Contained in the weird little world Hugh Freeze has constructed at Auburn, its a little bit of a shell recreation to determine whos guilty for the dangerous play calls fueling a nasty offense.
In August, Freeze advised the media that whereas Derrick Nix is the offensive coordinator and is chargeable for the sport plan, he would solely name the performs on first down. The third-down calls would go to quarterbacks coach Kent Austin. And Freeze usually had duty for the second-down performs, although as the pinnacle coach he additionally has the correct to overrule any of them and name no matter play he desires.
Obtained all that?
But when Auburns division of labor sounded a bit unusual and overcomplicated again in the summertime, it seems patently absurd now.
As a result of in Freezes third yr, the Tigers offense is probably a bit extra aspirational than it was in Years 1 and a pair of however no much less dysfunctional. And it comes all the way down to this: Within the fourth quarter of Auburns 16-10 loss to Texas A&M, the Tigers ran 11 performs for a web acquire of 1 yard.
One single, pitiful, embarrassing yard.
And with the sport on the road in idea, anyway Auburns final two play calls have been fittingly laughable. After slogging to 155 whole yards towards the Aggies and going 0-for-13 mixed on third and fourth down, equally unable to run or throw, Auburn confronted third-and-1 with an opportunity to maintain the sport going.
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By some means, Auburn didnt even attempt to run the ball on the following two performs and hoped quarterback Jackson Arnold may drop again and do one thing he had confirmed incapable of for a lot of the sport. Predictably, the outcomes have been so bleak that Arnold merely ate a sack on fourth down.
When game-ending play calls go so mistaken, the place do you level the finger? Normally, on the offensive coordinator. However with Auburn, whos to say?
Possibly thats how Freeze desires it. Possibly it doesnt matter.
To be honest, even when the Tigers had doubled their offensive output within the fourth quarter and gained the requisite yard to maintain that drive going, they nonetheless would have wanted to drive 68 yards for a game-winning landing. Theres little proof that was throughout the realm of risk.
Nevertheless it all speaks to the identical downside.
When Auburn employed Freeze, the idea was that hed be an skilled, replacement-level SEC recruiter whose monitor document of getting glorious offenses at Ole Miss and Liberty would equal a aggressive on-field product at minimal. Positive, Freeze got here with an entire set of off-field points about earlier NCAA violations, far an excessive amount of time spent taking a look at social media and an incapability to deal with criticism, however the soccer half was alleged to be price it.
It’s not.
Freeze is 14-16 as Auburns coach and 5-13 within the SEC on the similar faculty that fired Gus Malzahn for going 14-12 within the league over his final three seasons and pulled the plug on Bryan Harsin after 4 wins in 13 SEC video games.
How does this not finish the identical means, even with a $16 million buyout? (Who’re we kidding? Buyouts have by no means mattered to Auburn.)
In his first two years, the excuse was that Freeze tied himself to the mistaken quarterback. However Freeze hand-picked Arnold out of the switch portal this yr and supposedly upgraded the expertise round him. If thats true, its not displaying up within the outcomes: Auburns offense gained 287 yards in its SEC opener towards Oklahoma and 177 towards the Aggies.
Possibly its time for only one particular person to name the performs. As a result of it shouldnt take a village to determine that it’s best to run the ball no less than as soon as when you’ve gotten two snaps to achieve one yard.
After being subjected to such a ridiculous course of with predictably dangerous outcomes, whereas additionally losing a very elite protection, Auburn reigns as Americas most depressing fan base in Week 5.
ACC: Theres a double whammy coming for Syracuse followers. First, its clear that quarterback Steve Angelis torn Achilles is a season-killer. Syracuse was simply not the identical group in a 38-3 residence loss to Duke that we noticed upset Clemson merely every week in the past, and it could be a minor miracle at this level in the event that they get to 6-6. However even when the Orange dont win one other recreation, Fran Brown will nonetheless be among the many most desired coaches of this years carousel. With no less than a half-dozen actually good openings competing for a small variety of top-tier candidates, Brown will virtually have the ability to identify his vacation spot and his value if he desires to depart. Brown has already executed sufficient to enhance Syracuse in recruiting, on-field efficiency and swagger to attract curiosity from all kinds of applications. He may depart for a greater job in three months and Syracuse wouldnt even get to have a good time the form of breakthrough season that normally elevates a coach to these heights.
Huge Ten: The nations most predictable program continues to be predictable. After all of the offseason hype about this being the yr for Penn State, there wasnt a lot in regards to the Nittany Lions 30-24 double additional time loss to Oregon that means this group goes to do one thing totally different than lose to elite groups the way in which it at all times does. Huge Recreation James Franklin is 1-15 towards top-five opponents and 4-21 towards the top-10 since hes been at Penn State. And a few these wins have asterisks, together with the 2023 Rose Bowl when Utah quarterback Cam Rising missed a lot of the sport with an damage. Not all of those losses have performed out precisely the identical means, however struggling so persistently towards prime competitors isnt a coincidence. Penn State simply doesn’t have that additional gear on offense you want in large video games, and the Nittany Lions proved it once more by managing simply 276 yards towards the Geese.
Huge 12: Wealthy Rodriguez has executed his greatest work with quarterbacks who can run the ball like Pat White or Khalil Tate, however West Virginia didnt have a type of when it introduced Rodriguez residence for a second stint as head coach. Possibly they need to have considered that first as a result of all Rodriguezs return has executed to date is expose how deep into the abyss West Virginias program has sunk. After a 48-14 loss to Utah, the Mountaineers have been outscored by a mixed 89-24 in two Huge 12 video games whereas additionally absorbing a nonconference loss to Ohio. Whereas the expertise isnt there to compete on the energy convention stage, the teaching impressed a number of Fireplace Wealthy Rod chants this week. Rodriguez has been round school soccer so lengthy, its onerous to consider hes solely 62. He ought to have a number of good years left, however this one is a write-off. By subsequent yr, we should always have the ability to inform whether or not this homecoming was a stroke of genius or a determined attraction to donor nostalgia.
Group of 5: It seems like Georgia Southern exists in an infinite id disaster. Ever since becoming a member of FBS, the varsity has waffled between leaning into its historical past as a triple-option program after which hiring coaches for the specific objective of weaning its fan base off that type of soccer. Clay Helton has dealt with the fragile steadiness higher than most, however there are actually actual indicators of hassle in his fourth yr. Georgia Southern obtained smoked by James Madison in its Solar Belt opener, 35-10, whereas its offense floundered with 192 yards and a not-so-meaty 1.0 yards per rush. For a program deeply rooted in its run the dang ball ethos, thats unacceptable. Helton had his greatest season in 2024 by going 8-5, however this seems like a significant step again at a spot the place it doesnt take a lot for the followers to start out pining for Erk Russell and Paul Johnson.
Kirby Sensible: It will be inaccurate to name Sensible a conservative coach, however hes not an enormous gambler, both. Thats why it was so surprising to see him decline a simple 25-yard discipline purpose that might have tied the sport towards Alabama early within the fourth quarter after Georgia trailed by two scores for a lot of the sport. With Georgia dealing with third-and-3 from the 8-yard line, Sensible already determined that the Bulldogs have been going to make use of the hurry-up offense and attempt to catch Alabama off guard if it was a brief fourth down. However that plan blew up spectacularly when defensive lineman LT Overton chased Money Jones to the perimeter and obtained him on the bottom rapidly earlier than he had any likelihood to show the nook and decide up the primary down. That turned out to be the final alternative Georgia would get to tie or take the lead, and Sensible is now a surprising 1-7 in video games towards Alabama with two straight losses to Kalen DeBoer.
Sam Pittman: Theres a stunning home on the shores of Lake Hamilton, full with a slobbering hog fountain, ready for him in a number of months. Its all however over at Arkansas, and it might even be a gentle shock if Pittman is on the sidelines when the Razorbacks return from an open date on Oct. 11 at Tennessee. Shedding 56-13 at residence to Notre Dame whereas giving up 641 yards is the form of loss that you simply dont come again from when youre already on the ropes. However Pittman appears to be taking it in stride, which is lots simpler when youve obtained round $11 million ready for you as a retirement reward. As Pittman advised the media, If I used to be a fan Id be mad at me too. Id be pissed off as hell with me.
Brian Kelly: So, is it OK to ask him in regards to the offense now? If you happen to bear in mind a pair weeks again, Kelly didn’t prefer it in any respect when the primary query of his press convention after a 20-10 win towards Florida was about why the Tigers have been struggling to transform third downs and put factors on the board. Youre spoiled, Kelly mentioned, berating the reporter for specializing in a destructive after a victory. However journalism isnt about stroking a coachs ego. Its about digging into pertinent points to tell your viewers, and it seems like a fair higher query now after LSUs 24-19 loss at Ole Miss. Whereas its no season-killer to lose to a very good group on the highway, the Tigers gained simply 254 whole yards, ran for simply 57 yards on 22 makes an attempt and transformed 2-of-11 third downs. On reflection, the Florida recreation foreshadowed this efficiency and Kelly was pumping sunshine when he ought to have been teaching.
Lincoln Riley: He made clear he wasnt pleased with Southern Cal kicking off at 8 p.m. Pacific Time towards Michigan State final week, then turning round this week and touring a pair thousand miles to play Illinois at 11 a.m. Central. It’s what it’s. We dont make the schedule clearly, he advised reporters. However navigating these so-called physique clock video games is now necessary if USC plans on competing for Huge Ten titles and attending to the School Soccer Playoff. That process goes to be considerably more durable this season after Illinois kicked a 41-yard discipline purpose on the buzzer at hand USC its first defeat, 34-32. Although not a nasty loss, per se, it was a winnable recreation that obtained away regardless of USCs offense racking up 490 yards and storming again from a 31-17 fourth-quarter deficit to take the lead with 1:55 remaining. Now USC heads into the meat of its schedule with upcoming video games towards Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon, and the Trojans dont appear a lot nearer to this system they anticipated to be when Riley made the surprising transfer from Oklahoma.
Dave Doeren: The three-0 begin to this season for NC State now appears very very similar to a mirage after the Wolfpack misplaced at residence to Virginia Tech, 23-21. Its by no means a very good look to lose to a faculty that was so dangerous it fired its coach after the third week of the season, and the Wolfpack will solely be favored a pair extra occasions this season since most of its robust video games are backloaded in late October and November. That is very harmful territory now for Doeren, whose 13-year tenure has been outlined by being a bit too good to justify firing him however not so good that different faculties have been beating down his door. If this turns into a second straight dropping season for the Wolfpack, it is not going to be a simple name whether or not to carry him again for Yr 14.
Florida State couldnt beat the replay sales space: Was it a catch? Most likely not. Nicely, perhaps. No, it wasnt. However are we certain? Seminoles followers arent happy prompt replay overturned an obvious Duce Robinson catch in double additional time towards Virginia after it was initially dominated a landing. That left the Noles with only one play to maintain the sport alive, they couldnt make it, and their feel-good begin to this season resulted in a 46-38 loss at Virginia. Hold that play in thoughts ought to this loss finally price Florida State a shot on the ACC title and School Soccer Playoff. It was actually that shut, and you may make an argument watching the play in sluggish movement that Robinson had sufficient management for the replay sales space to let the decision on the sphere stand. On the similar time, the ball caromed off his proper hand, then left hand, then left shoulder and again off the left hand earlier than he may get the ball in between his mittens. Then, as Robinson ran by the tip zone, it was clearly sliding off his fingertips, which is why it obtained dominated incomplete.
Wake Forest obtained hosed: Georgia Techs 30-29 additional time victory in Winston-Salem ought to include an asterisk. With 1:48 remaining and the Yellow Jackets out of timeouts, they need to have been flagged for a neutral-zone infraction by a Georgia Tech defender that might have given Wake Forest a game-clinching first down and a 23-20 victory. In actual fact, it was so apparent that Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford thought he had a free play and chucked the ball towards the tip zone. However a lot to the shock of the Wake sideline, no name was made. Compelled to punt, Wake Forest couldnt maintain off a 54-yard drive for a tying discipline purpose. Georgia Tech then received in additional time when the Deacs didn’t make a two-point conversion. Positive, a dropping group can at all times level to different performs, however that is one event the place one mistake by the officers modified the end result and so they have each proper to be livid.
Pitt picked the mistaken combat: After Pittsburghs Rasheem Biles took an interception 75 yards to the home for a 17-0 lead, a weird scene unfolded on the sideline. After the ball boy in Louisville approached Biles to retrieve the soccer, which is after all his job, issues rapidly went off the rails with some pushing and shoving that resulted in Biles finally retaining the ball and giving it to his household within the stands. However Pitts 17-0 lead finally turned in a 34-27 defeat, so perhaps that was a karmic turning level. When the ball boy desires the ball, give it to him.