The Auburn Tigers have been on a negative downslope since firing Gus Malzahn in 2020. So negative, in fact, that it evokes the Nebraska Cornhuskers' situation: desperate to retain an 18-15 Matt Rhule from being poached by the Penn State Nittany Lions after firing Bo Pelini following a 9-3 record in 2014. Nebraska has a 57-73 record since Pelini's firing.
USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer believes that making a hire like Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall, who's all but assuredly ending up on the Plains, or Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key, could help the Orange and Blue go down the Big Red track.