Bo Nix’s football career has been long and arduous. It began with the Auburn Tigers all the way back in 2019. He capped his collegiate debut by throwing a game-winning touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining in regulation to beat the Oregon Ducks 27-21.
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The thrilling victory put a lot of pressure on Nix’s shoulders. His status as a legacy player – his father, Patrick Nix, led Auburn to an 11-0 record in 1993 – only piled on the expectations even higher.
The weight of those prospects was unbearable. Following a 9-4 mark as a freshman, Nix’s Tigers won just six games in his sophomore and junior years. Auburn’s fanbase essentially ran him out of town.
Nix morphed into a legitimate NFL prospect during his two seasons at Oregon. Now, he’s on the verge of taking the Denver Broncos (8-5) to the playoffs as a rookie. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is excited at how far Nix has come since leaving Auburn.
“I’m happy for him… during his time at Auburn, he was a punching bag. They blamed him for everything. Anything that happened at Auburn that didn’t go well, it was Bo Nix’s fault. And he goes to Oregon… he plays phenomenal there… [he’s] just a great kid. Always positive, tons of energy… what a poster child for having some adversity, some struggles… and [to] out the other side in a much better place.”
Auburn’s football fans aren’t the most forgiving bunch. Their mentality, in part, stems from residing in Alabama with the Crimson Tide. The Tigers, for better or worse, are viewed as “little brother” in their rivalry.
Their treatment of Nix didn’t come from disdain but from disappointment. They wanted him to carry them to glory and were upset he couldn’t do so.
Daniel Jeremiah says SEC fans are still rooting against Bo Nix
Seeing Nix succeed at Oregon only rubbed salt in their wounds. “If he was capable of playing well at another school, why couldn’t he have performed at Auburn?” Every time Nix throws a touchdown or wins a game, it eats at them.
Their treatment of him in his lowest moments, as wrong as it was, made them feel better. According to Jeremiah, this continued early in his Broncos’ tenure.
“Early on in the season, [he] was a little bit uneven… I heard a lot of it from people in the South, SEC fans [saying], ‘I knew it! He’s the guy at Auburn. He’s not really the guy we saw at Oregon.’ But he just pushed right through it, and he’s playing awesome.”
Across his last four starts, Nix has completed 66.4% of his passes (93/140) for nine touchdown passes and two interceptions.
The Broncos are 3-1 over that stretch. Their only loss? On the road against the Kansas City Chiefs, who blocked Broncos’ kicker Wil Lutz’s potentially game-winning 35-yard field goal.
Nix has FanDuel Sportsbook’s second-best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+230). Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (-270) is the favorite to capture the award.
Denver is on bye in Week 14. Their Week 15 opponent, the Indianapolis Colts (6-7), is also on bye this week. If the Broncos win, they’ll essentially lock up a playoff berth. Kickoff for the Dec. 15 matchup is set for 4:25 p.m. E.T. on CBS.
