All kinds of questions naturally arise when a new head coach takes over a program. It’s no different at Auburn, where Bryan Harsin steps in to try his hand at taking the Tigers to the next level.
Where does one begin? Well, let’s start with Harsin and work our way down. Here are 5 of the biggest concerns I have for Auburn football heading into the 2021 season.
1. The new coach
Auburn decided to go in a different direction and fired Gus Malzahn after 8 seasons. Inconsistency, not enough offense, too many losses, for whatever the reason, Auburn’s decision-makers had seen enough of Malzahn.
Maybe familiarity does indeed breed contempt, who knows? But in this what-have-you-done-for-me-lately life that we live in, 1 national championship appearance in 8 years just wasn’t good enough. Not in a division in a conference with Nick Saban, even if you occasionally beat him.
And let’s face it, that is the measuring stick. Everyone is chasing Saban and the Alabama program. Ironically, Malzahn probably did it best over those 8 seasons. He was 3-5 against Saban, beating Alabama’s coach more times than had any other in college football over that span.
But that’s water under the bridge, it’s Harsin’s program now. And maybe Auburn hierarchy is hoping history repeats itself. Terry Bowden’s Auburn squad went undefeated in his first year replacing the legendary Pat Dye, and Gene Chizik’s 2010 team went 14-0 and won the national championship in just his second season at Auburn. Malzahn himself took the Tigers to the 2013 national title game in his first year.
Here’s the rub: No offense, but what does a fella born and raised in Idaho know about football in the SEC? Sure Boise State is a quality program, one of the best in Group of 5, but it’s small potatoes compared with the country’s most elite conference.
Harsin is billed as somewhat of a guru when it comes to offense, and offense, they say, sells the tickets. Seems like we heard the same song and dance when Malzahn was brought on board to replace the slumping Chizik. Auburn was 9th in the SEC in scoring last year while over in the Mountain West Conference, under Harsin, Boise State finished 1st or 2nd in scoring each of the past 4 seasons.
Will that translate to the SEC? Well, that’s the concern. That and the fact that in the 7 seasons at Boise State, the Broncos finished in the Top 20 just once. He has a lot to prove in the SEC and he’d better do it in a hurry. Historically, at Auburn, the window of opportunity extends no further than the second year there.
2. Is Bo Nix the answer?
Nix has had 2 years to prove himself. In both seasons, he finished 7th in the SEC in average passing yards per game, and 9th both years in QB rating. That’s not exactly the progress one would expect from a full-time starter. Will Harsin solve that puzzle?
With LSU transfer quarterback TJ Finley breathing down his neck, Nix will have to improve just to keep his starting spot.
Granted the offensive line was a hot mess last season, replacing 4 of 5 starters from the previous year. But if Harsin, a quarterback at Boise State, and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, also a quarterback and highly-regarded longtime OC at Georgia, can’t tap into Nix’s talents — which are plentiful — nobody can.
3. Offensive line
Speaking of that hot mess, the Tigers have a new o-line coach and a new approach to each snap of the football. Will Friend comes to Auburn from Tennessee after stints with Georgia and Colorado State. The SEC experience will be extremely helpful. Reading and reacting to what the defense does is one big change the line will be adjusting to. Last season, the group was expected to simply carry out their respective assignments regardless.
“One of the things we were lacking was football IQ,” said center Nick Brahms, 1 of 8 returning players who started on the o-line in 2020. The redshirt senior will be starting for the 3rd consecutive season at Auburn.
He anchors a more experienced o-line that figures to be more active and athletic in 2021. They’ll be more versatile as well with players being moved around in the trenches during fall camp so that Friend can get a good look at each player’s strengths as well as building depth along the front.
4. How big of an impact will the loss of Tyrone Truesdell have
In a word: enormous.
The 5th-year defensive tackle played in 41 games at Auburn, starting the past 2 seasons, and had become a leader on that side of the football.
Harsin announced on Aug. 10 that, “As of right now, he’s not part of this football team.” Harsin added that Truesdell would not return this fall.
He was to be the Tigers’ most experienced defensive lineman, leaving new defensive coordinator and former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason in a lurch. Having already lost Big Kat Bryant to the transfer portal, reuniting with Malzahn at UCF, Mason is faced with the formidable challenge of putting together a defensive front as stout as last year’s.
Good luck with that.
5. Who will emerge at WR?
You don’t lose your top 3 receivers to the NFL and not feel it. So, what’s left? Well, if you add it all up the Tigers have a combined returning receiving corps that produced a grand total of 23 pass receptions last year for 311 yards and 2 TDs. Plus, their two most experienced receivers, Shedrick Jackson and Ze’Vian Capers, saw limited action during the spring because of injuries.
Yikes!
All eyes are on Georgia transfer Demetris Robertson. He caught 30 passes for 333 yards and 3 TDs in 2019 for the Bulldogs and was their 3rd-leading receiver. But after just 12 catches for 110 yards last season, the former 5-star recruit and top-rated receiver in the country in the 2016 Class felt it was time for another change. And what an opportunity he will have at Auburn.
But he can’t do it alone. He’ll need help at the position or else see double teams throughout the 2021 season. Should be interesting to see how it plays out with this group.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
