The most important factor is you should not expect the Iron Bowl to return to being competitive like when Cam Newton was leading the Tigers against Alabama.
The Tigers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) were averaging 38 points in their five victories. The 13 today were their fewest since a 27-10 loss to Georgia in early November last year. True freshman quarterback Bo Nix had not thrown an interception since tossing two in the season opener against Oregon.
He threw three today in a game that early on had a feeling no one wanted to win. The Gators fumbled on three-straight drives in the first quarter, with an Auburn only able to muster two Anders Karlson field goals.
The Tigers could have used the win to not only prove to the country they can challenge the teams above them in the rankings, but prove to themselves as well. Auburn managed only 241 yards of offense, committed nine penalties, and were an abysmal 2-14 on third down. The defense did its job for the most part, forcing five turnovers and keeping the Gators under 400 total yards (382).
The key to Auburn’s struggle could be determined as luck. The defence forced fumbles on three straight Gator possessions after allowing an opening-series touchdown, knocking starting running back Lamical Perrine out of the game on the second fumble. The Tigers also knocked Gator starting quarterback Kyle Trask out with a knee injury. Trask returned to finish with 234 passing yards and two touchdowns. Perrine also returned, finishing with 130 yards and a touchdown.
Dan Mullen had the Gators ready to go, while Guz Malzahn is sitting with a box of matches in his lap waiting for the right opportunity to turn up the heat under his chair. Mullen is 16-3 through his first two years in The Swamp, while Malzahn is 2-4 against Alabama, despite losing in the 2013 BCS Championship Game.
The inability to convert in short yardage was a testament to bad play calling. The Gators even tried a fake punt that ended up losing three yards. The Tigers did absolutely nothing with it. There was no “War” in Auburn’s “Eagle” for most of the afternoon. It was supposed to be Florida who was exposed, not the Tigers.
It turned into a coming out party for Auburn being shown the door in the SEC for 2019.
Auburn is assuredly falling out of the Top 10 this week, but this is only the beginning. The Tigers still have to play Georgia, LSU and Alabama over their last six games.
Look at that again. As of right now the Auburn Tigers will play three teams in the top five. Florida consequently gets LSU next week, Georgia and a vastly improved Missouri.
The caveat for the Tigers is their final four games are within the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium, where they beat the Crimson Tide in 2017.
Unless you are Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State or Oklahoma, there is no margin for error in your conference. Of the four I mentioned, only Alabama has not won their conference at least two years running. In their defense the Tide have won 5 of 7 SEC Championship games, and four National Championships this decade.
Auburn is always going to be an afterthought in the Iron Bowl as long as Nick Saban is in Tuscaloosa. However when they strike gold it ends up being something magical.
Malzahn proved today that no matter how many times the Gators opened the door the Tigers are not going to be forceful enough to walk through it.
-JC24