Texas A&M And Auburn Fall Back Into Mediocrity
For a while – a little more than a month – Kevin Sumlin and Gus Malzahn could sit down without worrying that their shorts would catch on fire.
But the mirage that was their mid-season rise has quickly turned into the reality that their teams are really not that good after all. When will fans, the media and even the College Football Playoff committee realize that Johnny Manziel no longer plays for Texas A&M and neither Can Newtwon nor Nick Marshall is Auburn’s quarterback and quit over-ranking these teams!?
Now, as the season winds down and the leaves start to blow across campuses, Sumlin and Malzahn are back to where they started the season – on the coaches hot seat.
A&M has dropped two in a row – including one to Mississippi State – while Auburn was so bad on offense against Georgia it went the entire second half without getting a first down. In fact, the pick-six return (by a former Alabama defensive back and that has to particularly sting the Auburn people on the Plains) went for more yards (34) than the Tigers gained in the second half (32).
Auburn Is Lousy & Shawn White Is Injured
Malzahn, perhaps in a desperation move in an attempt to cool his seat, keeps throwing fragile quarterback Shawn White into the fire when White is clearly injured; he did this this last year and he’s doing it again this season. White, gallant as he may be, will be limping out of Auburn when his career is over – IF he makes it that long. He’s likely to get mauled at Alabama.
Add to this the fact that the SEC’s leading rushing team barely ran the ball against Georgia and the wounded White was continually forced to dodge defenders and throw, and you have to seriously question what Malzahn was thinking against the Dawgs.
It’s a pattern of his bizarre offensive coaching – remember the three quarterbacks the first few games of the season!? – that makes it look as if he’s playing a video game rather than coaching a major college football team.
Aggies’ Overconfident & Smug Coach’s Act Wearing Thin With Fans
Over at A&M, you can blame the loss of quarterback Trevor Knight to injury for the slide but it’s been the defense that can’t stop the run up the middle or the long pass and can’t tackle – along with questionable offensive play calling – that has cost the Aggies.
Sumlin’s over-confident, smug appearance in which he bristles at the any media that dares to ask a challenging question is wearing thin in College Station. In fact, check out what the fans are saying by using the hashtag #KevinSumlin on Twitter.
If A&M gets plastered by LSU the last game of the season and Auburn gets annihilated as expected by Alabama in the Iron Bowl, then both Sumlin and Malzahn may be off the hot coaches seat. Because they won’t even be on a seat.
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