Roman Harper: Bryan Harsin has Auburn trending in right direction

Bryan Harsin has Auburn 6-3 in his first season at the helm. SEC Network analyst Roman Harper credited the Tigers coach for steadily improving the roster after last year.

Last season under Gus Malzahn, Auburn finished 6-4 and was, therefore, bowl eligible. But Malzahn didn’t coach in the bowl game because Auburn fired him after the regular season. He’s now the head coach at UCF.

Harsin came in after six years at Boise State and has the Tigers bowl eligible once again. Harper said Harsin has done quite a job in his first year to keep the Tigers in the national conversation, especially at No. 17 in the latest CFP rankings.

“I think Auburn’s in a good place,” Harper told Paul Finebaum. “I think Bryan Harsin and the staff have done a really good job from game to game having a different game plan that gives their team the best chance to win every game.”

Harper also talked about how Auburn is going against its own expectations and compared it to Alabama, which he called “the standard of college football.”

“Auburn has these higher or loftier expectations that they’re always up against, as well,” said Harper, an Alabama graduate. “The same way at Alabama where Alabama’s always up against their own standard because they are the standard of college football. … You have to have these standards or this way of life that they have to always measure up against.”

The Tigers are coming off a 20-3 loss to Texas A&M last week and are gearing up to face Mississippi State on Saturday.

Kirk Herbstreit’s message to Bryan Harsin following Auburn’s huge win over Ole Miss

Two weeks ago, Auburn got a big-time win over Ole Miss, 31-20. He got the attention of ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who tweeted his support of the job Harsin’s done in his first year on the job.

“Hars has Auburn 6-2 and just knocked off a top 10 team. Incredible start to his tenure at Auburn,” Herbstreit tweeted. “Tigers becoming a dangerous team. At @AggieFootball next week for another heavyweight showdown.”

This season was supposed to be a transitional period for Auburn, but they look better under Harsin this season than they did at the end of Gus Malzahn’s tenure. Additionally, Harsin has quarterback Bo Nix playing better football than ever before.

Through nine games this year, Nix is throwing for 213 yards per game along with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. Last season, he threw for 219 yards per game, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games.

Kickoff between Auburn and Mississippi State is coming up Saturday at noon ET on ESPN.