Now this is what I call cutting edge preparation.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn played the role of mad scientist Saturday, sending out myriad personnel groupings in hopes of confounding Clemson’s defense. He employed three different quarterbacks, switching with reckless abandon and, at times, having all of them on the field at once. Auburn threw deep balls and ran the option. It played in spread formations and, believe it or not, ran a bit of old-school wing-T.
Clemson had answers for everything — even if some of those answers came in an unlikely way.
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables had been “tipped off” — that was the extent of his explanation — that Auburn might run some Wing-T, and he hadn’t the slightest clue on how best to defend an offense rarely employed beyond the high school level. So, a day before the game, Venables sat down at his computer and did what we all might do in such situations.
“I literally Googled, ‘How to stop the wing-T,’” Venables admitted afterward.
Hey, whatever works. And it must have, as Auburn’s running game was limited to 87 yards on 41 carries.
Get The Picture 
The Barn is awful on offense, and the jury is out on the defense. Gus is going to have to find a QB if he’s going to have a job in January.
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The bag man must be MIA
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Or, maybe, more likely, Auburn’s offense is just not very good.
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Gene Chizik – offensive mastermind: shut down by a Google search.
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I think you’re confused, chili…
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Hahaha it’s been a lonnnnnng off-season
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Great comment chili!
3D dumb- wrong team, wrong side of the ball, wrong game.
That’s hard to do in a single comment.
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Overachiever he is
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Da’rek to the rescue.
“Out”
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It’s remarkable that someone as brilliant as you didn’t recognize the probability that I clearly meant Gus Malzahn and accidentally inserted the name of the previous Auburn head coach.
That’s hard to miss for someone with such keen intellect.
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We all know that you don’t really mean anything you write. You’re just misunderstood.
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There you go with that “we” stuff again. It’s as if you’re under the impression that you have any friends in this world other than that mouse in your pocket that allows you to use the word “we” so often.
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I think he’s French. He seems French.
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I think he just needs a hug from his daddy, like yesterday.
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Someone else noticed that things didn’t go exactly perfect. Doesn’t he sound like he’s disappointed we won? Perhaps suggesting that you prefer losing when you offer critiques is just a painfully stupid observation. I’ll go with the latter. https://www.dawgnation.com/football/team-news/kirby-smart-sick-over-bulldogs-mistakes-in-opener
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To clarify “we” are the people who’ve read your backtracking after an ill-conceived mental fart you call a post.
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And to clarify further, that’s still a group that only includes you. By yourself. All alone. Just like real life.
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I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Our host authored a post dedicated to the likes of you: https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/random-monday-morning-thought/
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I want to be “we” with Derek. Email me snook ’ems.
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I was really just being snarky with Da’rek. Things get lost or muddled on these blogs.
Just sayin’
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I’m not. Derek is an obnoxious cookie puss. He comes in here roaring like a lion but puts his pink panties on the minute you go up side his head.
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Your sure are a tough blog talker. Impressive! You’re like the Dirty Harry of anonymous shit talking.
When was that time I put on my pink panties? I’m really curious about that observation about anyone going upside my head. I think you’re imagining things including your ability to intimidate.
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IMO, Allbarns O is bad, but have to be pretty impressed with that Defense. That front is scary.
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Holding Clemson O down is obviously an achievement and Auburn DL is talented. However, that game could be as much a case of their DC’s inside knowledge of that O as a sign that they’re making a quantum leap in 2016.
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I guess we should all hope Saban doesn’t find out about the Googles. Unless….they’re already working for him, doing his bidding.
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“Tipped off”, huh? Sounds like someone at Auburn has it in for Gus. I wonder what Bobby Lowder is up to these days?
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There wuz a spy Pawl!!! It wuz es-pee-n-awj!!!
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“You know, Dabo went to Alabama! It must have been Alabama! They just JEALOUS OF US, PAWWWWLLLLLL!”
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I’d say with both UT and TXAM winning over ranked teams this weekend that the Barn could be in the lead for Herman but they are gonna have to fire Gus early and often to stray out front.
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No chance for aubie, the men of Troy (the one in LA) are gassing up the jet already.
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“Tipped off”. Better than our secret agents.
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The OO is the first two number of a Barner spy’s IQ.
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A true double-naught spy? Very appropriate for Auburn.
(I’ll sit back and see who get’s that reference!)
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Jethro Bodine
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Regardless of the formation, Gus’ offense fails if he does not have a QB capable of running over people (Newton) or around people (Marshall).
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I said it earlier, I’m pretty sure AU didn’t play this weekend.
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WarD,
Your offense WAS bizarre, but I for one am concerned about having to play against your defense.
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It’s early, but it seemed the D played really well against the run. Those linebackers played like linebackers should play – violently. I think they may have lost another DB and there are some babies back there already. If your guys get the passing game cranked up (and there’s plenty of time to do that) it might be another W in what has become an uncomfortable pattern lately.
On the offense, I think Gus plays it by ear a little too often. He has a pretty good bruiser back that never got a carry. I know he was trying to go sideways and gas their D a bit, but you can’t do that if they get to site down every three plays. I’m a big fan of Jeremy Johnson as a person – he’s a great kid – but he cannot get it done on the big stage. I’d just as soon not see him take another snap. Lead with White and get Franklin in there to run plays.
Gus interrupted the momentum too many times by switching QBs and this is the second year in a row AU can’t seem to score inside the 20. Some of that is line play, those guys looked like world beaters on one play, then like me on the next. Might be a long season.
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Just dropping by to offer my $0.01 take on Chad Kelly: Brett Favre ego and confidence, but more easily rattled and not quite as talented. Ole Miss is very good, but FSU and Alabama show that if you can hang close for a while, the outcome is basically a coin flip. If Kelly’s ego is rewarded, they win. If the dicey decisions result in turnovers or multiple a few back to back 3 and outs, they can lose to anyone (cough, cough Memphis). Bad Kelly + Freeze puts too much pressure on their defense. We’re not on a Bama or FSU level, but hopefully we can do just enough to frustrate Kelly. PS I can’t stand Freeze.
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