STARKVILLE — Having seen more than enough ups and downs in his Mississippi State career, Titus Brown has a pretty good idea what the Auburn players have faced this week, too.

The Tigers lost to South Florida, at home, in overtime, last Saturday night. The way Brown sees it, there are two ways Auburn could have dealt with such a crushing blow.

"Do you have guys who are beating themselves up and had the loss beat them twice? Or do you have guys who are going to come out and work?" asks Brown, MSU's stalwart senior defensive lineman.

Which really nails down the question for Mississippi State as it heads into today's game at Auburn: Will the Bulldogs find an Auburn team that comes out inspired, ready to make MSU pay for the humiliation it suffered a week before?

Or will the Bulldogs find an Auburn team that comes out flat, its imperfections exposed a week earlier and ready to be exploited at least once more?

The question won't really be answered until mid-afternoon today, gauged by either the heartiness of the rolling of Toomer's Corner at the edge of campus in Auburn or the welcoming of MSU's bus back on campus around twilight.

Until then, it's all speculation, the kind that's found its way into quite a few conversations in Starkville this week.

In Auburn, it's been an interesting time.

There's been doubt about the capability of quarterback Brandon Cox and hints that the backups might be getting ready to see action. There's been second-guessing of Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville, too.

But players have been quick to point out that the loss won't derail Auburn's season, one that started in the top 20 of the polls.

"We're not really trying to reflect on the loss," said Auburn defensive end Quentin Groves, a Greenville native. "We're reflecting on the good things that came from the loss, if that makes any sense."

And those would be?

"Our offense could move the ball when they wanted to," Groves said. "Whenever they set on their minds to move the ball, they could."

Groves has a head-nod from MSU coach Sylvester Croom on that point. He's not buying the wholesale breakdown of Auburn's offense, and he isn't preparing for it.

"When I looked at their offense based on what I read in the paper I expected them to be going three downs and out and not doing anything," Croom said. "That's not the case. They're moving the football. They may have one bad thing happen in a drive - a tipped ball, an interception or get a penalty at a crucial point."

But the offense has been the source of much consternation among Auburn fans. The Tigers' offense ranks among the worst in most Southeastern Conference statistics.

Remember Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown and Kenny Irons? They're gone and so is Auburn's rushing offense, a surprising last in the SEC at 93.5 yards per game.

"We've obviously struggled with turnovers and some inconsistencies, but that will get better," Tuberville said. "I've got a lot of confidence in these players. I've got a lot of confidence in this team. We just have to show a little more attention to detail."

Croom said Auburn looks like, well, Auburn. That's not a particularly comforting omen for MSU; the Bulldogs have lost their last two games to the Tigers by a combined 62-0.

"All in all, they've got the big, fast, athletic and physical team that they always are," Croom said.

Mississippi State hasn't beaten Auburn since 2000, when it won 17-10 in Starkville.

Its last win at Jordan-Hare Stadium was the year prior.

Still, Brown sees things in the present. The Bulldogs are riding high after a 38-17 dispatching of Tulane; Auburn, well, not so much.

"It's good for us to come in with them losing and us winning so we have the momentum on our side," he said.

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