re: Why is Auburn considered a disappointment this year?

I agree on all of your points. player development is just as important, and some players just don't pan out the way rankings think as well. Auburn has a talent deficiency on defense and I think most of those guys were ranked highly. Ohio St hasn't had the highest rated recruiting ranking like bama 4 years in a row but most consider them the most talented team. sometimes rankings matter, sometimes they dont, but I feel they are definitely a good indicator. auburn either has poor evaluation skills or suck at development. might be a combination of the two.