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Those of you who were around..
Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:05 pm
Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:05 pm
...During the Barfield years, how does this compare? It feels like how I had it described to me when I was young.
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Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:07 pm to auburnnyc94
Barfield wasn’t this bad
Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:10 pm to Hussss
I wasn't around. But surely our fans didn't act as entitled to success as they do now.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:29 pm to auburnnyc94
I was at AU when Barfield was there - it was a totally different vibe, as we had been mediocre or worse for quite some time.
The closest AU had come to an SEC title, much less an NC, was in '71. We obliterated UGa between the hedges, were ranked #5 in the AP, and Sullivan had just won the Heisman. We accepted the Sugar Bowl bid vs Oklahoma, and went into the IB looking unbeatable.
Then Bryant's wishbone broke us in two.
1972 was the year of the Amazin's, and while it was the stuff of legends, we were never in the NC conversation, and our blowout loss to LSU took us pretty much out of the SEC title (back then Bama played an extra conference game every season, so they always ended up getting the crown in the case of a tie in the loss column).
We finished in the top 10 in '74, but Shug's last year was a disaster, and from that point forward we were pretty bad. Not to mention, we were on probation for a couple of those years. We actually had a pretty decent offense (mainly due to the talents of Joe Cribbs and James Brooks), but our defense was awful.
The big difference was that we actually improved slightly over Barfield's tenure, going from 3 to 5 to 6 to 8 wins, and actually led eventual NC-winning Bama in the 4th quarter of the IB before falling in our last year of NCAA sanctions.
Then the disaster that was the 1980 UTee game happened, and it was pretty much over for ol Doug then.
The closest AU had come to an SEC title, much less an NC, was in '71. We obliterated UGa between the hedges, were ranked #5 in the AP, and Sullivan had just won the Heisman. We accepted the Sugar Bowl bid vs Oklahoma, and went into the IB looking unbeatable.
Then Bryant's wishbone broke us in two.
1972 was the year of the Amazin's, and while it was the stuff of legends, we were never in the NC conversation, and our blowout loss to LSU took us pretty much out of the SEC title (back then Bama played an extra conference game every season, so they always ended up getting the crown in the case of a tie in the loss column).
We finished in the top 10 in '74, but Shug's last year was a disaster, and from that point forward we were pretty bad. Not to mention, we were on probation for a couple of those years. We actually had a pretty decent offense (mainly due to the talents of Joe Cribbs and James Brooks), but our defense was awful.
The big difference was that we actually improved slightly over Barfield's tenure, going from 3 to 5 to 6 to 8 wins, and actually led eventual NC-winning Bama in the 4th quarter of the IB before falling in our last year of NCAA sanctions.
Then the disaster that was the 1980 UTee game happened, and it was pretty much over for ol Doug then.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:44 pm to MrLahey
quote:
wasn't around. But surely our fans didn't act as entitled to success as they do now.
Nothing has changed except social media allowing us to bitch away from the water cooler
Posted on 10/18/22 at 3:59 pm to FearlessFreep
College football was so different then. Doesn’t even really compare. Few games in TV. No divisions. No SECCG. No social media.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 4:09 pm to auburnnyc94
This years team is better than 2012. Not saying the players are better but the results are better. That team quit in September.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 4:12 pm to MrLahey
quote:
But surely our fans didn't act as entitled to success as they do now.
Glad I didn’t grow up around those losers then
Posted on 10/18/22 at 4:17 pm to MrLahey
quote:
I wasn't around. But surely our fans didn't act as entitled to success as they do now.
The alternative is worse. People not caring and you having no soap box on a platform where people care about winning and recruiting. Go check the Vanderbilt forum.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 4:58 pm to jangalang
I think there's an inherent difference between us and Vandy. We will never be Vandy. There's a difference between sincere support and constant bitching and tearing down of a program.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 5:00 pm to auburnnyc94
Barfield had an 8-3 season one of the years he was HC.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 5:11 pm to auburnnyc94
Money in college football was not what it is now.
Bear Bryant made like $100,000.
Barfield probably made 50K.
For games before school started in September, we’d go to Auburn and pay like $3 for a high school student ticket.
Harsin is making big time money.
Expectations have to match the salary.
When results lag, you get fired.
Bear Bryant made like $100,000.
Barfield probably made 50K.
For games before school started in September, we’d go to Auburn and pay like $3 for a high school student ticket.
Harsin is making big time money.
Expectations have to match the salary.
When results lag, you get fired.
This post was edited on 10/18/22 at 5:11 pm
Posted on 10/18/22 at 5:21 pm to MrLahey
quote:
I think there's an inherent difference between us and Vandy. We will never be Vandy. There's a difference between sincere support and constant bitching and tearing down of a program.
I don’t know what that means. And telling us “it’s just a sport” stuff doesn’t work on fan message boards anyway. Stop telling people what to care and how to care about it. You’re a shite fan too. Welcome to the club.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 5:39 pm to jangalang
quote:
I don’t know what that means. And telling us “it’s just a sport” stuff doesn’t work on fan message boards anyway. Stop telling people what to care and how to care about it. You’re a shite fan too. Welcome to the club.
Don't know what you're talking about
Posted on 10/18/22 at 6:06 pm to MrLahey
quote:
I wasn't around. But surely our fans didn't act as entitled to success as they do now.
This. Now if you dont think we can land Nick Saban, you are accepting mediocracy.
Your word entitled is a perfect usage. You just need to look at Auburns coaching searches and who they landed to show you where you are. Or at least what will likely happen
What is going on right now is about the worst time I have had as a Auburn fan. And I have been around a while.
Posted on 10/18/22 at 6:10 pm to makersmark1
quote:
Money in college football was not what it is now.
Bear Bryant made like $100,000.
Barfield probably made 50K.
For games before school started in September, we’d go to Auburn and pay like $3 for a high school student ticket.
Harsin is making big time money.
Expectations have to match the salary.
When results lag, you get fired.
I will never understand why people think "money" changes anything. You can not buy your way into being a good coach or a good program. It will either happen or not. Money is something used to hang on to a good thing once you have it. Not to establish it
In life you earn money due to your success. You dont use money to buy it
Posted on 10/18/22 at 6:19 pm to LanierSpots
quote:
This. Now if you dont think we can land Nick Saban, you are accepting mediocracy.
Thank you. It is refreshing to see others with this mindset, however rare we are. Our fanbase is delusional.
The ironic thing is - the same delusional fans called for the heads of Tuberville, Chizik, and Malzahn - the very people who arguably brought Auburn to the apex of its CFB history
Posted on 10/18/22 at 6:28 pm to LanierSpots
It’s as bad as I’ve seen in my lifetime of fandom.
Outside of that conversation we are no different than any of the top 30 programs. We want to win, beat our rivals, and win championships.
We aren’t destined to be Vandy or Tennessee. We are a decent hire away from being where Auburn has always been. Win 10+ games once every 5 seasons, 7-9 wins in about 8 seasons out 10. Have a losing season about once every 10-12 years. And compete for an SEC championship about 2-3 times per decade.
Sure we might have a 10 year span better than some others but over time that’s what we are. Not saying we can’t go on a 15 year run where we win a couple national championships and 5 or 6 SeC titles but that’s rare.
I think we are way to close to what Bama is currently doing and it’s historic and think that is normal. It’s not even remotely close to normal for any program even Bama. LSU, AU, UF, and UGA have all won national titles as Bama has dominated the field during Saban’s era.
So with all that said let’s get this joke of a staff out. Make a good hire. Recruit and get back to watching fun football. That’s one of my complaints about this staff. Outside of the LSU game last year even the games we won weren’t even fun they were boring as hell. It’s just a boring brand of football to me
Outside of that conversation we are no different than any of the top 30 programs. We want to win, beat our rivals, and win championships.
We aren’t destined to be Vandy or Tennessee. We are a decent hire away from being where Auburn has always been. Win 10+ games once every 5 seasons, 7-9 wins in about 8 seasons out 10. Have a losing season about once every 10-12 years. And compete for an SEC championship about 2-3 times per decade.
Sure we might have a 10 year span better than some others but over time that’s what we are. Not saying we can’t go on a 15 year run where we win a couple national championships and 5 or 6 SeC titles but that’s rare.
I think we are way to close to what Bama is currently doing and it’s historic and think that is normal. It’s not even remotely close to normal for any program even Bama. LSU, AU, UF, and UGA have all won national titles as Bama has dominated the field during Saban’s era.
So with all that said let’s get this joke of a staff out. Make a good hire. Recruit and get back to watching fun football. That’s one of my complaints about this staff. Outside of the LSU game last year even the games we won weren’t even fun they were boring as hell. It’s just a boring brand of football to me
Posted on 10/18/22 at 6:32 pm to MrLahey
quote:
The ironic thing is - the same delusional fans called for the heads of Tuberville, Chizik, and Malzahn - the very people who arguably brought Auburn to the apex of its CFB history
So what you’re saying is we won in spite of our coaches. Now that I can agree w/.
We aren’t talking about intrumural flag football here. Hush with the “it’s just a sport” stuff.
This post was edited on 10/18/22 at 8:08 pm
Posted on 10/18/22 at 6:37 pm to jangalang
quote:
We are aren’t talking about intrumural flag football here. Hush with the “it’s just a sport” stuff.
Again, don't know what you're talking about.
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