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SEC Football: Momentum, who has ‘Big Mo’ and who is stuck with ‘No Mo’

By Ronald Evans

Oct 25, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Trey Quinn (8) crowd surfs after fans stormed the field following the Tigers 10-7 victory agains the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2014; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Trey Quinn (8) crowd surfs after fans stormed the field following the Tigers 10-7 victory agains the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports /
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SEC football gets a QB transfer
Nov 21, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Auburn Tigers – Gus Malzahn – ‘No Mo’

It is hard for any program to find enthusiasm when three seasons, following a national championship game, end with a total of 16 losses. Then again, we are talking about Auburn and the Tigers did win the 2015 Birmingham Bowl.

On top of those three sub-par seasons, Auburn limped to the end of 2016, losing three of the last four games. Auburn lost to Alabama for the third straight season. There have not been enough wins to allow rolling the wires down at Toomer’s Corner. Though in true Aubie fashion, Auburn fans did bring out the toilet paper rolls when Alabama lost to Clemson.

The ‘powers-that-be’ and by that we mean Pat Dye have had enough. If Pat could not garner sympathy for a move to the SEC East by saying Auburn could not catch up to Alabama’s tradition in 500 years, he could take joy in ripping the offensive clipboard away from Gus.

Dye demoted the Auburn ‘offensive genius’ by forcing Gus to hire a skilled offensive coordinator. Nothing against Chip Lindsey, Auburn is lucky to have him. Auburn will be better in 2017.

The reasons are Lindsey, a real quarterback for a change and 15 returning starters (starter information compliments of Phil Steele again.)

That real quarterback is Jarrett Stidham, a transfer from the gun-slinging Baylor offense. Stidham has a big arm and could be the best Auburn quarterback since Cam. That is if he can run effectively.

Unless Gus allows a total retool by Lindsey, Auburn’s offense requires an RPO QB who is a running threat. Nick Marshall was a great QB for Gus’ offense. Not as a particularly good passer but as a master of the RPO, confusing SEC football defenses with finesse and speed.

Can Auburn replicate that with Stidham, now that SEC football refs try to flag offensive lineman’s upfield infractions? Maybe so, but Heisman talk is folly at this point.

Auburn has ‘No Mo’ but don’t tell the Aubies – in SEC football, perverse happenings are known to transpire on the Plains.

Next: 5 Best SEC Quarterbacks not named Jalen Hurts

This bears repeating. Momentum is fickle, even the absence of it. And it is fleeting, ‘Big Mo’ and ‘No Mo’ never last forever.

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