Auburn finally has its first SEC win. If anything, the victory over Kentucky last Thursday has soothed the hearts of War Eagle Nation, which may have run riot if their team had fallen to the Wildcats. Say what you want about Kentucky being an improved team, and a tougher team (all true). Deep down, people still know that if you’re in the SEC trying to win a championship, you don’t lose to Kentucky.

The bigger question surrounding the Kentucky victory is if it’s a turning point in Auburn’s season. At the end of the year, will we be looking back to Week 7 to say that game was the confidence booster that propelled Auburn to finish strong?

From where we are now, the answer to that question depends on a few things:

1. Sean White’s confidence: Auburn’s new quarterback had a solid performance against Kentucky. He didn’t throw for any touchdowns, but he also didn’t throw any interceptions. Going 17-for-27 for 255 yards are stats that any SEC quarterback would like to produce. But the biggest conclusion these numbers give us is that the quarterback has finally become involved in the Auburn offense again. The combination of Jeremy Johnson’s sad start and White’s inexperience made coaches afraid to give the quarterback any real responsibility other than just handing the ball off. Now the coaches need to build off the example set at Kentucky. Take the passing plays and situations in which White was successful and continue to set up him for success.

2. Playing a full 60 minutes of football, instead of just a half: At Kentucky, Auburn’s play in the second half left something to be desired. The offense struggled to get a drive together, and the defense allowed the team to be outscored. This is completely different from the Auburn team that started the game and scored 14 points in the first quarter alone. The Tigers clearly had a lot of energy for a half of football, but not enough for a full game.

3. Building a culture around the defense: When looking at total yardage against Kentucky, Auburn’s defense seems weak. The Tigers gave up 359 passing yards and 497 total yards. However, the Tigers defense had a strong first half – complete with an interception by Carlton Davis – and stiffened up when it counted towards the end of the game, denying Kentucky a chance to take back the lead. Will Muschamp has to build on this positive momentum to create the culture of strength and toughness that surrounds every great defense. Look no further than the defense he was coaching last year as an example. Right now, Florida’s defense has a swagger that intimidates and the same attitude needs to develop at Auburn.

4. The rest of Auburn’s schedule: Most of how Auburn chooses to finish the season is within its own control. However, you still have to take into account what the opponents still down the road bring to the table. After all, an easy schedule can make any team look like a winning machine. Auburn, unfortunately, has not been blessed with an easy schedule. Still on the docket are SEC games against Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama. Any one of those teams have the ability to lay the Tigers low.

From what we know about Auburn now, do we think they will be able to win out this year? No. Are any of the Tigers’ remaining games sure-fire wins? Only Idaho, the nonconference game the week before the Iron Bowl, is a sure W. But the more likely scenario is Auburn will drop at least two more games. And it could be even more.

That begs a new question: What is Auburn’s goal for its season now? Is it to beat at least three of its five remaining SEC opponents? Is it to just beat Bama? Depending on what the expectation is, Auburn is definitely on the road to a strong finish. As to what the end of the road should look like for the Tigers now, we’ll leave that to the fans to decide.