Auburn Tigers: Will the Team Hold Things Together or Collapse Like Last Year?

As the clock ticked down in Baton Rouge on Auburn's third straight loss, this one a 31-10 drubbing at the hands of ninth ranked LSU, Auburn was left wondering just what has happened to this team?

A team that started off the season 5-0, with an offense rolling and a defense forcing turnovers, has quickly become a team that can't move the ball on offense, can't stop anyone on defense, and is reminding many Auburn fans of the season that was 2008.

Auburn's offense has officially become a real liability after their lowest output of the season in points and yards Saturday night against LSU.

Auburn's defense actually showed up to fight Saturday night and did a decent job at times, but gave up too many big plays and committed to many penalties.

LSU looked like the fresher team coming off a bye week and Auburn looked like a thin team playing it's third road game in four weeks. Sounds simple enough, but is it that simple?

How does a quarterback in Chris Todd, that threw for 12 touchdowns and two interceptions in the first five games, have zero touchdowns and two interceptions in the last three?

Obviously the talent getting into the SEC schedule is a different story, and you had to know the offensive production would slow down.

But it's done more than slow down, it's hit a brick wall in a big way.

Have defenses figured out Gus Malzahn?

Well Malzahn has run this offense for years, and it's been successful, but this is the SEC, where defense reigns. So you had to imagine Malzahn would be slowed down, but it's beginning to look like Malzahn is outmatched.

Obviously Auburn doesn't have the talent right now to match up with a team like LSU, Alabama, Florida, etc. They were basically put on probation by former coach Tommy Tuberville's recruiting the past two years, and are playing with 74 scholarship players, and even less healthy ones.

But that isn't an excuse for committing almost twenty penalties in two games.

That isn't an excuse for not putting your best playmakers on the field, regardless of senior or freshman.

Gene Chizik said Sunday that senior Chris Todd will remain the starting quarterback for another week. A controversial decision to say the least considering Todd's last two performances are two of the worst in the last 25 years for an Auburn quarterback.

Junior Neil Caudle has had plenty of chances to take over the starting quarterback job and has yet to emerge as the guy. Having said that, he did come in and lead a touchdown drive at the end of the LSU game, and he does bring mobility to the table, something Todd absolutely doesn't.

Chizik faces a very tough thing right now. He has to convince this team that this isn't 2008, and that they won't fold and there is a future. He has a fragile team right now, and how he and his staff handle it will control how competitive this team can be the rest of the season.

This staff has to do the best with the hand they've been dealt. Gene Chizik has said all season, even in the midst of the Tigers surprising start, that he still saw plenty of things that the Tigers needed to get better at.

Obviously he knew more about this team's weaknesses than we did, and wasn't just giving us coach speak.

An immobile quarterback with average arm strength, a lack of playmakers at wideout, a paper thin defense, and an overall lack of talent across the board is what Auburn has right now.

The first five games may have hid that temporarily, but the SEC schedule is where the cream rises to the top, and it's up to this new coaching staff to make the proper adjustments and get the most out of their players the last four games.

How this season plays out for Auburn is anyone's guess, the question will be if this staff can hold things together unlike last year.