Auburn football had a fantastic season opener. Not only did they beat Akron by 50 points, but the whole team looked cohesive and lacked procedural penalties. QB1 Bo Nix went 20-22 for a 90.1 completion percentage, and RB Jarquez Hunter became the first true freshman since Ontario McCalebb to post a 100-yard opening game.
The Tigers finished the game with only three penalties and two punts. From the moment the game began, there was no doubt about which team would win the game. And just like that, the Harsin Era has begun.
CBS’ Tom Fornelli released his Week 1 Fornelli Ratings, which are a bit unusual. Fornelli explains how it works on his Twitter page:
For the unfamiliar: The Fornelli Ratings do nothing but measure performance in the current season. Everybody starts with the same rating. They're reactive, not predictive.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) September 7, 2021
Auburn football was the highest-ranked team on The Fornelli Ratings by more than a few points, scoring a 104.030. Cincinnati followed with a score of 95.292, then NC State with 94.397. The Tigers’ squeaky clean game one paid off, and fans noticed:
1. Auburn pic.twitter.com/XfJskeXrkp
— James Halpert (@AUJimHalpert) September 7, 2021
https://t.co/mKkUFQm7kp pic.twitter.com/UUwGZuRxAU
— travis (@toxicbarner) September 7, 2021
stop the count https://t.co/DBENZoZszg
— joshdub (@joshdub_) September 7, 2021
As Fornelli said, the ratings are not predictive… but Auburn football’s performance could be. Next week’s matchup versus Alabama State makes for another easy win, but the real test comes the following week when the Tigers head to Beaver Stadium and face off against a ranked Penn State team.
If The Tigers can perform in the same cohesive manner from the season opener and Bo Nix can make those accurate passes, it might be a wild ride for Bryan Harsin’s first-year squad.
But Auburn fans– is it the year?