re: Auburn hiring Derek Mason as DC

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Who doesn't have more trouble with elite offenses than bad->good ones ? Everyone does. Saban's best defenses, including 2011 and 2016, had trouble with almost all great passing offenses. They just didn't play many in the SEC until the last 5 years or so.

Steele was a good DC, though probably a tad overrated. He benefitted greatly from Muschamp's effect. Like everyone else though, he was dependent upon his personnel.

Mason is probably a good hire, but it is frankly unknown now. The world is completely different than when he was last a DC; but it's not like he was out of college football, he was a HC in the SEC. He's certainly worth a try.

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Steele had the personnel to slow those elite offenses, but he never changed schemes. He was very predictable and the OCs knew what he was going to do. The SEC has become a QB league and those teams with good QBs dominate the league. The problem has been there haven't been many good QBs, so DCs like Steele have looked good 70% of the time. He just never adjusted the other 30 %.