Expectations for the rest of the season

[TigerEyes1914]

Ryan Pugh on expectations
"There wasn't a doubt in our mind we were going to win that football game (UF) before we went in," freshman left tackle Ryan Pugh said. "I think that was established during the week of practice. I think the coaches did a good job of getting the intensity up and the players took the tempo (up) in practice."

"(we) (Pugh, fellow first-year linemen Chaz Ramsey and Lee Ziemba) realized this is why we came to Auburn. We love playing in the big games," Pugh said. "It was more fun than anything. It was almost like a family at the end -- everybody coming together. I think we expect big things to happen the rest of the year."

Muschamp on NOT using excuses
"We're going to put 11 (players) out there and they're going to play hard," Muschamp said. "Playing freshmen and injuries are excuses. We recruit good players here. We're going to put the guys out there."

Eddie Gran on ball control
"The good news-bad news is they(Tate & Fannin) were carrying the ball right both times," said Gran, who coaches running backs and special teams. "One was a helmet to the ball and it came out; the other one Mario was coming down and his elbow hit the ground. But we had two balls out, and that's unacceptable."


I want to believe that we are a team that is coming of age very quickly. I want to believe that we are learning how to win together and that we are a better team because of (not inspite of) our youth. I dont expect any losses but I suspect at least one more and that aint in November. What are your expectations for the rest of the year?

[GatorHunter]

Tubby and staff are one of the best groups of coaches in the SEC. My question is this...besides the '04 season...doesn't it seem as though Auburn loses a game or two every season that they are expected to win and win a game or two every season they are expected to lose? My point...as I've said ad nauseum, I think it's impossible for a team to play "above" their potential. So why does Auburn continue to lose games they're suppose to win? No disrespect to MSU or USF...but the Auburn team that showed up Saturday night in Gainesville is not the same team I saw play MSU or USF.

[TigerEyes1914]

My question is this...besides the '04 season...doesn't it seem as though Auburn loses a game or two every season that they are expected to win and win a game or two every season they are expected to lose? My point...as I've said ad nauseum, I think it's impossible for a team to play "above" their potential. So why does Auburn continue to lose games they're suppose to win? No disrespect to MSU or USF...but the Auburn team that showed up Saturday night in Gainesville is not the same team I saw play MSU or USF.

Excellent point there GH! And you are asking the million dollar question that every AU fan would like to know? I think Tubb's laid back persona affects the team sometimes. Nothing wrong with being laid back (I am) but people like us have to be very intentional about expectations or your passions will get discounted. If you notice this year and last year, Tubbs was on fire at the UF games and that intensity carried over to the team. It shocked the team last year and they came out in the second half and played up to that potential.

It doesnt always come across to me, that the coaching staff is pushing the team to reach that ultimate potential. I'm sure they push them to be good players, but they dont always seem to expect it. The wonderful thing about playing all of these true freshman is that they seem to expect to win and be great. Some of the things that typically plague AU teams (dropped passes, missed assignments on offense) reflect lack of discipline and to me and that comes from the passion and expectations of your coaches. I truly think this is the one thing that keeps AU from being nationally acknowledged as a powerhouse like UF and LSU.

[The Ramp]

i said 10-2 preseason. i think ya'll finish with one more loss (LSU) at 9-3.

[WarEagle73]

i said 10-2 preseason. i think ya'll finish with one more loss (LSU) at 9-3.


10-2 has a better ring to me.....anyone else care of a nice cool glass of my orange & blue kool-aid?? :laugh:

Actually, looking at this team there is no telling what they will do. Last weekend they showed they can go into one of the toughest places in the country and win a huge game against a top 5 team on the road. This is the same team that had lost to MSU just two weeks before. Wile there have been significant changes in the line up, especially on the offensive line, the team is actually got more underclassmen starting now than at the beginning of the season. With this much youth you would expect at least two or three more losses. On the other hand looking at the way these young players have performed, it is entirely possible that they win out. Either way it will be fun to watch and I'll be pulling for them for good or bad.

[TigerEyes1914]

I like orange and blue kool-aid too so 11-2 sounds good to me. The only problem is that then the Nat'l Championship most likely gets decided by two lesser conferences. I really would like to see LSU pound USC. Maybe they can still get there with one loss :D

[WarEagle73]

I like orange and blue kool-aid too so 11-2 sounds good to me. The only problem is that then the Nat'l Championship most likely gets decided by two lesser conferences. I really would like to see LSU pound USC. Maybe they can still get there with one loss :D


I could live with that. :thumpsup:

[GeauxTo]

Playing in Death Valley this year will mature your young players very rapidly.

[WarEagle73]

Playing in Death Valley this year will mature your young players very rapidly.


You are right about that. A player really cannot be called a true veteran until they have played in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night. However, what they went through last weekend gave them a pretty close preview.

[WEGLE]

Now that I have had my blue and orange kool-aide, I was thinking more on the lines of 12-2.

[KRIEGER]

We beat LSU and UF last year. We could have easily gone 13-0 again. I don't know what Tub's deal is with the smaller games, but it is quite obnoxious.

I think we will go undefeated with Fannin and Burns in the starting position one year. Hopefully we don't wait until their senior years. But I do I smell a NC appearance within five. WDE