The Goat Pen

I'll give you the LSU game, that was a tight game. MSU you jumped on their ass from the beginning and ended up winning by 5 only due to a meaningless TD with well under a minute left in the game. It was a very solid win over the #1 team in the country. It took a little while to get going against Auburn, but once you did, you scored 28 unanswered points against them until, just like in the MSU game, Aubie scored a meaningless TD with 30 seconds to go to make the score look more respectable. But you're right, the LSU game was a nail-biter...

I was right on all things except what I was wrong about.

AA, as both an Alabamalum and Alabama-Birminghamalum, what's your take on the end of Blazers football?

Long overdue. Nobody came to the games, and the athletic department was running a $20,000,000 a year deficit. Hard to justify with no interest.

I wonder how the landscape of college football would have changed over the last few years if Paul Bryant Jr. hadn't blocked Jimbo Fisher from taking over at UAB in 2007.

"the athletic department was running a $20,000,000 a year deficit. Hard to justify with no interest."

The banks that were floating that 20 mil had some interest. Even at current rates, I'd say a significant amount of interest...

Any tidesters care to weigh in on McElwain to FL? Is he all that and a bag of chips? AA?

I hope he sucks, but it won't matter. He will still have a winning record against us...

UF is a top flight program. No offense to McElwain, but seems like the Gators could get a bigger name with some zing.

He's a great coach. I hate this. I had always hoped McClain would take over for Saban when he left.

AlabamAlum wrote:He's a great coach. I hate this. I had always hoped McClain would take over for Saban when he left.

Rolando?

I figured you were holding out for Paul Johnson.

Auto correct. Apparently McElwain corrects to McClain.

The conventional wisdom is that Kirby Smart is the heir apparent at Bama, or will succeed Richt at UGA. Although I perceive his stock has fallen at Bama recently.

If we don't get Muschamp, I'd take him at Auburn. That move worked well for Bill Oliver and for us.

Smart needs to run a program somewhere first.

Oliver worked well for Auburn long term?

Smart may not have run a program, but he has certainly had a front row seat watching one of the best ever run one. He must have learned a thing or two. Plus, he must have a stomach of iron; Saban is reportedly a monster to work for, and Smart has served that monster for a long time.

Oliver didn't stick around long at Auburn, but he was a fine DC. Wayne Hall was too. Too bad they're both in their CFB dotage. I think it was Oliver who named his boss "Tater Tot."

Oliver was a back stabber.

Are you referring to stabbing Bama in the back (for going to Auburn), Bowden (for the Tater Tot comment), or both?

Either way, he fielded some badass defenses. After Ellis Johnson and Ted Roof, I'm starting to forget what those look like at Auburn.

No. Neither.

Kirby Smart needs to get head coaching experience before taking over one of the premier jobs.

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