Bryan Harsin knew what was being asked on Monday when a reporter posed this question to him: is Saturday's game against Missouri a must-win? The Auburn coach, snarky maybe for the first time with reporters in his tenure, smiled and gave a very coach-speak response.

"I would categorize every Saturday as a must-win," he said. "I don't really have an answer for you there. Yes? Any time you ask me that from this point on, yes, it's a must-win."

But, deep down, Harsin has to understand precisely why it was asked. He admitted as much, stating, "I'm being serious; I know what you're asking." But, of course, we all are aware of what is on the line for the second-year coach in the days and weeks to come after Auburn's embarrassing loss to Penn State this past Saturday. If Harsin's seat was already hot going into the season and that game, it is now boiling after getting blown out in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The offense and defense looked overmatched, and even more important, so did Harsin and his coaching staff.

Fans poured out of the stadium in the third quarter, as did the hope of a 5-0 start that would help boost the attitude toward the Harsin era. Instead, it was as ugly on the field as this offseason was for this program; a constant turmoil surrounding Auburn football that began with a five-game losing streak to end last season.

"I don't think there's a game we've ever told anybody, 'Hey, if we lose this one, we'll be alright. We'll get on to the next one,'" Harsin said.

There might not be the next one for Harsin in Auburn apparel if the Tigers lose to a weak Mizzou team at home on Saturday, so even if the coach feels like every game is a must-win – and at Auburn, it sometimes feels that way – then this is the ultimate must-win for him if he wants to continue working at Auburn.

The Penn State loss was bad enough. It showcased the flaws of this team on national television badly. This Missouri team struggled against Abilene Christian last week after getting blown out by an average Kansas State team the game before. They are not world-beaters by any margin. A loss to the Tigers would likely be the final nail in the coffin that is the Harsin tenure.

So Harsin, like every coach, can talk about how every game is a must-win, that every game is just as important as the next. Still, everyone that follows Auburn knows the truth: a loss and a coaching search for Harsin's replacement will begin just 21 months after he arrived on campus.

That's the epitome of a must-win.