Why They'll Be Good
Why they'll be Bad
Schedule Prediction
Arkansas - W
San Jose State - W
at Kansas State - W
Louisiana Tech - W
Louisiana State - W
at Mississippi State - W
South Carolina - L
at Ole Miss - L
Texas A&M - W
at Georgia - L
Samford - W
at Alabama - L
Summary
Auburn is a trendy pick to compete for/win the SEC West and make into the 4 team playoff. And not to harp on last year too much, but they are a missed horse-collar call and two fluke plays away from being an 8-4 regular season team. Let's not consume the Kool-Aid too recklessly. In close games like those that they won last season, special teams are KEY (as we know all too well). Auburn will have to replace two very, very good specialists in K Cody Parkey and P Steven Clark. Those losses will be the difference in at least one game.
That being said, Auburn will be a better team this season than they were last year. But their record will be worse. I think they come out of the gate very strong, but starting in October, they have a murderer's row of a schedule. Not only do they have to play 4 good teams in the SECW, they have to play the two projected best teams in the East in South Carolina & Georgia. No way they make it through that stretch unscathed. I think they lose to both of those East teams and to Ole Miss before coming to Bryant-Denny. (note: I'm changing my previous pick of them losing to TAMU).
Which brings me to the Iron Bowl. I'll go ahead and spoil it and say I'm choosing Bama to go undefeated, but it is admittedly though crimson colored glasses. Since Coach Saban has been here, we have not defeated Auburn when they have fielded a competitive team that Gus Malzahn has been a part of. That's a problem that needs to be addressed, and I'm sure Coach Saban has heard about as much of it as he cares to during the offseason. The Iron Bowl, on paper TODAY, looks like a Hearns-Hagler fight. Come November, it'll be Tyson-Spinks in favor of the good guys.
Auburn finishes 8-4, best case 10-2.
Your thoughts?
- Very good interior offensive line
- 2nd year QB in the offense
- Good defensive line rotation
Why they'll be Bad
- Being the huntED rather than the huntER
- Brutal schedule
Schedule Prediction
Arkansas - W
San Jose State - W
at Kansas State - W
Louisiana Tech - W
Louisiana State - W
at Mississippi State - W
South Carolina - L
at Ole Miss - L
Texas A&M - W
at Georgia - L
Samford - W
at Alabama - L
Summary
Auburn is a trendy pick to compete for/win the SEC West and make into the 4 team playoff. And not to harp on last year too much, but they are a missed horse-collar call and two fluke plays away from being an 8-4 regular season team. Let's not consume the Kool-Aid too recklessly. In close games like those that they won last season, special teams are KEY (as we know all too well). Auburn will have to replace two very, very good specialists in K Cody Parkey and P Steven Clark. Those losses will be the difference in at least one game.
That being said, Auburn will be a better team this season than they were last year. But their record will be worse. I think they come out of the gate very strong, but starting in October, they have a murderer's row of a schedule. Not only do they have to play 4 good teams in the SECW, they have to play the two projected best teams in the East in South Carolina & Georgia. No way they make it through that stretch unscathed. I think they lose to both of those East teams and to Ole Miss before coming to Bryant-Denny. (note: I'm changing my previous pick of them losing to TAMU).
Which brings me to the Iron Bowl. I'll go ahead and spoil it and say I'm choosing Bama to go undefeated, but it is admittedly though crimson colored glasses. Since Coach Saban has been here, we have not defeated Auburn when they have fielded a competitive team that Gus Malzahn has been a part of. That's a problem that needs to be addressed, and I'm sure Coach Saban has heard about as much of it as he cares to during the offseason. The Iron Bowl, on paper TODAY, looks like a Hearns-Hagler fight. Come November, it'll be Tyson-Spinks in favor of the good guys.
Auburn finishes 8-4, best case 10-2.
Your thoughts?