Auburn football will take on Mercer on September 3rd, San Jose State on September 10th, Penn State on September 17th, Missouri on September 24th, and LSU on October 1st, all at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The 2022 campaign will start with five straight home games and Tigers HC Bryan Harsin certainly sounds like a fan of that scheduling.
“To be around our fans, to have those teams coming in, playing in Jordan-Hare…we’re excited about that, to have a chance to be home for five straight games.”
Harsin relayed that ‘home or away, you want to get off to a fast start regardless,’ but doing so will undoubtedly be an easier proposition at home — particularly as the team aims to figure out its situation under center.
As the Auburn coach said at 2022 SEC Media Days, the Tigers could have packages for a quarterback that isn’t the starter this upcoming season. If Robby Ashford is going to be used in change-of-pace plays behind Zach Calzada or T.J. Finley, it’ll be much easier to integrate him into the offense without needing to travel elsewhere or deal with hostile crowds for the first five weeks.
Bryan Harsin believes that November games determine who will play in the College Football Playoff
While addressing the backend of his schedule, Bryan Harsin said ‘that stretch is the one that really determines, especially in November, who’s going to have a chance to be in those Playoff games, who has a chance to play for championships.’
For the Tigers, that stretch will include Mississippi State on the road, Texas A&M at home, a Group of Five breather hosting Western Kentucky, and then the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa during rivalry week.
If Auburn is in the College Football Playoff conversation, they will have had to avenge Penn State for their White Out win last year in Happy Valley, upset Georgia Between the Hedges, and/or beaten Jimbo Fisher’s Aggies in a season they are likely hellbent on winning the SEC West and shutting Nick Saban up.
Easier said than done. But for Bryan Harsin to survive, he’ll have to get it done at least seven or eight Saturdays in 2022.