Takeaways: Auburn falls to No. 13 Ole Miss after hard fought first half
The Tigers had another poor offensive showing, this time against Ole Miss on Saturday night.
Without an offense, Auburn just simply isn't going to compete against level or better competition. Full stop.
Here are five takeaways from the 28-21 loss to the Rebels.
It's hard to believe Auburn's offense is this bad
Auburn's offense stooped to lows fans thought they could recover from this season. With a transfer quarterback that has over 6,500 passing yards in one of the best conferences in the nation, a retooled offensive line, and new transfers to aid Thorne, things were looking up this offseason.
The offensive staff found a way to somehow make it worse.
Auburn's opponents have just allowed the Tigers to hurt themselves over and over when there's an opportunity for something, anything. With the way Auburn runs their offense one would think that they're actively trying to be as bad as they are.
The passing game is the worst I have seen from a non-service academy program since I began watching football. There are few words to describe just how awful the Tigers are.
It can't be this hard.
The Tigers' front seven is lackluster
Over 200 yards rushing allowed and an extremely inconsistent pass rush. That's what Auburn's d-line did on Saturday.
The secondary is good, but it can't hold up with the way Auburn's front seven is performing.
Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery seem unserious about winning
Freeze talked about not needed extra motivation to get up for this game this weekend.
He, alongside his offensive coordinator, seem to not have any motivation at all.
This season is a wash. There were never any serious expectations for Auburn to compete against teams that are significantly better than them. But this? This is the product the Tigers put out onto the field?
The close loss to Georgia will end up being one of the high points of a season that has more off the field success than on it. Freeze is trying to build something, but with the way he and his offense make conservative decisions - like they did in this game - make it feel like they are unserious about giving this team a chance this year.
Turnovers didn't help
Ron Roberts got something right when he came into Auburn; he's gotten this defense to create turnovers. The Tigers had two on Saturday night and they didn't make them count.
If you don't have an offense that can do anything then it's going to be impossible for your defense to stay in the game.
There are easier games ahead
The positive takeaway is that Auburn's next few opponents are Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and New Mexico State. The Tigers have to show some signs of life against those teams.
Auburn and Ole Miss series history
Auburn leads the all-time series against Ole Miss 35-11. Ole Miss won last year's contest in Oxford and is looking to win back-to-back games in the series for the first time since 1951-1952. Auburn owns the largest winning streak in the series history when they won nine straight games against Ole Miss from 1971-1991.
The line for Auburn football and Ole Miss
Ole Miss is a 6.5-point favorite against the Auburn Tigers. The over/under set at 56.5.
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