Another Season of Despair?

Gus Malzahn is playing for more than his job this weekend. As the sun set on Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday night, minutes from kickoff, there were noticeable empty seats in both upper decks. An announced crowd of 87,173 was about as realistic as Auburn’s chances of winning the western division crown.

Malzahn was playing arguably the biggest game of his career and there wasn’t enough interest to fill up the stadium. As has become custom, Auburn’s offense rewarded those who stayed with another SEC loss. That’s nine of the last 11 for those at home keeping score.

It’s more than the football team that’s in shambles. The entire athletic department is hemorrhaging. Auburn president Jay Gogue announced his retirement last week. A staunch defender of athletic director Jay Jacobs, Gogue has taken a hands-off approach to athletics that has allowed other SEC programs to race past Auburn.

His departure spells great news for Auburn football. One noted writer said the school was in dire need of a visionary when it came to athletics. At this point, we’ll take someone with a heartbeat.

Should this season continue down its current path, next year will have a lot of new faces. After giving an off-season contract extension to Malzahn and failing to get his much ballyhooed stadium renovations off the ground, it’s hard to imagine the board of trustees allowing Jacobs to pick yet another coach. Auburn will likely be hiring for three jobs.

The real shame in all of this is what it does to players and fans. At no point in Auburn history has there been so much talent on a football team. It’s befuddling how this coaching staff can get them on campus, but fail to develop them.

For the fans, it means the possibility of another coaching change. This will make four in nine years. Let that sink in. Who has the stomach for it?

Like a drunk bottoming out, Auburn Athletics is coming to that point where it’s time to check itself into the Betty Ford Clinic. The self-destruction has to stop.

It needs a strong president who understands that athletics stirs the drink of any SEC institution. It’s time to hire an athletic director with a business background, not another former player. Greatness between the hash-marks doesn’t mean you can run a $100 million business.

Only then will Auburn have a chance on the football field.

Meanwhile, Malzahn fights on. Opening as a 3.5-point underdog to LSU, he’s back to square one, looking for the elusive quarterback that fits his system. After punting nine times (the most since 2011) against Texas A&M, the narrative doesn’t change.

When playing equal talent, what does it take to move the football?

It’s hard to imagine how things will look a week from now with another loss. A win against LSU gives renewed hope – at least a little.

I shudder at the thought of anything else.

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