Paul Finebaum: Auburn is already looking ahead at the future

Wildly different narratives emerged from No. 14 Penn State‘s demolition of Auburn this weekend, depending on which program was being discussed. While some analysts came away raving about Penn State as a dangerous team in the postseason picture, others were left already looking to the future of Auburn football.

Not just any analyst, but prominent ESPN personality Paul Finebaum, an icon in the Yellowhammer State.

“I also had a chance to meet Rich McGlynn Saturday morning and other people connected to the Auburn program — he’s the interim AD — and it just seemed like Friday and even into Saturday most of the talk was on the future,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning prior to outlining a few reasons for that feeling.

But let’s start with the game.

First off, Auburn opened the contest fairly competitively. Penn State’s lead was only 7-6 with two minutes to play until the half until a 3-yard Kaytron Allen touchdown run extended the lead to 14-6.

However, after kicking a field goal in both the first and second quarter, the Tigers couldn’t really establish anything else against the Nittany Lions. That Allen touchdown run just before half was the start of a run of 24 unanswered points for Penn State, all but slamming the door shut on any Auburn hopes.

Quite possibly also eliminating any future for Harsin with the program, too.

Is a Bryan Harsin, Auburn split inevitable?

As far as the future of Auburn football is concerned, it’s hard to see much of a path back for Harsin at this point. To that end, Finebaum seemed perhaps slightly reluctant to share his weekend experiences.

“I had a chance to visit with Harsin Friday afternoon, and I appreciate that,” Finebaum said. “And you guys know how I feel. I like him very much, and he came by the show, which a lot of coaches don’t do the day before a game or the day of a game, and we had a good talk. Because it was the day before one of the most critical games of his career, I kept the conversation on the game and on the preparation and he seemed dialed-in and it seemed like we were going to get a good performance.

“And we didn’t. So that’s on him.”

Now a quarter of the way into his second season in charge, Harsin sits with a cumulative 8-8 record at Auburn. Five of the next nine opponents are currently ranked.

With a serious lack of energy and momentum in the program that’s a steep hill to climb. That’s what stuck out to Finebaum on campus.

“It wasn’t so much that they were going to lose the game. I mean there was mild optimism,” Finebaum said. “But there wasn’t the buzz on that campus, Cole (Cubelic), that you’ve experienced many, many times and I have as well. It just seemed somewhat flat, ‘let’s go out there and do the best we can.’ Some of that may have been Penn State was somewhat of an off-Broadway opponent even though; Penn State has not been on the national scene as prominently in the last couple years as it has been traditionally. But I just didn’t really sense it, and I think the game speaks for itself.”

Where is the path out for Bryan Harsin?

The biggest question mark at this point is simply trajectory.

It’d be one thing if sentiment around the Auburn program wasn’t so negative. After all, few Power 5 coaches are expected to turn things around instantly. There should be some success in Year 2, but rarely will a program fire a coach because he isn’t winning championships just two years in.

You need to show progress, though.

Saturday was a huge step in the wrong direction in that regard. Particularly when it comes to securing the key ingredient for the future of Auburn football: elite recruits. Finebaum ended on that point.

“I think the problem right now for Bryan Harsin is, yeah, he’s on a week-to-week survival tour from the media standpoint, but most of the media nationally has already moved on to who’s going to take Bryan Harsin’s place,” Finebaum explained. “That will be very frustrating for him. How that trickles down to the team I have no earthly idea. But all the kumbaya that we heard after the coup attempt in other circles was not evident on the field, and that’s really how Bryan Harsin is going to be judged.

“And ultimately I don’t know how he overcomes this recruiting situation, because if you had all your top recruits in that stadium on Saturday they had to walk out of there feeling pretty blue.”