I'll chalk up the least amount of questions I've received this year to the bye week. I expect you all back in your normal, inquisitive forms next week.
Thanks to those who submitted questions for this week's Plainsman Mailbag. Submissions for next week's will open Sunday.
From @auburntigers100 on Twitter:
1. Does Joey Gatewood play the rest of the season?
Gatewood, along with freshman receiver Matthew Hill, took their first SEC road trips last weekend to Ole Miss because tackle Calvin Ashley (undisclosed) and corner Jamel Dean (shoulder) didn't make the trip.
Gatewood is still without his first career snap, however, as Auburn elected to utilize backup quarterback Malik Willis as its zone read, change-of-pace option in the second quarter.
After being nagged by a thumb injury early in the year, Gatewood appears to be fully healthy and is ready if needed. But three of Auburn's next four outings are against ranked opponents, so starter Jarrett Stidham will likely be playing all four quarters of those matchups.
Against Liberty, however, the Tigers will be a massive favorite and should be able to mount a large enough lead to toss in the reserves. The only other time they've been able to do that this season was Week 2 against FCS Alabama State.
Against the Flames in Week 12, I expect Gus Malzahn to allow Gatewood to strut his stuff against lesser competition. But the real quarterback race will heat up in the offseason when Stidham makes his NFL decision.
2. Do we have a chance to beat Georgia or Alabama?
Per ESPN numbers, Auburn has 17.1 and 8.4 percent chances to beat Georgia and Alabama, respectively.
Preseason, many thought the Auburn matchup was one that could trip up the Bulldogs, simply due to the sheer talent on the Tigers' roster. While it's still a talented depth chart on The Plains, it's apparent that Auburn isn't the team we thought it would be.
Still, Auburn matches up well against Georgia. We'll know more this weekend after Kirby Smart's team faces off with No. 9 Florida, but UGA quarterback Jake Fromm and the offense haven't been overly impressive this season against a wide range of defenses. Auburn's nasty front seven could continue that trend with a harassment of Georgia's offensive line.
Georgia's defense is solid, but it has shown chinks in the armor in the past few weeks. LSU found major success on the ground, and Missouri was able to pass at an efficient rate. But Auburn's offense has proven to be one of the worst in the conference time and again.
If I'm picking that game today, I've still got Georgia because of its home-field advantage and defensive edge over Stidham and the Tigers' offense.
Meanwhile, No. 1 Alabama continues to look like one of the best teams in the 85-man scholarship era of college football. But the Tide has a tough test of its own next weekend at No. 4 LSU.
If the Bayou Bengals can rattle Tua Tagovailoa and an incredible Alabama offense in a hostile Tiger Stadium, there may be hope for other teams to do the same.
This year's Iron Bowl is in Tuscaloosa, however, where the Tide have been pummeling teams during a home win streak that spans over three seasons. But in this rivalry, the underdog is often pesky.
All of that to say this: I see Alabama escaping Baton Rouge with a narrow, wake-up call of a win, and the Tide remaining undefeated en route to a Heisman winner and national title.
From @Tomas_Verde on Twitter:
3. Why didn’t you attend my super informative J-Day session?
I've offended a few of my Auburn beat colleagues with my choice to curb their Journalism Day panel on campus.
I was planning on attending up until the last second, when my Plainsman folk convinced me to sit in on a startup blog session. However, when I found out the sports panel had been live-streamed and cookies were provided, I was nearly inconsolable with guilt and remorse.
So lock me down for next year's session. If you still have grievances with me, Mr. Green, we can settle this on the court.
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Nathan King, senior in journalism with a minor in business, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
