True, there were warning signs: 3-2 against Mississippi State, 14-12 against Tennessee and rather moribund offensive rankings, but it is now official. Auburn’s spread offense is no more.  

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said no one in the halls of the Tigers’ football complex is panicking about the team’s struggling offense, but he acknowledged the spread system upon which Tony Franklin built his reputation has been packed up and put in storage for the foreseeable future.

“One day we’ll have the talent that we can say, ‘Well, we’ll run 100 percent of what Tony likes to run,'” Tuberville said. “Right now, we don’t have that talent in some areas.”

Don’t automatically assume victory in the Oct. 23 game in Morgantown — Auburn will still play Auburn defense, which is proven to be more than enough to get a win. By the way, Auburn’s defensive coordinator should be familiar.