I see you (Auburn) hiding in the weeds. Thoughts on Iron Bowl 2023

[SkullDuckery]

As long as Milroe and our oline don’t revert back to 6 weeks ago, we win by 2 plus touchdowns.

 

[BAMAVILLE]

Hey guys, we got a game with Chattanooga this weekend

 

[AUDub]

Hey guys, we got a game with Chattanooga this weekend

Gotta watch out for them Moccasins. They’ll creep up on you.

 

[81usaf92]

You guys are giving AU why too much credit. They have looked "better" in the last month because they have played about as easy an SEC schedule as you can in that run. Vandy, Miss. St. and Ark. are a combined 2-19 in conference games this year (combined 9-22 overall). Of course a mediocre AU is going to beat those teams, everyone beats them.

Let's dig a little deeper. AU has 6 wins. Guess how many teams that have played that are .500 or worse. That's right, 6. They have not beaten a single team with a winning record. Their 3 non-conference wins are a combined 12-18. Their non-conference opponents are actually slightly better than their 3 conference wins. Which is why they have looked better recently. They are beating crap teams.


Yes, Bama has struggled some this year against teams they should not have but, Bama has improved and turned a corner recently. The Iron Bowl this year should not be close. I see a 36-0, 36-10 type of beat down coming.

Yes and Alabama has came in with Heismans waltzing to Atlanta and bigger prizes while Auburn has came in with Birmingham bowl bound teams. Yet we have been taken deep into the 4th quarter.

Last time here we were Tank Bigbsy staying in bounds from losing. Hell if Bo Nix was playing we probably would’ve gotten boat raced that day. They were up 10-0 all the way to the 8 minute mark of the 4th quarter vs Bryce young. We had a horrible week of practice and Auburn didn’t that week and we should’ve lost to one of the worst teams on our schedule.

 

[BamaMoon]

I'm not "sitting back in my chair confident in the offense" like I was with Tua (wow what a feeling that was) but every game (now two in a row) that I see JM and CTR and the offense seemingly inventing themselves and making other defenses look silly I'm feeling more and more confident.

If we are playing like we were back in the middle of the season, I'd be terribly nervous about the upcoming Auburn game.

I can guarantee you that folks in Auburn and Athens are feeling terribly uncomfortable that the Bama offense has found itself and is functioning at the level we've seen the last two weeks.

 

[CajunCrimson]

Running game dictates this. Take the under. Long drives. Burn the clock and get outta Hell before the demons show up

 

[Cruiser]

So the Barn is a 22pt favorite over New Mexico State? Watch out; NMSU was a 24 point underdog last year against a team and won by 35?? The coach of the losing team was ...... wait for it.............none other than Coach Sleeze. H'mmmm

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I'm not "sitting back in my chair confident in the offense" like I was with Tua (wow what a feeling that was) but every game (now two in a row) that I see JM and CTR and the offense seemingly inventing themselves and making other defenses look silly I'm feeling more and more confident.

If we are playing like we were back in the middle of the season, I'd be terribly nervous about the upcoming Auburn game.

I can guarantee you that folks in Auburn and Athens are feeling terribly uncomfortable that the Bama offense has found itself and is functioning at the level we've seen the last two weeks.

Completely agreed.

I know this is an Auburn thread but we are a matchup nightmare for Georgia. Idk if that means we will beat them because they're obviously a very good team but we matchup vs them really really well in some important areas.

 

[Oregon Tide]

Completely agreed.

I know this is an Auburn thread but we are a matchup nightmare for Georgia. Idk if that means we will beat them because they're obviously a very good team but we matchup vs them really really well in some important areas.

This is an interesting comment. Can you elaborate where you think we are a nightmare for UGA?

 

[twofbyc]

I would find it hilarious if they lost or had a struggle win to New Mexico State.

I haven’t followed NMS at all; i don’t see how it’s even close unless the Barn is looking ahead.
I’d be both ecstatically happy (Barn losing always makes me happy, this one would more than most) and near-stroke nervous (nothing clears the vision and narrows the focus more than losing to someone you should beat handily, especially at this juncture). I just don’t see it happening, or being close- I see Barn winning by 21+ points.
I should point out that my record on picking winners/losers (with the spread) on both Bama and Barn games is, well, south of 50%. Probably by a good bit.

 

[Al A Bama]

Early thoughts on Iron Bowl 2023! (See THREAD title.)

Weird things happen on the farm and in the pasture at Albarn! I hope we can prevent that this year! RTR!!!!!!! Moooo! RTR!!!!!!!

 

[JohnD]

So the Barn is a 22pt favorite over New Mexico State? Watch out; NMSU was a 24 point underdog last year against a team and won by 35?? The coach of the losing team was ...... wait for it.............none other than Coach Sleeze. H'mmmm

Bert Cotton had been shoveling cow crap at allbarn all week prior to that game. The deal was done. Liberty players sure played like they knew it too.

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

This is an interesting comment. Can you elaborate where you think we are a nightmare for UGA?

Maybe nightmare overstates it a little. But I do think we are the team they least want to face. I'd write a longer post but I don't want to take over the thread.

Basically 1. We have a QB who has come alive running the ball and has been effective running on designed runs to the outside something they have shown at least some weakness for. 2. We will likely have more success pressuring Beck who hasn't been pressured all that often. The games their offense has struggled the most have been ones where he has been pressured more regularly. 3. They haven't had any games against the upper tier of recruiting while we have at least played LSU, Texas and and A&M. Obviously the quality of different parts of those teams vary but the best teams they have played like Missouri and Ole Miss just don't have the same caliber of depth and talent which makes a different. 4.The teams that have had the most success passing vs them have done so by hitting some deep shots. Something our QB is best at. 5. We have the athletes to at least limit Bowers both at LB and Safety.

Anyway that's the basic idea. Again, this doesn't mean we beat them. There are other issues on our side but I think if they could face any team in the country besides us they would gladly take it.

 

[Power Eye]

Last time here we were Tank Bigbsy staying in bounds from losing. Hell if Bo Nix was playing we probably would’ve gotten boat raced that day. They were up 10-0 all the way to the 8 minute mark of the 4th quarter vs Bryce young. We had a horrible week of practice and Auburn didn’t that week and we should’ve lost to one of the worst teams on our schedule.

You're right, and this game has a very 2021 feel leading into it. As good as Milroe is, he's not Bryce, not yet, so let's not rely on him pulling a rabbit out of a hat to save us in the end.

There are so many things about this game that scare me beyond the obvious of playing down there.

1. They are getting better
2. We haven't beaten them 4 years in a row in forever
3. Freeze playing for nothing to lose against us
4. As improved as Milroe is, he still makes throws that are head scratchers. Those seem to always find a way of landing in an Auburn DB's hands when we paly them.

To me, the biggest incentive of winning this game is the "Fear the Thumb" t shirts we can start printing afterwards.

 

[BamaNation]

My thoughts?

S.N.A.S.S.

 

[jashleyren2]

Hoping we get off to a fast start over there. I always expect crazy stuff to happen , weird bounces, trick plays, poor officiating,etc…

I have already counted in officials hijinks as part of the game plan. Trick plays? Oh, Freeze has shown us plenty of those, years back. I'm not saying we can't get caught off guard, because we can. Last time Alabama faced a Hugh Freeze team, much of this 2023 Bama team was in junior high to MAYBE freshmen in high school, for our upperclassmen (2016 was his last year there).

The weird bounces, like Mac bouncing one off a receiver's butt in 2019, cannot be accurately predicted.

They gave UGA heck back in the earlier part of the season. I expect they bring it to us, and we'll need 4 quarters of football like we did against LSU. It shouldn't be so, but it's the Iron Bowl, and that's the whole message.

 

[jashleyren2]

You guys are giving AU why too much credit. They have looked "better" in the last month because they have played about as easy an SEC schedule as you can in that run. Vandy, Miss. St. and Ark. are a combined 2-19 in conference games this year (combined 9-22 overall). Of course a mediocre AU is going to beat those teams, everyone beats them.

Let's dig a little deeper. AU has 6 wins. Guess how many teams that have played that are .500 or worse. That's right, 6. They have not beaten a single team with a winning record. Their 3 non-conference wins are a combined 12-18. Their non-conference opponents are actually slightly better than their 3 conference wins. Which is why they have looked better recently. They are beating crap teams.


Yes, Bama has struggled some this year against teams they should not have but, Bama has improved and turned a corner recently. The Iron Bowl this year should not be close. I see a 36-0, 36-10 type of beat down coming.

Your analysis of Auburn is, of course, spot on correct.

But, it's the Iron Bowl. Their place, new head coach, odd year (2023). This is their championship game every year. Honestly, a lot of us long time Bama fans can accept a mediocre season if we just those punks. Now, we're having a very good season right now, and we'll be 10-1 going into that terrible game.

Coach has to impress on our boys that this game might be harder than any we will play the rest of the way, and I don't mean to give Auburn credit for their skill in play or coaching. It's just that important to them, that it has to be to us as well.

Honestly, I saw no way this Tide team would be in Atlanta in December, back in September. I still had doubts in October, but the LSU game showed me something else. The second half of the Tennessee game was the turn-around, to me, not weeks earlier.

 

[SkullDuckery]

Yes and Alabama has came in with Heismans waltzing to Atlanta and bigger prizes while Auburn has came in with Birmingham bowl bound teams. Yet we have been taken deep into the 4th quarter.

Last time here we were Tank Bigbsy staying in bounds from losing. Hell if Bo Nix was playing we probably would’ve gotten boat raced that day. They were up 10-0 all the way to the 8 minute mark of the 4th quarter vs Bryce young. We had a horrible week of practice and Auburn didn’t that week and we should’ve lost to one of the worst teams on our schedule.

It seems our leadership is much better on this team than 21. Although our 09 team leaders were pretty good, took all 60 minutes to win that one.

 

[CajunCrimson]

we better get them while they’re down

 

[GulfCoastTider]

We're just fans so it's ok for us to look ahead a little. Whether we do or don't won't matter diddly. Alabama has the better team and the better team usually wins this game.

AU fans don't have that luxury. NMST is 8-3 with a 6-game win streak. The last two were on the road

I don't think AU has beaten a team with a winning record all year. If I'm a fan of the orange & blue, I'm a mite worried.