re: Why can't Auburn maintain success.

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Plenty of high-paced offenses have been complemented by good defenses.

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Eh, not really. They have had decent complimentary defenses that turn teams over and make big plays, but there have not been very many sound great defenses that go with fast paced offenses.

Urban has had a few, but they weren't always running at warp speed like Gus does. Freeze even slowed his offense down because of that same fact.

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Auburn in 2008 switched to the Tony Franklin NASCAR offense and still produced a top notch defense.

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Auburn's 2008 offense was a bastardized step-child of what Tony Franklin wanted to do. Tubs basically told him he could run some of his stuff at the speed Tubs wanted, very similar to what Chizik did to Malzahn in 2011.

Malzahn's offense may or may not be the problem. I don't know. But he is the one constant on your staff since the defense went to shite after Tubbs.

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I think that they whole practice being run and centered around a fast offense 100% has a detrimental effect on a defense developing.

When practice is geared towards working on running as many plays as possible as fast as possible and there is no time to stop and teach defensively it very much effects that side of the ball. From what I read Gus backed off on that last year as part of his deal with Muschamp, but sounds like he wants to return to it this year.

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I think this is something that doesn't get discussed enough. Defense often times mirror their offense. Run heavy offense= good run defense and so forth, obviously there are some exceptions. It makes sense because of who you practice against.

S&P 2015 Top Defenses (efficiency, which doesn't rely on just yards so it makes it more fair to teams running tons of offensive plays)

1. Alabama - pro style offense
2. Michigan - pro style offense
3. Boston College - pro style offense
4. Clemson - spread up tempo offense
5. Northwestern - spread offense, medium tempo
6. Florida - pro style offense
7. Wisconsin - pro style offense
8. Ohio State - spread offense, not so much up tempo in 2015
9. Washington - pro style offense
10. Florida State - pro style offense
11. Georgia - pro style offense
12. Michigan State - pro style offense

Interesting stat

Average # of plays per game 2015
Baylor - 84.9
Texas Tech - 83.4
TCU - 82.9
Clemson - 80.5
Northwestern - 73.2
Alabama - 72.5
Ohio State - 68.6
Auburn - 68.6
LSU - 65.3

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When practice is geared towards working on running as many plays as possible as fast as possible and there is no time to stop and teach defensively it very much effects that side of the ball. From what I read Gus backed off on that last year as part of his deal with Muschamp, but sounds like he wants to return to it this year.

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Very telling IMO.

I'd have to think that practicing the running schemes so much would also have an affect on the development of the WRs. As the WRs would be used primarily for blocking for the run rather than catching the football.

Maybe that's why Gus hasn't put a stand out WR into the pro's (other than Coates in the 3rd round) in his 10 yrs of coaching college ball?

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Why did alabama play second fiddle to Auburn for 30 years until Saban arrived? It's hard to be consistently good. Even the best programs have trouble with it.

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We didn't, but ok.

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RandySavage

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Too many programs around us with more natural advantages.

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Still haven't offered a list of those natural advantages other programs have over AU?

Auburn's problem on defense has been personnel more than anything. The one year they had some studs(2010) they won it all. And though that defense wasn't necessarily elite, they seemed to always get that crucial late game stop or turnover.

Sure, some of the coaching has left a lot to be desired, but they really haven't had elite level LB and secondary folks since Tuberville left. That is where Saban and Alabama have absolutely whipped their arse.

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Alabama was better in the 90s yes but from Bear to Saban, Auburn was the overall better program for sure

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Define what you mean by "better program for sure".

Bama had a national title during that time. AU did not. Auburn won 4 SEC titles during that time to Bama's 3. head to head AU had a 14-10 advantage during that stretch (which included 6 different coaches at Bama and 3 different coaches at AU).

As many AU fans proudly (and rightly) cling to their 2010 national title and say they wouldn't trade the roller coaster with a title for consistency without a title, I wouldn't trade the 1992 national title for a .500 record against AU from Bear to Saban.