The Auburn Tigers might struggle in November, but one can say that even if they crash upon the rocks of their tough opponents in the home stretch, they have still overachieved this season.
By Matt Zemek
It’s clear that Bryan Harsin can coach in the SEC. He has made Auburn tough and disciplined. Players work well within the structure of the offense. Auburn was clearly more physical and muscular than Ole Miss this past weekend. Auburn’s defense has been steady and resilient, covering the offense when Bo Nix falters. Speaking of Bo Nix, though: He isn’t making backbreaking, soul-crushing mistakes this season, certainly not on the scale of last year. Auburn is a much better coached team, and Harsin is only just beginning to shape this program in his image. It’s a time for Auburn fans to be optimistic, regardless of what happens this next month… but this next month could catapult the Tigers to even greater heights. A win at Texas A&M would make the Iron Bowl against Alabama a hugely significant game in which AU has a real chance to win the SEC West.
Auburn is playing with house money here against A&M, and yet one can clearly say this is a high-stakes affair. Let’s see what the Plainsmen need to do.
1 – QB confrontation
Bo Nix and Zach Calzada were highly doubted, because they should have been. Both quarterbacks played some scratchy and flawed football earlier this year, but their coaches both pulled them out of their respective funks. The quarterback who stays on track wins the game, and the one who buckles under pressure will lose. If the quarterbacks are equal, we go to the other game keys as the separators between the two teams.
2 – Offensive line hanging tough
The Auburn offensive line is not a great line, but it has not allowed the Auburn offense to collapse. The Tigers have had a consistently functional and productive offense – nothing spectacular, but instructively, nothing inept. Auburn was smothered by Georgia, but then again, every team is getting smothered by Georgia. Against non-Georgia SEC teams, Auburn’s offense has not been shut down. That’s better than some of the more pessimistic views expressed by fans and analysts before the season began. A 27-point game isn’t special or worthy of a parade, but if Auburn can score 27, the Tigers should expect to be in the hunt until the very end, because:
3 – DBs covering A&M pass catchers
A&M exposed Alabama’s defense. Jimbo Fisher was able to continuously find openings against Alabama’s secondary. Auburn just kept Ole Miss’s offense in check and didn’t give up big plays. If Auburn can at least score in the high 20s (if not the low 30s), Auburn’s defense – which has been steadily good this year – can stand tall and flummox Zach Calzada.
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