Fair or not, Stidham next answer at Auburn

Auburn’s eventual 20-point win Saturday over rival Alabama took a backseat to a brief, but very important announcement.

The football team’s early enrollees were introduced at center court with the final one receiving a loud ovation from the student section and all other parts of Auburn Arena – Jarrett Stidham.

The projected final piece to Auburn’s SEC and national championship aspirations practiced with the team for three days in December as it prepared for the Sugar Bowl, but Saturday was Stidham’s first introduction before fans on campus in a large setting.

The savior has officially arrived on the Plains.

After watching two years of inconsistent play at quarterback, the Auburn fans think Gus Malzahn has found the answer at that position in another junior college transfer.

Didn’t they think the same thing about John Franklin III last year?

Oh, but this time, it’s different.

Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson are back after combining for 2,119 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns last season. Braden Smith is returning for his senior year to anchor the offensive line as eight starters are back on offense.

Auburn’s loaded with young talent at wide receiver. The defense returns seven starters, several key backups and All-American kicker Daniel Carson came back for his senior year.

Even got a new offensive coordinator – Chip Lindsey – who met Malzahn's three initial qualifications to replace Rhett Lashlee, who left for the same job at UConn.

"I felt like I needed to find someone that could develop and evaluate quarterbacks," Malzahn said Saturday. "I felt like I needed someone who I would be comfortable turning the offense over to. I felt like a needed somebody who was a fit in the same philosophy – no huddle, run play-action."

‘Chip’s offense’: Malzahn says Chip Lindsey will call plays at Auburn

So all Auburn needs is a quarterback to improve a pass offense that ranked 112th last season, right? Stidham has been deemed the solution to that problem.

The people’s choice. The missing ingredient for a championship season.

Everyone loves the incoming guy, especially when the present one didn’t play up to their standards, but Sean White, Jeremy Johnson and Franklin III can all attest it’s easier to be the next man than the man, especially in January.

White healthy and ready for 2017 preseason battle with Stidham

Still, Stidham is a breath of fresh air who gives Auburn hope it can make the College Football Playoff in Stidham's three years of eligibility.

They saw another junior college transfer – Nick Marshall – be the difference maker in Auburn’s worst-to-first SEC championship season in 2013 that ended 13 seconds short of a national championship.

Before that, Cam Newton arrived after a year at Blinn College following two seasons at Florida, won a Heisman Trophy and led Auburn to a 2010 SEC title and national title in an unbeaten season.

Now Stidham is expected to have a shot at leading Auburn to a championship.

With so much hype surrounding his arrival, Stidham could join Newton and Marshall on the list of immediate impact quarterbacks or be forgotten by this time next year because Auburn has brought in the next man.