Auburn will move the ball on Clemson and I would image this game is a lot closer than anticipated. Huge home field advantage. Watson gets a week one test for his heisman campaign right away, because he will need to put up huge numbers for them to win and cover. Clemson may be the better team in the public eye but I'd be Leary as a bettor to this game favoring Clemson. Week 1 on the road in a very hostile sec environment looking to "shock" the college football landscape right out of the gate. I like the fact that auburn is considering putting a more mobile qb in the backfield, with that style of offense their rushing attack should eat Clemson up quarter after quarter. I like auburn to cover and possibly win straight up. This is still SEC talent we are talking about, and Clemson has lost some on the defensive side.... Not sure who wins but id say 34-30 either way
Now Jovon Robinson kicked off team. Looking even better for Clemson...
http://www.thescore.com/news/1070610
This is a huge loss. AU's running back situation appeared to be in good hands going into spring, but with Robinson's dismissal and Roc Thomas transferring it is now a train wreck.
Kerryon Johnson (used as a change-a-pace back last year) is the only remaining back with experience and he missed spring with an injury.
and both were JUCO ... if you keep trying to fill the team with JUCO this is what happens. Watch a few episodes of "Last Chance U" on Netflix which, ironically, showcases the barn's next JUCO flameout, John Franklin III, and you will see why these kids so often fail.
No doubt adding juco's is a risky endeavor. Auburn doesn't have a great track record going the juco route but players like Cam, Fairley and Marshall prove the reward sometimes justifies the risk.
The same can be said about bama. Do you not recruit Mount Cody and Jarran Reed because the Charles Baldwin and Jonathan Taylor's of the world turn out as busts?
really big difference in philosophies. bama doesn't try to build the most important parts of their program around JUCO. they use JUCO to fill in gaps but don't rely on them for WR, QB, RB, LB.... that method is pretty much reserved for Ole Miss, Auburn, and Kansas State
I can't remember the last JUCO skill player (aka face of the program) Alabama recruited. Next year they have a DB (Dean) coming in and an OL (Baker) which is consistent with how they recruit the JUCO level. Bama has had a few more success than failures in JUCO and they rarely (ever?) bring in more than 2 in one year. You named Cody and Reed (an EMCC guy by the way) and I would toss in Carpenter, Pettway and Williams as successes but all those guys are OL/DL. When you get the skill player prima donna's like shaq, robinson, and now John Franklin you are putting too much trust in the juco plan. When you watch Last Chance U there is no way you can come away with a favorable opinion of Franklin...just a total punk that can run really fast.
I'm rooting for DJ Hall at UAB (RB from EMCC) but my guess is he will do something really stupid before every taking a carry for the Blazers.
When the Tide need to hit the JUCO route for skill positions I will know the program is ready to fall apart. It's much more disruptive to have a star QB, WR, RB flame out than Charles Baldwin or Leon Brown
Some of your points are valid; others not so much.
I have not, and do not intend to watch Last Chance U but I'm familiar with the show. I'm also very familiar with Franklin. I wish AU hadn't offered him and have said that from the beginning. It was a desperate move to find a DTQB and he was the only available option.
Malzahn has painted himself into a corner. He proved last year he needs an athletic QB (one with allusive running back skills) to be successful in the SEC. His pass schemes are too vanilla to work without a strong running game. In my opinion, and others who attended every spring practice, Franklin is not the answer. If he starts my expectations are not very high for this season.
Back to juco's - since 2010 bama has signed 16 juco's (4 in 2011 and 2014). Auburn has signed 18. Twelve of these came after the Chiz failure (6 in both 2013 and 2014).
Both are high numbers but pale in comparison to the Mississippi schools. You are correct, bama has not signed many skill players - only 2 (receivers D Carter and T Dixon). Auburn, on the other hand (as you pointed out) have signed more. But it is hard to argue with their success. Newton won a National Championship and Marshall played for one. Even if Franklin doesn't pan out, it is a stretch to imply the program is falling apart because they brought in the best player (in their opinion) available at his position - skill position or not.
If the program falls apart, it will be because the staff failed to develop the talent they have (which is a real possibility), not because they went the juco route for another player - be it a QB, receiver or running back.
Travell Dixon was a CB....and don't think he ever played before again transferring to Washington...unfortunate as he was a really talented player and is now in NFL
Ha, Duron Carter...yeah forgot about him probably because he never played a down for the Tide. Not surprisingly has the same personality as John Franklin and Shaq/Duke (wtf his name is) Williams. All talk, no substance...he's in CFL probably telling everyone up there how great he is.
so we have had 1 juco signed at a skill position and 0 that were ever actually eligible to play...Carter flunked out immediately. I will never see JUCO as a viable route for positions on your team that are supposed to be leaders and playmakers. It can certainly work out (newton, chad kelly, marshall to a lesser extent) but it far more likely to go really wrong. As wonderlic has shown the further away from the ball you play the less intelligent (on average, of course) you are so you're not only bringing in WR and RB with issues but also guys that likely are clipping 2-digit IQ's.
Auburn right back at it next year signing JUCO RB, Octavius Matthews away from another JUCO-stacking program, Louisville. So your future rests on John Franklin and Octavius Matthews for a year or two and then rinse, repeat.
Even if Chad Kelly chose Bama over Ole Miss I would feel the same way. Your program should not be shaped by JUCO...go the graduate transfer route if you need to fill a skill position for a year or two
Couple of injuries to report on this game.
Austin Bryant broke his foot in practice today. For you guys who don't know, he is a projected starter at D-end for Clemson. Kid played really well in the BCS game against bama after Lawson went down. With Clemson replacing both starters at D-end off last year's team, I assume this is a pretty significant loss.
Auburn has injuries as well. Cornerback Jamel Dean is out with a knee injury. Definitely won't be back for Clemson and will more than likely miss the whole season. Another corner expected to contribute is Marshall Taylor (grad transfer from Miami - Ohio) but he hasn't attended a single practice after getting his ass kicked in an off field altercation. It was this altercation that lead to the dismissal of Javon Robinson.
Not an injury update but worth noting - AU's QB situation is beyond hopeless. Neither QB (White or Franklin) completed a pass more than 5 yards pass the line of scrimmage in last Saturday's scrimmage - other than interceptions. Johnson was held out with a hand injury.
Austin Bryant broke his foot in practice today. For you guys who don't know, he is a projected starter at D-end for Clemson. Kid played really well in the BCS game against bama after Lawson went down. With Clemson replacing both starters at D-end off last year's team, I assume this is a pretty significant loss.
Auburn has injuries as well. Cornerback Jamel Dean is out with a knee injury. Definitely won't be back for Clemson and will more than likely miss the whole season. Another corner expected to contribute is Marshall Taylor (grad transfer from Miami - Ohio) but he hasn't attended a single practice after getting his ass kicked in an off field altercation. It was this altercation that lead to the dismissal of Javon Robinson.
Not an injury update but worth noting - AU's QB situation is beyond hopeless. Neither QB (White or Franklin) completed a pass more than 5 yards pass the line of scrimmage in last Saturday's scrimmage - other than interceptions. Johnson was held out with a hand injury.
[FONT="]Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has tabbed sophomore Sean White to lead the Tigers’ offense against Clemson during Week 1.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Malzahn announced the news Thursday evening during his press conference.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Malzahn named White the starter over returner Jeremy Johnson and JUCO transfer John Franklin III, but he added that the quarterback race was “close.” Malzahn named White the starter to give him a full week to prepare with the first team. All three quarterbacks split reps throughout spring practice, and it was the same rotation during the team’s two-week training camp.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Auburn hasn’t decided whether Franklin or Johnson is the backup quarterback yet.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Malzahn announced the news Thursday evening during his press conference.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Malzahn named White the starter over returner Jeremy Johnson and JUCO transfer John Franklin III, but he added that the quarterback race was “close.” Malzahn named White the starter to give him a full week to prepare with the first team. All three quarterbacks split reps throughout spring practice, and it was the same rotation during the team’s two-week training camp.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Auburn hasn’t decided whether Franklin or Johnson is the backup quarterback yet.[/FONT]
