Auburn 17 Missouri 14. I do not think I have ever watched a worse game of football than this one. Acutally that is not true, Auburn's 3-2 win over State in 2008 was worse than this one. However this game was as the title of this posts suggests a complete clown show. I mean cue the circus music when you start showing the high... er lowlights of this absolute stinker of a game. THIS is SEC football??? I just cannot adequately describe what I just got through watching. The first thing I will say is Bryan Harsin needs to be fired and now but unfortunately I think all Auburn fans will have to wait three more weeks till the open week for this first step in Auburn's long and very uncertain road back from this abyss.
I think it would have happened today but Missouri's coaching and player ineptness actually ended up exceeding Harsin and Auburn AND THAT IS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING. Who jumps offiside TWICE on critical field goal attempts? Who misses an extra length field goal to win the game? Who fumbles the ball out of the end zone when you would have had first down at the one yard line? Missouri is a truly horrible team and if I was a fan would want Eli Drinkwitz fired too. Missouri is a badly coached team, a very badly coached team. All of those idiotic mistakes are on the coaches. It is impossible to respect either of these million dollar coaches after watching this game today.
THE GOOD
The Auburn students and the fan base overall has really turned out this season to help the Tigers. Fan support might erode after the bludgeonings to come but the students and the fans did not let an offseason of discontent stop them from them doing everything they could to give this team a good start. That is the "Auburn Family", not millionaire meddlers or most of the idiots that inhabit the pay site forums. It is the families that are taking their kids to games like mine did for me and in turned helped me do with my kids. Anyway even with their two biggest rivals ruling college football Auburn fans still support their team. I had my Auburn shirt on the day of the Penn State game last week and on the Sunday after. I had plenty of company as well. When recruiting a new coach, this is not a point that can be undersold.
THE BAD
This space is usually reserved for the offense or the defense or the coaching of those units but not this time. Auburn kicker Anders Carlson was just bad today. Carlson came in with a huge amount of promise and has hit some big kicks for Auburn but since Harsin arrived he has just seemed to get worse. I am not sure how coaching effects established kickers so I am not blaming Harsin I do not think. I also know he got hurt at the end of last season but he missed some head scratching kicks before that. Today I will allow the one kick he missed but then he gets another chance and misses again??? What??? He then has to kick an all-important field goal in overtime and misses AGAIN! Luckily Missouri is brain dead and gives him another chance again and he at least made the most of that second chance and made the game-winning kick. However he basically had three missed kicks and that is really bad.
THE UGLY
Even with what I just wrote about Carlson above, Coach Bryan Harsin's decision to go for it on 4th and 1 at the Missouri 29 yard line with a minute and a half left in a game with a tie score is unbelievably stupid. Auburn had been stuffed at the line of scrimmage the entire second half. Carson even with his troubles was the only choice. It is almost to the point where many people including myself are wondering if the guy is just tanking now to get fired. I think the fact that many people are asking that question says that Harsin is either a really bad coach or worse he is a really bad person. Either way things have just gotten ugly with this guy.
I almost think Auburn would be better off if they had lost the game but no the players and the fans who went all the way to see the game deserve something good to happen this season. There sure will not be anything else good happening this season. Unfortunately though everyone will now have to watch Harsin's bad coaching and him be a statue on the sidelines for probably three more games. Personally I am just so ready for this guy to be gone and I think it would be best for Auburn. Again as I have said several times in these posts, I cannot name one thing I think Harsin has done well or even made better at Auburn. Again I do not know how this guy won at Boise State, regardless it is time for Harsin to go.
I will also say that Auburn is certainly not pulling the trigger too early either as I am sure they will be accused of. Here is a fact, Auburn has still NEVER fired a head football coach too soon. Doug Barfield got 5 seasons went 0-6 in the SEC and he was fired. Terry Bowden got 6 seasons, had Auburn's worst recruiting season ever, went 3-8 and 1-7 in the SEC, and was fired. Tommy Tuberville got 9 seasons and went 2-6 and lost to Bama 36-0 and was clearly done and was fired. Gene Chizik went 0-8 in the SEC turning in the worst season in Auburn history and was fired. Gus Malzahn got 8 seasons and stopped recruiting linemen and was fired. Bryan Harsin will get less than two seasons but he has been terrible on the field and a disaster in recruiting. Auburn would be in worse shape giving Harsin more time.
There is not much else to say today. I will address the firing when it happens. Unfortunately for everyone involved in Auburn football things are about to get very ugly on the field. Auburn could conceivably lose every other game this season other than Western Kentucky by 30 POINTS or more. Auburn winning this game today guaranteed the season cannot be as bad record-wise as 2012 but unfortunately in many other ways it could be as bad and maybe even worse.
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