If Auburn improves enough to win a high percentage of its SEC games in 2015, few will remember the poor performance against Jacksonville State in Week 2.

That’s a big “if” as of Sunday. The Tigers look sluggish at best on offense. Jeremy Johnson is a threat to lead the SEC in interceptions. And the defense already is facing health issues.

RELATED: Associated Press Top 25 | Coaches Poll Top 25

Still, Saturday’s overtime win against the Gamecocks counts as a ‘W,’ and Auburn (2-0) enters SEC play next week as an unbeaten. So at least the bottom line remains in tact.

Voters penalized coach Gus Malzahn’s Tigers for the narrow escape against a likely FCS playoff team. Auburn plummeted eight spots in the Coaches Poll, an extraordinary dive following a win. The team even remained behind the Pac-12’s Oregon, which lost on the road to Michigan State.

Auburn also fell 12 spots in the Associated Press poll, just behind Texas A&M.

More important to Auburn is getting the team performing at a higher level. Next week’s game at LSU has potential to boost the team back into the top 10 or perhaps drop them from the top 25 altogether. That’s not to mention how much pressure an 0-1 start to the SEC schedule would heap onto the team if it is to retain its SEC West title hopes.

The two Tigers teams will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET in Death Valley.