The Auburn football team is preparing for what may be the biggest home game of the season, and is most definitely the most important recruiting game for the 2023 cycle. The Penn State Nittany Lions will make their way to the Plains this Saturday for the second game in their home-and-home series with the Tigers.
Last year, head coach Bryan Harsin’s first-year team suffered a tough loss in Happy Valley, with victory just slipping through their fingers. This year, the Tigers are hungry for a victory and are ready to defend their house from the Nittany Lions.
However, the uncertainty of Auburn football’s quarterback situation certainly puts a few question marks around whether or not the Tigers will find success in their first big game of the year. We have seen flashes of what could be greatness from both TJ Finley and Robby Ashford, but we have also continued to see grave mistakes that will be far more costly in the bigger games.
So, after two weeks of watching Finley and Ashford share the offense, could we finally see Calzada get a chance this weekend? According to Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live, the former Texas A&M quarterback is still very much in the picture:
"Sources tell Auburn Live that Calzada has received increased attention this week in practice from both Harsin and Kiesau, including repetitions with the first team at times. Calzada is being prepped to play against Penn State. Now, what that looks like remains to be seen. But it appears safe to say that if Finley struggles again early, Calzada may get his shot. There could be a short leash. If Finley comes out guns blazing, accurate and making good decisions, then that’s great for Harsin and Kiesau. That makes any potential decision easy."
A lot of people hoped that by Game 3, there would be a clear frontrunner in the quarterback competition, but unfortunately the Tigers’ QB room seems to be struggling to find consistency, which could spell trouble as the season progresses. This weekend will be a true test and set the tone for the rest of the 2022 season no matter who is at quarterback.