After finishing the season 6-6 and losing all of their games in the month of November, no one was surprised to see Auburn football playing in this year’s Birmingham Bowl. Despite the Cougars’ second-place finish in the American Athletic Conference, the Tigers have been named early favorites against Houston.
While winning the bowl game will be vital for first-year head coach Bryan Harsin to end on a positive note, there are several other storylines floating around the Auburn football community that are just as important as getting another win.
Between injuries, graduation, and the transfer portal, which players could we have already seen the last of before Birmingham? With Bo Nix still benched due to a broken ankle, who will line up as QB1 against the Cougars? Will we finally see Dee Davis take some snaps?
Will Auburn football ever hire an offensive coordinator?
Read on to find out all you need to know surrounding the Tigers’ December bowl game.
Storyline #1: Which Auburn football players have we seen the last of?
One of the biggest hits the Tigers will take on gameday is playing without starting center Nick Brahms. The fifth-year will miss the bowl game after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier this month. Brahms and many other seniors are still making decisions on whether or not to utilize their extra year of eligibility granted to them due to the pandemic.
With Bo Nix transfer rumors floating around and no concrete information being released by the quarterback himself on his future on the Plains, it’s possible that Auburn football fans may have seen the last of Nix in the orange and blue. Another name to watch could be star running back Tank Bigsby, who was also rumored to be looking into transfer options.
Whether making decisions about transferring or playing an extra year, it’s likely that player decisions will come after the Tigers have made an official hire for the offensive coordinator.
Storyline #2: Will Dematrius Davis take snaps in the bowl game?
Between third-year starting quarterback Bo Nix and LSU transfer TJ Finley, Dematrius Davis took a back seat during his true freshman season and will officially be redshirted after the Birmingham Bowl. However, could he finally get a chance to take some snaps at the end of the month?
TJ Finley took over as QB1 versus South Carolina after Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury, then suffered an ankle sprain himself in the Iron Bowl late last month. According to Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King, Finley is recovering well and is expected to get his third start of the season versus the Cougars.
"“He’s doing good,” David Finley, T.J.’s father, told Auburn Undercover. “It was just a sprain. He just needed some ice and some therapy.”"
During the regular season, Grant Loy played backup to TJ Finley, but with a new season right around the corner wouldn’t it make sense for Bryan Harsin to give the freshman a shot after keeping him out of the game all year? Quarterback competition will only heat up next season with 2022 4-star Holden Geriner joining the roster, so it should be an ideal time for Dee Davis to get some in-game experience.
Storyline #3: Will Auburn football ever hire an OC?
December is a big month in the world of college football, between bowl games and the early signing period for recruits, but the Auburn football program is dealing with another huge issue on top of those in their search for a new offensive coordinator.
The need for change was clear after the Tigers’ offense fell into a downward spiral late in the season, but with early signing day just one week away and the bowl game looming at the end of the month, the clock is ticking for Auburn’s coaching staff.
Though it looked like Bryan Harsin was ready to give the green light on Arizona State offensive coordinator Zak Hill, compliance issues allegedly caused that deal to fall through and new candidates are being considered. Names to watch in the search include Seattle Seahawks QB coach Austin Davis, Georgia run game coordinator Dell McGee, and FSU offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.
After being pursued for the Auburn Offensive Coordinator opening, Zak Hill is opting to remain at Arizona State
— 𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 (@PHLSports1) December 9, 2021
It seems outrageous that the program would make it all the way to the bowl game without a new OC, but at this rate, it’s clear that Harsin and the rest of the hiring committee are taking their time with the search.