Auburn heads to Oxford with the kind of odds that make a road upset feel like a long shot. Most oddsmakers and prediction markets have the Tigers as a massive underdog against Ole Miss, and last week’s loss to LSU didn’t do much to calm the nerves. Unless you believe there could be some Georgia magic, the setup doesn’t exactly point toward a clean rebound.
The biggest concern starts with Auburn’s offense, because the pressure on the defense has been too much for too long. Last week, the Tigers had only 18 minutes of possession time against LSU, and that came after a string of three-and-out drives that barely lasted a minute or two in earlier games.
That kind of burden leaves the defense exposed, and the blame game around DJ Durkin misses the larger issue. Offensive coordinator Joel Gordon’s playcalling needs to be tightly managed against Ole Miss, because if Auburn’s offense stalls again, there is no path to a win.
Byrum Brown has been effective at times, but he is not Cam Newton, and he cannot carry an SEC offense by himself.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, comes in with real momentum on that side of the ball after pushing Texas to the wire last Saturday. Trinidad Chambliss drew praise from Durkin, who called him one of the best players in the country.
He’s also left plenty of people rethinking their view of him, including the acknowledgment that the earlier skepticism was off base. Chambliss has impressed in every game this year, and the Rebels still have playmakers around him even without RB Kewan Lacy.
Deuce Alexander has emerged, and there is more explosive play available for Ole Miss to tap into.
That’s why Auburn’s offense has to show up in a serious way. Auburn Daily’s Brad Law said on their YouTube channel that he thinks "Auburn will need to score more than 30 to win the game."
That sounds about right, especially when you consider how the Tigers have struggled to finish drives all season and how their passing game has recently hovered around barely more than 150 yards with the starters out there. Law also pointed to a weakness in the Rebels’ defense, noting that "Ole Miss has given up more explosive plays than any other team in the SEC, the Rebels have given up 27 completions this season of 20 or more yards.
" Even so, that doesn’t guarantee Auburn suddenly starts hitting big plays in bunches.
If this turns into another game where the offense goes quiet for a fifth straight week, the questions won’t stop at Gordon. There will be bigger ones, including how bringing in 11 offensive transfers hasn’t produced the turnaround that was promised.
Fans on the Plains wanted a real offensive jolt, so the disappointment hits harder when the results stay this flat. And if the defense keeps getting stuck on the field because the offense can’t sustain possessions, it’s hard to pin the whole mess on the other side of the ball.
Auburn badly needs a response after the LSU letdown, and a win would instantly change the mood. Beating a team with what has been described as arguably the best QB in the nation, along with a Georgia team that was ranked No. 1 at the time, would make for a strong first-year résumé. Still, there’s growing doubt that Auburn can actually steal this one from the October schedule.
If the Tigers do pull it off, the prediction is 34-27. It would likely take a late defensive stand similar to Texas’s to slow Chambliss when it matters most.
In Other News...
Auburn Basketball Now Has A Front Office Problem Before The Season
Auburn basketball has already been forced to sort through an early personnel shake-up off the court, with the program parting ways with general manager Brian Kloman after questions surfaced about information tied to international transfer Mantas Rubtaviius college coursework in Europe. The situation spiraled into a larger eligibility issue for Rubtaviius, who ultimately dismissed his lawsuit against the NCAA and will not be able to play for Auburn this season.
For now, Steven Pearl says the Tigers are leaning on the staff to absorb Klomans former duties collectively, keeping the current structure in place as the season approaches. It is not the sort of front-office detour Auburn wanted at this stage, especially with roster planning and compliance already carrying extra weight, and it leaves the program trying to stabilize things before the real work on the floor begins. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Backcourt Looks Ready But One Concern Still Lingers
Auburn wrapped up its preseason exhibition slate with an 80-68 win over Samford, and the backcourt gave Bruce Pearl plenty to like. Tahaad Pettiford led the way with 20 points, Kevin Overton added 25, and freshman Caleb Williams chipped in 14, giving the Tigers a perimeter group that looked capable of carrying real offensive weight once the games count.
Kolby King also finally got on the floor for his Auburn debut after dealing with eligibility issues, playing five minutes and knocking down a three-pointer. Even with the encouraging guard play, the Tigers still finished exhibition play 1-2, and the lingering question is whether the rest of the rotation can match the energy and production Auburn got from its guards. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn May Be Missing A Key Piece In Crucial Ole Miss Rebound Spot
Auburn heads into a tricky bounce-back opportunity against Ole Miss with a few notable names already on the availability report, and Jeremiah Kogers status stands out most. The Tigers list the receiver as questionable, while offensive lineman Tai Buster and tight end Hunter Herring are ruled out, thinning the depth chart at positions that matter when a team is trying to steady its offense.
Kogers availability carries extra weight because he ranks third on the team in receiving yards, giving Auburn another layer in the passing game if he can go. If he cannot, the Tigers will have to piece together their offense without one of the more productive options on the roster, and that is not an ideal spot entering a game where a response is needed. [Read more 🡒]