When looking at the records of this year’s Auburn football team and last year’s, there may not be a huge difference. Both records show struggling teams, though for very different reasons. The 2022 Auburn football team went on a five-game losing streak, dealt with outside noise all season long, and endured the firing of their coach before the season was even over.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Auburn football team is going through a total rebuild, complete with a new coaching staff and an extensive list of new players. The struggles of the 2023 season have nothing to do with unity or discontent, but a lack of time to fully implement a new system.
According to several players, the mindset in the locker room is to continue to work hard rather than point fingers and give up like last season, and veteran cornerback Jaylin Simpson still believes the Tigers can find success this season with five games still left to be played, per AL.com:
"“We just want to get a bowl game so we can feel some kind of success for the season because right now I feel like a lot of people ain’t feeling that right now,” Simpson said Tuesday. “So we get this first win and keep it rolling, get a bowl game.”"
Auburn football needs three more wins to reach bowl game eligibility, which is completely attainable with the remaining opponents on the schedule. The Tigers just played the hardest stretch of this season, and will be looking to bounce back in the second half.
"“I think everybody’s just — things aren’t going our way, but we’re just, we’re going to keep going,” Simpson said."
The Tigers will be chasing their first SEC win this weekend as they host the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on the Plains.