Staff Predictions For Mississippi State and Afternoon Open Thread

AU_Jonesy

2-0 over LSU, 1-1 draw with Florida.

(For the record, Auburn defeated LSU 3-2 in the second overtime last night!)

Oh right, the other game this weekend. This team must find its identity. Malzahn offenses have struggled with it before, but this is usually when it comes around. Changing quarterbacks now hopefully means that Gus has a specific idea of what he wants to do going forward. Will it work? It may not matter if the run defense doesn't improve. Auburn is missing out on offensive possessions because the defense can't get off the field.

I think this one goes down to the wire. Final margin probably isn't more than a touchdown either way.

Peggy

I can't remember the last time an Auburn win didn't come down to the final possession, but I guess to be fair, I'm not really thinking that hard. I think this one ends like 2011, with a desperate MSU fourth down, stopped blessedly short, and Auburn winning a thriller. I'm choosing to believe that Auburn will find a way to win because I believe in Auburn. What's the point of all this if we don't believe?

Dr Z

So, one of either three things happen in this game and 2 of them are good:
-Worst case: Sean White is worse running the offense than Jeremy has been and Auburn gets run off the field again by Dak Prescott and company.

Best Case- Sean White is as good as the talking heads make him out to be and Auburn's offense steam rolls State. I've read online this week that some compare him to Tom Brady or Drew Brees. I hope that Internet story is true. Almost as much as the Lane Kiffin story is true, but I digress.

Likely Case- Sean White is serviceable. The offense works reasonably well and Auburn holds on for a tight victory.

I'm going with the likely case.

Auburn- 31
State- 27

Dusty

I have taken the necessary measures to ensure that my football season beard was not the bad luck holding the team back. I immediately regretted shaving last night, but it had to be done to save the season. Auburn better leave mangled bull pups laying all over the field and the Mullen family in tears, dammit! Today's Panda Express fortune have impelled me to believe that Sean White will lead us to victory.

Tuco

I've got nothing. I'm trying to remember a Auburn game where there was so much uncertainty about anything. The coaches have gone back to the drawing board with the depth chart so I'd hate to even hazard a guess as to who will start for Auburn, much less how those guys will look on the field. As long as the Auburn fans don't boo their players or coaches, the evening will be salvageable.

Auburn 27 Miss State 21 because why not?

Bobby Barkley

Auburn 100
Dan Mullen 0

Emily

Who knows? Hit the reset button on everything. Auburn by 2.

[Editor's note: I feel the need to point out that Dusty asked if Emily would take a 2-0 win. She said yes, she would. Peggy said that if the defense posts a shut out, she'll streak across Pat Dye Field.]

Walt

In the new prediction widget I posted in the "How to Watch" article, I picked Auburn to win 27-24. Judging by all of the scores in there, it appears that's pretty much what every one else thinks the score will be, too, with the difference being exactly who is going to have the most points. I think Sean White is going to show that all this offense needed was a confident and accurate quarterback. I wanted so much for that to be Jeremy Johnson regaining his previous year's form. But I'll take Sean White doing it.