How Bo Nix could present Auburn football with an uncomfortable truth | Toppmeyer

This the "Topp Rope," a twice-weekly SEC football column from the USA TODAY Network's Blake Toppmeyer.

Bo Nix’s transfer from Auburn to Oregon presented a bittersweet opportunity for the veteran quarterback and also for the program he left after three years as its starter.

Nix, the son of former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix, signed as a ballyhooed recruit, and he persistently teased the Tigers with tantalizing athleticism and big-play prowess. But Nix kept butting against a ceiling, and he never found the consistency of an elite quarterback.

Nix reunited with Kenny Dillingham, AU’s former offensive coordinator now with the Ducks, while Auburn gained the chance to move on with a new face behind center. The Tigers added two transfer quarterbacks, but T.J. Finley will start the season opener – the same Finley who couldn’t unseat Nix last season.

If Nix dazzles when No. 12 Oregon plays No. 3 Georgia on Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, ABC), Auburn will be forced to reckon with an uncomfortable reality: Nix wasn’t the chief problem during Bryan Harsin’s debut, and he probably would remain AU's top quarterback had he not transferred.

In Nix’s absence, Auburn needs Harsin’s assessment of Finley to prove accurate.

“People improve," Harsin said of Finley. "And that does include quarterbacks at Auburn."

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Nix didn’t improve much under Harsin. If he flourishes at Oregon, Harsin will be left holding a mirror.

Nix’s challenge Saturday will be solving a stingy Georgia secondary. Nix didn’t fare well against Georgia at Auburn. He went 0-3 against the Deep South rival.

Strange as it is, some AU fans may feel more comfortable about the Tigers’ quarterback situation if Georgia intercepts Nix a few times in a rout of Oregon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Finley throwing for 350 yards against Mercer on Saturday night wouldn’t hurt, either.

Week 1 quick thoughts

1. By Sunday, more people will know the names of Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Alabama wide receiver Traeshon Holden and Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders.

2. Ole Miss and LSU will have quarterback controversies by Sunday.

3. Vanderbilt will lead the SEC in victories come Sunday.

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FirstBank wants name on Vanderbilt’s stadium … have they seen it?

College athletics directors are in the fundraising business, and Vanderbilt celebrated this week a 10-year naming rights deal to have Vanderbilt Stadium rebranded as FirstBank Stadium.

Vanderbilt follows Kentucky, which in 2017 sold naming rights to turn Commonwealth Stadium into Kroger Field. Some traditionalists may bristle, but I applaud the Commodores for convincing FirstBank that Vanderbilt Stadium is a jewel worth affixing its name to.

Combine this deal with Vanderbilt trouncing Hawaii, and that’s a fine start to the season.

Moneymaking opportunity, Part II

Not to be outdone by Vanderbilt, Missouri also unveiled a revenue-grab.

No, Faurot Field has not been renamed – attention, Commerce Bank, it’s for the taking – but it will feature self-service food lockers where fans can purchase grab-and-go concessions.

I only hope the food is better than a Mizzou pregame meal served in the press box, which a fellow sportswriter once described as “hardtack and gruel.”

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Moneymaking suggestion

Georgia, Oregon and Texas are among programs that didn’t release Week 1 depth charts. This secrecy sacrifices a revenue opportunity.

My suggestion: Put a depth chart behind a paywall on the athletic department website. Cha-ching.

Better yet, sell naming rights for the depth chart. The Georgia Depth Chart, presented by Synovus Bank.

Love this Eliah Drinkwitz idea

Missouri will open Thursday (7 p.m. CT, ESPNU) against Louisiana Tech, and coach Eliah Drinkwitz encouraged students to revel in the weeknight kickoff.

“I say skip (Friday classes),” Drinkwitz suggested on his radio show. “It's early in the year. You can overcome an early deficit."

Love the idea. Go hard in the paint Thursday night, play hooky Friday morning while nursing a hangover, and let the federal government forgive the debt incurred while skipping classes.

Email of the week

Note: Email heavily edited to correct various grammar errors.

Tim writes: You are the one that picked Auburn to have a losing season??? Wow! I would bet my life that don’t happen. Have to give Harson some credit. He knows talent. Not his fault he inherited low-level offensive linemen that weren’t beefed up enough to handle the defensive linemen in the SEC.

Bryce Young would be rated as worst QB in SEC behind that line. If Auburn will give Harsin the normal four-year chance, he will have a sustainable program and be competitive every year. Stay tuned for at least a 9-3 season at AU.

My response: Is this satire? It reads like satire.

Harsin cooked with Gus Malzahn’s goods and managed a season worse than Malzahn would’ve cooked up on his worst day.

Enjoy 6-6.

Please email me your coaching candidates on Halloween. They’ll be needed.

Boozing in Arkansas

While Georgia-Oregon gets top billing, the more competitive top-25 clash will unfold in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the No. 23 Razorbacks will begin a quest to live up to my dark-horse assertions against No. 22 Cincinnati.

Head Hog Sam Pittman believes in setting the tone in the first quarter.

"I think the first couple series are gonna be really important, to figure out what you're bringing to the party. Some guys bring sweet tea, and some guys bring liquor,” Pittman quipped.

Pittman's drink of choice?

“I like ice tea with a little bit of sugar in it, and I like brown water, too," Pittman said.

Enjoy your boozy sweet tea as Week 1 unfolds.

Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. Also, check out his podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered, or access exclusive columns via the SEC Unfiltered newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Auburn football: Bo Nix, Oregon thriving vs Georgia would be bad