The current state of Auburn football is best described with a famous Vince Lombardi quote: “We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.”
Auburn is 0-4 in SEC play, losing each game by an average of 6.25 points. So head coach Hugh Freeze is not wrong when he says, “we’re too dang close.” However, the difference in winning and losing can be found in offensive production, especially in the second half. Jacob Waters of the Auburn-Opelika News points out that Auburn has had 10 drives in the fourth quarter of each of its last four games where it could have tied or taken the lead. However, nine of those ended in either a punt, a missed field goal, a turnover on downs, an allowed safety, or, most recently, finished regulation at home against Missouri.
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Auburn’s inability to secure close wins is the driving force behind its No. 15 ranking in The Athletic’s ‘SEC Vibes’ rankings after Week 8’s action.
Seth Emerson of The Athletic referenced Waters’ stat to show just how inefficient Auburn’s offense has been in key moments since SEC play began.
“Here’s a nifty stat, from Jacob Waters of the Opelika-Auburn News, that encapsulates both how bad and un-clutch the offense has been: In the past four games, Auburn has had 10 drives in the fourth quarter or overtime with the chance to tie or take the lead, and after a touchdown on the first such drive at Oklahoma, the rest have totaled 35 yards on 24 plays, with zero scores. Yuck.”
The good news for Auburn is that its road becomes less challenging over the next two weeks. The Tigers will end their run of facing four-straight ranked teams this Saturday when they travel to Arkansas for a morning kickoff. The following week, the Tigers will host Kentucky for a night game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Two wins over the Razorbacks and Wildcats will give Auburn confidence heading into Nov. 8’s
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football: Tigers ranked near bottom of ‘SEC Vibes’ ranking
