Auburn’s defense had kept Georgia scoreless in their first three drives of the October 8, 2022 Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry game, slowing down last season’s College Football Playoff hero, Stetson Bennett, and the rest of the Bulldogs offense in check. Then, on what should have been a routine punt on fourth down, Bryan Harsin called a fake punt on 4th and 6 — gaining two yards and handing the ball over to UGA deep in Auburn territory.
Of course, a touchdown for the Dawgs soon followed in the second quarter, and before you knew it, the Tigers were playing from behind. Given the offensive line’s struggles to give Robby Ashford more than two seconds of time in the pocket, that may prove to be the story of the game.
A first quarter with plenty of potential was thrown away by questionable play-calling. Usually, that decline comes in the second half, by why waste time against the defending national champions in a rivalry matchup Auburn has lost five straight (and counting)?
CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee joked that Bryan Harsin has to be a double-agent sent to destroy the Auburn football program after the fake punt seen all around the Plains…
What the heck was that? Why on Earth do you fake a punt when you can get field position?
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) October 8, 2022
I maintain that Bryan Harsin is a double-agent sent to Auburn to ruin the program.
Prove me wrong.
Bryan Harsin has to be fired to maintain dignity for this program
Fly War Eagle has been as pro-Bryan Harsin as anyone, sticking with him through this past February’s inquiry into the program that nearly got him fired with cause before summer camp even began.
But at this point, when the national broadcast is spending time highlighting his job security and national analysts are calling him a double agent sent to destroy Auburn, it’s impossible not to want to rip this Band-Aid off as soon as possible.
If On3’s Justin Hokanson is correct about the program’s potential pivot which would see Bryan Harsin stay the season, the rest of October and November are going to seem like an eternity.