With the biggest off-season personnel question answered - Sean White will be Auburn's starting quarterback to open the 2016 season - the subject now turns to results.

The win-loss column trumps all, but in order to achieve their desired victories the Tigers will need to restore the offensive identity they were sorely lacking in 2015.

Auburn is coming off the worst year of offensive production in Gus Malzahn's college coaching career, which featured erratic quarterback play, the least effective running game ever for Malzahn and inconsistent pace, which was a particular area of attention this off-season.

"It's been a big emphasis," running back Kerryon Johnson said. "We all acknowledge we kinda slowed down last year and that's something that he made a big point this year to get back to. We've got to get back to going fast more consistently. We've been practicing very, very fast and now it's just put to us as players. once we get on the field, the coaches are out of it. You're going to hear them saying 'hurry' but it's up to us to actually go fast, get our correct calls and be able to play."

White, who beat out John Franklin III and Jeremy Johnson after the longest QB battle in Malzahn's 11-year college coaching career, is confident the offense will be able to play at a faster pace starting next Saturday against No. 2 Clemson.

"I think that's the big difference between this year and last year," White said. "Last year, if we were going so fast, I wouldn't be able to really think about what I'm going to do on this play. Now, I already know it, so by the time the ball is snapped, I've looked at the defense.

"The play clock hasn't even started yet and I already know what's going on, so that's a big difference."

Realistically, continuity and consistency should aid in improving pace, which in turn would mean higher production.

It will be up to White to lead the Tigers in regaining their offensive prowess after they fell to No. 75 in scoring last season, lowest in Malzahn's career. But the expectations are high regardless of who is behind the center.

"I don't think it matters who's at quarterback," wide receiver Marcus Davis said. "The pace that coach Malzahn has is going to be the same for everybody."

White will take the overwhelming majority of reps with the first-team during the week of practices leading up to the season opener.

Malzahn hopes the decreased number of personnel changes will help the offense's continuity.

"I think it's important, the last week you're starting to get specific," Malzahn said. "We rotated receivers, we rotated running backs, but now you're to a point where you're getting really specific with the same 11 guys.

"I think that's very important for a quarterback too, to know exactly who he's throwing to and throw to the ones instead of sometimes throw to the twos, sometimes throw to the threes and sometimes throw to the ones. There's a lot to be said for that."