While Auburn’s football team was secure and steady on Saturday, Mississippi was reckless from the top down. That resulted in a 31-20 win for the Tigers and further bolstered Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin as a coach on the rise.

As for Ole Miss, the Rebels seemed far too desperate in the fourth quarter. There were two questionable play calls in which head coach Lane Kiffin chose to go for it on fourth down instead of kicking field goals that would have put more pressure on the Tigers and closed the deficit to less than a touchdown. Kiffin opted to go for it. Harsin wouldn’t have.

Remember, Ole Miss was hamstrung by injuries to its receiving corps. However, their response was the exact opposite as you would expect. Instead of finding other ways to move the offensive consistently and control the ball, Ole Miss kept forcing the ball down the field. That didn’t work. On one occasion, that approach even resulted in an interception thrown in the end zone by quarterback Matt Corral. Harsin wouldn’t have put one of his players in that position with the game very much still on the line.

The contrast between Ole Miss and Auburn was stunning and should make Tiger fans very optimistic about the future.

As much as anyone in the nation, Harsin is getting the most out of his team by limiting the real-time decisions that Bo Nix has to make. Auburn is staying dedicated to the running game and is just multiple enough on the defensive front to keep opposing offenses on their heels. Harsin might not be a trick-play, razzle dazzle coach but he has his team playing hard and disciplined. That was the case against Ole Miss. There’s no reason to think that won’t continue in Auburn’s final month of the season.

Auburn will play at Texas A&M on Saturday, then the Tigers will host a resurging Mississippi State team, play a pitiful South Carolina team on the road before finishing the regular season against Alabama at home. Aside from The Iron Bowl, that’s a pretty favorable schedule. Anything less than 3-1 in that stretch would be disappointing.

Again, Harsin has proven he has gotten his players to buy into his system quickly. That can be a little bit easier when a new coach is unveiling a new innovative offense, but that’s not what Harsin is doing. Harsin has an old-school approach that opponents aren’t ready for, especially on offense. Running the ball is key for Auburn as the Tigers play defenses who have been built to defend the pass in this throw-early-and-often era of football.

Playing Auburn means you’ll feel it the next day. The Tigers have a physical team, especially on offense. That can wear down a defense over the course of a game. Auburn plays better later in the game. That’s because opposing players can only take so much.

The only thing that could consistently stop Auburn’s offense was the questionable cramping that Ole Miss’ defense has routinely been accused of. I can’t blame Ole Miss for using that approach since it’s not against the rules. However, the SEC has to step in during the offseason and find some way of eliminating questionable injuries. No one in the nation is better at taking advantage of a rule loophole than Kiffin.

From what we’ve seen in Harsin’s first season, there is no question that Auburn will be a stable program. Will they be championship level or even dominant one day? That’s pretty difficult to predict, especially while Auburn has one of the worst recruiting classes in the SEC. Look for that to change soon with the first National Signing Day just a few weeks away on Dec. 15. As long as Auburn doesn’t bottom out in its final four games, the Tigers figure to improve dramatically in recruiting.

The most exciting thing for Auburn fans is what Harsin’s offense might look like if he recruits well. Harsin would surely love to have a quarterback of his own choosing as opposed to Bo Nix’s erratic play. Auburn could also use some more playmakers at receiver to stretch the field and make the Tigers more explosive. Another star or two would also help the defense.

Is Auburn ready to beat Alabama, win an SEC title or a national championship in 2021? Probably not. Would it be a surprise if Auburn became one of those programs that is always knocking on the door of the College Football Playoff? Not at all.

It seems impossible that Auburn would ever reach the kind of dominance that their in-state rival, Alabama, has achieved. That’s a generational sort of thing. However, there’s nothing wrong with being a consistent contender. Eventually, you’ll likely break through and win a title if you give yourself enough opportunities.

That’s what Auburn will likely do under Harsin. They won’t be historically dominant but the Tigers will have chances to win conference and national championships as long as they keep on playing secure and steady football.