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Gus’ Spell on Us is Legit

Posted on 9/21/24 at 6:41 pm
Posted by Hussss
Helena, AL
Member since Oct 2016
7791 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 6:41 pm
Lanier - Gotta give my man credit. He was one of the only ones to say we were really messing up letting him go.

Gus created magical moments and left us karma.

I really started thinking about this when we lost 2 Iron Bowls after Gus in completely inexplicable ways.

It’s REAL guys.

How can we break the spell?
Posted by Cocotheape
Member since Aug 2015
4242 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 6:44 pm to
Gus was a good coach and good dude. He wasn’t gonna be in Auburn long term but firing him in 2020, a year that was a throwaway meaningless no fans in the stands aberration anyways, was moronic.

Should’ve sorted out the AD before you get rid of a coach like Gus who the players loved playing for, found ways to win, and ran a clean program.
Posted by AUCom96
Alabama
Member since May 2020
6692 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 6:48 pm to
We were in a 7-8 win spiral with Gus. It's better than what we've had since, but it wasn't going to get better.

We have to admit that there are no "secret formulas" or magical schemes to overcome Alabama. That's where Gus and Hugh came from. At one time, it worked to some degree. That was a long time ago. We're counting on an antiquated offensive scheme that the coach we hired to run it won't even take responsibility for calling plays. We have a running backs coach with little playcalling experience running our offense and we look like we have zero offensive identity.

It was time for Gus to go, but we needed to be more thoughtful in who we hired. We needed to build a football staff and an off-field recruiting machine in the NIL era. Instead we did what our good ol' boy boosters always do... try and catch someone's lighting in a bottle against Alabama. It was years too late and now we're paying the price.
Posted by AUCE05
Member since Dec 2009
45191 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 6:51 pm to
We haven't recruited well in 5 plus years. It's been almost a decade since we recruited an elite DLman. Our RBs are average. We can yell at the QB all we want, but we suck at every level. It was always going to be year 3 or 4 before we know what Freeze is. Some of you thinking this was a 10 win team is funny.
Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
70493 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 7:50 pm to
quote:

Lanier - Gotta give my man credit. He was one of the only ones to say we were really messing up letting him go.



To be accurate, My comments on Gus was that I liked him and his highs and that we should not move on from him without a plan. Which we didnt have. You dont want to become Tennessee (at the time). Which we have become. maybe worse

I get why some thought he was done at Auburn but I also understand why some liked him. His teams were 100% more diciplined than what we have seen since he left, and less thugish.

I wish there was someway he could have sured up O line recruiting. We always had high ranked recruiting classes and competitive teams. When Harsin was hired, he had plenty of talent at most positions. He destroyed most of it in his first summer

We had some super high moments with Gus which is what I try to remember. And looking forward, I just cant see a time when those moments will return

He is a better coach than Harsin in every way. He is a much better game day coach than Hugh and as far as recruiting goes, that is yet to be determined. Its hard to compare a system where you can legally buy players to one where you cant.


But Im hopeful


Posted by Hussss
Helena, AL
Member since Oct 2016
7791 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 7:59 pm to
Very well said
Posted by GoCrazyAuburn
Member since Feb 2010
40216 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 7:59 pm to
Gus was done. There is no getting around that fact. His recruiting had completely quit in the areas that mattered and I don’t think he was capable of turning the ship around from where he had taken it. We were right to sever that relationship when we did as it was only going to get worse.

Our completely shitting the bed in the process post firing him doesn’t change that fact. I’m not sure why people (not saying this is you Lanier, you were just the one I replied to), equate the fact that we just failed after we got rid of him with the argument that we shouldn’t have gotten rid of him. The decision was correct and at the same time, we completely fricked up everything that happened after that decision was made.
This post was edited on 9/21/24 at 8:01 pm
Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
70493 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 8:29 pm to
quote:

His recruiting had completely quit in the areas that mattered



Thats just silly and Im not sure why you guys keep stating that. His classes were top 10 the last two seasons. His QB/RB /Dline recruiting were great. Yes the Oline recruiting was bad but its still bad. Maybe he didnt quit recruiting OL, maybe it just got harder to get guys. Which we are seeing now still

We now can not recruit a QB. That is a huge position of matter. We are doing a little better at some positions not in recruiting and worse in others.


Like I said back then, be careful what you ask for. You may not like the results.


Posted by wareaglepete
Union of Soviet Auburn Republics
Member since Dec 2012
17890 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 8:32 pm to
With all the Haitians in the state now, there’s got to be a witch doctor or two.
Posted by GoCrazyAuburn
Member since Feb 2010
40216 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 8:42 pm to
quote:

Thats just silly and Im not sure why you guys keep stating tha


You really don’t understand why people make this argument? Really?

quote:

Like I said back then, be careful what you ask for. You may not like the results.


Back to my point. You’re conflating the failure post getting rid with him with the decision to get rid of him. They are mutually exclusive things.
This post was edited on 9/21/24 at 8:44 pm
Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
70493 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 8:49 pm to
quote:

You really don’t understand why people make this argument? Really?



Sure. What areas? OL only?
Posted by Fear The Thumb
Coastal, AL
Member since Nov 2012
3599 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:35 pm to
Gus’ achillies heel was OL recruiting so he was stuck in a 8 win cycle with at least one head scratcher loss every year and a win that felt like a loss.
Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
70493 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:40 pm to
quote:

Gus’ achillies heel was OL recruiting


yea, maybe the offense he ran created that. Maybe it was negative recruiting. WHo knows. It was a major issue that he did not fix


quote:

he was stuck in a 8 win cycle with at least one head scratcher loss every year and a win that felt like a loss.


But dont leave off the wins that we probably should not have gotten. They all average out man.


My wrap up of Gus tenure here is that he was a average auburn head coach when it comes to wins and losses. But he had higher highs than most of our coaches. Id love for Auburn to be a 10 win per year program. But that is just not the case and it never has been

Will it be one day? Hope so but I dont see it right now.
Posted by auzach91
Marietta, GA
Member since Jan 2009
41278 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:43 pm to
North Carolina brought back Mack. Can we bring back Gus? I kid… kinda
Posted by greygoose
Member since Aug 2013
14598 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:54 pm to
quote:

We haven't recruited well in 5 plus years. It's been almost a decade since we recruited an elite DLman. Our RBs are average. We can yell at the QB all we want, but we suck at every level. It was always going to be year 3 or 4 before we know what Freeze is. Some of you thinking this was a 10 win team is funny.
THIS!! Recruiting, up until now, has been abysmal for half a decade compared to our rivals. But the the thing most aren't talkin about is coaching staff. Gus was supposed to be an offensive guru, but the last few years he was here, it was the defense that carried us. How may OC's have we been thru since Gus' last two seasons? It's almost like no one worth a shite wants to work at Auburn.
Posted by Fear The Thumb
Coastal, AL
Member since Nov 2012
3599 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:54 pm to
quote:

But dont leave off the wins that we probably should not have gotten. They all average out man.

He did win one every year that we shouldn’t have won.
Posted by IAmNERD
Member since May 2017
23922 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:56 pm to
The program was gliding off the cliff with Gus. The outsider gang of Leath, Greene and Harsin just removed the brakes.
Posted by wareaglepete
Union of Soviet Auburn Republics
Member since Dec 2012
17890 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:58 pm to
And Hugh is driving it straight over the cliff.
Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
70493 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 9:58 pm to
quote:

He did win one every year that we shouldn’t have won.



Lots of big wins baw. We have not had one since he left. Not one


Posted by jangalang
Member since Dec 2014
51775 posts
Posted on 9/21/24 at 10:06 pm to
LSU in Red Stick although that was Nix alone and Harsin deserves no credit for it.
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