Here we go again.
It's a new year and a new quarterback controversy for the Auburn Tigers, but the scene is somewhat similar.
Last year, Barrett Trotter was named starting quarterback, and his ball management and a stout rushing attack led Auburn to a 4-1 start.
Then his play began to slip.
On the Oct. 8 road game against Arkansas, Trotter finished with his worst stats of the season, completing six of 18 passes for 81 yards and an interception.
Afterward, Gene Chizik brushed off questions of whether there would be a change at quarterback.
"Barrett is our quarterback today and he is our quarterback Saturday," Chizik said after the game.
That Saturday, against Florida and under the lights of Jordan-Hare Stadium, the quarterback situation was exactly as Chizik said it would be - until the second half.
Auburn had been using then-freshman Kiehl Frazier in a wildcat role as a spark plug to Auburn's stalling offensive engine and continued to do so that game.
However, after Trotter completed 2 passes in the first half for 33 yards and a touchdown, Chizik began the second half with backup Clint Moseley with the team up 7-6.
Moseley gave Auburn fans hope with four of seven passes completed for 90 yards in the second half and drove the Tigers to 10 more points in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Moseley had the fans' optimism if not their trust going into the second half of the season with the team at 5-2.
But he was not the answer.
Moseley disappointed in his five starts, never breaking 170 yards passing, having all three of his interceptions returned for touchdowns and finishing the season with a 62-yard outing in a 42-14 Iron Bowl blowout at home.
Moseley had a chance for redemption in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia, but a first quarter ankle injury returned him to the bench and allowed Trotter one final victory for Auburn.
Trotter opted not to return for his senior season, and the fans turned to Frazier.
If anybody could take Auburn back to championship form, it was him.
Or so they thought.
Frazier beat Moseley out for the starting job and took the field against Clemson on Sept. 1 in his first start.
You know the rest.
Now, the torches and pitchforks are out again as fans clamor for a change.
This week, Chizik reiterated Frazier was his starting quarterback, and who else could you expect?
Moseley is still recovering from a shoulder injury and Chizik said he could play if needed, but he isn't 100 percent healthy yet.
Zeke Pike is now playing tight end for Louisville and freshman Jonathan Wallace is too green to start now.
The coaches raved about Wallace's development in learning Scot Loeffler's offense, however the three-star recruit has had too little experience with the first team and no experience commanding a huddle during a collegiate season.
If Chizik pulls Frazier for Wallace and the team continues its current path to the SEC cellar, he risks the confidence of two potential quarterbacks for next season.
If Moseley is promoted to field general, the results may be the same as last year with Auburn yet to play LSU, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and newcomer Texas A&M.
The Sept. 15 matchup against University of Louisiana at Monroe is exactly what Frazier and Chizik need to evaluate the offense's progress: a high pressure game at home against a team Auburn should have the ability to beat.
Emphasis on the "should."
Frazier could reduce his turnovers and redeem the "dual-threat" moniker that made him such an attractive prospect to begin with.
He could also continue to struggle and watch the defensive line more often than the wide receivers.
Either way, by Saturday, Chizik will know exactly what he has in the 20-year-old.
Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan threw five interceptions in his first road game against Tennessee in 1969.
Jason Campbell struggled mightily his first two years before he caught on and eventually helped lead Auburn to an undefeated season in 2004.
Even Cam Newton struggled throwing against Mississippi State in 2010, when he squeaked Auburn by the Bulldogs on 11 of 19 passes for 136 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Frazier could be an eventual great or another recruiting bust, but it's too early to tell which way the pendulum will swing.
For now, Frazier will continue as the starter and the Auburn faithful should remain exactly that.
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