Staff Picks - Auburn @ Ole Miss

Auburn is a slight favorite this weekend in Oxford, but that doesn’t help us sleep at all. The Tigers were big favorites last Saturday against Tennessee and lost, just like the weekend before against Mississippi State, just like a few weeks ago against LSU.

Are we still on board? Maybe.

Auburn (-3.5) @ Ole Miss (O/U 62.5)

“I don’t know what to say here after the past couple of days. I see no reason to hope that the Auburn secondary or the offense will have turned any kind of corner to prepare for this game but this is a dumb football season so it could happen...Auburn MUST have this win if it hopes to go to a bowl game because SPOILER ALERT a win over 2 teams in November ain’t gonna happen this year (even with the win over Liberty, I pray Auburn can win that one). I think the Rebs do it this week though... Ole Miss 28, Auburn 17.” - Drew McCracken

“What can I say? Seven games in and I’m still waiting for us to snap out of this funk. I have been assured by Ryan Sterritt that Ole Miss is very bad on defense. For that to matter it would require us to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. My faith that we’ll stop doing that is at a near all-time low. The 11 AM kick probably favors us as the away team. The Defense has its work cut out for it.” - AU Chief

“Auburn’s going to do some dumb shit on offense, and that’s not even talking about the offensive line. Ole Miss is going to hit some shots down the field in the passing game. I can’t even get into a statistical mindset to evaluate this game anymore. Things... Things are bad for Auburn right now. I don’t know what Gus’s future holds, and I don’t really want to speculate about it openly yet. But you know what? AUBURN’S GONNA WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME! 38-37 (please...).” - Ryan Sterritt

“Ok. I will keep looking like an idiot and will keep picking us to win. I am that guy. That said, I really think Gus knows what the stakes are in this game. I think the defense does too. I even think the offensive line might be sick of being dumped on for the past month by the fan base. For one glorious week, we get it together. Plus Gus doesn’t have to try to take it easy on his buddy Hugh anymore. Auburn 55-23.” - Son of Crow

“Of all the losses Gus Malzahn has had around here, last week may very well have been his worst. Losing at home to the perceived worst team in the SEC is flat out unacceptable. It shouldn’t have happened but it did and now Auburn will attempt to turn the page. I can’t believe that it’s come to this but I think this an absolute MUST win for Gus Malzahn if he wants to be the coach here next year. Time and time again over the last three years, the Tigers have stepped up and won games that Gus has had to win in order to keep his job. In 2015, Auburn got a huge win at Texas A&M which allowed Auburn to get to 6-6 in a season that looked eerily similar to this one. Decent defense but an underachieving offense. In 2016 after starting 1-2, the Tigers played LSU in a Loser Leaves Town game and won that game which put Les Miles out of a job. Last year, Gus had to beat Georgia and did and went ahead and beat Bama for good measure and now we’re stuck with this 49 million dollar cloud over our heads. If Auburn loses this game, then this looks like a 5-7 season at best which considering the expectations around here, that’s not acceptable

I don’t think play-calling has been the issue this year, it’s been execution and a lack of leadership. There’s a few plays in Starkville that if executed properly, they win that football game. Same deal last week (although I’ve tried to forget this past Saturday even happened). And I’m not even going to get into the stuff that’s been leaked to the media about the locker room. Auburn’s weakness on defense has been giving up the deep ball on the perimeter. I expect Jordan Ta’amu to do the exact same thing Jarrett Guarantano did so brilliantly last week. Remember, the Tigers don’t have Jeremiah Dinson for the 1st half due to being ejected in the 2nd half last week on what I thought was a questionable targeting call at best. I honestly have no confidence in picking Auburn anymore as I’ve done every game so far this year so this week, I’m changing it up and going with Ole Miss. Ole Miss 31, Auburn 21.” - Will McLaughlin

“Ole Miss 29, Auburn 19 .” - James Jones

“Saturday, I will sit at my usual place on the couch. I will have my usual cold beverage in hand. I will wear my usual game day clothes. I will shout my usual game day things at the TV. But for the first time this season, I will sit down not expecting Auburn to win... Ole Miss is an awful matchup for AU’s defense. They are a team that excels at winning 50/50 jump balls. They also have a QB athletic enough to hurt you on the ground when needed but can also throw a deadly accurate back shoulder pass. The Rebels will score points. The question is whether or not Auburn’s offense can keep up against a VERY bad Ole Miss defense. They have consistently failed at doing so this season. Gus Malzahn has typically pulled off the win he HAS to have, but at some point, I think that luck runs out. Unfortunately, it will be in Oxford, MS this Saturday. Get ready for a wild two weeks of rumors & bad head coach replacement takes. Rebels 34, Tigers 27.” - AU Nerd

“I Barned Hard last weekend and got Burned Hard. I think I said that we’d finally pick it up on offense enough and hold Tennessee to single digits. Growing up, I was always of the opinion that picking Auburn to do well boded poorly for the team. Some kind of reverse karma or something. I won’t be making that mistake again today. Without Jeremiah Dinson for a half, Ole Miss will be able to hit some deep balls early, but their defense won’t quite be enough to hold even Auburn’s offense back. The Tigers wake up a bit and we’ve got a dang ole shootout by halftime. In the end, Auburn makes one more play defensively than the Rebels do because I think we’re still better than them. Jarrett Stidham has to light it up because we have no running game. Gus gives him that opportunity and he throws another 45 times, without three turnovers. Tigers 37, Rebels 35.” - Jack Condon