Every issue present in Auburn’s first 2 games against sub-par competition shows up in their P5 opener, and the results could not have been worse.
There was plenty of speculation after Auburn’s first 2 underwhelming games against FCS foe Mercer and G5 foe San Jose St, respectively. The offense turned the ball over, the defense couldn’t force any turnovers, and what could have been chalked up to early season cleanup can now be attributed to an alarming pattern of inadequacy for this Auburn Football team.
There’s plenty of blame to be spread around, and no position group or coach should be exempt from it. In fact, this is the first time Auburn has looked completely inept under Bryan Harsin, leaving those bullish on the coach and the change he’s represented to start to taking a different view of the situation. While his common sense message of toughness, preparation, and maturity have been refreshing for team that had grown to look anything but over the years prior to Harsin’s hiring, the disconnect between that message and the on-field product has grown wider.
This team, like most teams, take on the persona of their coach. And Coach Harsin knows how to say the right things. And the team knows how to say the right things. […] I’m not seeing it on the field. I’m not seeing the press conference translate to the field. And that’s a problem for me.
– Ike Jones on The Auburn Express Podcast
While the home beatdown to Penn St isn’t the end of the season – literally or figuratively – it is the first sign of trouble for a staff that looked to own its identity and be completely autonomous for the first time since Gus Malzahn was shown the door. Is this result indicative of what happens when Harsin is in full-control? Or is it part of the last gasps of mediocrity as he remakes the program in his image?
You can catch more conversations like these from The War Rapport on The Auburn Express Podcast, updated every weekday.