The first three weeks of Auburn’s season have produced an alarming number of questions with no sign of any answers in sight. There’s really no debating it at this point – Gus Malzahn is on the hot seat. Questionable play-calling, lack of consistency, and an apparent failure to develop talent has seemingly crippled Auburn’s chances of having a bounce-back year in 2016. At a glance, Auburn’s record on paper does not immediately raise an overwhelming array of red flags.
Close losses to two higher-ranked teams would not normally translate to doom and gloom among the fanbase – but it is the way in which those losses occurred that make Auburn’s situation so puzzling and frustrating.