Alex Golesh going back to Knoxville was always going to be one of the biggest storylines of this game.

He just doesn't want it to become an Auburn Tigers storyline.

Golesh spent two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator under Josh Heupel before becoming the head coach at South Florida.

And it's pretty clear what that relationship still means to him.

"I got so much respect for Coach Heupel," Golesh said. "Changed, in a lot of ways, how I look at offensive football, how I look at just running a program."

Golesh also credited Heupel with helping him get his first head coaching opportunity.

"He was really, really good to me when I was with him," Golesh said. "Helped me in a lot of ways to, one, get my first opportunity to be a head coach. Supported me all through that."

So yeah, this one is probably different.

But Auburn has enough to worry about without making Saturday about Golesh returning to Tennessee.

This will be Auburn's first true road game under Golesh. And the beginning of a very difficult October.

"It'll be our first time in a truly hostile environment," Golesh said.

That's a pretty significant test for an offense that has already struggled to start games.

It's also a test for an offensive line that Auburn is still evaluating and changing.

Tennessee has consistently affected quarterbacks through four games, and now Auburn has to handle that pressure while dealing with Neyland Stadium.

Golesh has been preparing his team for crowd noise since the spring.

Now we find out what that preparation actually looks like.

And I don't think Golesh's familiarity with Tennessee necessarily gives Auburn some huge advantage.

He doesn't either.

"I think it would give you an advantage if they didn't also have so much familiarity with your staff," Golesh said.

He said both staffs have changed considerably since they worked together four years ago.

"I think if you overthink it and say, man, like we've got to change drastically because of this or that, then you're going to put your players in a situation where they're not fully confident in the plan," Golesh said.

That's really what this week comes down to.

Auburn has to handle the noise, protect Byrum Brown, and execute what it does well. Golesh believes that the Tigers played too emotionally in the SEC opener at home because of the atmosphere and the energy in the stadium. That can't happen when you're on the road in a hostile environment.

Source: Yahoo Sports