We've seen what the offense looks like with Barrett Trotter at the helm.
Complete ineptitude when the offense is behind the line of scrimmage. Fourteen, 16 and 14 points in the past three games. A combined 34-70, 371 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions in the same stretch.
The offensive line has dropped off from last year's play, but has been above average pass blocking this year. If you're a quarterback with limited scrambling ability, then pocket awareness and the ability to make smart and quick decisions are a must. Trotter has shown neither.
No. 1 target Emory Blake and slot receiver Trovon Reed were out against Arkansas, but that doesn't make up for the quarterback play. Open receivers were missed in favor of deep throws in double coverage, a wide-open receiver assured a touchdown was underthrown, and general ineffectiveness abounded.
Gene Chizik shuttled in freshman Kiehl Frazier for 23 plays during the Arkansas game. Frazier opened up Auburn's entire rushing attack, gaining 54 yards on 13 carries. He forced the Razorback linebackers to respect the quarterback keeper, allowing Onterio McCalebb and Tre Mason to get outside for big gains.
Granted, Frazier was tricked twice by Arkansas coverages, leading to a pair of interceptions, but Frazier knows he can learn from those mistakes.
"I got a lot better just from yesterday, just seeing myself throw those passes and kind of make those mistakes," Frazier said. "That's something I can definitely learn from."
That's the maturity you want to see from a true freshman.
Frazier's offensive coordinator has confidence in his ability to make plays with his arm as well.
"He can throw it," Gus Malzahn said the week before the Arkansas game. "And we'll definitely let him do that."
On ESPN's documentary "Year of the Quarterback," which outlined the quarterback competition between Trotter, Frazier and Clint Moseley, Malzahn said Frazier was the most talented of all three quarterbacks on the roster, but was the least experienced.
How can Frazier gain experience for next season? Start him. Let Trotter be the situational quarterback to come in and throw on obvious passing downs.
Let's face it, Auburn isn't winning the SEC West this year. But next year we're lined up for a run at the SEC Championship game.
Who's going to take us there? Kiehl Frazier.
Would you rather have Frazier take the reigns of a championship contender with no starts to his name and very limited chances to throw the ball, or have Frazier start game one next season having traversed Death Valley against LSU, battled Georgia between the hedges and faced Alabama in the Iron Bowl?
Barrett Trotter is a great leader, a fiery competitor and was an excellent quarterback in high school, but there is a reason only Army, Duke, Samford, Troy and UAB offered him a scholarship before he committed to Auburn.
I'm not into bashing players, but the future is now.
Auburn is a running team this year. Michael Dyer is unstoppable at times. McCalebb and Mason are excellent at spreading the defense and getting to the outside.
Frazier simply makes all of them better. Those four are averaging more than five yards per carry this season, even when opponents know Auburn is one-dimensional.
Frazier isn't Kodi Burns. He wasn't ranked the second-best quarterback solely because of his athletic ability. He's a dual-threat quarterback that can attack a defense with his arm just as much as with his legs.
The main knock is that Frazier only knows a small portion of the playbook. But let's be honest, our current offensive playbook consists of a handoff to Dyer, a sweep to McCalebb or an incompletion.
Let Frazier run however much of the offense he's comfortable with. He might have more interceptions than touchdowns each game, but he'll learn from each of those mistakes. It will make him a better quarterback when we need him the most: 2012.
If we are going to lose, we might as well lose with our future quarterback at the helm.
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