Before I move on, let me say I am in no way calling for the firing of Ellis Johnson. Gus Malzahn has expressed his confidence in him, and likely will not fire him come season's end.
Lately, though, there's been a clear problem on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers, and it seems to be getting worse with each passing week. Again, I'm not calling for the firing of Johnson.
That is, unless Gus Malzahn is 100 percent certain he can bring Will Muschamp back to the Plains.
Muschamp is a top-notch defensive coordinator with an Auburn background. Bringing him back to Jordan-Hare Stadium would be a logical and exciting move for Malzahn's staff.
In his two years here, Muschamp led an aggressive defense, the likes of which haven't been seen since he left in 2007.
Auburn defense has been on a steady decline since the end of the Tuberville era. Even in 2010, in the middle of national-championship run, the defense was lacking.
Similar to that 2010 team, these first two Ellis Johnson squads have had to be saved by the offense many times. Eventually though, the offense won't be able to bail them out. That time never came for the 2010 team, but it should be noted that team also had arguably the greatest college quarterbacks of all time in the backfield.
For Auburn, that time in 2014 came against Georgia, when the offense was only able to find the end zone once the whole four quarters.
If the offense was bad, the defense was even worse, stretching out their arms in last-ditch efforts as Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb rumbled up and down the field with ease all night long.
Conveniently, Muschamp was fired the next morning. Things spiraled from there. Fans poured out their desires to can Johnson all over Twitter, and Alabama Media Group's Kevin Scarbinsky wrote Auburn should hand Muschamp a blank check.
I was hesitant to join the masses, but then a friend made a great point. He said if Auburn goes to Nick Saban's house and posts 30 or more points and loses, Malzahn may begin to question whether he can win with Johnson in control of the defense.
Malzahn doesn't like to lose. Everyone knows that, including Ellis Johnson. But the Georgia loss can't be blamed entirely on Johnson's defense. The offense didn't bail them out, as they have so many times before.
But the loss to then unranked Texas A&M was in large part on the shoulders of the defense. So too would have been a loss to South Carolina, but the offense stepped up in that game.
But if you ask me, the offense shouldn't have to bail out the defense. If you want to win games in the SEC, you've got to play two-way football.
This Iron Bowl doesn't have as much on the line as 2013's, but there is something at stake.
If Malzahn and the offense put the Tigers in a position to win, but are thwarted by their own defense, Will Muschamp just may get a call from a 334 number come Sunday.
David McKinney is The Plainsman sports reporter. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman.com.
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