Kirk Herbstreit takes jab at major SEC program that’s been ‘off the grid’

ESPN's College GameDay was live from Miami Saturday morning previewing the slate of college football action to come and, of course, the Florida at Miami game.

However, while discussing perhaps the biggest SEC matchup of the day, (22) Auburn at (11) Oklahoma, Herbstreit pointed out some relevant, albeit dark, history about the Tigers.

"Keep in mind, this is the first time Auburn’s been ranked in four years," Herbstreit noted. "They’ve been off the grid."

Herbstreit would quickly move on to more positive comments about the Auburn program, but he certainly called out the Tigers right there. Not only did he bring up the sour note that Auburn hadn't appeared in the AP Top 25 Poll in four seasons, he also, basically, called them irrelevant, you know, "off the grid." Well, the Tigers have a shot to put themselves center-stage in the country with a road victory today.

"And right now, feeling good about themselves," Herbstreit added of Auburn. "Today, we're obviously going to find out."

Win or lose, Auburn has one tough test after another coming down the pike in SEC play, plenty of opportunities to re-assert themselves as one of the powerhouses of the league.

"You look at who they have coming up, they're at Oklahoma, at Texas A&M, Georgia, Missouri... are the next four games for the Auburn Tigers," Herbstreit added, identifying it as a brutal stretch for a team hoping to finally break back through. But hey, the road back to the top in the new-age 16-team SEC is not going to be easy.

One key to unlocking the team has been the solid play of Oklahoma transfer and new Auburn QB1 Jackson Arnold. While not a numbers merchant through the air, the dual-threat former five-star is toolsy and finds a way to keep the chains moving while making the right plays. Herbstreit notices a totally different guy than he saw at OU.

“Jackson Arnold, much like Carson Beck, change of scenery seems to have really gotten him where he's feeling good, feeling confident," Herbstreit said.

Arnold and the Tigers may not have enough on the road against an elite QB like John Mateer, but with this game plus the next three, Auburn has a chance to stack a second impressive win on top of their road triumph over Baylor.

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