Auburn Still Has Time to Get the Offense Working

Thanks to defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads and the stout Auburn defense, the Tigers marched out of Starkville, Mississippi with a 3-2 win this past Saturday night. When nothing on offense, and at times special teams went right, 9th ranked Auburn was lucky to improve to 3-0.

Sometimes good teams need luck, the question is how good is Auburn?

So far offensive coordinator Tony Franklin is bewildered with the lack of production; however, he believes he can find the combination to unlock the chains that bind the "spread Eagle" offense. No matter the reasons why things haven't gone the Tigers way offensively; Franklin says, blame him.

"I think it's natural when you have challenges that people want to blame everybody," he said. "It always starts with me. I think that's the first finger that needs to be pointed, is at me. I haven't done as good a job as I should have done."

I think every Auburn fan would agree with that statement. But the Auburn nation can take solice in the fact that Auburn is 3-0 overall and tops the western division of the SEC at 1-0.  Hey! it beats the alternative; remember last years 1-2 start. 

Tommy Tuberville and his staff have a week to find some chemistry, and correct some of the problems that plague them before the biggest game of the season thus far. 

The good thing is everything that has negatively effected the offense is correctable. In an interview Sunday, Franklin said, "Chemistry is trying to learn who does what best, how do they do it, how does it mix in, how do we fit it all in," Franklin said. "You hope you can figure it out before the season. Sometimes, you can't. It's quite evident that I haven't figured it out."

Hopefully the Auburn Tigers can figure it out by kickoff Saturday night at 6:45 CST when they play host to defending national champion and 6th ranked LSU, before a national audience on ESPN. 

A ton of preseason expectations are on the line as well as national respect, but more importantly possibly the drivers seat to a division title and a spot in the SEC championship game.

Six out of the last eight division races have come through Auburn or LSU. At this point none are bigger than this year for Auburn. With the ESPN GameDay crew located on the Auburn campus this weekend and the for mentioned nationally televised game for the second week in a row.

Tuberville and his Tigers have a real shot at redeeming themselves; proving the naysayers wrong, and proving to the SEC, that his gamble of going to the spread was the right thing for Auburn in the long run.  There is still time, but the clock has started ticking "LOWDER". 

Auburn 13

LSU 10