Immature: exhibiting less than an expected degree of maturity.
Example: behavior that is appropriate to someone younger.
"They were shocked by such immaturity in a grown man"
I will get to a surprising bit about the actual game in a moment. Auburn football fans (including myself) fall victim to the same thing repeatedly. There are a few “big names” in podcasting that cover the Tigers that are emotionally invested in this team. They, along with a lot of “print” media and 𝕏 accounts, make their living from your attention and clicks. It is very similar to the current political climate.
This is running rampant right now because it is easy to play off your emotions to make money. It is also perfectly fair for fans to express their displeasure for the content of what they have invested money and time into. Free speech is a beautiful thing. Mostly it shows which people who aren't rational. That is useful. And the wheels on the bus go round and round.
No one wants to mention that media that was not connected to Auburn thought Thorne was one of the worst returning quarterbacks and that Auburn would fight to make a bowl game this year. In the Spring, several sportswriters, who were involved with the coaching staff and Spring practices, but not Auburn homers, all wrote stories about how Auburn was not “there” yet. We wanted to believe the local guys more.
Directly after the game, I got several messages concerning how Hugh Freeze had thrown his players under the bus. They were referring to a carefully clipped sound bite. Not one had watched the entire presser which included Coach Freeze “throwing” himself and his staff under the bus as well. In a drunken stupor, most Auburn fans leapt on this out of context sound-bite and fed the machine. As did one of Freeze’s former quarterbacks from Ole Miss. Who seemed to have forgotten that Freeze was the only thing that allowed him to play football at a high level and that he himself was an adult at the time. Wallace posting about personal responsibility whilst blaming others for his lack of success was the epitome of irony. He might blame me for not making the NFL retroactively for writing this article.
It is all just noise. The only person I saw, and I am a bit proud of this, who acted with an ounce of maturity was one of the hosts on a podcast that Barner Supply sponsors. The Village Vice. Brad Law, on Sunday, was a lone voice of reason in a world of people and fans and hosts acting.... here it is.... immaturely... after a loss. Kudos to him. Now, for the hottest takes you don’t want to hear:
Auburn Football is not bad. They could and should easily be 4-0. Offensively and defensively the coaching scheme was solid. Hugh Freeze didn’t throw players under the bus. He told the truth. That is rare in this day in age. In both losses, there were awful decisions made by the players throwing and running with the football. Tell me I am wrong. You cannot. Fifty percent...5...0...% of the possessions in the two losses to Cal and Arkansas ended in turnovers. Ten turnovers. The ‘85 Bears couldn’t turn the ball over five times a game and win... Auburn kept it close. Ponder that for a moment.
Before you say that is a coaching issue, watching film, a couple of things jump out. Both quarterbacks are fine until they aren’t. The most shocking thing? Hank Brown made better choices out of the RPO game. The very first play Thorne came in the second half on Saturday he instantly made the wrong read. On designed pass plays, Hank looked a bit overwhelmed by the speed of the game against a bad Arkansas defense. He looked like a red-shirt freshman. Thorne looked better there. Be sure to also note, the venerable Cam Coleman, is a freshman doing freshmen things. If it isn’t a deep route, he is going through the motions. His blocking has been lost at best, and two balls that should have been caught bounced off him for tip-drill interceptions. That is not coaching or quarterback play. Hunter is averaging over seven yard per rush this year. Alston is averaging near eight! Both already fumbled twice. One going in for a score, the other costing the team a touchdown. KLS has looked awesome every game. He isn’t throwing it to himself. It is surprising how highly this offensive is ranked in most categories. They are just high on turnovers and low on points. Do you think Brown or Thorne throwing into triple coverage or guys that have been running with the football in their hands since they were toddlers putting the ball on the ground is a coaching issue? Sorry, that dog won’t hunt. Once the players get on the field its their job to execute. Our guys aren't. Yet.
I saw so many people complaining about rushing 3 and how awful that is that I had to laugh a few times. Ask yourself, when you rush three you can contain the quarterback, and you have all your speed on the field with the point being to not let anyone behind you, should their be receivers behind you? No. Not a scheme problem. So, in y'all's theory, we should have LESS people back and send more people to heat up a running quarterback that accounted for most of the rushing offense Arkansas had until the fourth quarter? Dumb. What does the film say? I am going to be just as honest as coach: It shows Keionte Scott not getting the job done. Repeatedly. He is a returning starter. Is that coaching? My thought is no. He begged and pleaded and messed up recruiting a bit to become the outside corner instead of the nickel back where he was strong. Coaches wanted to appease him and give him a shot. That is fair, he was solid for us last year. He has been out of place, getting beat like a rented mule this entire year.
They finally switched him back to nickel for the Arkansas game and he still couldn’t manage to not let people get behind him. That is not coaching, that is a player not accepting coaching. He is the one that made the mistake on the long third down where we rushed 3. That isn’t a scheme error. That is a perfect scheme that is messed up by one player. Add in his two punt return fumbles and you see why he was yanked off that as well. Key’s late hit on the QB to open the game defensively, giving Arkansas a first down they didn't earn. Is that coaching? No, that is a veteran player not being smart. The defense has been outstanding considering the time on the field, other than stupid penalties and inability to cover people on third down.
I am not here to beat up on any kids, just stating facts. They are paid and require money to stay now. That makes them professional. This has become the minor leagues for the NFL.
All facts that must be noted considering these guys are paid now. That is the difference. More and more coaches and reporters are going to call these “kids” out now on their performance issues because they are paid. Where it was bad taste before, now these kids are doing a job. If you mess up at your job who hears it?
Lastly, I keep hearing Freeze should have grabbed a quarterback in the portal. Apparently, no one listened to his explanation for why he didn’t. Which is a solid one. He wanted to use the funds available to build for the future recruits...and notice this bit: AUBURN WAS MORE THAN A QUARTERBACK away from a successful team. Still are. There are serious deficiencies of depth and talent on this team that are going to take a few years to fix. Which, when a fanbase acts as it has in the last few weeks, recruiting is getting harder as well. Seeing people trying to put Freeze on the hot seat when he has the best recruiting class in the history of the program working, well, that is just immature.
Payton Thorne was the wildcard. I know for a fact the dude looks like the second coming of Joe Burrow in practice all Fall camp. I would wager any one of us, seeing him perform in practice, would assume it would translate to games. It hasn’t. I have had many employees in my lifetime. I have been fooled a few times. I am sure you have been tricked by family and friends as well. It happens. Move on. We have what we have.
So, what now? That IS on the coaching.
What does Auburn do now? Do we narrow down to a mostly RPO offense that leans more run heavy to protect whichever quarterback we play? Do we just line up and run the dang ball and let the play action feed the receivers and protect the defense? What do we do about the anemically thin secondary? That Champ Bailey injury was catastrophic and tough to see, we send hopes for a speedy recovery and glad to hear his surgery went well. It is devastating to this secondary. How do they fix that? THOSE are the questions that will show how good this coaching staff is. THAT is the part that is at their feet. Can they keep this team together and get some surprise wins?
That is where I am going to defer to Brad Law: No more worrying about records. One week at a time.
Now, you might be wondering, what happens if Auburn pulls off some upsets in the next five games? Will you be prepared apparel-wise? That is why you need to head over to Barner Supply and pick up a polo and a hat or three. Also, give @BarnerSupply a follow on 𝕏 to keep up with the latest updates.
Matthew is an experienced sportswriter who has joined Barner Supply as the managing editor, bringing with him a rich background in sports journalism. With a career spanning major outlets like Sports Illustrated and ESPN, Matthew has built a reputation for insightful coverage of teams across the Southeast. His deep dives into the Auburn Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Memphis Grizzlies, and Tennessee Titans have earned him a loyal following, known for his sharp analysis and engaging storytelling. At Barner Supply, Matthew looks forward to continuing his tradition of excellence, delivering compelling stories and expert commentary to a more focused audience. He can be found on 𝕏 @Mindful_Legacy
