For the first time, starting to believe Kiffin takes the Auburn job

[greenbean.sixpack]

I'm not that scared of Kiffin. He's a good coach, but not someone to be feared. He had an 'up' year last year and still got throttled by the elite team on the schedule and lost a road game he should have won. Those players were recruited by Luke, and even he benefitted from Sloppy's bad recruiting. 2019 class was just ridiculous. Then this liberal use of the transfer portal reminds me a lot of Jackie's liberal use of the JUCOs. Suffice to say, it's risky, but hey, he did it well so credit to him.

I honestly think we probably beat them in Oxford. Just not seeing how they are that much better than us, and we are going to have the motivation. The team that brings the pain will win the Egg Bowl, no matter the location.

We both got smoked in Baton Rouge, the difference in Kentucky and Alabama was the home field. And they played Vanderbilt rather than Georgia. Arkansas will play them close Saturday, but again, difference is home field. I see two fairly equal teams.

I would not fear Kiffin at Auburn either.

You do realize after Thanksgiving, odds are he'll be 4-0 against us (I'm assuming they will be a 5 point favorite)? Remember on their run last year (before people looked at their 2022 schedule), our fans were saying they would take a big step down due to losing Corral, Sam Williams and Snoop Conner? Lane went out to the portal and replaced those losses, no need to think he won't continue to do that.

I hope they lose to Ark and us and the bowl game, but to think Lane is not a good coach (and better than Leach) is lunacy.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

Why is it a bad decision for him? He makes more $$, longer contract guarantee, and has higher NIL structure.

You forgot to add the part where he gets to leave Ole Miss!

 

[OG Goat Holder]

You do realize after Thanksgiving, odds are he'll be 4-0 against us (I'm assuming they will be a 5 point favorite)? Remember on their run last year (before people looked at their 2022 schedule), our fans were saying they would take a big step down due to losing Corral, Sam Williams and Snoop Conner? Lane went out to the portal and replaced those losses, no need to think he won't continue to do that.

I hope they lose to Ark and us and the bowl game, but to think Lane is not a good coach (and better than Leach) is lunacy.

3-0, but yeah, I 'realize' it, kinda hard not to. We've been down on talent in 2020 and 2021, and now we've pulled a little closer this year. So even if they beat us, I don't see him as any miracle worker.

They have to actually beat us first. I'm telling you, you can 'feel' this coming, we will be a very motivated team a week from today.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

If I'm wrong on this (which we won't know for like 3 years), I'll be sure to step in here to eat my crow. Unlike you, who will disappear from the board for 6 months.

Has Drebin ever disappeared from the board for 6 months? I don't recall it in my tenure.

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

IF he does go to Auburn and for me that’s a big if but I also hope he does, I think Auburn let’s Cadillac get his day in the sun by not announcing anything until after the Iron Bowl. He’ll have them playing sky high the first half but Alabama takes over in the 2nd, it’ll be a feel good story, he got to coach the Iron Bowl etc.
What would really be interesting tho is if Auburn somehow manages to pull off the upset!

 

[XBLDawg]

That's a solid point that from an emotional level I've never understood. I can't imagine jumping STATE'S Ship as an AD or HC when I'm already earning much more money than I care to spend while simultaneously creating generational wealth.

Because you are thinking as a fan/alum. Coaches aren’t fans. This is their business. Auburn may not be tier 1a in the SEC but they are 1b. They have a clearer path to a title than either MSU or Ole Miss.

Some will argue that a 12 team playoff changes things and it may very well help even the field. But Auburn will always be in a bigger state, have a bigger alum base, more money, more talent, more recent playoff success, an actual real national title. All of those things trump Ole Miss.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

3-0, but yeah, I 'realize' it, kinda hard not to. We've been down on talent in 2020 and 2021, and now we've pulled a little closer this year. So even if they beat us, I don't see him as any miracle worker.

They have to actually beat us first. I'm telling you, you can 'feel' this coming, we will be a very motivated team a week from today.

And throw in the fact of Lane and the team being distracted by the Auburn rumors and we will hopefully beat them, in fact if Leach would mix up the game plan a little we probably would beat them. My concern is the a rainy ball game. I'm not so sure they get past Ark.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Nah, that's Bo Bounds thinking.

Fits and things like that are what make college football so interesting. Some can win anywhere, some cannot. You need to look no further than one Dan Mullen. If what you say is true, why didn't he succeed at Florida?

He was fairly successful at Florida until the wheels came off in Year 4, possibly due to his own burnout or possibly due to losing the locker room. Who knows. But its not like he just sucked the entire time.

And you didn’t answer the question. Even if fits are a thing, you offered no real insight as to why Kiffin is a fit at Ole Miss but not at Auburn. What are the judgment criteria there?

 

[Dawg1976]

The drama of Kiffin leaving Auburn to replace Saban makes me cringe. It's like an early episode of The Office uncomfortable. I'd seriously be worried for him and his family.

And I'm here for it all.

None of this matters to me. We have the Pirate to take us to the promised land.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

He was fairly successful at Florida until the wheels came off in Year 4, possibly due to his own burnout or possibly due to losing the locker room. Who knows. But its not like he just sucked the entire time.

And you didn’t answer the question. Even if fits are a thing, you offered no real insight as to why Kiffin is a fit at Ole Miss but not at Auburn. What are the judgment criteria there?

His personality fits the university. Frat boy kind of persona. He's a laid back guy, not the buttoned up good ole boy that has usually worked at Auburn.

He runs a system offense, better for teams like Ole Miss/MSU.

He's not a super recruiter. Those guys tend to do better at the blue bloods. Auburn isn't necessarily a true blue blood, but they certainly think they are.

 

[patdog]

I love watching ole miss suffer as much as the next guy, but it probably is time for that law to change. It hamstrings both state and ole miss if we ever do strike gold with a coach. If kiffin does leave I suspect you will see exactly that happen.

I think more than anything, it protects us from our own stupidity. When has anyone lost a coach over it? Far more likely we'll be paying a buyout to fire a coach than lose him over the 4-year contract. I kind of like that if we did decide it's time to fire our coach, it'll only cost us $16M and not $90M.

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

I do too, and it's plumb idiotic. Bad decision for him, but just like other coaches we are familiar with, they'll damn sure do it, against all logic.

I just hope the rumors are swirling the most next week. I do not wish to break Jaxon Dart's ankle, but I hope the rest of it plays out like that fateful week for us 5 years ago. Maybe not the dog pee stuff.

As soon as Harsin was fired I thought Kiffin would be the guy. Everyone keeps saying it's a bad job, blah, blah, blah. No, it's not. It's a great job and with their resources and the right person (Kiffin is it) they could be GOOD very, very soon. They have the athletes, history and $$$$ to make it happen and Bama fans know it.

 

[Clay Lyle]

I think the 12 team playoff is going to help coaches have longer tenures. Getting to the playoff will be like getting to Omaha. Mullen would’ve made it at Florida in 2020 and extended his time. Kiffin will have that at Auburn.

 

[Shane of Pisgah]

As soon as Harsin was fired I thought Kiffin would be the guy. Everyone keeps saying it's a bad job, blah, blah, blah. No, it's not. It's a great job and with their resources and the right person (Kiffin is it) they could be GOOD very, very soon. They have the athletes, history and $$$$ to make it happen and Bama fans know it.

I would say that whether it's a "great job" depends on how much one values job security. They fired Bowden after he went 47-17-1, only one year after playing in the SEC championship game. They finally fired Tuberville in 2008 after trying (unsuccessfully) to go behind his back to hire Petrino in 2003, even though he won 7 of 10 against Bama and 5 in a row. They fired Chizik a year after winning national championship to hire Malzahn. Tried to run Malzah off 2 years before they finally got rid of him. Hired Harsin. They fabricated a sex scandal after 1 year to run him off but he didn't leave. They eventually fired Harsin and the AD. Basically every coach since Pat Dye has been an ugly termination.

That said, I think kiffin takes it due to ego. He sees the potential and doesn't think any of that will happen to him.

 

[johnson86-1]

As soon as Harsin was fired I thought Kiffin would be the guy. Everyone keeps saying it's a bad job, blah, blah, blah. No, it's not. It's a great job and with their resources and the right person (Kiffin is it) they could be GOOD very, very soon. They have the athletes, history and $$$$ to make it happen and Bama fans know it.

It's not that it's a bad job, it's just not a top tier job. It's an outstanding job other than the fact that the boosters may try to undermine you. Malzahn wasn't good enough and Tubberville wasn't good enough. Auburn boosters were interviewing Petrino while Tubberville still had a job.

In the 5 years before Tubberville was fired, he went 13-0 (8-0), 9-3 (7-1), 11-2 (6-3), 9-4 (5-3), and 5-7 (2-6).

In the 5 years before Malzahn was fired, he went 8-5 (5-3), 10-4 (7-1), 8-5 (3-5), 9-4 (5-3), and 6-3 (in an all SEC schedule).

Harsin was being undermined after one year.

It's just a job that offers everything except for a chance to right the ship if it looks a little off course.

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

I would say that whether it's a "great job" depends on how much one values job security. They fired Bowden after he went 47-17-1, only one year after playing in the SEC championship game. They finally fired Tuberville in 2008 after trying (unsuccessfully) to go behind his back to hire Petrino in 2003, even though he won 7 of 10 against Bama and 5 in a row. They fired Chizik a year after winning national championship to hire Malzahn. Tried to run Malzah off 2 years before they finally got rid of him. Hired Harsin. They fabricated a sex scandal after 1 year to run him off but he didn't leave. They eventually fired Harsin and the AD. Basically every coach since Pat Dye has been an ugly termination.

That said, I think kiffin takes it due to ego. He sees the potential and doesn't think any of that will happen to him.

Couldn't agree more.........He's egotistical enough to think he can but heads with Saban and win and personally, I think he will have some success doing that in due time..............

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Speaking of his stint at Bama, it's even more impressive if you take into account how they have been less than impressive since he left

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I think more than anything, it protects us from our own stupidity. When has anyone lost a coach over it? Far more likely we'll be paying a buyout to fire a coach than lose him over the 4-year contract. I kind of like that if we did decide it's time to fire our coach, it'll only cost us $16M and not $90M.

Agree. We could never recover from that bumbling stunt Auburn pulled with Malzahn, and what aTm might do with Jimbo.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

It's not that it's a bad job, it's just not a top tier job. It's an outstanding job other than the fact that the boosters may try to undermine you. Malzahn wasn't good enough and Tubberville wasn't good enough. Auburn boosters were interviewing Petrino while Tubberville still had a job.

In the 5 years before Tubberville was fired, he went 13-0 (8-0), 9-3 (7-1), 11-2 (6-3), 9-4 (5-3), and 5-7 (2-6).

In the 5 years before Malzahn was fired, he went 8-5 (5-3), 10-4 (7-1), 8-5 (3-5), 9-4 (5-3), and 6-3 (in an all SEC schedule).

Harsin was being undermined after one year.

It's just a job that offers everything except for a chance to right the ship if it looks a little off course.

That's a very good synopsis. Makes you truly wonder who could ever be good enough to be left alone long enough to get it working long-term.