First off, Auburn is always terrible (at least for the past decade and a half or so) when it is supposed to be good. I doubt many analysts predict a good season from Auburn next year, especially after they were burned by Gus and JJ this time around.
First, let's think about why Auburn was supposed to be good this year.
1. Jeremy Johnson showed in his brief appearances as a backup that he can absolutely spin it, and Gus Malzahn hasn't had a QB with his talents in this offense EVER. Johnson has been learning the system for years and will take Malzahn's offense to a whole new level.
2. Duke Williams is one of the most talented wide receivers in the country and will give Johnson a go-to threat that he can go to at any time.
3. Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson are two former elite recruits at running back and will be running behind a very good offensive line and the opposing defense won't be able to stack the box because JJ is a boss.
4. Will Muschamp is going to change the culture at AU and we will field a tough, mean defense led by a motivated Carl Lawson who has the talent to be the best defender in the SEC.
Those are the things that we were all thinking, and our coaches were probably thinking the same thing. The fact that JJ is a terrible QB is something that still befuddles me, and it's the biggest red mark against Gus as a football coach. I know people that were in attendance for a lot of Auburn practices, and they also believed they were watching a future star at QB.
So what in the heck happened? I don't know and I don't think anybody knows. I don't think JJ was a terrible QB all along, though. My personal theory is that something happened from a mental standpoint when he made a few mistakes against UL and he just started regressing. Fundamentals went out the door and his accuracy disappeared. Auburn built its offense around a QB that it believed could take over a game with his arm. Auburn was REALLY wrong and never recovered.
We all know what happened with Duke. That's something that Gus probably should have saw coming, but it is what it is. He was by far the best WR on the team and Gus felt that he needed him. It backfired.
The running back situation is a weird one that I never fully understood. Roc just isn't a good back for this offense considering he doesn't like to get down hill. Jovon must have been hurt early on in the season. Peyton was a very good player for us, but doesn't have the explosiveness that a Jovon has. It also felt like we got away from Kerryon Johnson too much. Good things usually happen when he gets the ball.
Defensively, we DID get better. The Lawson injury put Will in an early hole though and delayed progress. Carlton is a stud.
So... Why could things be better next year? I think Gus will have a better idea of what the offense's identity will be before the season starts. That's something he just got flat wrong this year and never was able to recover. I think Sean White did some really good things when he was healthy, and he showed that the bright lights don't get to him. If he's our guy next year, I think we will be fine. If JF3 or another dual threat option is our guy, we will also know what our identity is, and we will build around it.
Defensively, the sky is the limit. I love Will Muschamp. He's a crazy person and a damn good defensive coordinator. If Lawson comes back, even better. It will suck to lose Cass and Jones but I don't think either are irreplaceable.
The biggest question mark for next season IMO is the wide receiver position. Woooo buddy did we suck there this year. Even if we go with a dual threat QB, we need some wide receivers to make plays and keep the defense honest. Hopefully Jason Smith and Marcus Davis make huge strides. As well as a few others.
Anyways, this year sucked. Malzahn's play calling was really bad at times and that Georgia loss in particular was a bad look for him and his staff. He's on the hot seat, and he needs to build an offense that can consistently score points, because Muschamp is going to build a championship level defense sooner rather than later. Would suck really badly to waste it.
First, let's think about why Auburn was supposed to be good this year.
1. Jeremy Johnson showed in his brief appearances as a backup that he can absolutely spin it, and Gus Malzahn hasn't had a QB with his talents in this offense EVER. Johnson has been learning the system for years and will take Malzahn's offense to a whole new level.
2. Duke Williams is one of the most talented wide receivers in the country and will give Johnson a go-to threat that he can go to at any time.
3. Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson are two former elite recruits at running back and will be running behind a very good offensive line and the opposing defense won't be able to stack the box because JJ is a boss.
4. Will Muschamp is going to change the culture at AU and we will field a tough, mean defense led by a motivated Carl Lawson who has the talent to be the best defender in the SEC.
Those are the things that we were all thinking, and our coaches were probably thinking the same thing. The fact that JJ is a terrible QB is something that still befuddles me, and it's the biggest red mark against Gus as a football coach. I know people that were in attendance for a lot of Auburn practices, and they also believed they were watching a future star at QB.
So what in the heck happened? I don't know and I don't think anybody knows. I don't think JJ was a terrible QB all along, though. My personal theory is that something happened from a mental standpoint when he made a few mistakes against UL and he just started regressing. Fundamentals went out the door and his accuracy disappeared. Auburn built its offense around a QB that it believed could take over a game with his arm. Auburn was REALLY wrong and never recovered.
We all know what happened with Duke. That's something that Gus probably should have saw coming, but it is what it is. He was by far the best WR on the team and Gus felt that he needed him. It backfired.
The running back situation is a weird one that I never fully understood. Roc just isn't a good back for this offense considering he doesn't like to get down hill. Jovon must have been hurt early on in the season. Peyton was a very good player for us, but doesn't have the explosiveness that a Jovon has. It also felt like we got away from Kerryon Johnson too much. Good things usually happen when he gets the ball.
Defensively, we DID get better. The Lawson injury put Will in an early hole though and delayed progress. Carlton is a stud.
So... Why could things be better next year? I think Gus will have a better idea of what the offense's identity will be before the season starts. That's something he just got flat wrong this year and never was able to recover. I think Sean White did some really good things when he was healthy, and he showed that the bright lights don't get to him. If he's our guy next year, I think we will be fine. If JF3 or another dual threat option is our guy, we will also know what our identity is, and we will build around it.
Defensively, the sky is the limit. I love Will Muschamp. He's a crazy person and a damn good defensive coordinator. If Lawson comes back, even better. It will suck to lose Cass and Jones but I don't think either are irreplaceable.
The biggest question mark for next season IMO is the wide receiver position. Woooo buddy did we suck there this year. Even if we go with a dual threat QB, we need some wide receivers to make plays and keep the defense honest. Hopefully Jason Smith and Marcus Davis make huge strides. As well as a few others.
Anyways, this year sucked. Malzahn's play calling was really bad at times and that Georgia loss in particular was a bad look for him and his staff. He's on the hot seat, and he needs to build an offense that can consistently score points, because Muschamp is going to build a championship level defense sooner rather than later. Would suck really badly to waste it.
