Auburn football’s quarterback competition got a lot more interesting last weekend when Bryan Harsin replaced third-year starter Bo Nix with LSU transfer TJ Finley in the second half of the Georgia State game. Fans were left wondering if Harsin would start Finley on his former home turf or if Bo Nix would get the chance to redeem himself.
The Tigers released their week 5 depth chart Monday morning ahead of their second road test of the season. Though there was some speculation about who would be the listed QB1 this weekend, Bryan Harsin has confirmed that no changes have been made to the depth chart.
However, Auburn football’s first-year head coach also reportedly told the media that no decision has been made on who will start in Baton Rouge and that the official depth chart isn’t as important as it seems.
Will Bo Nix or T.J. Finley start this week for Auburn? "That has not been decided yet." - HC Bryan Harsin https://t.co/7g2pwzGOrp
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) September 27, 2021
And after all the initial excitement died down, some Auburn football fans seemed to agree that starting Nix in Death Valley is probably the right decision, with a few conditions, of course:
Benching Bo was the right move on Saturday, but starting him this Saturday on a short leash is the right move for this weekend.
— Ethan G | 🏎🏁🏆 (@efgregs) September 27, 2021
As expected (if you are a rational fan) https://t.co/6H2PymJgmG
— Pablo Escobarner (blue chek) (@PabloEscoburner) September 27, 2021
Maybe benching Bo was a wake up call for Bo
— DraeAU #IStandWithHarsin (@WDEBABY2021) September 27, 2021
However, many fans are simply over Bo Nix. No one is taking shots at the guy as a person, but when it comes to Auburn’s quarterback, it seems people are ready for the dawn of TJ Finley:
Small sample size for Finley, but I’ve seen enough of Bo Nix to know the ceiling is low. Gambling on Finley’s potential is the move. https://t.co/clizHC7OSU
— Ryan McCrystal (@Ryan_McCrystal) September 27, 2021
The starting quarterback in Death Valley will not be confirmed until closer to kickoff, it seems, and until then the team will have to deal with a QB battle and a coaching change.