At Auburn, there’s hope, a sense that a new day is coming under first-year coach Gene Chizik. A...

At Auburn, there’s hope, a sense that a new day is coming under first-year coach Gene Chizik. An eight-win season would be greeted with a bunch of approving nods. Even a seven-win season would be tolerable. It's still the honeymoon phase.

At Georgia, there’s despair. There’s anger. There’s real concern that this program is on a slippery slope to mediocrity in the SEC, a program that’s been the hallmark of consistency under Mark Richt. A seven-win season would go over about as well as a 10-year-old getting socks for Christmas.

Auburn, Georgia on different tracks - ESPN

Not to overly praise Auburn or to unduly bash Georgia, but I'll say it again; who would have thought this would be the case in August? We all thought UGA would take a step back with the talent drain, but the idea of Georgia fighting for bowl eligibility with only three games left? Never would have crossed my mind. Nor would Auburn's potential berth in a New Year's Day(ish) Bowl under a first year head coach with almost zero quality depth at his disposal. We have truly entered Bizarro World.

3 months ago Todd 14 comments 0 recs |

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Georgia should not be a surprise...

Some of their fans may very well try to spin it like things have just fallen apart this year, but this decline in Athens has really been going on for at least two years now. Remember that last year in the Pythagorean Wins analysis I wrote:

They ended up going 6-2 in conference despite having a mere 4.02 Pythagorean Wins. By that metric, this was a team that “should” have gone 7-5 that lucked into a 9-3 finish record, so preseason disappointment notwithstanding, it could have been a lot worse.

So basically this is a team that has played slightly above .500 ball for two years now. The only difference this year is that the luck and a couple of legitimate high-end stars isn’t there to cover up the shortcomings, and it’s obvious for everyone to see. Again, though, nothing is happening in Athens in 2009 that wasn’t happening in 2008.

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman

by outsidethesidelines on Nov 10, 2009 11:19 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

And as for Auburn...

I believe Chizik has done a good job so far. There are still a lot of questions out there and he’s still got probably the toughest job in the conference, but year one has been a success. The schedule has really helped them out this year — three cupcakes, WVU isn’t very good, Georgia is having their worst year in a decade, Ole Miss might not get above 6-6, and they got both Tennessee and MSU at the right time — to help them get to 7-5 or 8-4 despite having not much going in their favor, but it’s still a good job by Chizik.

As of right now, I think Malzahn has to win Assistant of the Year in the SEC, and he has been the linchpin to that entire operation. You put a “normal” offensive coordinator in that spot and Auburn is probably a 5-7 team. He has really tried out a lot of new things this year that really fooled a lot of opposing defenses for a while, and it paid off for them big time. It certainly seems like people are figuring it out now, but even if so that early season confusion led them to a two or three game swing in the final standings.

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman

by outsidethesidelines on Nov 10, 2009 11:23 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Tennessee at the right time

So AU lucked out against Tenn? If y’all had beat them by 3 TD’s you’d be saying they were a cupcake game as well.

"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum

by GumptownTiger on Nov 10, 2009 11:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well duh.

Obviously they’ve been improving, so you were lucky to get them early. How does that not make sense?

by Espyonage on Nov 10, 2009 11:52 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

They lost to UCLA and UF

going into Au. I’ll say the UCLA loss is gross, but they played a hell of a game against UF and lost by 10, but I guess they were no good then right. No way can Bama beat UT by less than UF unless UT is a much improved team.

And when would be the wrong time to play Miss St btw? Have they come out blowing the doors off teams? If so I must’ve missed it.

"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum

by GumptownTiger on Nov 10, 2009 12:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Furman got better as the year progressed

31 what?

It is important to find someone who allows you to fulfill your dreams. It is luck if that person finds you, too - Isaiah Zagar

by BamaReturns07 on Nov 10, 2009 2:04 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

When you have NO depth at D

and a point cushion on Furman you tend to play down a bit.

"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum

by GumptownTiger on Nov 10, 2009 4:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

auburn fan angry

grrrrrrrrrr

Terrence Cody eats your field goal!

by Wallacewade04 on Nov 10, 2009 5:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

You've got to be...

… pretty blinded by the homer optimism not to see that both Mississippi State and Tennessee are playing a lot better as the year progresses.

And Tennessee in particular. If those guys beat Ole Miss this weekend, I would probably say they are the #4 team in the SEC, and maybe even the #3 team. Crompton’s turnaround the past two months has been unreal. Just look at the splits from his last four games, and the four before that:

Most recent four: 74-114 for 1048 yards, 12 touchdowns, 2 interceptions

Previous four: 61-122 for 667 yards, 4 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

Just looking at the QB rating, he basically played the first month at around 97.0, and he has played the last month at around 175.0. Just an unreal turnaround.

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman

by outsidethesidelines on Nov 10, 2009 12:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The Auburn game...

…actually seems to have been when Crompton finally grew up as a QB. He was his usual awful self in the first half, but started putting it together after halftime. Watching that game, somewhat like ours, I felt like UT simply ran out of time….

"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban

by NiceLittleSaturday on Nov 10, 2009 2:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope Malzahn continues to show every wrinkle of his playbook to the UA defensive staff…

by brandonh on Nov 10, 2009 1:00 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I have a feeling that Malzahn is going to have less and less luck as his tenure at Auburn goes on.

I'm wrong all the time.

by PeteHoliday on Nov 10, 2009 11:44 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm going

to say UGA beats Auburn as some of the luck returns. UGA has forever been a lucky team, a team that gets the right turn over at the right time, etc. A great example was their game against SC this year when they should have lost it at the end and then they won.

I think they were very unlucky against LSU so they are due some luck. Auburn’s D may actually be worse the UGA’s D.

I hate the NCAA more than UT & AU combined. At least with UT & AU you got a fighting chance.

by 5026 on Nov 10, 2009 12:26 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Eh...

… I’m actually kind of expecting Auburn to win.

I certainly wouldn’t be shocked if UGA pulled it off simply because they do have more talent and depth, but that plain jane Willie Martinez offense going up against Malzahn? Auburn ought to score a ton of points, and while Auburn’s defense sucks, admittedly UGA’s offense sucks too, and not having Green at 100% will hurt.

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman

by outsidethesidelines on Nov 10, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs