White? Franklin? Johnson? QB again a question for Auburn ahead of Alabama
The regular-season finale could look very similar to the opener for Auburn, meaning we have no idea what to expect at quarterback.
With starter Sean White unable to play due to a shoulder injury, plus John Franklin III not enough of a passing threat running the offense, the long-since-forgotten-about Jeremy Johnson started in Week 12 against lowly Alabama State.
The senior was quite effective — on Senior Day, no less, making it even more special — in a 55-0 whitewashing of the Bulldogs, completing 14-of-19 passes for 147 yards, adding 42 more as a rusher and totaling 3 touchdowns. As a team, the Tigers ran for 451 yards and had five players post a run of at least 17.
However, A&M is 4-7 at the FCS level. Saturday’s opponent, hated Alabama, is 11-0 and No. 1 in every poll that matters.
Back in Week 1, with then-No. 2 Clemson coming to The Plains, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn employed a half-baked rotation of White, Franklin and Johnson. They combined to go 15-of-30 for 175 yards with 0 TDs and 2 INTs in a 19-13 defeat.
Admitting afterward that he may have gotten too cute for his own good — the QBs seemed to shuttle on and off the field with no particular pattern — Malzahn stuck with White at the controls and got the Tigers back into contention for the West. For a good portion of the campaign, White was the top-rated passer in the SEC.
But the bum shoulder not only took White (below) out of the lineup, it may have cost Auburn a chance to win the division.
Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
He was unable play in the first half against Vanderbilt. With Franklin struggling mightily vs. the Commodores, White took over in the second half and helped engineer a 23-16 come-from-behind win at a nervous Jordan-Hare Stadium.
A week later, he reinjured the shoulder early in the Georgia game and had his worst outing of the season — 6-of-20 for 27 yards — as a result. Leading 7-0 at intermission, White was picked off early in the third quarter. Said pick was returned for a score, which catapulted the Bulldogs to a 13-7 upset between the hedges.
Even after White sat out the Alabama A&M game, Tigers offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee isn’t yet sure who will start against the Crimson Tide.
“I don’t know yet,” Lashlee said, according to AL.com. “We’ll see probably more tonight and tomorrow maybe where Sean is in the process and try to make a call at least on our end earlier in the week so we can prepare the way we need to. But I wouldn’t rule any of them out right now.”
While White was able to compete against UGA, he was obviously limited to some degree. He came into that game a 69.1-percent passer averaging 9.1 yards per attempt. Against the Dawgs, those figures dipped to 30 and 1.4, respectively.
“You want to know, one, can he play and play at a high level?” Lashlee said. “It’s one thing to say, ‘OK he can throw the ball.’ But can he play at a level we need him to be able to play at and that he needs to be able to play at to be at his best?”
Georgia put together a spirited effort defensively against White and Co., even holding Auburn’s trademark ground assault to 127 yards on 32 carries. The Bulldogs have some talent on that side of the ball, but nothing like what ‘Bama will feature in Tuscaloosa. The Tide are second nationally in both total defense and scoring defense.
“I think the second thing is he’s got to be able to protect himself,” Lashlee said. “So, again, we’re going to make the best decision for him, first of all, health-wise, and then, second of all, for our team.”
Malzahn gave the media zero notice that Franklin (below) would start the Vandy contest instead of White, so don’t expect any sort of formal announcement.
Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
“That’s just a decision we’ll make here in the next couple of days,” Lashlee said.
The decision has many layers beyond White’s health status, too. If White is indeed unable to play, then Malzahn must make up his mind between Franklin and Johnson. Franklin has been the primary backup — and occasional change of pace — this season, but Johnson got the nod this past Saturday. Is Johnson the default starter again?
“It’s probably too early to say anything to that magnitude,” Lashlee said. “John has obviously been repping in the backup spot all year. Yeah, you haven’t seen him throw it as much. Sometimes that because he’s such a good guy running the football that it eliminates some of those things. We’ve got confidence in him to do that, and then we’ll just see where Sean is.”
Never underestimate the value of state pride and calendar-year bragging rights, but it’s fair to questions the Tigers’ motivation.
Had they been able to handle UGA in Athens, they’d be alive in the West. A conference title would still be on the table. A national championship would still be on the table. But losing to the Dawgs eliminated all of the above.
Additionally, Auburn doesn’t have much of a chance to play spoiler, either. Alabama is the only undefeated program in America from a Power 5 league. Unanimous No. 1 in the AP Poll, unanimous No. 1 in the Coaches Poll — soon to be No. 1 in the CFP rankings again, as well. The Crimson Tide’s résumé would survive a loss to its chief rival.
Still, the Iron Bowl is a championship all its own. Football isn’t religion in the Yellowhammer State. It’s much more important than that.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
