Is Bo Nix good? That’s tough to answer. Especially after watching him look like the second coming of Seneca Wallace against LSU. The Auburn quarterback continues to be among college football’s biggest enigmas. One week he looks like a Heisman Trophy candidate and seven days later he’s getting benched against Georgia State.
It makes no sense. And that’s why answering the question ‘Is Bo Nix good?’ is so difficult. Dude is like three or four different players rolled into one. For two-and-a-half years, we have seen Nix alternate between looking like the best and worst quarterback in the SEC.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Nix is just how divisive his play is among the Auburn fanbase. Opinions range from he’s ass to he’s great or even his situation is the issue. These wildly varying views confuse other SEC fans. So, what is the answer?
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Is Bo Nix good? Yes!
In case you missed it, here is what Nix was up to in Auburn’s win against LSU.
The Bo Nix Experience 🚀#CFB
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 3, 2021
BO NIX IN FOR SIX 💪 pic.twitter.com/VC5EaDInDe
— ESPN (@espn) October 3, 2021
This was a Heisman winning type of performance. Well, it would have been had he not been benched for TJ Finley last week. Nix single-handily willed Auburn to victory in a game they were trailing by nine points entering the fourth quarter. But this isn’t the only reason Bo Nix is good.
The quarterback has been hurt by constant upheaval on The Plains. He has gone through three offensive coordinators, was playing under a desperate Gus Malzahn and maybe didn’t have the best supporting cast. Despite all this, Nix now has wins against Alabama, Oregon and LSU (twice).
Sure, his performance has been uneven, but the situation hasn’t done him any favors. There is a real reason to believe Nix can be one of the nation’s top players with a little stability.
Is Bo Nix good? No!
Those plays against LSU were nice, but they end in an incomplete pass more often than not. His accuracy and fundamentals have not improved at all since arriving on campus. And that’s not due to a lack of experience. Nix has now started 29 games for the Tigers.
Whether it is by design or not, Auburn has no vertical passing game to speak of which makes Nix struggles with accuracy even more baffling. He has thrown for under 250 yards in 21 of 29 starts. There is no reason why he should be completing less than 60 percent of his passes on a regular basis.
His athleticism and rushing ability receive a lot of hype, but he actually rushed for fewer yards than Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral this season and in 2020. Ultimately, Bo Nix is not good and a few splash plays won’t hide the truth.
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And the answer is…
Bo Nix isn’t good, but he isn’t bad either. Sure, there are times when he flips this switch and looks elite. But way too often you have a player who is listless and unengaged. Three impressive quarters against LSU doesn’t change that.
