10/28/22 Auburn Articles

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swtimes.com

 

Arkansas football at Auburn: Scouting report, score prediction for road test

Christina Long

4-5 minutes

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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football is going for its first road win over Auburn in a decade when the Razorbacks face the Tigers on Saturday. Arkansas hasn't beaten Auburn at all since 2015, and it hasn't won at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2012.

Both Arkansas (4-3, 1-3 SEC) and Auburn (3-4, 1-3) had last week off and will enter the contest fresh. Auburn has struggled mightily this season. Off-field conflict with coach Bryan Harsin and lackluster on-field performance have combined for a disappointing year so far in Auburn. But all of Auburn's four losses have come against ranked teams, and some have been close.

Here's a look at how Arkansas and Auburn will match up on Saturday (11 a.m. CT, SECN).

WEEK OFF:Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman optimistic about injuries after open week

MORE:Arkansas football restructured practices. It worked vs. BYU but what about rest of season?

Auburn's defense presents key weakness

If you take a look at Auburn's pass defense numbers, the Tigers don't look half bad. They rank fourth in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game. But when you look at its run defense numbers, it all makes more sense. Teams don't need to pass much against Auburn; they can run all over the Tigers.

Auburn's run defense is the worst in the SEC and ranks No. 119 out of 131 nationally. The Tigers allow about 204 rushing yards per game.

That's not a recipe for success against Arkansas. Raheim Sanders has been a consistently strong running back, averaging about 125 rushing yards per game on his own.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson should have plenty of room to run against Auburn, too. Arkansas' offense has been relatively balanced this season, but if Auburn's defense is letting the Razorbacks run, Jefferson is one more threat to do so.

Arkansas' secondary might catch a break

The best piece of news for Arkansas coming out of its week off was coach Sam Pittman's optimism about the health of the secondary. The Razorbacks expect to have safety Khari Johnson and corner Jayden Johnson back. Pittman was also hopeful but not yet certain that corner Malik Chavis and starting nickel Myles Slusher could play Saturday.

Auburn is as good an opponent as any for Arkansas' newly healthy defensive backs to face. The Tigers are next-to-last in the SEC in passing offense and average about 207 passing yards per game. They've waffled between TJ Finley and Robby Ashford at quarterback, but as a team, the Tigers are tied for the league lead in interceptions with 10 and have the SEC's worst completion percentage.

Don't be surprised if Arkansas' secondary looks vastly improved against Auburn now that it has some of its depth back, but remember that it's facing one of the worst passing attacks it will see all season.

Tigers' running game improving

For all the problems Auburn has in its passing game, its run game has shown flashes. The Tigers have struggled in the ground game against SEC opponents. In its last game against No. 9 Ole Miss, however, Auburn put up a season-high 301 rushing yards on 48 attempts.

Running backs Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter are the names to know on the Auburn offense. Arkansas' defense will have to prevent the Tigers from finding a rhythm in the run game and keep Bigsby and Hunter from finding holes like they did against Ole Miss.

Score prediction

Arkansas 35, Auburn 28 — Arkansas will rely on its strong running game to get out ahead of Auburn. On the other side of the ball, the Razorbacks' solid defensive front will limit the Tigers' talented runners enough to get the win.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Southwest Times Record and USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@swti

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Harsin says off-week good for recruiting and recharging his football team

Mark Murphy

6-7 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama–Bryan Harsin said on Thursday night that his football team is having a good week of practice on the heels of the coaching staff having a good week on the recruiting trail. Auburn was off last week as it prepares for play Arkansas on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CDT for a game that will be televised on the SEC Network. Like the Tigers, Arkansas was off last week.

Commenting on his team on the Tiger Talk radio show about the off week, Harsin said, “Number one, you get a chance to go back and look at the things you have done well and haven’t done well. Really, the self-scout is one of the biggest things you take out of that bye week just from a stats standpoint.

“Then, the players have a chance just to get healthy, especially later in the year like we have right now,” said Harsin, whose team is trying to snap a three-game losing streak. Auburn is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC. Arkansas is 1-3 in the league and 4-3 overall.

The coach said the staff is giving younger players a chance to get more reps in practice this week to keep the front line players rested and ready to go for the final five games on the schedule. Harsin, whose teams at Arkansas State, Boise State and Auburn are 9-1 following bye weeks, said that resting the players and self-scouting are big reasons for that record.

“We have seen that in practice, we are more fresh, guys are running around," he said. "I feel good about the tempo of practice, the effort and execution in practice. We hope that shows up in the game Saturday.”

The head coach pointed out that the graduate assistant coaches and analysts worked on the scouting and game plan for the Arkansas contest. “We spent time on recruiting. That is where the coaches and myself, we were on the road getting a chance to see some of these coaches, some of these players and just be out there and be seen.

“That was really a good week for us,” the coach declared. “I thought our guys took advantage of it. We are down to one more day (for recruiting in-person visits) and Coach (Roc) Bellantoni will use that next week.

“We did a great job getting out there seeing these high school coaches and seeing those players, and also getting a plan ready for Arkansas. When we came back on that Sunday we were all go on Arkansas. The young coaches did a good job of preparing that plan and having it ready for us so when the coaches got back we hit the ground running.”

Also on Thursday, Harsin made these points about his team:

* Jeremiah Wright, who made his first Auburn start vs. Ole Miss, has had a good week of practice and will be back in action this Saturday. Harsin said that the former Selma High two-way standout brings “nastiness” to the offensive line.

* Harsin said as a group the offensive line was “physical” in Auburn’s loss to Ole Miss, a game which featured AU’s strongest running attack of the season. He said the offensive line’s improvement was a big factor on how the Tigers ran the football vs. Ole Miss along with the threat of quarterback Robby Ashford as a runner.

* Auburn’s coach predicted that Anders Carlson will follow in his brother’s footsteps and be a kicker in the NFL. Carlson was recognized at practice this week for winning an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as one of the finalists for the Campbell Trophy that goes to college football's top scholar-athlete.

* Senior wide receiver Shedrick Jackson agreed with his head coach, saying he believes the off week was good for the players as they get ready to play Arkansas. "I think the off-week was good for us physically, and mentally, too, having a little time off to focus on what we need to do to finish out the season strong."

Commenting on what the Tigers need to do to play better, Jackson said, "There is a lot of little stuff, especially on offense, that we have to correct and just lock in for these last couple of games."

* Commenting on the Razorbacks, Harsin said what stands out about the team is its overall speed and a willingness to be physical, something he said that showed up in Auburn’s 38-23 victory last season at Fayetteville. The coach said he is hoping for good support from fans with the Tigers making their first home appearance since losing 21-17 to LSU on October 1st. "I know this, our guys, coming off this bye week, they are excited to go play against Arkansas, they are excited to play at home," the coach said.

"They want to go out there and have a successful game," he added. "They are going to need the crowd, the backing and that energy, and certainly making it as difficult as we can from Arkansas from our crowd, our fans. I know we are going to get that. Our guys are excited to go play in front of that."

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Harsin also noted that it is good for recruiting to see an energized crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium. "Everybody wants to know 'what kind of environment will I get a chance to play in? I know I can play. Am I going to get that kind of support and have that crazy environment' that everybody wants to have.'...It is early. Wake up early. Have yourself ready to go. Do whatever you have to do to get yourself ready and cheer these guys on and we will win this football game. That is the one thing our guys are ready to do. They want to go out there and win this football game. We have got support from our fans to do that and I expect great football from our team."

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Auburn eyes December move-in for new football facility

Nathan King

3 minutes

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Auburn can see the finish line for its new, state-of-the-art football facility.

Only a "couple weeks" remain before the project is 100% completed, interim athletic director Rich McGlynn said Thursday, and the expectation is that the team will move into the Woltosz Football Performance Center after the conclusion of the regular season in December.

"We're really close," McGlynn said Thursday on Tiger Talk. 

McGlynn expects an official unveiling for the facility either Nov. 10 or 11 — before Auburn's home game against Texas A&M.

"The idea is football will get into that building probably into December," McGlynn said. 

The $92 million complex was approved all the way back in September 2019 — with former football coach Gus Malzahn helping to lead the charge and even pledging $2 million toward the project — and it began construction in March 2021.

The team is currently housed in the athletics complex on the corner of South Donahue Drive and Samford Avenue that was built in 1989.

Renderings for the facility show a number of high-end features for future Auburn football players and coaches to utilize, including an indoor practice facility with a pair of connecting outdoor fields, a new locker room and team meeting auditorium, weight rooms and hydrotherapy pools, a "multi-purpose" kitchen and "fuel bar," lounge spaces and individual team meeting rooms and offices, game rooms, recruiting lounges, a barber shop, recording studios and even a flight simulator.

Last week, the facility was officially named for the Woltosz family. During the 2019 football season, Walt Woltosz and his family committed what was, at the time, the biggest donation in Auburn athletics history. That was surpassed last year by Bill and Connie Neville, whom the basketball arena was renamed for in March.

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The weight room with be known as the Creel Family Player Development Lab, named for Keith and Ginger Creel, also part of Auburn's highest donor groups.

“We’re really excited,” McGlynn said. “We think it’s a game-changer — the building itself, the facility, all the access that our student-athletes are going to have. The locker room is phenomenal. And so we’re really excited about it.”

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Tiger Tidbits

Starting with football:

*Anyone looking for a good omen for the Tigers as they try to break their three-game losing streak on Saturday might be encouraged by this statistic. The matchup vs. Arkansas has the potential to be high scoring. The Razorbacks are giving up 32.5 points per game. If Auburn can reach 32 points the trend has been a strong one to expect a win for the Tigers. Dating back for two decades, Auburn has a 219-42-1 record when scoring at least 30 points.

*Auburn’s struggles this season can’t be attributed to an inexperienced team. The Tigers have 46 players on the roster with college starting experience with 25 on offense and 21 on defense. Eleven players have started more than 20 times.

*The freshmen in the 2022 Auburn signee class have not had much impact this season. The highest rated of the group, four-star linebacker Robert Woodyard, has played briefly in two games. The scholarship true freshmen have combined to produce eight catches for 118 yards and one touchdown, 12 rushing plays for 47 net yards plus eight passing yards. Defensively, the group has six solo tackles and two assists.

Here are the freshmen the Tigers signed in the 2022 class along with how many games they have played and the statistics produced:

RB Damari Alston (7)–10 carries for 64 yards, 1 reception for 13 yards

DB Austin Ausberry (3)–1 assisted tackle

WR Camden Brown (7)–3 catches for 26 yards, 1 touchdown

WR Jay Fair (5)–1 catch for 23 yards

QB Holden Geriner (1)–2-3 passes for 8 yards, 2 carries for -17 yards

LB Powell Gordon (0)

OL Eston Harris (0)

WR Omari Kelly (7)–3 catches for 56 yards

K Alex McPherson (0)

TE Micah Riley-Ducker (3)

DB Caleb Wooden (3)

DB J.D. Rhym (7)–6 solo tackles, 1 assist

DL Enyce Sledge (0)

LB Robert Woodyard (2)

In basketball:

*From talking with folks on the team who should know, the Tigers are continuing to make steady progress in practice and should be more than ready to open the regular season even though there is more than a week until the opener vs. George Mason University.

*A newcomer who is having a strong preseason is Johni Broome. Last year the Tigers played his Morehead State team in the season opener and won 77-54. In that game Broome scored 12 points and pulled in a dozen rebounds. I thought he was a good player when watching him that night and it looks like he has improved since then. At 6-10, 235 pounds he is a physical player, he knows how to score inside and his work ethic is outstanding. He is constantly working on improving his individual skills and has fit in nicely on the Auburn roster.

In his last game before transferring to Auburn, Broome was terrific in the Ohio Valley Conference Championship Game that Morehead State lost 71-67 to Murray State. Broome scored 32 points, pulled in eight rebounds, blocked two shots and contributed two steals for the Eagles.

He was going against K.J. Williams, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. Williams finished the championship game with eight points, 10 below his season average. Williams, who is 6-10, 245 pounds, followed his coach to LSU where he will be a fifth-year senior.

On Thursday the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Broome is one of 20 players from around the country on its initial watch list for the Karl Malone Award, which goes to the nation's top power forward.

*A note to go with the series of articles previewing the 2022-23 season pertains to Auburn’s five-year record being the best of any team in the Southeastern Conference with 122 wins and 44 losses. The five-year record for the Tigers prior to Bruce Pearl taking over the program was 64-92 and without a doubt the Tigers have played a much more demanding non-conference schedule the past five seasons than they did in Jeff Lebo’s final season and the four seasons with Tony Barbee as head coach. In addition to facing tougher regular season non-conference opponents,  the past five years includes NCAA Tournament games, something the Tigers did not have with Lebo or Barbee leading teams.

*After being snubbed in the media preseason All-SEC poll, the coaches have named junior forward Aicha Coulibaly to their preseason all-league second team. She was a postseason second team all-conference pick last year after finishing fifth in the SEC in scoring at 17.1 points per game. She also led the Tigers in rebounding at 7.5 per game. From watching her in preseason, she looks quicker and stronger than she was last season.

Coach Johnnie Harris will put what looks to be a deeper and more talented team on the court next Thursday with an exhibition game at Neville Arena vs. Tuskegee. The Tigers will open the regular season on Nov. 8th with a home game vs. Sam Houston.

In baseball:

*On Friday at 6:30 p.m CDT the Tigers will play an exhibition game at Plainsman Park vs. Alabama. Auburn has 24 players back from its 2022 College World Series team and it looks like it will get a good bit of help from its 2022 signee class. If you are interested in listening to radio coverage of game, which is scheduled for 12 innings, it is available on line at Wegl91.1.com

*On the subject of recruiting, the Tigers have being doing very well on that front for the coming classes. Two of the more interesting commitments because of their family connections are from in-state prospects.

Jack Sanderson is a six-foot-five left-handed pitcher from Northridge High School in Tuscaloosa. He is the grandson of former University of Alabama basketball head coach Wimp Sanderson (Sit down, Wimp, a favorite chant of Auburn students in games vs. the Tide at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum).

Coach Butch Thompson's Tigers also have a class of 2025 commitment from Sipsey Valley High School shortstop L.J. Cormier. The six-foot-one prospect is the son of Lance Cormier, a former star player at Alabama and a former Major League pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

In golf:

*After winning the East Lake Cup on Wednesday, I asked Coach Melissa Luellen about how her team is developing now that it has wrapped up its fall schedule and she said, “We are trending in the right direction and getting better every week.” The Tigers, who are ranked No. 22 nationally, will likely get a bump upwards after dominating No. 3 Texas A&M and defeating No. 6 Oregon.

One of the highlights of the East Lake Cup was a strong performance by redshirt freshman Casey Weidenfeld. She competed in the anchor match vs. Oregon and the leadoff match vs. Texas A&M. Coach Luellen said that the plan moving forward will be to play her at either one of those spots because she likes to be the first match on the course or the last.

The coach said that true freshman Rachel Gourley was really struggling with her tee shots this fall, but got “fed up with hitting it bad” and took a “giant mental leap” with her game as the Tigers won their first East Lake Cup championship. “She played great,” the coach said. Gourley dominated her match vs. Texas A&M.

Luellen also said that it “is pretty darn special” for her team to play so well in the nationally-televised match vs. Texas A&M. “You just don’t get opportunities for free advertising like this,” she said.

*Men's golf coach Nick Clinard said he thought the way his team played very well this week in winning the Isleworth Collegiate in Florida. The Tigers finished 27-under-par for 54 holes and did it with several of the guys not "having their best stuff," according to Clinard, who said he liked the mental toughness his guys showed.

With three victories in four tournaments, it is the best start to a season in the 75 years the Tigers have had a men's golf team. Auburn is ranked third nationally.

In volleyball:

*Coach Brent Crouch said his freshman-dominated team needs to take advantage of how it was exposed with certain aspects of its play in its third loss of the season, a 3-0 setback on Wednesday night vs. Florida in a matchup to determine first place in the SEC. Auburn is now 18-3 overall and 7-3 in the SEC.

“Florida is a really good team,” he said. “They have got some physicality basically at every position. I?thought we matched up really well with them from a physical standpoint at maybe half of the positions so I think they had a little physical advantage there where we have had the physical advantage against most of the teams we have played so far. There was a difference there.”

The coach said that in addition to adding physical strength as his players spend more time in the program, they should improve with more practice on defensive skills. He also said a goal is to become a better serving team. “We looked young a little bit in this match,” he pointed out. “We needed to have a match like that because it tells us where we stack up right now.”

Despite the loss, the coach said he sees a clear path for his team to earn an NCAA Tournament bid this season. Auburn’s only previous NCAA Tournament invitation came in 2010 when the Tigers defeated Missouri State 3-0 in the opening round and lost to Nebraska 3-0 in round two.

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9 Auburn breakfast spots to try before kickoff

Updated: Oct. 28, 2022, 6:37 a.m.|Published: Oct. 28, 2022, 6:00 a.m.

6-7 minutes

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Eleven o’clock kickoffs are not for everyone. In fact, some college football fans downright loath them. But for the rest of us, the early gridiron action gives us the rest of our Saturday back to enjoy the autumnal offerings and the rest of the SEC slate.

It also inspires to rise up and eat a great breakfast, and Auburn has you covered in that department. The Tigers kick off against Arkansas at 11 a.m. in Jordan-Hare Stadium, but before they take the field, make sure you fill your belly, especially if you don’t have enough time to tailgate.

Waffle House will certainly do any day, anytime -- not to mention the flexible hours -- but if you want to try some local flavors, visit these these places on a gameday or anytime you visit the Plains.

Bizilia’s Cafe (134 N College Street)

They serve breakfast all day long, so take advantage. Wake up with Mama Mocha’s local roast coffee, with their brewed coffee and espresso, fresh ground in house. They also carry “Brass Knuckle” medium roast for espresso, “Dawn of The Dead” with 50 percent more caffeine and “Onyx” a full-bodied dark roast. If you pick up a pound in their retail section, they will grind it fresh. Must try: The Hot Damn Panini -- three eggs, two pork sausage patties, one slice of cheddar cheese, spinach, topped with homemade smoked jalapeno jelly.

Big Blue Bagel & Deli (120 N College Street)

Get breakfast plates, bagels, breakfast burritos and more on this wide-ranging menu. But how about one (or two) of their breakfast bagel sandwiches -- either keep it simple with egg, meat and cheese, or add a little spice with The Cajun Sandwiches (two eggs, Cajun turkey and pepperjack).

The Bean Coffee Shop (140 A N Dean Road)

“Not just a cup of coffee.” Serving roasted coffee and desserts with an in-house bakery, this coffee joint wants novices and experts to feel at home when they visit. “The coffee we serve is from fair trade roasters,” their website says. “That means that every cup of coffee is a part of providing fair wage to farmers in some of the most impoverished countries in the world. Additionally our roasters are involved in a number of other charities and mission work.” If you get hungry with your cup of coffee, try what they call “Auburn’s BEST homemade cinnamon roll” or the avocado toast (spicy avocado slices with in-house spicy cream cheese spread).

Byron’s Smokehouse (436 Opelika Road)

This mom-and-pop barbecue favorite has all the smoked pork, chicken and turkey you could want on a gameday, but if you wake up early enough, sample the old school breakfast menu. Sometimes all you need is two eggs, bacon, grits, fried potatoes and biscuits. And don’t forget a cup of coffee.

Chappy’s Deli (754 E Glenn Avenue)

Open since 1989, they have an extensive breakfast menu, starting with the Capital City Platter: Three fresh eggs any style with biscuit and sawmill sausage gravy, your choice of grits or hash browns and your choice of bacon, sausage, turkey sausage or Conecuh sausage. There’s also the Country Fresh Eggs, the Fajita Omelet -- or maybe the “Does a Body Good,” your choice of three scrambled Egg Beaters or egg whites, served with Southern grits, a fresh fruit cup, turkey sausage links and wheat toast.

The Hound (124 Tichenor Avenue)

A place that specializes in bourbon and bacon deserves a look on gameday, maybe even two. Start with the Bacon Flight, the chef’s daily selection of various styles of bacon produced in house. Move on to the Steak and Eggs (petite prime skirt steak, two eggs any way, breakfast potatoes), the Granola French Toast (granola battered Texas toast, fresh seasonal fruit, maple syrup, powdered sugar) or even the Big Nasty (Nashville-style hot chicken, Mama Sue’s pepper jelly, pepperjack, bacon, fried egg, chipotle aioli, fresh baked buttermilk biscuit). Any of those’ll do.

Lucy’s (2300 Moores Mill Road)

For the table, share the House-made Coconut and Banana Toast with fig butter and caramelized banana. For brunch, if you’ve got the appetite, try the Chicken and Waffle Bennie (Conecuh sausage gravy, poached egg, Eastaboga Wildflower Honey, Lucy’s Hash) or Lucy’s Big Bad Breakfast (two farm eggs your way, bacon, Lucy’s hash, house-made pimento cheese biscuit). And if you have a sweet tooth, grab some Lemon Lavender Donuts, with citrus sugar and creme anglaise.

One Bike Coffee (2415 Moores Mill Road Suite 130)

Dubbed “coffee with a cause,” this family-owned shop aims to “serve the best product in the most welcoming environment so we can give back to our community,” the website says. “One Bike Coffee gives 100% of our profits to local charities serving our community.” Grab a cup of medium or dark roast drip or their spiced chai and vanilla latte to start things off. If you’re hungry, hit the classic sausage, egg and cheese biscuit, or the Oatmeal Steamer (with fruit, almonds and craisins). Learn more about their foundation.

Ross House (150 North Ross Street)

This historic, 111-year-old, wrap-around porch home was professionally renovated with “traditional charm and a contemporary flair” to form a local coffee house locals love. The Café au lait or cold brew will wake you up just fine (but not on Sundays, when they close), and you can enjoy some blended drinks like the frappe or frozen Matcha. Food options include the baked oatmeal, breakfast quiche and muffins/scones.

One more, just in case...

Another Broken Egg (2311 Bent Creek Road)

If the local joints are all booked up, slide into this widely treasured chain sure to draw a large crowd of its own any Saturday morning. The Shrimp ‘N Grits (with Gulf shrimp, of course) are delicious, as is the Hash Brown Benedict (ham and cheese-stuffed crispy hash brown croquettes, topped with poached eggs, mushroom herbed hollandaise and red peppers). What about the Monterey Power Omelette, an egg white omelet filled with chicken, onions, green chilies and tomatoes?

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Joseph Goodman: Watching Bo Nix with bitterness in my heart

Updated: Oct. 28, 2022, 7:47 a.m.|Published: Oct. 28, 2022, 7:38 a.m.

7-9 minutes

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Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix is playing his way into the conversation for the Heisman Trophy.

I mean that sincerely, and without malice, but I know how it’s going to land as college football enters Week 9 of the season. Any mention of Nix, for a lot of people, is going to feel like a fist to the mouth. And by people, I mean Auburn fans in denial about the decline of Auburn football without No.10.

At this point, Nix’s name should probably come with a trigger warning. They’re like fighting words. That I’d like to see Nix win the Heisman is a controversial statement these days in Alabama. Thanks to Nix, though, Oregon (6-1, 4-0) is ranked No.8 in the country leading into the Ducks’ away game on Saturday against Cal. With Nix, OU is the best team in the Pac-12. Without Nix, Auburn (3-4, 1-3) is the worst team in the SEC West, and is an underdog at home on Saturday against Arkansas (4-3, 1-2).

What’s the common denominator? I’ll give you one hint. It’s not Pac-12 defenses.

I get it. People are refusing to face the truth, but the Nix slander doesn’t sit well with me. Did he abandon Auburn? No, he did not, and neither has anyone else leaving Auburn these days. Nix was just one of the first in the program to hold Auburn accountable for the employment of Bryan Harsin. At least someone is.

Nix, Auburn Man, is not having a good season at Oregon because he’s playing in the Pac-12. Some would like to cocoon themselves in that belief, but it’s just an exercise in denialism to avoid getting slapped in the face by the truth every single day of this season. Nix is having a great time in Oregon because he’s a great quarterback.

And he might even be a dark horse for the Heisman.

Think about it this way, all you Bo Nix truthers out there living in the world and walking into glass doors. If Nix is playing with Pac-12 players, then shouldn’t that make him worse?

These days, with the right eyes, Oregon looks like an old Auburn team, and Auburn, well, Auburn looks like a team from the Mountain West Conference playing in the SEC.

Why did Nix leave Auburn for Oregon? It’s not a trick question, and the reason isn’t some half-baked conspiracy on the internet. Nix has better receivers at Oregon than he would have had at Auburn. On top of that, he’s finally reaching his potential because his current offensive line is giving him time to operate.

There are other factors to consider, too. Nix has an offensive coordinator in Kenny Dillingham who coached him at Auburn his freshman season. As a sophomore at Auburn, Nix’s offensive coordinator was Chad Morris. As a junior, it was Mike Bobo. Good grief. After writing that, I want to call DHR. For his senior season, Nix had seen enough to know things weren’t improving for the Tigers under new coach Bryan Harsin.

Honestly, how can anyone blame Nix for leaving? Save me all those hollow words about loyalty.

Who loves Auburn more than Nix? It’s a short list. Like, maybe Aubie. That’s pretty much it. Nix will always be more Auburn than Harsin ever was.

Yeah, it stings watching Nix play so well for the Ducks, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy for the guy. Smart people remove themselves from toxic relationships. Auburn cuts off its nose, and then refuses to smell what Harsin is shoveling.

Successful people evolve, improve and get better. Young people mature. Isn’t that the entire point of college? That’s the Bo Nix story for me. A lot of people process their sports with binary brains. Alabama is three plays away from three losses, they say, but the calculus of that is all wrong. If Alabama lost to Texas in Week 2, then maybe the Crimson Tide is a different team by Week 7 and doesn’t lose at Tennessee.

Trading for a high draft pick is always better than going with a former undrafted free agent who has worked for years to master a position. Wrong. Any general manager will tell you that’s not always the case. Plug in a player with potential here, and this team should win all of its games. It’s not that simple or easy, though. That’s the fantasy-league way of thinking, but that’s not reality.

In a binary world, there’s no way a former defensive coordinator at Georgia would want a former Auburn quarterback, right? Well, Nix didn’t end up in Oregon by accident or mistake.

Oregon first-year coach Dan Lanning was the defensive coordinator at Georgia for the entire time that Nix was the quarterback for Auburn. Georgia went 3-0 against Auburn with Nix under center. The games were blowouts. When Lanning accepted the job at Oregon, there wasn’t a coach in college football more familiar with Nix’s potential and ability.

Guess Lanning could see what Auburn and Harsin refused to either acknowledge or understand — that Nix is a great quarterback. The old idea of college coaches being more valuable than a team’s players is on its way out. Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl gets it, and that’s why he’s so successful.

Oregon was blown out by Georgia to begin the season, but if you watched that game then you know the loss wasn’t on Nix. It was his first game with a new team under a first-year head coach. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young struggled against Georgia in his most recent game of football against the Bulldogs, too. Is it because Young was suddenly garbage, or is it because Alabama was without receivers John Metchie and Jameson Williams in the third and fourth quarters of the national championship game?

Since Week 2 of the season, Nix has thrown 17 touchdowns to one interception and has completed 74.6 percent of his passes. Nix is a great quarterback at this point in his career for the same reasons that Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker is a great quarterback. They have experience. They’re on good teams. They have good coaches. They’ve seen things.

As a freshman, Nix knocked off Alabama with Mac Jones at quarterback, and Oregon with Justin Herbert. Nix went 2-1 against LSU as a Plainsman. Oh, and there’s this. Auburn never lost to Ole Miss or Arkansas with Nix at quarterback, 6-0. Now, with Harsin ruining the program, you have to wonder if Ole Miss and Arkansas have already passed Auburn in the pecking order of the SEC West.

If you didn’t know all along that this was how the season was going to play out for Auburn and for Nix, then you’re probably among the people who believed the message-board websites when they reported Gus Malzahn was going to take a reduced buyout. More players announced their intentions to leave Auburn this week, but the biggest indictment against Harsin remains the fact that he had Nix as his quarterback, and now Nix is playing on the other side of the country.

Auburn is a mess, Harsin is awful, and Nix is putting together a strong case that Oregon should be in the conversation for the College Football Playoffs despite that loss to a good team in the SEC East.

Sounds a lot like Alabama to me.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Saban’s ‘ultimate team’”. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

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What Bryan Harsin said about Arkansas, Halloween candy on ‘Tiger Talk’

Updated: Oct. 27, 2022, 6:37 p.m.|Published: Oct. 27, 2022, 6:02 p.m.

5-6 minutes

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The bye week is in the books, and Auburn is ready to hit the home stretch of its 2022 regular-season slate.

After a week off, Auburn (3-4, 1-3 SEC) will return to action Saturday at home against Arkansas (4-3, 1-3). Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. from Jordan-Hare Stadium, with the game airing on SEC Network.

Read more Auburn football: Finally at home on offense, “nasty” Jeremiah Wright brings welcome mean streak to Auburn O-line

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Sorting out the facts on Bryan Harsin’s redshirt policy at Auburn

Before the Tigers try to snap their current three-game skid and, in the process, extend their six-game winning streak against the Razorbacks, head coach Bryan Harsin gave his final public remarks previewing the matchup during his weekly appearance on the “Tiger Talk” radio show with hosts Andy Burcham and Brad Law.

Below is a recap of Harsin’s segments on Thursday’s show:

BRYAN HARSIN

-- “Good to be back home” after three road games and an off week.

-- On being 9-1 coming off of bye weeks as a head coach: A chance to self-scout is one of the biggest things as a staff, and players get a chance to get healthy, especially when the bye week is later in the year, as this one is.

-- On how much attention was placed on Arkansas during the off week: GAs and analysts got ahead of the scout on Arkansas last week, while Auburn’s coaching staff spent much of the week on the road recruiting. Full prep for Arkansas started Sunday.

-- On Arkansas’ balance offensively: Harsin mentions quarterback KJ Jefferson’s ability as a passer and runner, as well as OC Kendal Briles’ desire to take downfield shots.

-- On Auburn’s success running the ball against Ole Miss: Being physical and eliminating negative plays. Credits O-line for hitting blocks and getting downfield. Now it’s about taking care of the football, which has been an issue this season.

-- On Jeremiah Wright, who started at left guard against Ole Miss and has had four position changes: He’s where he need to be, and he “brings some of that nastiness” to the offensive line, which Auburn needs.

-- On Shedrick Jackson: “He is the most veteran of the group... He brings consistency.” Says Jackson is going to do things right, run the right routes, and he’s a big factor on special teams, particularly on punt coverage.

-- On the role of analysts on staff: Notes there’s a limit of four GAs, and you can create analyst positions (usually 8-10, Harsin says, or one for each coach). Analysts handle advance scouts, stats and info on upcoming opponents. They’re another set of eyes to help develop players and get ahead on gameplanning for future opponents.

-- On former Boise State quarterback/current Dallas Cowboys OC Kellen Moore: They still communicate and share ideas. Harsin knew early on that Moore would head down a coaching path; as a recruit in high school, Moore had a 4-inch binder full of plays he made note of from watching games on TV. Harsin is confident Moore will be an NFL head coach in the near future.

-- On Halloween: “I like the holidays.... I kind of like them all.” Says his favorite Halloween candy is anything chocolate, but Snickers is the top. As a kid, he would trick-or-treat with a pillow case and wouldn’t come home until it was home. He says he’d scout out the places that did full candy bars: “I wasn’t going to waste my time.” As for his favorite Halloween movie, he says he’s not a big scary movie guy, but he cites the original Halloween and Friday the 13th movies.

-- On Auburn’s biggest challenge against Arkansas: “Their speed.... They’ve got really good team speed.” Mentions running back Raheim Sanders first, the Razorbacks’ wide receivers and, of course, KJ Jefferson at QB.

-- On Anders Carlson being a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, says he’s the second player he has coached to be honored for that. “Hard work does not go unnoticed.... It’s a great honor for him.” Believes Carlson will play many years in the NFL but will always be successful, even away from football, because of his approach.

-- On Auburn returning home this weekend, he says every time he listens to another coach’s press conference, they make note of the environment at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Believes that says a lot about Auburn’s fanbase and its homefield advantage.

-- Says the team is ready to get out there and win against Arkansas.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.