re: 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.

The Harsin/Oats year 1 comparison actually works pretty well, just not in the way OP intended.

Oats' first season saw Bama lose competitive road games against NC, Penn State, Kentucky, and Florida. It saw them beat then #4 Auburn in Tuscaloosa.

Then the drag of the season hit and injuries began to pile up. First Petty missed time and was eventually lost for the year. Herb Jones was out there shooting 1 handed free throws with his off hand because his right one was in a cast, and Bama lost 8 of the last 12.

Auburn played a good Penn State team close on the road, soundly beat good Arkansas and Ole Miss teams, then as injuries and the season grind took its toll, the wheels fell off.

Year 2's going to tell the tale for Harsin (much like it did for Oats). Even though Oats' year 1 fell apart down the stretch, he still brought in a monster recruiting class which was a big catalyst to the year 2 success and where he seems to be in year 3. To have any chance of success, Harsin's got to do the same.