Auburn Faces Difficult Decision at Center After Cole Best's Struggles

There is no question that the Auburn Tigers offensive line has been one of the team's biggest concerns through the first five games of the season. After the bye week, Alex Golesh has acknowledged that center Cole Best has struggled the last few games, especially against Tennessee.

This certainly raises an interesting question as we head into Saturday's matchup against the number one team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs, on the road in Athens. Should Auburn consider making a change at center?

I think it's a fair question to ask, especially considering some of the younger offensive linemen Auburn has on its roster.

But I also think it's highly unlikely to happen this week.

Golesh acknowledged that Best had a difficult performance against Tennessee, but he also expressed confidence in his ability to improve.

“Yeah, he did. He struggled,” said Golesh. “I thought he struggled in general. I thought like all of it happened really, really fast for him."

Tennessee has a talented defensive front, and Best certainly wasn't the only Auburn offensive lineman who struggled in that game.

But Auburn does have some other options worth discussing.

Golesh mentioned Kail Ellis, Cole Skinner, and Kenneth McManus when discussing players who could potentially push for opportunities.

Ellis is particularly interesting considering his previous experience playing in the SEC and for the Tigers at center last season, while Skinner provides another option at center.

McManus has already received significant playing time at guard after replacing Skinner, so moving him would create another decision for the coaching staff.

Auburn has spent much of the season trying to establish consistency along its offensive line, particularly at left tackle and right guard.

Making another change against arguably the most talented defensive front Auburn will face this season doesn't make much sense.

Especially at center.

That's a position where communication and familiarity with the rest of the offensive line are incredibly important.

Throwing someone into that role against Georgia probably isn't setting that player up for success.

But here's something I would be interested in watching Saturday.

If Georgia builds a significant lead and the game gets out of hand, does Auburn start experimenting with different offensive line combinations?

Getting younger players meaningful snaps could provide valuable film for the coaching staff.

That could mean giving Ellis or McManus an opportunity at center, or evaluating other combinations heading into the second half of the season.

Either way, Auburn needs to figure out what it has beyond its current starting lineup.

I don't expect Best to lose his starting job against Georgia. Especially after the team had an extra week to prepare for this game, but depending on how Saturday unfolds, I wouldn't be surprised if Auburn uses the opportunity to evaluate some alternatives moving forward.