An LSU-Auburn football game needs no added intrigue, but this one has it. In a rivalry matchup between two of the most storied programs in the SEC and in the nation, known for a history of chaotic Tiger-versus-Tiger action, the most captivating question this week might not be what happens on the field, but what happens after the game.
Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin is known to have one of the hottest seats in college football. His first season at Auburn represented the program’s worst record since 2012 at 6-7, and early indications are this season may not be any better.
Harsin’s first game this year was a blowout win over Mercer, an FCS team, followed by a narrow 24-16 win over San Jose State that was contentious into the fourth quarter. The next week, Auburn looked helpless in a 41-12 loss to Penn State (now ranked No. 11). Seven days later, the Tigers opened SEC play against Missouri, perhaps the conference’s worst team this year, and had to put the game away in overtime with a final score of 17-14, only after Missouri missed what would have been a game-winning field goal as time expired in regulation.
A 3-1 record so far this season is deceiving in Harsin’s case. The wins have been hard to come by. He’s in need of a statement game, some momentum or anything that indicates that he deserves to continue to be the leader of the Auburn football program.
Saturday’s matchup versus LSU could either be the win that lights a fire under Harsin’s team, or it could be the final straw for his time in Auburn if it ends up as a disappointing loss.
There was optimism at the start of Harsin’s tenure in Auburn. His hiring drew some mixed reviews, with some citing his lack of SEC experience, but he had a good history of success. From 2001-2010, he served on the offensive staff of a Boise State program that was consistently one of the best in the Group of Five conferences. Boise State earned a record of 114-16 in that time.
After a brief stint as the head coach of Arkansas State, Harsin returned to be the head coach of Boise State and went 69-19 during his tenure.
Harsin was known as a somewhat conservative coach with a steady demeanor, which was considered by some as a good thing for an Auburn program that needed stability after an erratic Gus Malzahn era. However, the fit hasn’t been a successful one so far.
The product that Harsin has put on the field for Auburn hasn’t been up to the Auburn standard. Last season, following two weeks in which Auburn came away with impressive wins against ranked Arkansas and Ole Miss teams, Harsin’s squad lost five straight games, ending a once-promising season on a sour note.
Since Auburn quarterback Bo Nix went down with an injury in last year’s Nov. 13 matchup against Mississippi State, Auburn has scored more than 20 points only twice in its six matchups with FBS teams. The team didn’t score more than 24 in any of those games. The Tigers’ offense has been stagnant, which is especially concerning when the head coach has an offensive background.
This February, Auburn launched an internal investigation into the football program. After an offseason that saw many athletes and coaches leave the team, there were allegations of Harsin mistreating his players and staff. After a tense few days, Auburn announced that Harsin would stay with the program, but the coach was clearly on rocky ground. That hasn’t gotten any better after an unencouraging start to this season.
Though Auburn doesn’t have a history of firing coaches’ midseason–the last time the program did so was during the 1998 season with Terry Bowden–it generally isn’t hesitant to pull the plug when something isn’t working. In 2010, Gene Chizik won the national championship. Two years later, after a 3-9 season, he was gone. In 2017, Gus Malzahn was a win in the SEC championship away from a College Football Playoff bid. Three years later, he was fired.
Harsin’s situation feels uniquely tumultuous–it’s something that’s been building for a while, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Auburn breaks tradition and releases him prior to the season’s end. Each game that falls short of expectations could be the one that ends his time coaching the team.
LSU has the opportunity to be the team that ends the Bryan Harsin era. The ingredients are just right: Auburn faces one of its most hated rivals, at home, just as the program’s dissatisfaction with Harsin reaches a new height. A win would be surprising. A loss would be humiliating.
If LSU walks out of Jordan-Hare Stadium convincingly victorious on Saturday, look to Bryan Harsin. His face may tell all, and he may be expecting a phone call very soon.
