AUBURN | The outlook for No. 13 Auburn certainly took a turn with the lopsided loss at Georgia last Saturday. Now, a battered and disappointed team has to put that behind them as a suddenly rejuvenated Arkansas is set to visit Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Razorbacks are coming off a 21-14 road upset over No. 16 Mississippi State after an opening loss to Georgia. Auburn beat Kentucky in Week 1 before losing to the Bulldogs 27-6.

Below are what I’m confident in and what I’m concerned about in regards to the Auburn’s SEC West matchup against Arkansas.

CONFIDENCES

** Honestly, there’s not a whole lot to be confident about after Saturday, but I feel strongly that Auburn remains more talented from 1 through 85 than Arkansas and that could be the difference in the game, especially with the Tigers playing at home.

** I expect Arkansas to come into this game very confident and motivated that they can snap a four-game losing streak to Auburn.

** If given just an average amount of protection, Bo Nix can be the catalyst to win this game for Auburn. Nothing that happened in Athens changed my opinion of Nix, but he’s going to need a lot more help from the other 10 players on offense.

** Auburn’s special teams were the only unit that wasn’t completely out-classed by Georgia and I’m confident they will continue to perform at an above average to high level this week. I still expect Christian Tutt to break a punt or two for a touchdown this season.

** There will be changes in the starting lineup on the offensive line. Whether or not those changes make a difference remains to be seen.

** I’m confident that Tank Bigsby needs to be Auburn’s starting running back going forward regardless of the health of the other three backs.

** Lastly, I’m confident that if a team gets dominated at the line of scrimmage like AU last week against UGA, there’s no good scheme or play that a coordinator can run successfully on either side of the ball. None. Zero. That 2008 quote from Steve Ensminger has never been more relevant: “You don't have to make plays on every third down. You live to punt.”

CONCERNS

** There’s just so many but it starts with the mental and physical health of this team coming off that beat-down. The loss of K.J. Britt is devastating from a player and leadership role. He is the heart and soul of this team. AU is pretty banged-up overall and I expect more players to be out or playing through injuries against Arkansas. Britt said late Saturday night that they can’t let UGA beat them twice. That’s so true and it’s important to talk about, but I still think it’s going to be really tough to get this team’s confidence back up.

** If Arkansas is able to pressure Nix early, that could be a huge issue. He was definitely frustrated at the end of the Georgia game and it was clear he had lost confidence in his offensive line. I’m sure they’ve worked hard to get him settled back in the pocket this week, but an early setback could put him in bail-out mode and really sink AU’s plans.

** Calling Auburn GAUrd U is a bit of a running joke on the Bunker, but there’s certainly truth behind it going back to the last several years of recruiting. It may be the case that AU just doesn’t have a true tackle ready to play this season. Or if Austin Troxell can fill one of the spots adequately, maybe just one tackle for two spots. That’ll be OK against some of the teams, but will be a real negative against ones with good edge rushers.

** Added to concerns about Nix and AU’s offensive line is an Arkansas defense that can mix in a lot of different looks upfront, which can confuse offenses. Jonathan Marshall is a 320-pound, fifth-year senior that’s hard to move at nosetackle, an issue that has plagued AU the past two seasons. They also have one of the best pair of linebackers in the SEC in Bumper Pool and Grant Morgan, which could mean another frustrating day for the offense.

** While I believe Rodney Garner’s defensive line will improve over the season, it’s missing a key part right now and I’m not sure there’s a potential solution on the roster. AU doesn’t have any defensive lineman that can anchor the unit and take on a successful double-team. Dontavius Russell is a great example of the importance of having such a player, especially if you don’t have a Derrick Brown. Perhaps one of the JUCO transfers can step up and provide that, but that’s more hopeful.

** It doesn’t look like AU is going to have much of an edge pass rush for a third consecutive season. That means AU is going to have to blitz to create pressure, which opens it up to other issues and puts more players in disadvantageous 1-on-1 situations.

** Auburn’s nickel has been targeted a lot in the first two games. I think Tutt is a good player, and perhaps I’m being unfair, but man coverage is not his strong suit at this time. AU needs to find a better way to use him or find somebody else to fill that position.

**Malzahn has said on several occasions this week that Auburn needs to run the ball better. Now, that’s 100 percent true and I’m certainly not going to debate that on its face. However, when he says that it sends up a bit of a red flag for me in that he may feel the need to step in and make changes to Chad Morris’ offense. If that happens, we’re going to get some amalgam of both, which will inevitably make matters worse and build resentment in Morris. I’m not saying that’s happening right now, but history tells me I should at least be concerned.