| FTBL More Aub misery from Marshall (JG Tate saying Gus or Leath gone by 12/1)

@JoseyWalesTheOutlaw, Leath is the one who made the announcement but that's a small portion of this in my eyes. He made a point of saying until Jacobs successor was found they were going to maintain very open communication so there were no surprises--between Jacobs, Leath himself, and the board of trustees (who ultimately signed off on the contract.)

I don't know enough about Leath to know whether he's an athletic friendly administrator. We all know enough about the board down there and how they view Auburn athletics.

My gut tells me if there's a move to sweep Leath out as well it's only as a scapegoat--Jacobs is the one who brought all the shovels to this digging party.
 
It's been noted that Gus can't develop what's his, but he also struggles with maintaining what isn't his as well. Look at Mullen making a silk purse out of Franks. He has an uncanny way of putting his QBs in areas of strength in his offenses. Really, it's what we are doing with Tua as well.

I think the barner players have seen this dog and pony show so much they're losing faith at the first sign of serious adversity. Kind of what happened to Butch Jones and McElwain last season.
 
A lot of rumblings on the cow pasture say that some of the Board didn't want to give this contract but signed off on it when one or two likely said they would "pony up" the buyout should this not work. Leath will still be made out the scapegoat though, since he ultimately signed off on it. Someone or someones are about to open up their checkbook.
 
A lot of rumblings on the cow pasture say that some of the Board didn't want to give this contract but signed off on it when one or two likely said they would "pony up" the buyout should this not work. Leath will still be made out the scapegoat though, since he ultimately signed off on it. Someone or someones are about to open up their checkbook.

The fact a college has to pay a football coach 30 million plus to get out of town is just amazing and that doesn't even count the salaries of all the assistant coaches that will be owed in addition to one Guz Malzona.

Tim Cook please pickup on line #1...Tim line #1
 
Guz needs a true DT QB + an elite RB + a good OL. His QB ain't bad but the other 2 parts are the problem.

Stidham has been really bad this year and is far from a dual threat. They could probably make do if the play calling wasn't unimaginative and simple. Last few years he's either had an elite back, elite QB or really good QB and backs to overcome the playcalling. Now he has neither.
 
Guz needs a true DT QB + an elite RB + a good OL. His QB ain't bad but the other 2 parts are the problem.

Stidham has been really bad this year and is far from a dual threat. They could probably make do if the play calling wasn't unimaginative and simple. Last few years he's either had an elite back, elite QB or really good QB and backs to overcome the playcalling. Now he has neither.

and much of that is due to the running game is below average and the OL is a major player in that issue.
 
I said before the season that their OL would be suspect since they were replacing 4 of the 5 starters and they only had 2-3 others with ANY experience period. They don't develop their OL or recruit OL that well. They don't have that bell cow RB either and it further limits Stidham as a passer. Shitty OL play, no bruiser at RB to make the D second guess, allows them to tee off on a QB that wants to just set his feet and throw.
 
Guz needs a true DT QB + an elite RB + a good OL. His QB ain't bad but the other 2 parts are the problem.

Stidham has been really bad this year and is far from a dual threat. They could probably make do if the play calling wasn't unimaginative and simple. Last few years he's either had an elite back, elite QB or really good QB and backs to overcome the playcalling. Now he has neither.

and much of that is due to the running game is below average and the OL is a major player in that issue.

I mean yeah, the O-line is awful but that doesn't cause Stidham to throw into double coverage, overthrow wide open receivers or just lay on the ground and watch as a ball you just fumbled lays on the ground for what seems like an eternity and then watch the other team pick it up and score with no attempt to stop any of it.
 
I said before the season that their OL would be suspect since they were replacing 4 of the 5 starters and they only had 2-3 others with ANY experience period. They don't develop their OL or recruit OL that well. They don't have that bell cow RB either and it further limits Stidham as a passer. Shitty OL play, no bruiser at RB to make the D second guess, allows them to tee off on a QB that wants to just set his feet and throw.

Ed Zackery.....Stidham may have spent too much time reading about how good he was.......he did makes some plays with his feet vs Bama in 2017 that kept drives alive but he isn't going to be real threat to run that seed like one Nick Marshall.
 
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This is from Jay G Tate the Auburn beat writer

"Hello, subscribers, listeners, friends,

Auburn is a mess right now. People always figure everything has to do with the football's team's 4-3 record, and that's certainly a news-maker in its own right, but it's more complicated than a football coach struggling to win football games. This really is a fable that starts with a maverick university president who chose to saddle, champion and celebrate Gus Malzahn's contract extension last winter. He did this against pointed advice that he lay low — advice dispensed by long-time Auburn people who have seen many coaching regimes fall apart despite strong appearances and strong tailwinds. Yet Leath starred in his own parade anyway.

And now he's in a precarious position. Does he double down on his bet that Malzahn will be worth $49 million over seven years? Or does he offer forth a "New Phone Who Dis" and cut Malzahn at the knees knowing that the coach is owed $32 million?

It's a tough call. People with whom we've conferred aren't sure which road Leath would travel if pressed into action. See, he's really invested in this situation because he feels the pressure. Yes, everyone knows he was a central figure in The Great Malzahn Contract Debacle, though he had at least tacit support from well-regarded members of the Board of Trustees, and that debacle may cost the university a whole lot of money. There's more. Leath is unpopular on the academic side for various reasons. Everyone over there keeps talking about cost overruns associated with renovations at the president's mansion, renovations he's been overseeing, and other issues of lesser financial impact and spectacle. Leath also appears to be unpopular with the BOT for reasons

I can't quite enumerate in this space. Frankly, I'm still getting up to speed on that stuff.

Still, I've never seen an Auburn president so loathed from all sides.

My opinion? His seat is at least as hot as Malzahn's.

My opinion? At least one of these men, Leath or Malzahn or both, will not be employed by Auburn University come Dec. 1.
A lot can happen between today (Oct. 17) and that random deadline I just created for effect. If Auburn loses this game at Ole Miss, which certainly is possible, Malzahn may get fired within a few days. I'd consider that a likely scenario, in fact. If Auburn wins the game in Oxford, well, I'm not sure if that changes much considering the team still has some major challenges ahead with A&M, Georgia and Alabama. From where I sit, a win against Ole Miss merely changes the timeline of an event that, honestly, feels like a foregone conclusion right now. I see no evidence of meaningful support for Malzahn at this stage. Nobody appears to have his back. Nobody is clamoring for patience. Nobody believes in Malzahn.

So what will Leath do and when will he do it?

Considering his own pressures, I believe he'll make the move that gives him the best chance to save his own job. I'm not sure what that will be — I'm still getting up to speed on that — but my gut tells me that Leath will try to string this thing out as long as possible. Why? Anything that keeps him from eating a $32 million buyout seems prudent.

There is another angle, however. Auburn may contend that it will not pay Malzahn $32 million as expected. Auburn may find ways to influence Malzahn to accept less than $32 million, though I find that difficult to envision given Malzahn's unyielding personality. But let's be honest with each other: Auburn can be a savage, cutthroat place. We've seen it many times. We saw it on Oct. 23, 1998, when Terry Bowden was cut loose with a month remaining in the season. (That 20-year anniversary is just days away!) We saw it in 2003 when Auburn officials covertly discussed Tommy Tuberville's job with Bobby Petrino while Tuberville still was employed. We saw it in 2012 when Gene Chizik was cut loose a couple years after winning a national title. And here we are again in 2018. Auburn wants to elude a $32 million payout and if past is prologue, Auburn will, in fact, elude a $32 million payout.

Treachery doesn't have to be illegal. Or even immoral.

If Auburn feels like it can make a defensible case to whittle down that buyout, I believe that fact will impact Leath's thinking when it comes to making a call on Malzahn. In that case, he'll be more likely to remove Malzahn and can say, with a straight face, that it won't cost the university a mound of money.

Can Auburn get on a winning streak and reverse all this? Sure. Anything is possible. The Tigers could beat Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia and Liberty before heading to Tuscaloosa. The possibility seems remote, especially given the tensions felt throughout the Athletic Complex right now, but there is a way out for Malzahn. That's how he sees it. He genuinely believes he'll fix this team's problems and pull a rabbit out of his hat. We've seen him do it before, but his new audience no longer is captivated easily.

He's in a concert hall full of skeptics. They're ill-tempered. And they're ready for the next act to begin."
 
Jimmy Sexton will tell Gus what they are going to do and he is ruthless. I heard this morning that Gus has a clause in the buyout that states he will faithfully seek gainful employment to alleviate the financial burden on the university. I'm still laughing at that one. uT is still paying Butch 200k per month to help Bama.
 
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of auburn's remaining games, only 2 are at home...aTm and liberty.

they travel to Oxford, to Athens, and to Tuscaloosa. and if i'm being completely honest, i think they lose all 3 of those games. and i will wholeheartedly enjoy all 3, if they do. hell, they may lose to aTm at home. which would be even better, lol. i'd love it if they didn't even get to bowl eligibility.

and all those fans that wanted Gus and said he was the best coach...be careful what you wish for....and y'all definitely deserve each other.
 
A lot of rumblings on the cow pasture say that some of the Board didn't want to give this contract but signed off on it when one or two likely said they would "pony up" the buyout should this not work. Leath will still be made out the scapegoat though, since he ultimately signed off on it. Someone or someones are about to open up their checkbook.
 
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