Kevin Steele...I know Pete Golding was bad but he can't be this bad

I don't really have much to add except that it was weird how Kevin Steele's elite defenses at Auburn was what kept Gus going for a few years.

For a supposed "offensive guru," Auburn's last few years of decent teams under Gus were due to an elite defense with elite talent on the defensive line and in the defensive backfield paired with mediocre offenses that only got going when Kerryon toted the rock forty times a game, like Pat Dye style football.

Kevin Steele

Kevin Steele

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It isn't play calling issue, but a talent issue.

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Pete Golding had most of the same defensive players that Alabama has this year on his defense last year. He didn’t have them playing as well as they are playing now. Particularly in big time moments when a stop was needed.

Steele was an effective DC for us back in 2008 and has been an effective DC at most of his stops. As a HC he reached his Level of Incompetence, of course, but as a DC he is a solid, if kind of uninspiring, hire. I've been extremely pleased with the way the defense looks this year compared to Golding's "efforts."

Steele has been a huge upgrade from Wild Turkey Golding in alot of areas. The best might be in 2022 the D had 34 penalties called on them. After the UTjr game they have had 10 all season

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I can't square the guy who got run off the field at home by MTSU, was average at best with NFL talent at LSU, and who famously gave up 70 points in a bowl game having dominant defenses at Auburn and now Alabama. I know Pete Golding was bad but he can't be this bad. Maybe there's some truth to the rumor Lane was spreading about someone else calling the plays. But can he stop Jayden Daniels? I doubt it, though if he can I will officially take back all the bad things I've said about him.

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It's pretty simple. Kevin Steele runs a defense and teaches it in a way that allows players to play fast and without thinking. He puts them in good spots and has a pretty good sense of when to bring guys and when to lay back.

However, he is not some X's and O's whiz and he's not going to invent some wonky scheme week to week that surprises opponents. Therefore, he's a really, really good DC for a talented roster and a pretty average one for rosters where you need to trick teams or overcompensate for lack of talent.

Almost all of the improvement on the defensive side of the ball comes down to fundamental improvement and guys never being confused about their responsibility, which leads to them playing faster and not making nearly as many mistakes. The other improvement is the fact that Bala seems to be a pretty good ILB coach and Pete's biggest fault was that he was a very bad ILB coach. The difference in consistent play at ILB this season is night and day.

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For a supposed "offensive guru," Auburn's last few years of decent teams under Gus were due to an elite defense with elite talent on the defensive line and in the defensive backfield paired with mediocre offenses that only got going when Kerryon toted the rock forty times a game, like Pat Dye style football.

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Gus's offensive wizardry disappeared when refs started emphasizing the illegal man downfield rule. His offense was largely based on exploiting the lax enforcement of that rule because defensive players are trained to expect a run play when they see linemen fire off the ball like that.

As for Kevin Steele, I too am amazed that his defenses at Auburn were good considering his defenses at Clemson sucked and considering he committed a Cristobal-esque gaffe in his first game as Baylor HC.

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I know Pete Golding was bad but he can't be this bad.

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Yes, he was.