Way Too Early 2023 SEC Predictions

[deliveryman35]

I really can't predict Auburn. I know the ole adage is when no one expects anything out of auburn they are always dangerous. But no one expected anything out of them in 2018, 2020, 2021, or 2022 and well. They lived up to that. They are due for another one their "magical seasons" (I threw up in my mouth) And hugh freeze is a good coach. but something in the back of my mind is nagging at me aboue how those portal transfers are going gel especially along the O-line. Kiffin loaded his team up with transfer portal guys in 2022 and ole miss imploded at the end of the season. Auburn will be better than they have been the last 3 seasons. They will beat someone they aren't supposed to beat. I don't know about a 2013 or 2017 type season though.

Side note: Good lord, is auburn ever going to have a 1st year coach that plays us in Bryant Denny Stadium?
Bowden
Tuberville
Chizik
Malzahn
Harsin
Freeze
Every single one of them got the luxury of their first iron bowl being at home.

And to think Bryan Harsin of all people came within an eyelash of beating us with a practically one-legged TJ Finley. I still for the life of me cannot figure out how we underperformed so badly in that game.

I expect Freeze to have a decent year and exceed most people's expectations. He's light years better than his predecessor and will have the full support of the fan base and ptb down on the plains. If that's not enough to make that game really interesting for us, Saban will be chasing history when we go down there this season--Alabama has not won more than three in a row against Auburn in the last 42 years, perhaps our only effort in futility left that goes back to the Bryant years. Hopefully we can get finally get that monkey off our back this season.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

And to think Bryan Harsin of all people came within an eyelash of beating us with a practically one-legged TJ Finley.

I expect Freeze to have decent year and exceed most people's expectations. He's light years better than his predecessor and will have the full support of the fan base and ptb down on the plains. If that's not enough to make that game really interesting for us, Saban will be chasing history when we go down there this season--Alabama has not won more than three in a row against Auburn in the last 42 years, perhaps our only effort in futility left that goes back to the Bryant years. Hopefully we can get finally get that monkey off our back this season.

Would you say Alabama was really at its best with Doug Marrone, Golding, and Bob on staff in 2021? It's a two-way street. But for the most part you are right. I think if bama can get out JHS with a win they can make it 5 straight in 2024 because I believe the 2024 team is going to be a monster and it will be in BDS where auburn has been absolutely dreadful since Saban took over. Basically, getting to 5 in a row will be easier than 4 in row.

I think we can get it done, But my liver is going to being working overtime the last weekend in november. there is something about playing them in JHS, Its almost supernatural.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

Wow, I had never considered this but you're exactly right. And in the case of Tuberville, Chizik and Harsin, we brought far superior teams into Jordan Hare and squeaked by each time (the '99 team pulled away late in that game on the back of Shaun Alexander if memory serves, but 2009 & 2021 were much, much closer than they ever should have been).

Honestly, I hope they have a really good season and then we go down to Jordan Hare and hammer them. One narrative that keeps getting pushed out there is that Saban has never beaten a truly "good" Auburn team....and in some respects you can't argue with it. The best AU team we've beaten in the Saban era was the 2014 squad that finished #22 in the final AP poll and had an 8-5 record. Here's an even more sobering statistic - the last time we beat an Auburn team that had more than 8 wins in a season was in 1994. I recognize that we are very seldom the underdog in the Iron Bowl, and it's also somewhat rare as of late for both teams to have really solid records coming in to the game......but it sure would be nice to beat the crap out of them if they had a 10-1 or 9-2 record coming into the game.

I slightly disagree, Sure i want to knock them off when they are good. But not in their VOODO Crap hole of a stadium. I want them to know what its like to play a "iron bowl of the century" that isn't in their backyard. For once i want the big time iron bowl to be on our time and on our terms. Their only win in tuscaloosa was their national championship team against a team that finished with the second worse record in sabans tenure. And they beat us by a single point. I want them to see the other side of a "miracle season".

 

[BamaMoon]

And to think Bryan Harsin of all people came within an eyelash of beating us with a practically one-legged TJ Finley. II still for the life of me cannot figure out how we underperformed so badly in that game.

I expect Freeze to have a decent year and exceed most people's expectations. He's light years better than his predecessor and will have the full support of the fan base and ptb down on the plains. If that's not enough to make that game really interesting for us, Saban will be chasing history when we go down there this season--Alabama has not won more than three in a row against Auburn in the last 42 years, perhaps our only effort in futility left that goes back to the Bryant years. Hopefully we can get finally get that monkey off our back this season.

It's the one head scratcher of CNS's tenure. Considering the outlier seasons the barn had in 2010 and '13, anybody outside the state of Alabama would have imagined that we would have won all the other games in the last 15 years considering the state of the two programs.

But we know the real story behind the story and that is AU only exists to try to beat Alabama or to "ruin" our season. I'm convinced they'd take a 4-8 record every year if those 4 wins were 3 cupcakes and Bama.

I slightly disagree, Sure i want to knock them off when they are good. But not in their VOODO Crap hole of a stadium. I want them to know what its like to play a "iron bowl of the century" that isn't in their backyard. For once i want the big time iron bowl to be on our time and on our terms. Their only win in tuscaloosa was their national championship team against a team that finished with the second worse record in sabans tenure. And they beat us by a single point. I want them to see the other side of a "miracle season".

You had to bring up 2010 and that horrible memory!

But, you hit the nail on the head. It's always about them upsetting Bama. Not that we want them to be better than us any time but it would be awfully sweet to play the villain one of these years and even do it with some BDS voodoo of our own!

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

It's the one head scratcher of CNS's tenure. Considering the outlier seasons the barn had in 2010 and '13, anybody outside the state of Alabama would have imagined that we would have won all the other games in the last 15 years considering the state of the two programs.

But we know the real story behind the story and that is AU only exists to try to beat Alabama or to "ruin" our season. I'm convinced they'd take a 4-8 record every year if those 4 wins were 3 cupcakes and Bama.



You had to bring up 2010 and that horrible memory!

But, you hit the nail on the head. It's always about them upsetting Bama. Not that we want them to be better than us any time but it would be awfully sweet to play the villain one of these years and even do it with some BDS voodoo of our own!

I think it's a thing but I think people lose context when ever its brought up. Whenever Auburn is good they are almost unbeatable in Jordan hare. 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2017 are their best seasons the past two decades. You want to know how many times auburn lost in Jordan hard in those 5 seasons??? 2....both in 2006. I think Georgia doesn't get the same flak as Bama does about JHS for a few reasons. They got a rematch in 2017, They won the game in 2019 (barely), and because they hammered them in 2021. (the game was in September, but I am not going to use that as an excuse for a our performance in the 2021 iron bowl) Alabama gets a rematch in 2013 I think the narrative changes. Alabama gets Auburn in September in 2017 the narrative changes. Don't get me wrong...Its a thing. They do stuff that's just not normal when we play them there. But I cut CNS some slack whenever he has to play good teams there. Nobody else is really beating them either.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1684643773249191936

Might be the beer talking. I feel like LSU is going to disappoint this year. maybe another 9-4 season. Not terrible or anything but I am getting the vibe I got off of ole miss in 2009. Upsets the year before, lots of hype, but it just seems like the media is just handwaving anything that can possibly wrong with them.

 

[Padreruf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1684643773249191936

Might be the beer talking. I feel like LSU is going to disappoint this year. maybe another 9-4 season. Not terrible or anything but I am getting the vibe I got off of ole miss in 2009. Upsets the year before, lots of hype, but it just seems like the media is just handwaving anything that can possibly wrong with them.

Bashing Bama is the flavor of the summer...ESPN is showing the UT and LSU games ad nauseaum -- only win is that versus Kansas State. I quit watching PF last year and haven't missed it one bit...he is a glorified muckraker who appeals to the lowest common denominator,. CMS's best move was flipping him a 50 dollar bill on his way out of a press conference and telling him to get a decent haircut.
In reality this a perfect storm to ignite UA and make for a strong come-back season. I trust CNS's judgement more than anyone else.

 

[BamaMoon]

Bashing Bama is the flavor of the summer...ESPN is showing the UT and LSU games ad nauseaum -- only win is that versus Kansas State. I quit watching PF last year and haven't missed it one bit...he is a glorified muckraker who appeals to the lowest common denominator,. CMS's best move was flipping him a 50 dollar bill on his way out of a press conference and telling him to get a decent haircut.
In reality this a perfect storm to ignite UA and make for a strong come-back season. I trust CNS's judgement more than anyone else.

Can't believe it took you that long to decide not to watch/listen to Finebaum. FWIW, I've never watched his TV show, but used to listen to the radio occasionally back before his ESPN fame. Couldn't take the senseless drama with the callers. The more extreme you are the more they played them up. I'd rather watch paint dry, grass grow, water evaporate and about 100 other boring things.

As for the media seemingly writing Bama off, I don't think it's "Bama fatigue" as much as it's "winning fatigue" and it's somewhat natural to want the narrative to change. Georgia will start getting more of this too at the first sign of a crack. We'll enjoy that when it happens, but that's how a lot of media and rival fans feel about the last 15 years of the Bama dynasty. They long for it to end.

But I think CNS has plans for another resurgence! RTR!

 

[Padreruf]

Can't believe it took you that long to decide not to watch/listen to Finebaum. FWIW, I've never watched his TV show, but used to listen to the radio occasionally back before his ESPN fame. Couldn't take the senseless drama with the callers. The more extreme you are the more they played them up. I'd rather watch paint dry, grass grow, water evaporate and about 100 other boring things.

As for the media seemingly writing Bama off, I don't think it's "Bama fatigue" as much as it's "winning fatigue" and it's somewhat natural to want the narrative to change. Georgia will start getting more of this too at the first sign of a crack. We'll enjoy that when it happens, but that's how a lot of media and rival fans feel about the last 15 years of the Bama dynasty. They long for it to end.

But I think CNS has plans for another resurgence! RTR!

I cannot either...doesn't speak well for my IQ...except for the fact that I would only watch for @ 30 minutes and then go on to some/anything else.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

Thought I would finish my thought on LSU. I just think sometime teams early in a coach's tenure will play over their head and everyone goes "Look how awesome they were, they will even more awesome next year" and then they get hyped up and then fall flat on their face. Yeah they beat Alabama, but I mean the media is completely ignoring LSU losing by double digits to a 5-7 Texas A&M and getting a 50-burger put on them by Georgia (That game was over in the first quarter).

 

[FF4bama]

I cannot either...doesn't speak well for my IQ...except for the fact that I would only watch for @ 30 minutes and then go on to some/anything else.

I used to listen to Finebaum quite a bit years ago when I had 6+ hours of windshield time per day most of the week. Most of his program was hot boiled garbage, but I have to give him credit for being an excellent interviewer. His interview with Bert Bank about the Bataan Death March was one of the best I've ever heard. I haven't watched or listened to his show for years, so I have no idea if interviewing guests is still a big part of his show. I guess he's just better and makes more money being the Jerry Springer of sports talk.

 

[BamaMoon]

Thought I would finish my thought on LSU. I just think sometime teams early in a coach's tenure will play over their head and everyone goes "Look how awesome they were, they will even more awesome next year" and then they get hyped up and then fall flat on their face. Yeah they beat Alabama, but I mean the media is completely ignoring LSU losing by double digits to a 5-7 Texas A&M and getting a 50-burger put on them by Georgia (That game was over in the first quarter).

I hope you are right. I never feared Kelley's coaching ability at ND but I knew he was somewhat hampered in who he could recruit (or at least that's what we are told is the case).

I'm sure he has better players at LSU and knew it day one.

I kinda felt like they slipped up on us last year. Bet that doesn't happen again!

But after watching that Football nerds video it all makes sense. At one point I think we had 4 out of 5 series when we went 3 and out.

 

[BamaMoon]

I used to listen to Finebaum quite a bit years ago when I had 6+ hours of windshield time per day most of the week. Most of his program was hot boiled garbage, but I have to give him credit for being an excellent interviewer. His interview with Bert Bank about the Bataan Death March was one of the best I've ever heard. I haven't watched or listened to his show for years, so I have no idea if interviewing guests is still a big part of his show. I guess he's just better and makes more money being the Jerry Springer of sports talk.

He's a smart man in a lot of ways and has parlayed that into a great career with ESPN.

But he knows very little about football and it shows when he tries to talk about the nuts and bolts of it (the average poster here probably knows more about football than Pauuuuuuul).

But he can swashbuckle an opinion about anything as good as anybody!

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

I hope you are right. I never feared Kelley's coaching ability at ND but I knew he was somewhat hampered in who he could recruit (or at least that's what we are told is the case).

I'm sure he has better players at ND and knew it day one.

I kinda felt like they slipped up on us last year. Bet that doesn't happen again!

But after watching that Football nerds video it all makes sense. At one point I think we had 4 out of 5 series when we went 3 and out.

He can absolutely win national title at LSU. I am not denying that. But he is also the same dude who refused to run the ball against NC State in a monsoon and lost the game or get blown out by 5-7 A&M. Listening to him talk about 2023 I get the vibe that he doesn't think his team is there yet. Which was a red flag to me.

And when I say disappointment, I mean like 9-4. Nothing horrible but not the way Chris Doering and that muppet Barett Sallee are pumping them up to be.

 

[Tidelines]

Thought I would finish my thought on LSU. I just think sometime teams early in a coach's tenure will play over their head and everyone goes "Look how awesome they were, they will even more awesome next year" and then they get hyped up and then fall flat on their face. Yeah they beat Alabama, but I mean the media is completely ignoring LSU losing by double digits to a 5-7 Texas A&M and getting a 50-burger put on them by Georgia (That game was over in the first quarter).

Enters Terry Bowden stage right…

 

[DawgAlum2054]

I've never been a Brian Kelly fan, but I do think it is hard not to put him in as a current top 10 coach in college football.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

I've never been a Brian Kelly fan, but I do think it is hard not to put him in as a current top 10 coach in college football.

He is a great coach, and if the pieces fall right, I think he can win a national title. I just know that at Notre dame he had great wins but also some head scratching losses even given their talent level.

 

[BamaMoon]

I've never been a Brian Kelly fan, but I do think it is hard not to put him in as a current top 10 coach in college football.

Probably, but that speaks to the lack of overall good coaches in the sport more than him being really good IMO.

How many current coaches have a ring right now? Just 4 or 5 I think and one of them is Mack Brown.

 

[teamplayer]

Kelly has now shown that he can win in the SEC. I don't think that surprised anyone because he is a very good football coach. However, now he has to show that he can have his team ready to play every week because in the SEC even a 5-7 team can jump up and whip you if you aren't prepared. There is no doubt, though, that he will always be prepared for Bama. Isn't everyone?

 

[BamaMoon]

I don't disagree that he could win a title at LSU. Les Miles did.

But if he does it'll be because Bama steps back not because they pass a healthy Bama program. JMO.