Auburn Tigers Football: It’s a New Day on the Plains

The clock drained down below a minute. A half-empty Bryant-Denny Stadium blandly sang the traditional Rammer Jammer song. The worst Iron Bowl in history was nearing its end. The Auburn Tigers had put together a performance that would have Savannah State players shaking their heads.

The scoreboard read: Alabama 49, Auburn 0.

It could have been worse. So much worse. The Crimson Tide led 42-0 at halftime over the 3-8 Tigers. Alabama added just seven points in the second half all because Nick Saban felt like it. He chose not to win 70-0. It was the miserable end to the once-promising tenure of Gene Chizik.

Alabama headed to their third national championship in four years and their 10th in school history, more major poll titles than any other program. Auburn, meanwhile, headed to a lengthy coaching search, and in the end, the choice by Auburn and its search committee of legends like Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan was clear: the best option to change the Gene Chizik culture at Auburn was to bring in a man who had ironically coached under Chizik for three years.

That man is Gustav Malzahn.

Since then, Gus and the Auburn football program have adopted a new mantra: “It’s a New Day.” Gus promises a return to old-school, hard-nosed Auburn football.

In sad, but almost appropriate timing considering the brand new culture adopted by the football program and other athletic programs at the University, Toomer’s Corner turned towards a new day of its own in April. Auburn fans gave a tearful goodbye to the famous Toomer’s Oaks trees on April 20, 2013. After watching the Tigers in action in the annual A-Day game (a 35-14 Orange win), fans flocked to Toomer’s Corner in droves to roll the trees one last time.

Three days later, all that remained from what had been a blizzard a few days before were two empty voids on Auburn’s campus. The trees are gone. It was a day that Auburn fans knew would come, but at the same time, thought would never come.

However, the end of something is just the beginning of another, and with the football program changing directions and looking towards the future, so too is Toomer’s Corner, as plans for redesigning the area to include new trees shall soon be underway.

It’s a brand new era for Auburn fans, regarding both on-field excitement and off-field traditions. In the end, Auburn University is still Auburn University. The rolling of toilet paper will continue, even without the iconic oaks and long after the replacement trees/statues arrive.

Hop aboard the “Bustav”:

Gus Malzahn brings and exciting style of football to the table. A fast-paced, run-based offense that can wear out some excellent defenses will surely help Auburn win more games in 2013 than they did in 2012. A big task is finding the right quarterback to run the system. Here are the candidates to win the job:

— Kiehl Frazier: The most experienced quarterback on the roster, Frazier is a good athlete. But is he anything more than that? He was a decent wildcat quarterback in 2011, but he was never comfortable in Scot Loeffler’s offense. He has a history of taking too much time in the pocket and seems constantly uncomfortable in the pocket. Even though he looked improved in the spring game, he still seemed uncomfortable. He misfired on several passes and looked a tad timid. He has good arm strength and decent mobility, but can he fix his mental make-up?

— Jonathan Wallace: Wallace impressed against lesser competition last season and seemed to be more comfortable in the pocket than Frazier. The latter remained true at A-Day, as Wallace seemed more cool and collected in the HUNH offense. But is his confidence and leadership enough to land the starting job, considering he might be the least talented athlete of the five quarterbacks on scholarship at Auburn?

— Nick Marshall: Many consider Marshall the favorite to win the starting job in the Fall. He has dynamic speed and a huge arm. He doesn’t shy away from contact. His size is underrated. Some have called him the best high school quarterback they’d ever seen. He originally signed with Georgia but was moved to cornerback, before a team violation caused him to go to the JUCO ranks. Now, he joins Auburn with a chance to be another former JUCO quarterback to have success in Gus’s system. His problem? Turnovers. He threw 20 interceptions in one junior college season. Gus has always improved consistency in his quarterbacks. Can he do the same for Marshall?

— Jason Smith: Perhaps the dark horse in the hunt for the starting job at Auburn? Try Jason Smith. A dynamic athlete who could play any skill position on offense, he has a big arm and great enough speed that he was the MVP of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game… as a wide receiver. That shouldn’t distract one from his talents as a passer. Most people see Jeremy Johnson as the best freshman quarterback on the team, which he definitely could be, but don’t discount Jason Smith. Gus Malzahn has stated the best QB will win the job. Could Smith shock the world and become the starter as a freshman, despite no college football experience?

— Jeremy Johnson: Auburn’s quarterback of the future? Unless Jason Smith surprises many and ends up at quarterback instead of wide receiver, Jeremy Johnson will be the Tigers’ starter in a couple of years, at least. But who’s to say he won’t be the starter right away? Johnson almost has Cam Newton attributes, being 6-5 and well over 200 pounds. He can bust long runs, break tackles and deliver long, accurate passes with ease. Even Gus has mentioned that Jeremy Johnson’s style of play is similar to the 2010 Heisman winner’s. But is he too raw to be the starter right now?

With five candidates for the job, Gus should find a quarterback who can effectively run the offense. Who will it be? It’s way too early to tell. But that isn’t the only concern offensively, as the Tigers still need the offensive line to gel, as they have underperformed the past two years.

But the offense isn’t the only side of the ball that is receiving a makeover. The defense is heading in a new direction under defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.

A new direction is much-needed. In 2011 and 2012 combined, Auburn’s defense allowed over 412 yards per game. The Tigers’ defense allowed 30+ points 11 times in a two-season span, an all-time worst in Auburn history. The Tigers allowed Alabama and Texas A&M to score 42 points each before halftime last season, both all-time Auburn highs. The run defense has ranked nearly dead-last in the SEC the past two seasons.

With new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson free to run his scheme, the defense should be improved. How improved? Only time will tell. But the defense will ultimately decide how far Auburn goes in 2013.

Auburn brought in the #11 class in the country in a very short amount of time after hiring Gus Malzahn. Couple that with a promising recruiting future and just one senior on the current two-deep depth chart and the future for the Auburn football program appears very bright.