelks. Late AU rally puts them up 23-22 with less than a minute left. Bama QB and later coach Mike Shula led Bama down the field quickly, hitting Bell on a crossing pattern to set up a long field goal. The fifty-two yarder by Van Tiffin would have been good from the next county. All time grat moment for UA. 25-23.
1986 Bama led 17-7 late. AU began making a comeback. At 17-14 with time running out, AU QB Jeff Burger hit Trey Gainous on a fourth down play to keep a drive alive. Brent Fullwood, now the number one back, had one of the most tremendous performances I have ever seen. Once he was carried off the field after a great run, only to come back in and make another great run later in the drive. As AU neared the goal line, once again confusion reigned on the sideline. Coach Dye was trying to call a timeout, because he did not have the proper personell on the field for the play called. The timeout did not get called, and AU ran a reverse with Lawyer Tillman - a player who had never run that play in the game before. After making a great cut around the five yard line, Tillman scored. This time, UA could not pull out a last minute drive. AU 21-17.
Six games. Total Score Bama 129 AU 122 (if I did my math right!) Great performances. Bo.. Van Tiffin. Great times.
How long has it been? Well, Jeremiah Castilles younger son is a senior on this years UA team. Van Tiffin's son (or daughter?) Leigh hit a long field goal late in the game this year.
But the game???
Early on it looked like AU had Bama on the ropes. They scored a TD the first time they had the ball and a FG the next and led 10-0 in the first quarter. As the camera scanned the Bama bench, they looked.....something......disheartened I think is the best word I can come up with. I felt like at this point if AU could just score again, it would be all over and the rout would be on. However, AU did not go for the knockout punch and the rest of the game was a snoozefest.
But, in the end, AU won 17-10 and have now won 6 straight and 7 out of the last 9. Not bad. Next year Cox will be gone, and hopefully either Field, Caudle, Burns, or some other unknown can more than fill the rather smallish void he will leave. Only time will tell.
War Eagle!
I have one word to describe this game....BORING. It was very boring. No really great plays. No memorable performances by either team or any individual player. Not much scoring but I do not believe this was because there were two great defensive performances but more because neither team has much offense.
Trying to look at it from an unbiased fan perspective, the Iron Bowl definitely hit a peak during the years 1981-1986. These games were all classic and were split 3-3. Both teams were good during several of these years.
1981 - Bear wins number 315 breaking the then record for most wins. AU had new coach Pat Dye who had them playing much tougher than in years past, but with limited talent and depth. AU played hard and actually led in the fourth Quarter. Bryant put in troubled running back Lenny Patrick who made some of the most incredible runs I'v ever seen to bring Bama the victory. 28-17.
1982 - Dye has AU competitive finally, Freshman running back Bo Jackson is starting to make waves, and Bama with Bear in his last year, is staring to show signs of weakening. A last minute drive that included a pass interference penalty against Jeremiah Castille, a screen to Bo that was stopped at the goal line, and the famous "Bo over the Top" winning TD. AU 23-22.
1983 - Dye's best year. Bo's best game ever. Some 230 yards including a TD run of 70+ yds. Later, a Bama back whose name escapes me had a long TD run giving the Tide a lead. On the first AU play from scrimmage after this, Bo runs around left end for 70+ yards again. By the end of the game the weather was horrendous with rain falling sideways in Legion Field and Tornado WARNINGS in the immediate area. AU 23-20.
1984 Ray Perkins first year and Bama is 4-6 coming in. AU (7-3) started the year with two tough losses to Miami and Texas, then a loss to Florida later in the year. AU was favored by everyone. UA played their game of the year, holding AU all game. A late drive by AU ended on a controversial play. With the greatest running back in the nation at the time in the backfield, AU tossed it to the other halfback, Brnet Fullwood. Supposedly, Bo, who was suppose to block, went the wrong way, leaving the Fullwood unprotected. He was tackled for a loss. Apparently, there was confusion on the sideline, and Bo was late getting into the huddle. When he came in, the QB gave him the wrong play - sending him in the opposite direction than the play went. AU had another late drive and kicked a last second field goal which was wide wide wide. Bama won 17-15. (Incidently, the FG kicker then left AU, went to Florida, and beat AU on a field goal the next year. Irony of Ironies!)
1985 Back and forth game. Long TD run by Bama's Gene Jelks. Late AU rally puts them up 23-22 with less than a minute left. Bama QB and later coach Mike Shula led Bama down the field quickly, hitting Bell on a crossing pattern to set up a long field goal. The fifty-two yarder by Van Tiffin would have been good from the next county. All time grat moment for UA. 25-23.
1986 Bama led 17-7 late. AU began making a comeback. At 17-14 with time running out, AU QB Jeff Burger hit Trey Gainous on a fourth down play to keep a drive alive. Brent Fullwood, now the number one back, had one of the most tremendous performances I have ever seen. Once he was carried off the field after a great run, only to come back in and make another great run later in the drive. As AU neared the goal line, once again confusion reigned on the sideline. Coach Dye was trying to call a timeout, because he did not have the proper personell on the field for the play called. The timeout did not get called, and AU ran a reverse with Lawyer Tillman - a player who had never run that play in the game before. After making a great cut around the five yard line, Tillman scored. This time, UA could not pull out a last minute drive. AU 21-17.
Six games. Total Score Bama 129 AU 122 (if I did my math right!) Great performances. Bo.. Van Tiffin. Great times.
How long has it been? Well, Jeremiah Castilles younger son is a senior on this years UA team. Van Tiffin's son (or daughter?) Leigh hit a long field goal late in the game this year.
But the game???
Early on it looked like AU had Bama on the ropes. They scored a TD the first time they had the ball and a FG the next and led 10-0 in the first quarter. As the camera scanned the Bama bench, they looked.....something......disheartened I think is the best word I can come up with. I felt like at this point if AU could just score again, it would be all over and the rout would be on. However, AU did not go for the knockout punch and the rest of the game was a snoozefest.
But, in the end, AU won 17-10 and have now won 6 straight and 7 out of the last 9. Not bad. Next year Cox will be gone, and hopefully either Field, Caudle, Burns, or some other unknown can more than fill the rather smallish void he will leave. Only time will tell.
War Eagle!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Final Iron Bowl Prediction
Wow....It sure is hard to predict college football! That seems particularly true this year. App St. beats Michigan. Now La Monroe....LA MONROE!!!!!.......beats Bama. In between, it seems every time a team gets ranked high, they get the rug pulled out from under them.
Way back when - when AU was 1-2 and UAT was 3-0, I made the prediction that AU would win the Iron Bowl. That seemed pretty much a stretch at the time. I mean, AU had lost to Mississippi State for crying out loud.
Well, now, on the one hand, that prediction looks pretty sensible. UAT has now lost to MSU also. And now they have lost to one of the worst teams they'll ever play. That loss in nearly on par with the Mich-App st. loss that started the year. They have lost three in a row. Their record in November over the past several years is horendous. UAT seems disjointed, disorganized, and their Savior, Saban, seems out of sorts. In addition to the last three losses, they also lost close ones to UGa, and a below par Florida St. team. They also had very close wins against the very mediocre Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Houston. Sure, they are a few plays here and there away from from having nine or ten wins. They are also a few plays away from having nine or ten losses.
However, I am certainly not fully comfortable with this prediction either. I offer the following reasons:
Auburn has not exactly looked great this year. At times they have looked strong-the Florida and Vandy games come to mind. Their Defense in the Arkansas game was smothering. But, they lost to MSU, S. Florida, they found a way to lose to LSU when they had the game won, and they looked simply awful against UGa. In the end, AU has really been as inconsistent as UAT.
Auburn has QB issues. Cox has looked good at times, and great at times. Unfortunately he has also looked like a boy amongst men at times. Apparently Burns is not ready to run the show. I would think Blake Field couldn't possibly be as inconsistent as Cox, but he rarely gets any time (although he has moved up to number two behind Cox and ahead of Burns)
At times, UAT has looked quite good. Their comeback against ARK was impressive. They certainly played UGA better than AU did. They played LSU as well as AU did. They looked like the Bama of old against UT.
The longer a losing streak continues, the higher the odds that it will end. UAT has a three game losing streak this season and a five game losing streak against AU. I don't know for sure, but I'll bet you would have to go back to the Ears Whitworth years in the 1950s to find a time when UAT lost four in a row. And they have never lost six in a row against AU.
It is highly possible that in spite of all the coach speak to the contrary, UAT was simply looking past La Monroe...LA MONROE!!!!..... and prepping for AU. We all know how bad they want the Tigers and this would make sense.
It seems like in the Tubby Tommerville years, AU never comes back from an off week very strongly.
The above reasons give me a little concern. I think in the end, it all depends on which Auburn, and which UAT team shows up. If the AU team that lost to Georgia and the UAT team that beat UT shows up, it could be a long day for the Tigers. If the AU team that beat Florida and the UAT team that lost to La Monroe...LA MONROE - I still can't get over that one!!!!..... shows up, it could be glorious.
In the end, I will not go back on my original prediction. So, my final call is.....
AU 24
UAT 16
Now, let's play ball!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Way back when - when AU was 1-2 and UAT was 3-0, I made the prediction that AU would win the Iron Bowl. That seemed pretty much a stretch at the time. I mean, AU had lost to Mississippi State for crying out loud.
Well, now, on the one hand, that prediction looks pretty sensible. UAT has now lost to MSU also. And now they have lost to one of the worst teams they'll ever play. That loss in nearly on par with the Mich-App st. loss that started the year. They have lost three in a row. Their record in November over the past several years is horendous. UAT seems disjointed, disorganized, and their Savior, Saban, seems out of sorts. In addition to the last three losses, they also lost close ones to UGa, and a below par Florida St. team. They also had very close wins against the very mediocre Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Houston. Sure, they are a few plays here and there away from from having nine or ten wins. They are also a few plays away from having nine or ten losses.
However, I am certainly not fully comfortable with this prediction either. I offer the following reasons:
Auburn has not exactly looked great this year. At times they have looked strong-the Florida and Vandy games come to mind. Their Defense in the Arkansas game was smothering. But, they lost to MSU, S. Florida, they found a way to lose to LSU when they had the game won, and they looked simply awful against UGa. In the end, AU has really been as inconsistent as UAT.
Auburn has QB issues. Cox has looked good at times, and great at times. Unfortunately he has also looked like a boy amongst men at times. Apparently Burns is not ready to run the show. I would think Blake Field couldn't possibly be as inconsistent as Cox, but he rarely gets any time (although he has moved up to number two behind Cox and ahead of Burns)
At times, UAT has looked quite good. Their comeback against ARK was impressive. They certainly played UGA better than AU did. They played LSU as well as AU did. They looked like the Bama of old against UT.
The longer a losing streak continues, the higher the odds that it will end. UAT has a three game losing streak this season and a five game losing streak against AU. I don't know for sure, but I'll bet you would have to go back to the Ears Whitworth years in the 1950s to find a time when UAT lost four in a row. And they have never lost six in a row against AU.
It is highly possible that in spite of all the coach speak to the contrary, UAT was simply looking past La Monroe...LA MONROE!!!!..... and prepping for AU. We all know how bad they want the Tigers and this would make sense.
It seems like in the Tubby Tommerville years, AU never comes back from an off week very strongly.
The above reasons give me a little concern. I think in the end, it all depends on which Auburn, and which UAT team shows up. If the AU team that lost to Georgia and the UAT team that beat UT shows up, it could be a long day for the Tigers. If the AU team that beat Florida and the UAT team that lost to La Monroe...LA MONROE - I still can't get over that one!!!!..... shows up, it could be glorious.
In the end, I will not go back on my original prediction. So, my final call is.....
AU 24
UAT 16
Now, let's play ball!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Early Iron Bowl Prediction
Things appear bleak on the Plains. UAT has hired a coach who can walk on water and they will likely never lose a game while he is there. Auburn has started the season 1-2 and has looked like a cellar dweller in the SEC West. Heavens to Betsy they even lost to Mississippi State – who in the world does that? Therefore, it will appear shocking to some that I, the Groaning Philosopher, will make such a bold prediction right here on September 17, 2007:
Auburn will beat Alabama this year.
It is evident that somewhere in the past couple of years Auburn has had sub par recruiting classes. It is also evident that, although he was Mr. Football for the State of Alabama about fourteen years ago, Brandon Cox is not really a Division One level college football quarterback. Auburn also lost four of its five starters on the offensive line. It is also evident that Auburn had a fine recruiting class this most recent year. The result of all of this is that Auburn is playing a lot of Freshmen and other inexperienced players, including, finally, Kody Burns at QB.
As bad as Auburn has looked, they are, seriously, a couple of plays away from being undefeated. Now, I know that things like that are said by losers. Fact is, Auburn IS 1-2 and not 3-0. I am not making excuses here, just observations. I also know that, with the schedule so far, a 3-0 season with three close wins would not be all that impressive. But, at least consider: On one of Brandon’s rare good throws against USF he hit a wide open receiver in the hands on a deep route and it was dropped. Later, during overtime, he hit a tight end on a drag route and it was dropped. This likely would have been a score had it been caught.
The difference in the MSU game was less than a TD. MSU scored a TD off of an interception where Cox hit number eighty seven right between the eight and the seven. He popped the ball up, though, right into the hands of an oncoming defender who could have walked backwards into the end zone from there.
AU has had tremendous trouble with turnovers. In addition to receiver problems, Cox has thrown the ball more directly at defenders than he has his teammates. AU has fumbled several times, most notably Freshman running back Mario Fannin.
These are all terrible mistakes, but, I believe there will be tremendous improvement by the end of the year. I believe the receivers will be taught to catch the ball or sit down. I believe Fannin will be taught to hold onto the ball. Unfortuantely, I think Cox is beyond help, but I believe they will begin using him more wisely, and more and more using Burns in varying situations. By the end of the year, I think our offense will have, to a large degree, turned it around. I don’t think we’ll be world beaters, but I think there will be tremendous improvement. This improvement will, of course, take a lot off of our overworked defense as well.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – you don’t have to say it. This is just an Auburn fan making excuses and dreaming of a miracle turn around. Or perhaps you think I have drank the Tuberville Kool Aid. Actually, I am not like that at all. Back in 2003 I personally felt that the AU administration was smart to be looking at firing him and hiring someone else. I thought they were idiots in the way they handled it, but I personally was not sold on him entirely, and really I still am not. He had done a lousy job in '03 and deserved to have his seat feel uncomfortably warm.
Also, usually no matter what the records of AU/UAT are when they meet, I always have a bad feeling about that game. I have never at any time during the season over the past twenty five years made a prediction about the outcome of that game. Even when AU appeared to be great and UAT subpar, I have never assumed AU would win. It’s just that, for some reason, as bad as AU has looked thus far, I just don’t get the feeling that it is quite as bad as it looks. I think there is actually more promise for the future than one might think. I think we are a little coaching here and there away from being decent. I think that Burns is a little experience away from being a powerful tool on offense. I think Cox in a backup or situation role is much more effective than in a starting/only QB playing role. I think Fannin and Tate have tremendous potential for a fast, but powerful running game. I think our defense is sound and if the offense can do something and not continually put the defense in bad situations, they will be much stronger.
In the end, if I turn out to be right, I will tell everyone I know to look at the blog I wrote today, September 17, 2007. If I turn out to be dead wrong, I will just remove this blog and tell no one about it. No one reads this anyway!!!
Auburn will beat Alabama this year.
It is evident that somewhere in the past couple of years Auburn has had sub par recruiting classes. It is also evident that, although he was Mr. Football for the State of Alabama about fourteen years ago, Brandon Cox is not really a Division One level college football quarterback. Auburn also lost four of its five starters on the offensive line. It is also evident that Auburn had a fine recruiting class this most recent year. The result of all of this is that Auburn is playing a lot of Freshmen and other inexperienced players, including, finally, Kody Burns at QB.
As bad as Auburn has looked, they are, seriously, a couple of plays away from being undefeated. Now, I know that things like that are said by losers. Fact is, Auburn IS 1-2 and not 3-0. I am not making excuses here, just observations. I also know that, with the schedule so far, a 3-0 season with three close wins would not be all that impressive. But, at least consider: On one of Brandon’s rare good throws against USF he hit a wide open receiver in the hands on a deep route and it was dropped. Later, during overtime, he hit a tight end on a drag route and it was dropped. This likely would have been a score had it been caught.
The difference in the MSU game was less than a TD. MSU scored a TD off of an interception where Cox hit number eighty seven right between the eight and the seven. He popped the ball up, though, right into the hands of an oncoming defender who could have walked backwards into the end zone from there.
AU has had tremendous trouble with turnovers. In addition to receiver problems, Cox has thrown the ball more directly at defenders than he has his teammates. AU has fumbled several times, most notably Freshman running back Mario Fannin.
These are all terrible mistakes, but, I believe there will be tremendous improvement by the end of the year. I believe the receivers will be taught to catch the ball or sit down. I believe Fannin will be taught to hold onto the ball. Unfortuantely, I think Cox is beyond help, but I believe they will begin using him more wisely, and more and more using Burns in varying situations. By the end of the year, I think our offense will have, to a large degree, turned it around. I don’t think we’ll be world beaters, but I think there will be tremendous improvement. This improvement will, of course, take a lot off of our overworked defense as well.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – you don’t have to say it. This is just an Auburn fan making excuses and dreaming of a miracle turn around. Or perhaps you think I have drank the Tuberville Kool Aid. Actually, I am not like that at all. Back in 2003 I personally felt that the AU administration was smart to be looking at firing him and hiring someone else. I thought they were idiots in the way they handled it, but I personally was not sold on him entirely, and really I still am not. He had done a lousy job in '03 and deserved to have his seat feel uncomfortably warm.
Also, usually no matter what the records of AU/UAT are when they meet, I always have a bad feeling about that game. I have never at any time during the season over the past twenty five years made a prediction about the outcome of that game. Even when AU appeared to be great and UAT subpar, I have never assumed AU would win. It’s just that, for some reason, as bad as AU has looked thus far, I just don’t get the feeling that it is quite as bad as it looks. I think there is actually more promise for the future than one might think. I think we are a little coaching here and there away from being decent. I think that Burns is a little experience away from being a powerful tool on offense. I think Cox in a backup or situation role is much more effective than in a starting/only QB playing role. I think Fannin and Tate have tremendous potential for a fast, but powerful running game. I think our defense is sound and if the offense can do something and not continually put the defense in bad situations, they will be much stronger.
In the end, if I turn out to be right, I will tell everyone I know to look at the blog I wrote today, September 17, 2007. If I turn out to be dead wrong, I will just remove this blog and tell no one about it. No one reads this anyway!!!
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