Plain Trouble on "Da Plains" (all AU posts here)
- Thread starter CrimsonProf
- Start date
Go listen to Marcelo’s interview today on 3 man front on Jox. Quite telling of the power struggle that’s going on on the plains.Hahahaha...not a photoshop.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
After reading those stories about the dysfunction, down at API, it makes one wonder who does Gus MooZahn remind us, in terms of a tragicomic figure.
After much pondering (during a trip to Walmart), the answer became clear:
Donkey Yo'Tay!
Yes, that is Gus! Tilting at windmills. "If we can just get the right QB, and the right RB, and if we bring back the whirlybird, that is 5 trick plays that we can run against the bammers. That will be good for 35 points, and we ought to be able to tack on 2 more TDs, so that is 49 points! Plus, we will play in Jerkin' Hare, so we will have that mojo on our side. YES! We can do it! We can beat them!"
So, harbouring those ideas of delusion and grandeur, it explains why he will agree to be Dead Man Walking, with chains around his feet and neck, for another season.
I love it when a good plan comes together...................
After much pondering (during a trip to Walmart), the answer became clear:
Donkey Yo'Tay!
Yes, that is Gus! Tilting at windmills. "If we can just get the right QB, and the right RB, and if we bring back the whirlybird, that is 5 trick plays that we can run against the bammers. That will be good for 35 points, and we ought to be able to tack on 2 more TDs, so that is 49 points! Plus, we will play in Jerkin' Hare, so we will have that mojo on our side. YES! We can do it! We can beat them!"
So, harbouring those ideas of delusion and grandeur, it explains why he will agree to be Dead Man Walking, with chains around his feet and neck, for another season.
I love it when a good plan comes together...................
That's definitely part of his thought process. The fact he is willing to give up so much for what amounts to a one year deal tells me he knows he can't get another job anywhere near what he has now. But it also tells me he is foolish enough to believe he can have a great season next year in the face of all this turmoil. Recruiting is going to tank. The fans hate him. The administration has all but told him, please leave. This is like a man or woman allowing their spouse to date other people just so they won't divorce them.
I guess, in the end, Gus deserves better. He truly believes Auburn is a special place, even though they've proven to him it is not.
Bingo! He and Jimmy Sexton are doing nothing more than prolonging the inevitable.
Well, their "Stealing Opponents Signals" equipment is in place for the home games, so they do have an advantage there...
It's great, isn't it? :biggrin:
This whole predicament is proof that they DON'T have the cash to just cut him loose...
Auburn is in a lot of trouble really. Post-Saban LSU has entrenched themselves as a better program with better recruiting territory. To give an example, at LSU Saban had a .750 winning percentage, Miles was .770 and Coach O is .750.
At Auburn Tubberville was .680, Chizik was .635, and Gus is .692. They could deal with trailing behind LSU though, although historically they had an edge on them. They didn't take Alabama being restored to their rightful place quite so well though, but even then as long as they got a shot in every now and then, they could kind of live with it.
The rise of Georgia though, really poses a danger. If Georgia really is Alabama-light, then Auburn is going to have 3 teams on their schedules that most years are going to be better than them. That's tough enough. But the last straw might be Texas A&M. They have more money, better recruiting territory, and a championship coach. Auburn was fortunate enough to beat them this year in a close game, but Jimbo is on his first year and has an an incoming recruiting class that is currently ranked #2.
You know what the top four recruiting classes are as of right now? Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU.
The problems at Auburn go beyond head coach, and I think people in and out of the program have to realize that. At this point it's more about treading water, just surviving, because they're not in a good position in the upcoming years. When they are in this position they tend to act out of desperation, last time it was buying Cam (a move that paid off but very nearly cratered them), so it will be interesting to see what they do this time.
At Auburn Tubberville was .680, Chizik was .635, and Gus is .692. They could deal with trailing behind LSU though, although historically they had an edge on them. They didn't take Alabama being restored to their rightful place quite so well though, but even then as long as they got a shot in every now and then, they could kind of live with it.
The rise of Georgia though, really poses a danger. If Georgia really is Alabama-light, then Auburn is going to have 3 teams on their schedules that most years are going to be better than them. That's tough enough. But the last straw might be Texas A&M. They have more money, better recruiting territory, and a championship coach. Auburn was fortunate enough to beat them this year in a close game, but Jimbo is on his first year and has an an incoming recruiting class that is currently ranked #2.
You know what the top four recruiting classes are as of right now? Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, and LSU.
The problems at Auburn go beyond head coach, and I think people in and out of the program have to realize that. At this point it's more about treading water, just surviving, because they're not in a good position in the upcoming years. When they are in this position they tend to act out of desperation, last time it was buying Cam (a move that paid off but very nearly cratered them), so it will be interesting to see what they do this time.
They are awfully close to falling off the ledge Tennessee did. They are better positioned geographically than Tennessee is, but as you point out, they are being boxed in very badly. Oh and you've also got Dan Mullen at Florida now, which isn't going to help matters for them in recruiting either.
Gus is not going to get them out of this predicament. In my earlier post I said you kind of have to feel bad for Gus, but I'll amend that statement. Gus attempted to play Auburn last year, and was successful in doing so, getting that 49 million dollar contract (he was never going to Arkansas). In the end, maybe they really are a match made in Heaven.
Jimbo at A&M will quickly push AU back to 4th place in the SECW. They'll have to pull in a big-time coach to move back up the rankings. But what big-time coach will go there without full control of the program? And AU isn't ready to make that concession.
There are two things that really saved them from this already happening. The first was that they'll do anything when they are desperate. This Gus situation is an indication of that, they overpaid him because he beat Alabama and they were desperate for that, now when faced with the reality of their situation they're desperate enough to consider paying him to walk. But, really their desperation can be really harmful to college football and the SEC, that Cam situation was bad and we don't want open bidding wars going on, which in my opinion was what lead to Ole Miss following their lead. So, they'll act out of desperation until the NCAA ties their hands or they run out of funds.
The other is that the state of Alabama, while not the best, is very good recruiting territory. Ironically, Saban's success recruiting nationally has left Auburn with enough in-state leftovers to field a decent team.
Having said that, they're still running out of options, so yes they could very well find themselves in a similar predicament to Tennessee.
See, the trouble with all of this "woe is Auburn" talk is that they have lightning in a bottle down there every few years. And it restores confidence. If we had not slipped up and lost to them in 2013, that would have been 6 years in a row, and it would have been murder on their fan base. No coach would have survived it. Since Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, 11 years ago, they are 4-7. And some of the 7 have been very lopsided. And worse, that's under 3 coaches now. The hurt is deep down there. We all know that anything short of 10 wins and an Alabama win will be the end for Chizik. If that 10th win is Alabama, maybe he survives. If that win over Alabama is his 11th, they give him a salary increase, inexplicably.
8-3 waiting for Alabama to come to town, that squad will be headed by another coach.
8-3 waiting for Alabama to come to town, that squad will be headed by another coach.
Amazon Prime Day Deals for TideFans!
Hangtime University of Alabama - Alabama Crimson Tide Bama Nation - University of Alabama Route Sign
Get this and many more items during Amazon Prime Day Deals (July 8-11)!
Get a Prime Free Trial!
