Paul Finebaum attempts to project the number of wins for Bryan Harsin in 2021
By Keith Farner
Published:
Auburn’s Bryan Harsin is believed by some to have the best chance of the first-year coaches in the SEC to have the most successful season this year. Much of that thinking is fueled by his head coaching experience, and the SEC experience of his coordinators, Mike Bobo and Derek Mason.
SEC Network host Paul Finebaum has weighed in with a win total.
“I think seven (wins) is the number a lot of people are landing on with Auburn,” Finebaum said this week, per 247Sports. “To me the losses are easy to figure out. The losses are Penn State, Georgia, Alabama, you start there … at LSU is four and at A&M is five. Then will they be able to navigate at Arkansas and a couple hard home games? Seven? I don’t know. Some of It depends on other schools. I’m not overly optimistic and that is not a shot at Bryan Harsin, it’s a shot at what Gus Malzahn left behind.”
ESPN’s FPI projects Auburn to have 6.9 wins. That total pegs the Tigers behind Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Mississippi State and Florida among SEC teams.
However the season shakes out, Harsin still has some long-term questions, according to Finebaum.
“I don’t know whether this is going to work or not, I’m just being straight,” Finebaum said. “For this to work, he has to show he can recruit, otherwise we’re wasting our time. Do I think he’s a good coach ? Yes, there’s no question. This is a really smart coach and I like his demeanor. We’ve talked to him five or six times.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
