(Author's note: I apologize for the lateness of this post. I had to coach two teams in a soccer tournament this past weekend, seven games in all. I then had soccer tryouts this week, busy busy)
Georgia 27 Auburn 10. The countdown has officially begun in my mind. I predict right here and now that Gus Malzahn will be fired in a little over a year shortly after the 2019 Iron Bowl. There is unfortunately nothing to do but wait for the inevitable. It is too late to bring in new coaches, it is too late to start being nice to the fans, it is too late to try and change the offense, etc... IT IS TOO LATE. It was sad watching this game. Auburn had enough talent to play a better game but due to poor coaching and preparation for this season the team has gotten worse. On the flip side, Auburn's talent is noticeably down. The attrition and poor scouting of the last few classes is evident.
I have gone over the problems with Gus Malzahn time and time again. The problem has been his coaching the past few years but now his recruiting is starting to catch up with him. Next season I do not see an All-SEC player on the field on offense or defense outside maybe wide receiver which is the position that has the least impact under Malzahn. I have heard people saying the schedule next season is "more favorable"??? I mean what??? Unless Bama and Georgia are losing a lot more players than I know about I do not think that is true. Auburn also has to go on the road to places they are not going to win without any All-SEC caliber players.
Right off the bat I predict Auburn will lose to Oregon, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia and Bama next season going 6-6 at best in 2019. Gus Malzahn will then be fired after the Bama game. I really do not see any way to avoid it unless I am wrong about a lot of players. I hope I am but I do not think so. Gus can hire Hugh Freeze and completely revamp the staff but again it is too late. Malik Willis nor a true freshman star behind this offensive line with these running backs are going to win on the road in those places or at home against Bama or Georgia. I am sorry people, it is not going to happen and there is not a damn thing we can do about it.
Unfortunately I believe we are all just going to have to just grit our teeth and get through it. It is terrible Auburn is going to have to waste another season especially an odd one where we play Georgia and Bama at home but the writing is on the wall. A team, even a spunky underdog one, has to have a certain level of talent to win in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn is not going to reach that level next season on either side of the ball in my opinion. I guess it is to Malzahn's credit that he did not just go off the cliff like Bowden and Chizik or Tuberville to a certain extent but it also drags things out when he reaches the end. That is where I believe Auburn football is at.
As for this game, it was excruciating to watch. I always get excited and get those chills when Auburn and Georgia tee it up. It was my first game as an Auburn fan in 1978 and I think it is the most underrated rivalry in sports at least until the last decade. The stats prove it. Unfortunately since Vince Dooley left the sidelines it has slowly sunk into just another hate fest like the Iron Bowl. Mark Richt accelerated the process and Kirby Smart has put an exclamation point on it. Georgia's conduct in the last two games has been reprehensible and is an insult to the past integrity and family feel this rivalry had. It has been played basically back-to-back with Bama for the entire history of the Iron Bowl and it was just as big but completely different but not any more.
First Gus kind of mouthed off after we whipped Georgia at home last season but come on that was nothing close to the "Soulja Boy" dance-a-thon in 2007. However none of that was horrible, it gets bad when it happens on the field like it did in Atlanta last December. The Georgia defense took numerous cheap shots and intentionally piled on Kerryon Johnson. There were numerous other personal fouls committed by the Bulldogs as well. It was ridiculous and completely uncalled for. I was mad enough at that and then Kirby Smart in a completely classless loser move calls for a fake field goal with three minutes left up 27-10???!!!??? That is just bush league garbage.
I cannot believe I saw this garbage in the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry". That kind of tears it though. I do not think Auburn should fight for this rivalry if that is what this sacred game has turned into. The SEC needs to GET RID OF permanent series between the SEC East and West. NOBODY wants them except for Auburn, Bama, Georgia and Tennessee. We have this garbage going on between Auburn and Georgia and Tennessee may not beat Bama again in this century. Lets just END IT and make things fair. These two rivalries are the reason for the unfair schedules in the SEC. The conference needs to go to two rotating games with the other division. That way everyone also gets to play everyone else a lot more. It is sad but I think it is time.
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