Here is an overview ...
- On the game: ``There were some field-position issues that I wish we would have capitalized on more than we did. We had some chances in the second half that I wish we would have been able to capitalize on. Field-position issues at the end of the day, with special teams and things of that nature, that cost us some points."
- On what Auburn will do between now and the bowl announcement: ``We'll really focus on academic world, not that we don't usually, and we're going to give our guys some time to heal up. They're beat up and bruised up. Guys were playing with all kinds of injuries. We'll give them an opportunity for their bodies to heal."
- On his decision to play Drew Cole, who may have been eligible for a medical redshirt, against Alabama: ``We wanted to make sure that we played anybody and everybody that we thought could help us win that game ... that made sense. He's been getting healthier."
- On his role in bowl selection: ``I'm worried about recruiting -- that's what I'm worried about right now. We're hitting the road asap."
- He said recruits who attended the game, who still are on campus at this hour, were enthralled with the atmosphere.
first... with hatin substance
ReplyDeleteI didn't even realize Cole played?
ReplyDeleteGlad they are focusing on recruiting. They can capitalize on the game yesterday.
ReplyDeleteYes he did ... on special teams.
ReplyDeleteI think he was eligible for a redshirt. Chizik didn't really answer that question.
I guess we needed all the eligible players we could get yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt was a long drive yesterday morning (4:30am)from Charleston but worth the effort! We did have a great time except the last 2 minutes! I am not for moral victories but it was a great season considering what we put up with last year. Can't wait to see what happens in recruiting. Thanks Jay for playing along with us this season!
ReplyDeleteWhile waiting for Tiger Walk to begin, fans were yelling at Shon Coleman and telling him to suit up and play today. He was getting a big kick out of it.
ReplyDeleteSomeone correct me if I'm wrong but Don't we have commitments from the number 1 player Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. That seems like quite an accomplishment to me.
ReplyDeleteI really likes CGC focus... this year is done. Yes we have the happy bowl but recruiting is going to be our lifeblood going forward....
ReplyDeleteWe need to land a few JUCO's that can play TODAY!
I typically have the next day blues after a loss but not today. I hate the loss but feel GREAT about where this program is going... I hate the I have to wait until september to see the GUS bus 2.0...
AUBURN #1.... in our hearts!!! GO TIGERS!!!
ReplyDeleteHey THT great to meet you and the family yesterday... Tell Mrs. THT I enjoyed the conversation....
ReplyDeleteAnyone have a program? Check page 48, the Tiffin ad. Is the Auburn player's face blacked out by a sharpie? Carnell or Ronnie? - maybe violated a NFL license agreement so had to be blacked out in how many programs?
ReplyDeleteOr was someone showin some hate to my copy?
ReplyDeleteAnybody see any changes on the coaching staff looming?
ReplyDeleteSorry Allen, I didn't get a program yesterday.
ReplyDeletej-z, Auburn's coaching staff?
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to see most of you Hotties are getting over the loss as soon as you are. I too am excited about the future and the direction things are headed, but I am having a little tougher time getting over this game. I just hate to lose a game when you have several chances to win it no mater what the odds were that you would beat an opponent like this years Alabama team. I think we should have won it, I really do. I know the players played a fantastic game, some played beyond their skills. However, we had victory right in our hands and I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Damn!!!
ReplyDeleteAllenD - same thing in our program
ReplyDeleteI think that if any of the coaches move on it will probably be Trooper. I think it is too soon for Gus or Roof and I think Tracy Rocker is really glad to be back home. The others, I don't know.
ReplyDeleteJGT, any word on Fannin. He took a nasty hit, plus I think he hurt his shoulder when the defender was trying to pull him down with his left arm after his catch across the flat. I don't think he played much after that.
ReplyDeleteIV,
ReplyDeleteI never felt safe in that game, even up 14-0. A UGA team that's far worse than Alabama came back on us down 14. On that last Bama drive once they crossed midfield I knew we were in trouble and I knew that clock would be running really fast.
This season the game winning drives just weren't there. We went 0-3 at home on game winning drives. This losses of this team will hopefully teach next years team how to win.
If anyone would leave/get let go on this staff I'd say it would either be Boulware or Trooper.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we lose any coaches this year.
ReplyDeleteDL - MrsTHT enjoyed meeting you, also.
ReplyDeleteTHT2.0 can't wait to meet the Hotties next season! She has a 4 day weekend in early December and is going to spend it in Barcelona. Rough life.
That's 0-2 at home on game winning drive attempts, then 0-1 on the road.
ReplyDeleteYep... I'm wondering if we get to have this staff intact for another year or not.
ReplyDeleteI think staff returns intact. I certainly hope to see vastly improved play on kick returns/coverage next year, though.
ReplyDeleteoh, I was assuming y'all were talking about the AU coaching staff. Perhaps y'all were talking about the Hottie staff?
ReplyDeleteCoaching staff changes at AU? I don't see it this year. But, I've been accused of being naive more than once. I've been accused of other things too but rarely proven guilty.
ReplyDeleteYea THT, Boulware got a lot of flack this year including from yours truly when the personnel he had to play were really the problem. And I am not knocking the kids that had to play special teams, they were playing hard as they could I am sure; however, they just weren't the most talented in some cases or were having to play other positions either on offense or defense.
ReplyDeleteSpecial teams and offensive consistency are the two areas of improvement that I see this staff needs to work on. Todd was inconsistent at QB and the playcalling was as well.
ReplyDeleteThe returns and the return coverage was all over the place all year long.
The defensive issues will be fixed with depth.
Horned Frogs got a deuce on the Lobos and up 2-0.
ReplyDeleteGO TCU!!! #1 Team in the Country!!!
I am a TCU fan as well THT.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize Drew Cole played. That is an interesting decision. I hate to see him loose a year of eligibility over one game.
ReplyDeleteI talked to Fannin after the game and he said he was fine.
ReplyDeleteAs for coaches leaving, Taylor would be the only one I would wonder about. As for Boulware, I am not sure why anyone would get rid of him. It is his first season and he had very little to work with, not to mention Taylor and Chizik both got hands on in the kicking game.
ReplyDeleteI am getting totally destroyed at pickem this week. Oh the humanity.
ReplyDeleteWoodberry has Chizik quotes re recruiting:
ReplyDeleteOn recruiting..."We've been meeting with our recruits all last night and this morning. It's overwhelming the response their parents and they have felt by our fan base -- just everything from Tiger Walk to the game atmosphere to the way (fans) stayed after the game"
The atmosphere was fantastic!
No coaching changes at AU this year.
ReplyDeleteI said it before, Tubbs goes to Louisville.
Great recruiting weekend at AU. May get a t least one committ today or Sunday. A kid the will play OL.
But I don't follow recruiting that much.
That would be sooooo funny if Tubs ended up at Papa John's.
ReplyDeleteTuberville to Louisville could happen, but my guess is he would wait for a bigger opening.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think Tubs wants to play late season games in Big East country. He almost died of exposure at the Oct game in Morgantown last year.
ReplyDeleteYea, I keep thinking Tuberville will land somewhere in the Big 12, but we will have to just wait and SEC. The ACC is also a possibility, but I don't consider it likely.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty impressed with the job Dan Mullen has done at MSU. They are playing pretty well.
ReplyDeleteI think Louisville is a good fit... if its not to cold. I think TAMU still has to be where his sights are set.
ReplyDeleteLouisville isn't likely to have the bucks to attract Tuberville. Texas A&M certainly would, but they seem to be headed in the right direction. Clempson is another school I thought he could end up at, but Dabo seems to be doing pretty good. Miami is always a possibility too, although they have improved.
ReplyDeleteNebraska is another possibility. His philosophy would set well with their fan base.
ReplyDeleteThis MSU performance against Ole Nutt is pretty impressive. MSU is one of the teams that has seemed to just get better as the year has gone on.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is the weirdest thought on a Tuberville destination, which would be South Carolina should Darth Visor decide to retire.
ReplyDeleteMan, if we just had the Auburn signees that ended up at Ole Miss this season, we wouldn't have had a depth issue.
ReplyDeleteJust curious Steve, do you still predict 4 years to get back to where we were prior to firing Tubbs?
ReplyDeleteI'm a little surprised about the Cole kid playing when he could have gotten a redshirt.
ReplyDeleteAt least it wasn't in a meaningless bowl game like DuBose did with an OL (at UA) against Michigan in the Orange Bowl when we the outcome didn't matter one bit.
I think the outcome of this Ole Miss/ MSU game could play a role in where AU goes......
LSU RB coach Larry Porter to be named the Memphis HC.
ReplyDeleteOf course the same could be said for South Carolina's game too.
ReplyDeleteYes, WakeRider, at least 4 years or maybe a lot longer.
ReplyDeleteMan, this MSU beat down of Ole Nutt has been wonderful to watch. Other than when they had Sherrill, I always kind of liked MSU.
ReplyDeleteMan, I am far exceeding any level of suckness I have previous had this season. My pickem is a bloody mess, with Auburn being my only win.
ReplyDeleteLet the Tebow express begin
ReplyDeleteGood grief.... I thought Danielson was about to start crying.
ReplyDeleteMan, Ole Nutt's season turned into a well executed bell flop. From being the favorite to win the West, they turned into an also ran.
ReplyDelete...just as I and several other Hotties predicted before the season.
ReplyDeleteDAKOTA is in the barn.
ReplyDeleteFormer #5 Ole Miss is a perfect example of why pre and early season rankings are effectively meaningless.
ReplyDeleteSteveFC would you believe I didn't make my picks this week just got busy and forgot. I was way back in 4th so I doubt if I could have gone very high.
ReplyDeleteBTW, did y'all know that Tiger Woods was in a wreck?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard.... ahem.
What really annoyed me about the Tiger situation is there was a little girl missing only a mile from my house, and I heard nothing of it. But they broke in every 5 minutes to tell me Tiger had a boo boo.
ReplyDeleteHis wife gave him those boo-boos...
ReplyDeleteTotal yards:
ReplyDeleteMiami 109
USF 0
If Tiger would keep his woods in his pants he wouldn't have to worry about having wrecks. Serves him right.
ReplyDeleteAnd in other news, Generalisimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
ReplyDeleteDigger, you may have done pretty well. All the leaders are stinking it up this week.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know why Florida decided to add some ugly to their uniforms, or are they just following the trend on college football?
ReplyDeleteIf Mr. Woods is fooling around, all I got to say to Mrs. Woods is "you go girl!"
ReplyDeleteSteve, they went "high tech!"
ReplyDeleteI don't like it.
Steve, notice anything in common with the teams in that trend? Nike?
ReplyDeletewhat are the bird wing feather looking things on the shoulders?
ReplyDeleteI am just glad Auburn sticks with their current uniforms. Yea, we could go retro with the white helmets with numbers on the side, but I like our uniforms the way they are. Changing the uniforms was one of Terry Bowden's sins.
ReplyDeleteBy the way digger, if you make your picks now, you will be tied with a lot of folks.
ReplyDeleteI saw this posted on another site and agree with this statement:
ReplyDelete"Bama was referred to as "gutsy" for a game they were only ahead of us in the final minute. When we won over them in '04, our win was deemed "not impressive" enough."
We got Dakota Mosely... the TE from Dyer's high school.
ReplyDeleteI think he will play OG.
ReplyDeleteNext season is going to be very interesting. Replacing Todd and Tate isn't going to be easy. Hopefully Rollison or Moseley can contribute. Maybe Eric Smith can take over for Tate while Dyer is getting some experience. This offense is going to be concerning next season.
ReplyDeleteI was feeling pretty rotten about my picks, until I looked at everyone else's! The most anyone has gotten correct is 2. But, we got Auburn correct!!!
ReplyDeleteWar Eagle!
I am not shocked that MSU beat Ole Nutt, but I am pretty shocked at how easily they did it. I am glad we don't have to play against Dixon again.
ReplyDeleteYay!!! I accurately predicted TCU would beat New Mexico State!!! Oh, wait a minute. Maybe that isn't something to brag about.
ReplyDeleteOops, well that wasn't exactly correct. They just had the games from last night. The most correct picks is 5, which is not me - I only have one correct! I can't believe how badly I am doing. I thought about going in and changing all the games that haven't started yet to the other team. But, I figured that would be like changing lines at the grocery store because it seems like it is moving faster. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd Oklahoma stomped a mud hole in OK State. I didn't see that one coming.
ReplyDeleteIt appears we will end up tied for last in the SEC West, which is surprising. It sure feels like we did much better.
ReplyDeleteSEC West was definitely better than the East this year, but that's not saying too much. We were battling a lot of team for that lower tier.
ReplyDeleteIt was Florida and Alabama this year with everyone else just mediocre.
ReplyDeleteI obviously fell asleep at the wheel today. My sincerest apologies to my AU hero.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteReplacing Tate will be a big chore, far bigger than the one of replacing Todd.
Todd did well in spurts for us this year, and congrats to him on the single season TD record, but he was very inconsistent. We need much more consistent play at the QB spot.
Yea, LSU has been trying to suck all year and may achieve it tonight.
ReplyDeleteRK, replacing a running back is much easier than replacing a QB. Todd had some inconsistency passing, but that is only a small part of what a QB does. Neither Kodi or Caudle are close to being where Todd was. Running back doesn't require the decision making that a QB does. A QB can't win the game for you, but he certainly can loose it. I am hoping Rollison or Moseley will be the guy, but who knows. It is harder for skills as a high school QB to translate to success in college than it is for a running back. Knowledge is more important than being able to pass or run, when it comes to QBs.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that people don't realize with QBs is how difficult it is for them to make decisions. If you have ever been on the field you know what I mean. It is much different seeing the plays on TV than it is trying to tell what is happening from on the field.
That is what I saw in Todd and why I was glad he ended up being the starter. As for Kodi, I am pretty sure he ain't got it and isn't likely to get it. As for Caudle, I have much less to go by, but I think 3 coordinators have already said no on him.
That leaves us with possibly starting a redshirt freshman QB, which isn't good.
poor seminoles
ReplyDeleteI am surprised at how easily Florida is spanking FSU. I thought it would be closer. I think Florida has a better chance against Alabama than I thought previously, but I still think Bama wins that one.
ReplyDeleteI think UF and Bama both have VERY good Defenses... But UF has a far far far better offense. UF wins that one by 14. I say that even though I hate UF with EVERYTHING that I am.
ReplyDeleteBeen at da beach ...
ReplyDeleteDamn proud of these Tigers!!
Damn proud of these Coaches!!!
Just think what might have been but for players leaving early, injuries & kids booted off the team!
Wecome to you Carmela!! and may I say "nice looking oysters!!"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen mentioned here, but sure were a lot of red and white shakers in the home seats yesterday. Disappointed in the number of home fans that apparently bailed...not sure I buy the "for the right price",... of course everyone has a price, but it's unlikely that many bammers were paying the kind of money it SHOULD cost.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteA RB like Tate isn't easy to replace at all. I agree it is easier to replace a RB and get them in a system than a QB, but that's assuming that you can't get a better QB in the system.
I agree that Todd was the best decision maker option we had at QB this year when your other options are Burns and an untested Caudle. However with Rollison, Trotter and Mosley in the mix next year with Caudle that might be a different situation.
Todd usually made the right decision, but a lot of time he didn't have the arm to make the play. When the pressure was on him (either by the other team or the situation in the game) he didn't have his best moments.
Gatas roll over Bama...
ReplyDeleteFSU is playing with a freshmen QB in his 3rd game what do you expect?
That is a good point. I don't expect Bama to steam roll Florida, but I do think they beat them. Bama just looks like a more complete team and in general the SEC is down this season in terms of the top level teams.
ReplyDeleteVandy is really the only team just totally stinking it up in the SEC this season.
ReplyDeleteVandy is back to being Vandy after their one year in the sun.
ReplyDeleteAs for Trotter, he is about the least impressive QB we have expected for Robert Cooper possibly, at least in terms of perception coming out of high school. It doesn't mean he doesn't become the man, it just means it is less likely. Caudle is one of the higher rated QBs and he has been first string bench ever since he arrived.
ReplyDeleteOne of the more amazing things is I think we will have no issue at wide receiver. We will be loaded there. It may help out the QB play.
ReplyDeleteI do think we are okay at other positions offensively. The defense will be young and I would like to see us pick up a play maker at defensive tackle. We have done pretty good filling needs recruiting the defense so far.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteAlabama did not look like a complete team yesterday. Look at their rushing offense stats. Also check them giving up 2 big offensive plays on defense. I admit that their kicking game was good. That may make a difference in the game against UF but from what I see, the Gators take the Tide in a close one.
Did anyone see the right guard for FSU never leave his stance on that play. That was bizarre.
ReplyDeleteTim Tebow is on a mission to have the first undefeated season for Florida. He will not be denied.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I'm the only one that isn't excited to know that I'll never have to watch Todd throw or fumble away another big game for us.
ReplyDeleteWe can point fingers at tons of things, but there was one constant in each our big losses: Todd turned it over in each and every one of them.
He threw two INTs vs. UGA. Had both a fumble and an INT vs. UAT. We lost by one score each time!
McElroy and Cox neither turned the ball over. Neither are game changers, but they didn't lose the game for their team either.
In addition, Todd thew an INT vs. Kentucky and one against LSU.
I don't think that's a coincidence. Todd is a VERY poor QB in my opinion.
If you want my true opinion, I think this team would've won 7 games with a freshman at QB.
It's officially time to jump on the Rollison Express--I really hope he can prove to be the guy!
Bama has a lot of talented running backs. I can't explain how we shut them down so effectively. Part of it is they are power backs rather than the little scat backs. I was very impressed at how we defended them.
ReplyDeleteAs for Florida, I don't think they have the receivers that Bama has. At times they rely on Tebow too much. Florida is certainly capable of winning it, but my money would be on Bama.
The best thing to come out of the Iron Bowl was our amazing defensive performance. Roof deserves some kudos there.
Jay W., Todd's touchdown to interception ration doesn't support your conclusion. He has been above average in that respect. Next season we will be wishing we had Todd similar to how people wished we had Cox when he left. Todd isn't as good as Brandon Cox, but he is a smart decision maker who got us more wins than many thought possible. He is a major reason we beat UT and WV.
ReplyDeleteSteve don't you think the UF coaches will look at the Iron Bowl tape to see what we did?
ReplyDeleteGeez. As far as receivers are concerned, I think you are basing that statement on Julio down by the school yard, but who do you think gets the nod at QB being able to be mobile. I think the Gator receivers are good enough to beat Bama. And Fla. may find a way to shut Julio down. Prattville High School sure did two years in a row.
Steve don't get teary eyed because Todd is leaving like you did when Franklin left.
ReplyDeleteTodd was exasperating at times, but I wouldn't complain about having him for one more season. I think if he had a healthy shoulder he could have been a very good QB at Auburn.
ReplyDeleteBut he was inconsistent.
I hope whoever replaces him makes us forget all about Todd.
Don't take me wrong, I am glad we had Todd this year as I believe he was the best option for us to win. That being said, that doesn't mean that someone better than Todd is waiting in the wing.
ReplyDeleteIV, I am not sure who lied to you about me getting teary eyed over Franklin, but I am surprised that at your age you were dumb enough to believe it.
ReplyDeleteis = isn't.
ReplyDeleteIt is for sure that I am dumber than you Steve because I sure don't know everything about football like you do. By the way how many teams have you coached? The same number I have?
ReplyDeleteAnd now you believe that I know everything about college football. You are incredible.
ReplyDeleteNo, you believe you know everything about football.
ReplyDeleteDammit, am I gonna have to separate you two boys again???
ReplyDelete(spoken in my best Pop Gustafson voice)
Bwahahaha, and now you play mind reader. Incredible. Sorry, but I refuse to get in childish discussions, even with old men. But thanks for your attempts at demonstrating your psychic ability and attempts to inform me of what I think. As I said, incredible.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't call you dumb even at your age. But don't worry, if you are lucky enough to make it as long as I have, you will have plenty of time to match my dumbness.
ReplyDeleteIt is also too late for you to get into a childish discussion, you started one several posts ago. Go Freep.
ReplyDeleteIn 8 games of SEC play this season Todd had 6 TD's and 5 INT's and averaged 135 yards passing per game.
ReplyDeleteIn 4 games outside of the SEC Todd had 15 TD's and 1 INT and averaged 271 yards passing per game.
Chris Todd this season...
La Tech 17/26 255 yards 2 TD's 0 INT
Miss State 10/23 186 yards 0 TD's 0 INT
WVU 16/31 284 yards 4 TD 1 INT
Ball State 19/26 287 yards 5 TD 0 INT
Tenn 19/32 218 yards 1 TD 0 INT
Ark 15/28 133 yards 0 TD 0 INT
KY 10/24 80 yards 0 TD 1 INT
LSU 8/14 47 yards 0 TD 1 INT
Ole Miss 12/22 212 yards 1 TD 0 INT
Furman 17/18 256 yards 4 TD 0 INT
UGA 20/28 238 yards 2 TD 2 INT
Alabama 15/25 181 yards 2 TD 1 INT
I'm sure the stats are out there for fumbles, but I couldn't find them.
Maybe Todd was consistent. He played one way vs the league and one way vs non-conference opponents.
ReplyDeleteThat stretch against Kentucky, Arkansas, and LSU really determined our season.
ReplyDeleteGood catch Dick Tracy.
ReplyDeleteexcellent work, WERK. We definitely need a QB who can put up Todd's non-conf. numbers in SEC play.
ReplyDeleteHe had good games against MSU, UT, Ole Nutt, and Bama. It was really a mixed bag.
ReplyDeleteI am still bewildered about what happened against Kentucky.
Again those stats are incomplete because I couldn't find fumbles in there for the totals on turnovers.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I agree with Steve that Todd far more often than not made the right mental decision, however physically I don't think he was able to make the plays to go along with the decision a lot of times.
I don't really just judge QBs off of passing stats, but what happened in that 3 game stretch is questionable. The fumbles didn't bother me that much, although there have been times I wish he would get rid of the ball quicker. It is kind of the same criticism I had of Cox. Sometimes he didn't know when to just throw the ball in the stands.
ReplyDeleteTodd's physical ability was definitely limited. I was shocked at the run he had against Bama because, frankly, any time he starts to run the ball I usually prefer that he just throw the ball away. I am glad he didn't on that play against Bama.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see how Malzahn brings Moseley and Rollison along. I wish we had gotten one of them more playing time this season, but I can understand why not.
In our SEC games this year, the defenses consistently broke through our OL. Every QB does worse with heavy pressure. In fact, I'm betting that every SEC QB has worse stats against the SEC teams.
ReplyDeleteGiven Todd's physical abilities, he did alright. He was the best QB that we had, so why not le3ave it at that?
Newsflash: Next season we will probably be starting a RSFreshman QB. He will make mistakes, so why don't the cronic complainers start complaining about him now so we don't have to hear it all next season.
Some things are so predictable.
We're due a good QB!
ReplyDeleteSome things are so predictable aren't they Hoopie?
ReplyDeleteAuburn has never been QBU. Usually due to great running games and defenses we have only asked the QB not to make mistakes and not lose the game.
ReplyDeleteWith the offense we are running now QB production is more essential than it has ever been for us.
It is very likely that Moseley or Rollison turn into a better QB than Todd has been, although it will likely not be next season. They will make mistakes, especially early on. In general, I like the QBs we have had, but I have never liked how we develop them. We never seem to get a backup much experience before he becomes the starter.
ReplyDeleteGood evening, Hotties and War Eagle! It was a disappointing loss, but this is the best I ever felt after a loss. Good - if not great - things are going to happen for the Auburn football program in the next few years.
ReplyDeleteBTW, IV, save yoruself the aggravation - just quit reading Steve's posts.
Steve you are right over the years except for the Nix/Craig year in 1995 we have done a bad job of getting the back up ready to play the next year.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of backups, who is Tebow's? Does Florida have another QB? Next year will show us what type of coach Urban is.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I like about Malzahn is that he picked a QB and stuck with him. Additionally, I don't think Chizik was on the sidelines telling him he should play Burns. It is why we didn't have the same (insert your favorite profanity) we had in 2008.
ReplyDeleteKathy, UF has a kid that is suppose to be a great drop back passer. He played a lot one game this year, but I don't recall the name. He is nothing like Tebow, but is supposedly very good.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking Fannin is a senior, but he is just a junior. If he can limit his fumbles, he might be a good option at tailback too.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people seem excited about Aycock, but I really know next to nothing about him.
It wouldn't surprise me if one of the true freshmen started at RB next year.
ReplyDeleteI'm no "chronic complainer". I've complained about one player for two years now: Chris Todd. Just as I said above, there are tons of things we can point fingers at on this team, but the one constant is the play of Chris Todd.
ReplyDeleteThe stats for him are VERY misleading. He was never capable of leading a sustained drive. The drive Bama put on us to end the game milked more time off the clock than any AU drive all season. We only broke the 6 minute mark twice--once vs. UK and once vs. Ark. With the running back we have on our roster, that is 100% unacceptable.
Chris Todd absolutely cannot hit a receiver in tight coverage--there just isn't enough zip on the ball to put it in the cracks/creases of the defenses we faced. Despite that, he continually tried to force passes that he physically couldn't make.
I know it's like crying over spilled milk--it's already spilled, so what can you do...???
I simply am relieved that I only have to see him play one more game at AU, and will never have to see him blow it against a rival again.
I'm going through the denial stages right now, the game hasn't happened yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably one of the "cronic complainers" that Hoopie was talking about. I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteI was just posting stats to back up my "Todd wasn't consistent" argument.
I feel pretty good about where we are. We won some games we probably shouldn't have and definitely lost a couple we shouldn't have, but overall this team out performed expectations.
ReplyDeleteInjuries hit us pretty hard, especially at the safeties.
I am not sure how good we will be next season, but a lot will depend upon the QB.
A true freshman running back coming in and playing is definitely a possiblity. Eric Smith is going to be a solid contributor, but I don't see him becoming the go to back. FAH will continue to be good, but won't likely be getting 20 or so carries a game. Fannin has potential, but every time I start feeling good about him, he fumbles, drops a pass, or runs the wrong way. We have potential in the current running backs, but nobody really stands out as the guy.
RK, the stats are appreciated. Todd did have some bad games. Stats don't tell the entire story, but they help.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't think Florida would just stomp FSU in the dirt, but that looks exactly like what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteEven though the last two were especially hard to take due to the intensity of the rivalries and the opportunities we had to win, the only loss this season that really stuck in my craw was Kentucky.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of respect for Rich Brooks, and they have a much better team than they are given credit - but coming off a bad road loss, playing at home, against a similarly-talented team without its starting QB - we simply should have found a way to win that one.
Ah well, we are at least 2 games better than I thought we would be, and we get the benefit of a couple of weeks rest, then three weeks of practice and game planning before we close out the season, then its looking forward to a pretty solid recruiting class coming in February.
Beats the heck out of last year.
Florida is nuts if Tebow comes in for another drive. The game is decided. If Tebow gets injured, the HC will look like Les Miles.
ReplyDeleteFreep, I am with you in terms of the Kentucky loss. That one still bothers me. I still wonder how the heck we lost it.
ReplyDeleteThe KY game is hard to explain away especially coming into it 5-1 and out offense being as impressive as it was.
ReplyDeleteIt's just one of those things. Teams have to learn how to win the close games, and hopefully the losses that this team put up in tight games vs KY, UGA and Bama will teach the returning players how to finish and win those close ones in the future.
on a side note, the Mosley commitment is nice, but I'll be more excited if one or two more people named Mosley follow suit:
ReplyDeleteCJ Mosley could really help. I honestly believe he could potentially start from day 1.
Brandon Mosley could conceivable enroll in January--going against last year's numbers is key for us this season. Adding a D-lineman without counting vs. this years class makes it doubly as huge!
Dakota Mosley isn't one of our higher rated recruits, but hopefully he is underrated. I watched some film on him a while back and it looked like his HS used him in various rolls. At times, I think he lined up in the backfield.
ReplyDeleteAnother note on recruiting:
ReplyDeleteAccording to Ziemba's dad, the big OL JUCO recruit Gayden seemed very close to committing on Thursday night. The OL had Thanksgiving Dinner at Grimes' house and they said he seemed very "at home" while there.
I think he and CJ Mosley may very well be the most important two guys left on Auburn's board--even a bigger deal than Seastrunk.
CJ Mosley would be great, although we already have several good linebacker commits.
ReplyDeleteAnyone heard anything about Victor Beasley. The last thing I heard was he was headed to South Carolina, if I remember correctly.
We need to remember to tell our players to paint scripture under their eyes next year. That way you get to facemask all you want and not get called for it. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteCarmela...also, they need to be white evangelists.
ReplyDeleteThat's going to really cut into our recruiting E-Bro.
ReplyDeleteJay4AU thank you.
after now watching every play of both a Bama game and a UF game I think the Bammers may have a bad day coming up this Saturday.
ReplyDeleteEarly in the season, though I watched very little of either team since we were playing mostly night games and I attended them all, I thought UAT was the better team.
I can honestly say that I feel UF is the far superior team after this weekend.
how can you watch them play FSU and decide anything? FSU sucks bad
ReplyDeleteBama's offensive line didn't seem nearly as good as last season. Last year they seemed to just manhandle us. This year, we held our own pretty good.
ReplyDeleteJay...we are a superior to FSU I feel, though.
ReplyDeleteWhat will hurt Bama is if they run like Florida like they did against us, because Florida will also stop all the crossing routes and screens.
I expect it to be a good, low scoring game. Go Gators!
I do the the SECCG game will be close. Neither team is as good as I thought they were last season. This year may be the year Texas wins the BCSNCG, but their performance against A&M surprised me. A&M was in it most of the game.
ReplyDeleteRK, you are simply destroying me at pickem this week. Please lighten up.
ReplyDeletethe uk loss just annoys me because i froze my butt off for three plus quarters in the upper deck before i had to go join my wife and daughter at the student center. they didn't last till the second.
ReplyDeletei will lay the loss of this year's iron bowl squarely at the feet of gus. AU's final real possession gus called three putrid, awful, stupid, crappy and poorly executed plays. i think AU had just stuffed them on 4th and inches, and we had to get a first down or two and attempt a field goal. $aban brought the house and that is when you have to have a screen or deep pass ready to make them pay for the blitz. the three plays resulted in a net loss of 16 yards and punting to bammer for their final drive. hopefully he will learn to keep his foot on the pedal next year.
if some of these recruits are as good as we think, this "sh*t offense" is going to be fun to watch.
i now want uf to beat bammer 6-3 in a 27 OT game. and texas to beat uf 100-0 in the ngc. we don't recruit as much against texas. they can only take so many recruits out of texas every year anyway. i'll take our chances in recruiting battles against texas tech and a&m etc. i think i can see the strategy these coaches are using and it is paying dividends quickly.
and don't give me that "pull for the sec" crap. i want what is good for AU and if sacrificing uf or bammer winning a championship is the price to pay i'm all in.
I'm not really drawing that conclusion based on this game alone...I also watched a good chunk of the UF/UGA game after our game vs. Ole Miss.
ReplyDeleteI just think UF's corners are good enough to shut down the passing game.
I also think AU exposed UAT. UF will mimick AU's game plan and force the passing game to beat them. I don't think McElroy can throw on the UF secondary. Our D played well, but we're playing with 3 LBs and 1 Safety dressed out...UF will present a much tougher passing game challenge.
UF looks like they've come a long way since struggling vs. UT. Bama does not look like they've improved much since struggling vs. the same team.
Just my opinion...
Wow, can you imagine an instate rivalry as sad as the Apple Cup has been the past two years?
ReplyDeleteWSU and UW are a combined 6-40 since the beginning of 2008, only half of those wins coming against D1-A opponents. And one of them was last years Apple Cup win by Wazzou.
There are lots of Jay's here.
ReplyDeleteJay W I hope you are right.
rename it the crapple cup.
ReplyDeleteAs bad as it hurts, I'm a HUUUUUGE LSU fan right now. I think a W here saves us from a mediocre bowl.
ReplyDeleteMy gut feeling is AU in the Peach Bowl right now. If Arkansas wins, we get shuffled down to the PapaJohns bowl very likely.
i would say bammer currently has roughly 45-50 players that are mentally and physically ready and able to play in the sec on their roster. AU has around 20-25. defensive depth is obviously all important with the hurry up offense. having most of our secondary recovered from injury will be nice too.
ReplyDeletewhat will also be nice is having the skill personnel to run the offense and play most every position. there may even be a two deep where he can rotate them and keep them all fresh.
big INT! Refs definitely missed the facemask as soon as he came down with the ball though...the TE grabbed the sh*t our of it!
ReplyDeleteour = out
ReplyDeleteyou can envision a scenario in 2010 where burns, fannin, stallworth, reed and rollison are all on the field together. all are current or former qbs and at least a threat to pass and can also run. $aban ain't seen nuthin' yet.
ReplyDeleteAs many opportunities as our offense may have missed, I'd like to think that once we get the defensive players we want, 21 points wins that game yesterday.
ReplyDeleteMay I take a moment to thank whomever it is that decides whether AU will deviate from its traditional unis.
ReplyDeleteJust check out Florida, Missouri, and LSU for how such deviations can go horribly, horribly wrong.
UK with a pick 6 against Crompton and UT.
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with all the new uniforms and helmets?
ReplyDeleteFF...I don't want to change the helmet or anything else. I just wouldn't mind wearing orange once a year, maybe for homecoming or something, or everytime we go down to Baton Rouge.
ReplyDeletegooo pigs
ReplyDeletestraight up on the d improvement. 21 points wins that game if sen'derrick marks, jerraud powers, tray blackmon, mcneil, etheridge and eltoro are playing. or is we can ever hang on to an int...
ReplyDeletei'm sorry, but i think i could beat bynes by 20 yards in a forty yard dash. he's one tough s.o.b. though. not many people can play just about every defensive snap of every sec game at middle linebacker.
Never mind.....I googled it! It's a Nike thing.
ReplyDeletehttp://friendsoftheprogram.net/2009/11/10/nike-pro-combat-the-complete-collection-with-slogans/
A UK win also goes a long way for AU's bowl prospects--UK would then move to 8-4 while UT drops to 6-6...that would send UK to the Outback bowl. Having UK and UT at 7-5 muddies the picture. One goes to the Outback, while the other is still toiling around for a possible Peach or Music City bid.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have both the Peach and Music City available to Auburn--I like the prospects of an ACC matchup, and both are fun bowls to attend...easily beating the Liberty, Independence, or Papa Johns!!!
two teams better never touch their uniforms. AU and PSU.
ReplyDeletealthough, i didn't have a problem with the white throwbacks against vandy a few years ago. no helmet logo. i wouldn't mind them wearing the whites at home sometimes, but no stupid "white out" crap from the fans. just scream real loud...
ReplyDeletetrinden holiday has basically been a non factor this year.
ReplyDeleteJust read where CBSSports projects an Independence Bowl match of Auburn vs. Iowa State.
ReplyDeleteLet me be the first to say that would suck beyond the telling of it.
I'm sick of hearing about Iowa State. In fact, I'm boycotting corn from the diet until late next year.
Disagree, Sensi. I think that would be a great game.
ReplyDelete"Great" in the sense that I think we would absolutely destroy them.
Now that I think about it - when was the last time that AU absolutely manhandled a bowl opponent?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's happened, but for the life of me I can't remember when.
Sensi...that's before today's games. UM will not go to the Capital One Bowl after today's defeat. If LSU can win tonight, they are pinned there. An LSU win also drops Arky a bit.
ReplyDeleteThat cbssports.com projection is also has both UT and UK getting picked in the bowl hierarchy before us. I seriously doubt that happens.
In a pickoff of us or South Carolina, I would see the Chick-Fil-A/Peach picking AU. AU sells tickets very well in Atlanta. If we aren't picked there, I don't think the Music City would pass Auburn up--not only did we play well vs. the No.2 team in the nation, we also beat Ole Miss and UT, and we travel very well.
In a muddied picture such as we have, bowls become more about selling tickets...and AU sells tickets.
Blaming anyone for yesterday's loss is the Mount Everest of foolishness. Measuring the talent of the teams and it's a three TD differential. Blame Gus? You wanna guess how we got in position to score 21? You can't trick or pass every down. It's a great way to turn into a turnover machine. Blame Todd? The guy made some big time plays in the game. We played a vastly superior team off its and dang near one the game. Don't look for moral victories, but blaming anyone associated with the 2009 team for losing that game is silliness in the first degree.
ReplyDeleteIt's been awhile Freep. Either 1990 vs. Ohio State, 31-14 or the 2003 Music City Bowl over Wisconsin, 28-14.
ReplyDeleteUK 14-7
ReplyDeleteA UK win definitely blows up that cbssports.com projection list. They have UT going to the Outback. A UK win puts UT at 6-6. No way a 6-6 team goes to the SEC #2 bowl.