If Harsin Was Nate Oats, Would The Whole CFB World Be Different?

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How many teams not named Georgia can lose their QB, kicker, a starting LB, leading WR, and win a road game?

It is what it is. Auburn did not make a coaching change because we had stockpiled talent. The change was made because we lacked talent and did a poor job developing talent.

Harsin will get time to see what he can do. If he cannot win enough, he will be fired.

That is the way it is at every program, win or you need to polish the resume.

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I'm a firm believer he will be judged as much on recruiting as onfield results. Mullens is exhibit-A.

But frankly, Gus was let go because the hierarchy knew he would have a decent team this season and with his track record they feared he would go off on one of his 10-2 seasons and they would be stuck with him for another cycle.

Harsin has not coached the team with that type of talent promise very well. He really needs to nail recruiting.

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If Harsin Was Nate Oats, Would The Whole CFB World Be Different?

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Oats was 16-15 overall, below .500 and finished 9th in the SEC his first season. Even with CV19 canceling the post-season, fighting for an NIT bid isn't "coming out blazing."

Saban was 6-6 his first regular season and lost to ULM. He needed to squeak out an Independence Bowl win over Colorado to stay above .500 (still recall how excited I was during that game; my how we've been spoiled).

Not saying Harsin's yr 2 will meet the success of either of the other 2, and I'm sure it is unfair expectation to measure against either, as so much luck, timing, and circumstance go into it all.

I think Harsin had a similarly significant challenge in team culture, toughness, and attitude that he has managed well. Injuries have not helped a roster devoid of depth and overall talent either. That said, I still think he has managed it as well as can reasonably be expected and AU has looked like a tough nosed football team at times. Recruiting may eat his lunch if he doesn't get help in transfer portal and get after it year round, but he should get 3-4 yrs under his belt before saying he's flamed out.

I don’t know if Harsin will work out long term, but recruiting is going to determine whether or not he does. He appears to be very disciplined in every aspect of his life and that is what it takes to win at schools like Boise because you’re always dealing with making chicken salad out of chicken shite to a certain degree. You mold the players you can get and coach them up. But the SEC is an entirely different animal. You gotta have all that AND grease palms and work with your boosters and their networks, pay off high school coaches, get players family members jobs, and now set up an entire network of boosters willing to sponsor damn near every kid with an NIL deal…and if you DONT, they’ll transfer out to someone who will at the moment they are dissatisfied. I’m just not sure he has the band width and people skills to do that. There are very few coaches who do. It makes Auburn a very difficult place to win in the 2020’s. I’m pulling for him and maybe he’s smart and disciplined enough to figure it out on the fly. I like his no-nonsense disposition and I hope he’ll get some talent so we can ultimately see what he can do. But he’s getting his as kicked on the recruiting trail right now.

This is how I see it as well.

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If Harsin Was Nate Oats

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What if 6 was 9?