Auburn went from being the hottest team in the country to experiencing a sudden downturn.

This picture gives a pretty good indication of how that happened:

The Tigers have been ravaged by injuries, with 14 players — not including quarterback Sean White, who is questionable — having already been declared out against Alabama A&M this week.

When you add the projected redshirts and former walk-ons who have earned scholarships, that’s more than 25 percent of the roster gone in the final stage of the season.

That could help explains Auburn’s late-season slide. The Tigers barely edged four-win Vanderbilt at home before losing at Georgia 13-7 last Saturday.

The absence of star running back Kamryn Pettway coupled with White’s injury were what many believed doomed Auburn in Athens. But after a closer look, it’s clear the entire roster is hurting right now.