The series is dead even at 22-22-1 all-time, and Vanderbilt has won three of the last five meetings. That history, plus the fact both teams are breaking in new starting quarterbacks, makes this a genuine toss-up on paper even before you factor in Jordan-Hare's home-field pull.
Vanderbilt's calling card last year wasn't just Pavia — it was a defense that ranked No. 4 in the country, and Clark Lea, the reigning back-to-back SEC Coach of the Year, returns most of that unit. Sedrick Alexander (5.4 yards per carry, 11 touchdowns) and Junior Sherrill also come back to soften the transition for Curtis, giving the Commodores a run game and a defense to lean on while the freshman gets his feet wet in September.
Auburn's counter is desperation and a new plan. A 6.5 win total from oddsmakers signals modest expectations, but that's actually a step up from where the Tigers have been the last two years, and a healthy scrimmage report out of camp has Golesh encouraged about how fast Brown and the skill guys are picking up the scheme. Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington give Auburn a run-pass dynamic that should keep Vanderbilt's front honest, even if the whole operation is still finding its identity this early in the Golesh era.
Both fan bases have reason for optimism and reason for nerves, which is what makes Friday's Jordan-Hare date the kind of early-season game that tells you more about a program's trajectory than its record does.