5 Things To Watch From Auburn Following the Bye Week

The Auburn Tigers have had two weeks to prepare for their matchup against Georgia, and I'm interested to see what Alex Golesh and his coaching staff have changed following the Tigers' 24-14 loss to Tennessee.

I don't expect Auburn to suddenly fix every problem that has plagued this team through five games, but there are several areas where I think we should see some improvement.

Here are five things I'll be watching when Auburn returns to the field.

Auburn's offensive play-calling has been frustrating at times, especially when the Tigers get behind schedule and start depending on Byrum Brown to create something.

The fourth-down pitch against Tennessee was another example of a decision that deserves criticism.

I'm interested to see whether Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon have made adjustments to the offense, particularly when it comes to finding ways to move the football consistently.

I want to see Auburn establish its running backs as legitimate parts of the offense instead of relying so heavily on Brown.

Omar Mabson rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries against Tennessee, while Brown finished with 107 rushing yards.

Will Jeremiah Cobb get more of the carries, or will they start the transition to rightfully move Mabson into the running back one spot?

Brown's athleticism is obviously an advantage, but Auburn needs to find ways to get its running backs involved consistently if this offense is going to improve.

Auburn's field position against Tennessee was terrible, and some of that came from decisions in the return game. Multiple fair catches by Auburn's returners inside the 10-yard line fundamentally need to change.

The Tigers repeatedly started possessions deep in their own territory, making things even more difficult for an offense already struggling to sustain drives.

I'm watching whether Auburn becomes more aggressive or at least makes better decisions when fielding punts.

Florida and Tennessee both found success running the football against Auburn, and I'm curious to see what DJ Durkin changes defensively.

Tennessee especially had success attacking the outside, and Auburn struggled to adjust once the Volunteers established their rushing attack.

If Georgia sees those same weaknesses on film, there's no reason to believe the Bulldogs won't try exploiting them.

This might be one of the more interesting things to follow moving forward.

Kenneth McManus has already received meaningful opportunities along Auburn's offensive line, and I want to see whether Golesh continues investing in younger players.

There is a lot of chatter from the fan base about Kail Ellis finding more playing time on the offensive line and, on the defensive front, continued snap usage for players such as Darrion Smith. Jourdin Crawford will also show a huge step towards the future of this program.

Auburn still needs to compete for victories, but developing the future of this roster should also be a priority.

I'm not expecting a completely different Auburn team against Georgia.

But after two weeks of preparation, I do expect to see evidence that this coaching staff has identified the problems and is actively working to correct them.