All eyes were on the quarterback battle, but there was plenty more to glean form Auburn Football’s spring practices this year.
Coming off of a disappointing season, Gus Malzahn is entering a make-or-break season with Auburn Football in 2019. Malzahn agreed to a restructured contract that reduced his large buyout, seemingly making it easier for Auburn to fire him after next season if the Tigers don’t take a big step forward.
Malzahn being on the hot seat to begin with feels a bit ridiculous. He’s won the SEC West twice in six seasons on the Plains, the only team other than Alabama to accomplish that feat. He was burdened by ridiculous expectations after leading Auburn to an SEC Championship and a berth in the national championship game in his first season as the head coach in 2013.
It also doesn’t help that the enemy across the state has made every College Football Playoff to date, and Auburn has yet to break through. Malzahn has won 66% of his games as the head coach, but a disappointing season in 2018 nearly led to the end of his tenure.
Coming off of a 10-win campaign and SEC West title in 2017, expectations were high for the Tigers last season. They were expected to compete for a playoff berth, and instead lost five games in the regular season and were relegated to an also-ran bowl game.
Malzahn seized control of the offense for the bowl game, and the hype train for 2019 completely left the station as Auburn annihilated Purdue in the Music City Bowl. Even with Jarrett Stidham gone and the quarterback position up in the air, Auburn is talented enough to compete in the SEC.
Auburn could even begin the year in the preseason Top-10, though it would be preferable if it could stay under the radar. Malzahn’s Auburn teams seem to be at their absolute best when no one sees them coming. When there’s palpable preseason hype, that’s when his teams tend to flop.
The make or break season got started in earnest with spring practices. Here’s five takeaways: