There are a lot of issues on full display on the Plains. Head coach Bryan Harsin is under scrutiny for the product on and off the field. After struggling with San Jose State of the Mountain West and Penn State of the Big Ten, the Tigers don’t look anywhere near what was expected.
Going into the 2022 season the offense was a huge question mark as expected. There was a mass exodus that included the leading passer and leading receiver transferring out of the program. Legacy quarterback Bo Nix left for the Oregon Ducks and Kobe Hudson decided to reunite with former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn at Central Florida.
This left the offense looking for answers. Neither T.J. Finley nor former Oregon QB Robby Ashford has provided any consistency at the position. Finley was benched against Mercer after two interceptions and again during the Penn State game in favor of Ashford. Much like the starter, the backup has one touchdown and multiple interceptions.
Much like the offensive unit, the defensive side has struggled with creating pressure on the opposing quarterbacks or even creating a single turnover. With an offense that is inconsistent they needed the strength of their team to create more opportunities and that just hasn’t happened. The defense gave up five rushing touchdowns, 245 yards rushing, and 6.3 yards per attempt against Penn State. They were absolutely gashed while being outscored 27-6 in the final 30 minutes of the game.
Simply put, the product on the field hasn’t been good. The team still has all of their goals in front of them as SEC play opens on Saturday, but how confident should you be? We know all about the play on the field but it might be worse on the recruiting trail.
The Athletic recently wrote about the trails in the state of Alabama (subscription required), which didn’t paint the Auburn head coach in a very good light. During the offseason, the head coach spoke about making a stronger effort in the state of Alabama. But was it all talk to get some heat off of him? It would appear so.
At SEC media days the embattled head coach had a one-word message for the recruits looking at the Plains, “watch.” Unfortunately for him, they have been, and as we stated previously it hasn’t been a fun experience.
As far as the Athletic’s report, anonymous head coaches from the state have stated that they haven’t seen or heard from Harsin.
I gotta be careful because I don’t want to get hung out here, but Bryan Harsin hasn’t been to our school. He’s never been here. That’s been a surprise. They’ve got a lot of outstanding recruiters on their staff, though. I think that (Harsin) has put together a good staff. But I don’t know the head coach there. – Mobile Area Coach
When asked about the difference between Alabama and Auburn, the answers focused on the latter not being aggressive enough. One coach said that Auburn isn’t working the trails at every opportunity as Alabama does.
It isn’t only “watching” that needs to be done, they need to get in front of the recruits and it doesn’t appear that is happening enough. Bringing in a head coach from Boise State seems to be blowing up in their faces. If you need proof look at the product on the field and Auburn’s No. 54 recruiting class (247Sports), No. 51 (Rivals) and No. 32 (On3). The lowest that Auburn has seen since 2004 (No. 30).
At this point, it is just a matter of time before there is a move made. Given how it has looked on and off the field, the sooner might be the better for War Eagle.
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