Here’s some quick thoughts on Auburn’s overtime bowl loss to Wisconsin, 34-31.

What it means: Auburn’s overtime loss to Wisconsin continues a rough two-day stretch for the SEC, and specifically for the SEC West. The Tigers’ defeat marks the third consecutive bowl loss for the SEC West, and frankly, Wisconsin looked sharper than Auburn for the majority of the game.

What I liked: Auburn’s relentless never-say-die attitude. Several times throughout the game, Wisconsin reeled off time consuming and very physical scoring drives, thanks to a dominant rushing attack. But time after time, Auburn answered and stayed in the game and eventually took the lead with just a few minutes remaining. Give a lot of credit to the Tigers for not quitting and taking advantage of their scoring opportunities, despite getting pushed around for much of the game.

What I didn’t like: Tackling. If there’s one area where Auburn noticeably struggled it was tackling the Wisconsin running backs. I understand that Melvin Gordon is an elite talent, so it’s already difficult to bring him down, but the tackling from the Tigers was just atrocious. Too many times, Wisconsin gained extra, unnecessary yards because Auburn couldn’t wrap up. This led to Wisconsin putting up 521 total yards of offense on Auburn, making it easy to believe why the Tigers went after Will Muschamp to take over as defensive coordinator following the conclusion of the 2014 season.

Who’s the man: Quarterback Nick Marshal stood out the most for the Auburn Tigers in their bowl loss. In addition to racking up 217 passing yards and two touchdowns, Marshall had several pretty throws where displayed great arm strength and pinpoint accuracy. Arguably his best throw of the game came on a deep ball to Ricardo Louis for a 66-yard touchdown. Marshall hit Louis perfectly in stride as the wideout was able to get behind multiple Wisconsin defenders.

Key play: Daniel Carlson’s missed 45-yard FG in overtime. The freshman went just 1-for-3 in the Outback Bowl with his only make coming from 51 yards out. His missed FG in overtime clinched the win for Wisconsin.

What’s next: Auburn loses several key offensive players this offseason including Nick Marshall, Cameron Artis-Payne and Sammie Coates. Fortunately for the Tigers, Auburn’s got another solid recruiting class coming in and the addition of Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator should go a long way in shoring up Auburn’s defensive deficiencies.