Auburn football: 3 surprising developments that could unfold in 2021

Surprising Auburn football 2021 season development #2: TJ Finley takes over starting QB spot in Week 3

The Tigers’ first two games of the 2021 season are lay-ups. Akron, a team known by most to be the underdog for some of the most severely lopsided spreads in college football, and Alabama State, an FCS school, should serve as confidence boosters ahead of one of the toughest stretches in the country.

Week 3 is when things could become trying for Bryan Harsin and co. when they travel to Beaver Stadium to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions.

PSU was far from whole due to COVID-19 opt-outs in 2020, including NFL first-round draft pick Micah Parsons, and subsequently underperformed. They’ve cleaned up in the transfer portal, though, and are welcoming in a trio of 4-star recruits to the secondary.

Auburn football’s trip to Happy Valley could be a turning point for the season if the Nittany Lions defense could force a bad game out of Bo Nix.

Harsin will be fighting hard for the best record he can get in year one, and if his presumed QB1 struggles big in a nationally spotlighted game against a Big Ten opponent, he could look to TJ Finley to right the ship. After all, Finley came to the Plains to compete for the starting job, and turning to him could improve the team’s narrative for the AP poll voters.