- This is actually the first of two bye weeks each SEC team gets this year. The next one for Auburn will be at the very end of the season before the Bama game. This one however comes at a good time after four games played and a tough road loss. It also comes before Auburn's now most important game of the season after winning against Mississippi State. As a buddy reminded me last week, a successful Auburn season (since the SEC went to divisions) begins with beating both Mississippi teams. It seems extra important this year with every team jockeying for position in the SEC West.
- This game looks like it is going to be a very entertaining shootout with lots of storylines. It is unbelievable that CBS passed on this game to show Georgia whip a troubled Tennessee team. I mean are the ratings really going to be better for that game? Georgia beating LSU was an awesome game and Georgia is shaping up to be the best in the East however Tennessee is awful. They barely got by South Alabama last week and played an extremely ugly game against Florida on CBS two weeks ago (???). I just do not understand it.
- Meanwhile Auburn and Ole Miss, while not contenders both come into the game at 3-1 with some decent wins between them. Both have similar coaches with similar stories that run similar offenses. Both offenses should put up some points in this game. I think it is going to be a shootout considering the defenses. I give Ole Miss the edge at quarterback but I think Auburn has the better running game. The big question is will be which team can get some all-important stops from their defense in the critical situations.
- Auburn expects to get several injured players back on defense. Cornerback Chris Davis would be the most important return. However while Davis and any additional depth is good it kind of cracks me up how some of these Auburn sites make it sound like they are the difference in Auburn having the best defense in the country. Auburn's defense fully healthy has not been that good at any point in the last three seasons. In fact, as Ryan Black from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer pointed out a few days ago...
"After four games, the Tigers find themselves right where they left off last season: Near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in every major defensive category. Auburn is allowing 439.5 yards per game, which ranks ahead of only Texas A&M in the 14-team SEC. The Tigers also rank 13th in pass defense (267.5) and are just slightly better in the rushing department, giving up 172 yards per game, which is 12th-most in the league."
- So people can analyze and talk about how great certain units and players are but the defense as a whole is simply not getting it done. The games looming against Texas A&M, Georgia and Bama are frightening when you think about how many points they are going to score against Auburn. It is really hard as a long time Auburn fan having to watch bad to mediocre defenses for so long. It seems the last time Auburn had a decently rated defense was in 2007, Will Muschamp's last year as defensive coordinator.
- On the flip side, an Auburn win this weekend would give the Tigers and Gus Malzahn a real shot at eight wins. Auburn should have a great chance to win at Arkansas and Tennessee after watching how those two teams played the last two weeks. This is what all the super positive people have been predicting and wanting from this season. I think it would be great as well although watching us to lose to Georgia and Bama again at home will significantly downgrade the experience. However I think if Auburn gets to a bowl, a lot of Auburn fans will be happy and all the other Auburn sites will point to our glorious guaranteed future. I have also stated that is about the best we can hope for from this year. All that kind of talk though ends for me next year, Auburn has to beat one or more of LSU, Georgia or Bama.
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