Auburn football: Offense, defense will have no ‘discernible differences’ in 2022

Both Auburn football OC Eric Kiesau and DC Jeff Schmedding believe the 2022 Tigers won’t be much different from the schemes run last year.

That could be news that either upsets or gives hope to Tiger fans everywhere.

While AU did have a losing record in 2021, only two games (Georgia, Texas A&M) were essentially unwinnable. Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Alabama were dead to rights before Auburn football dropped the ball and blew those leads, while the losses to Penn State and Houston both featured controversial Smoke Monday targeting calls/ejections.

If a few bad breaks go the other way, things could be different. That’s why the following news could be seen as good if you look at it half-glass full:

"And Auburn was breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball, plus four new assistant coaches. To the Tigers’ benefit, though, neither their base offense nor defense will be altered much from last season, as Eric Kiesau and Jeff Schmedding said there won’t be many discernible differences in what Auburn was running in 2021."

Auburn football could look very similar across the board.

The Tigers’ defensive front is going to return Derick Hall, Colby Wooden, Eku Leota, and Owen Pappoe, among others. T.J. Finley could very well remain the starter under center. While the secondary lost two major contributors in Roger McCreary and Smoke Monday, those behind him on the depth chart last year (Nehemiah Pritchett, Jaylin Simpson) appear ready to step up in their absences.

Auburn football fans that don’t have hope for the team based on what they saw in 2021 likely hate this update. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Bryan Harsin’s program won’t be built in just a season either.

For those that know that there is a great deal of nuance necessary when looking back at the 2022 season, their opinions rightfully differ.