Gus Malzahn is overrated. Someone had to say it. So far this season through 10 games, Auburn is ranked 84th in total offense. With the talent Malzahn has to work with, the production has been unacceptable.
Granted, Auburn is a youthful team. But with talent like running backs Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb, wide receiver Emory Blake and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, there is no way Auburn should be behind Bowling Green, Middle Tennessee State and Ball State in total offense.
Malzahn is not living up to his $1.3 million yearly salary. Is he a capable offensive coordinator? Yes. Is he the "genius" he has been labeled after only a few seasons at the collegiate level? No.
Malzahn came to Arkansas in 2006 after he had taken two different Arkansas high schools to new heights with his spread attack offense.
He had one of the most gifted athletes I have ever seen in Darren McFadden at running back, along with future NFL pros in Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis. He had success.
Malzahn rode the publicity of the hot, new offensive attack to the offensive coordinator job at Tulsa. Yep, Tulsa. After the marriage between Malzahn and head coach Houston Nutt ended so bitterly, Malzahn left for Conference-USA powerhouse Tulsa.
There, Malzahn's high school offense shined.
He finished in the top three in offense both years with the Hurricanes. He parlayed that into one of the most high-profile jobs in the SEC, offensive coordinator at Auburn.
His first year here, he took Chris Todd and made him into a capable quarterback, just not in his offense. The 2009 Tigers were so hindered by Todd's lack of arm strength, that they relied on running back Ben Tate to be the focal point of the offense, which opened things up for Todd.
Auburn jumped from 110th to 17th in total scoring, and the offense was a drastic improvement over the failed Tony Franklin experiment of 2008.
In 2010, Auburn was dominating on offense because of Cameron Newton. Malzahn tailored his entire offense to this once-in-a-lifetime talent and rode Newton the entire season.
Auburn's offense set many records in 2010, but it wasn't running Gus Malzahn's offense. It was letting the best player in the nation run the ball off tackle over and over again to beat the defense into submission.
So far in 2011, this has been Gus Malzahn's offense only for the second time in the SEC without an all-world talent at his disposal. And it's been pathetic.
What seemed like genius earlier has now turned dunce.
1st and 10, Dyer off tackle for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, McCalebb sweep for 4 yards. 3rd and 2, incomplete bubble screen and a punt.
Malzahn's response to his third-down playcalling? "I try to be unpredictable."
Well, you succeeded, Gus. But you didn't get the first down.
Jay Wisner should never be blocking on the quick screen to the slot receiver. He can't block. And that's nothing Wisner can necessarily help; he's just 160 pounds.
On top of that, the quick screen to the slot receiver has lost more yards than it's gained this year.
But Malzahn doesn't care, because throwing it 15 times a half will set the defense up for something in the second half- when the Tigers are down by 21.
Malzahn's offense is simply this: speed sweep to McCalebb, off tackle to Dyer, the bubble screen or a trick play.
This isn't sandlot football--this is the SEC. The reverse statue of liberty worked once. The double reverse worked once. Defensive coordinators watch film. They know your playbook; they know your tendencies. And it's showed.
Against Georgia, Auburn moved the ball on one drive. And that was a result of a trick play. Auburn scored on one drive. And that was on a reverse pass.
I hate to say it, but Alabama's defense is more talented at every position than Georgia's. It might get 2008 ugly.
Malzahn is meticulous with his planning, preparation and focus on the little things. But it seems like he forgets the big picture sometimes.
This 2011 Auburn offensive unit has potential to be as successful as the 2009 team, but it won't because Gus is set on running his high school offense.
Sure, we don't have a quarterback, but neither do LSU or Alabama. What do they do? They tailor their offense to their playmakers. Alabama has a mediocre, young quarterback, but two electric running backs. So they run the ball constantly and lead the league in rushing this year.
Why can't we do the same with Dyer and McCalebb?
But we are slowly finding that Gus isn't quite the genius he appears when he doesn't have a Heisman trophy finalist in the backfield.
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