There’s nothing but potential for the Auburn football season at this point in the season. Unfortunately for Tiger fans, one of the possibilities is to complete a 2012-esque year that comes with a losing record.

Sure, it’d be an exaggeration to compare what has been a dismal season to the trainwreck that then-head coach Gene Chizik put on the field three years ago, which included losing all leadership before the season completion, but don’t sugarcoat Auburn’s current issues.

This fall’s problems start, of course, at quarterback.

Even five games into the season, head coach Gus Malzahn has yet to name an official current starter. Everyone knows the background of Jeremy Johnson being listed as a Heisman hopeful entering the season before losing the job after throwing six interceptions through three games.

Then in comes Sean White, who did well for his situation, yet never really got to run a wide-open playbook.

Now with Malzahn not naming a starting quarterback before the Kentucky game, there are even more questions. Ultimately, it boils down to was Johnson’s benching a message to the junior QB, has White simply lost his starting role or is the QB race really just that tight. There may be even more options.

Either way, you have two quarterbacks that can’t have much confidence considering neither are apparently good enough to be named the definitive starter.

A lack of confidence is also apparent on the defensive front, where not even the $1.6 million salary of coordinator Will Muschamp can right the ship.

Entering the season, it was hoped the defense would simply be better than a year ago. It can be argued that it has, despite allowing 400-plus yards in four of five games.

One problem for the defense comes with a lack of offense. In Auburn’s two losses this year, LSU and Mississippi State, the offense never responded after the opponent scored. It’s no secret that one unit feeds off the other.

And these problems have led things to where they currently stand. It sums down to Auburn needs to beat Kentucky and Arkansas in back-to-back road goals to have a decent shot at making a bowl game. The Idaho game is a gimme, but defeating Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia or Alabama is less than a clear win.

These next two games is what could separate this team from 2012, at least record-wise. Three years ago, Auburn lost five games in a row before splitting its final four.

A good place to start this week would be with deciding a starting quarterback.