SEC Pre(dicition) Season: Auburn

WMack4Bama · Jul 26, 2014

Why They'll Be Good

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?

bama579 · Jul 26, 2014

The API v Alabama, 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?

My thoughts: I hope you are right more than you can imagine.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Jul 26, 2014

I'll say about the same. I think they lose to MSU and beat Ole Miss. I'm not sure about the good D Line rotation stuff though. That defense will be horrible as it always is. LSU could give them fits early in the season. It's quite possible for them to lose up to six games with how they play on the edge. I'll keep it at 4 losses for now.

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ValuJet · Jul 26, 2014

I hope you are right at 8-4. I would love to see Mitippi Tate take a chunk of their hide as they head into that SEC lineup.

ALA2262 · Jul 26, 2014

Schedule Prediction

Arkansas - W
San Jose State - W
at Kansas State - W
Louisiana Tech - W
Louisiana State - W
at Mississippi State - L
South Carolina - W
at Ole Miss - L
Texas A&M - W
at Georgia - L
Samford - W
at Alabama - L

8-4 (4-4)

TUSKtimes · Jul 26, 2014

Mason's departure leaves a 2000 yard void.

Blindside13 · Jul 26, 2014

I see them losing to Bama, Georgia and one of the road games in Mississippi but I do not think they drop both of them.The game at Kstate I think is going to be closer than most think, but I think they squeak by. If they drop the Carolina or the Lsu game I would not be surprised but I will go with 9-3, would love to see 8-4 or even worse but it is very unlikely.

gamersfuel · Jul 26, 2014

aurebrens season will come down to how well their lb's and secondary performs. the defensive line is solid. the strength of ellis johnson is his dlines and penetration. the offense will score points. i think the worst they can do is 8-9 wins. Best case for them is a one loss season IMO

hokiefan10 · Jul 26, 2014

Arkansas - W
San Jose State - W
at Kansas State - W
Louisiana Tech - W
Louisiana State - W
at Mississippi State - W
South Carolina - W
at Ole Miss - L
Texas A&M - W
at Georgia - L
Samford - W
at Alabama - L

9-3.. At ole miss is a toss up but Im going with a loss, luck has run out. Don't see them losing to Carolina at home.

gumptider · Jul 26, 2014

I think being the hunted is a very big factor. In my lifetime, Auburn has never met expectations when the national media ranked them near the top. They seem much more comfortable in the spoiler role.

Agree with others, too, that the loss of Mason is a big deal. Hard to overstate the loss of Greg Robinson, as well. At the end of the day, Auburn is a team that relies a lot on power running to set up those 2nd and 3rd and shorts. We'll see if they can do that again this year without an anchor on the left side and a stud in the back field. I think Marshall is going to have to carry this team and I don't think he can do it. I am expecting 9-3 for Auburn, with losses at South Carolina, Georgia, and Bama.

ALA2262 · Jul 26, 2014

I have them losing all 4 SEC road games. If all teams got the calls at home that they do, they would never win another away game.

bamacpa · Jul 26, 2014

That K State game looks tricky to me. Aubie is better than K State, but early road games can turn out funny. I think they beat Ole Miss, just not sold on Freeze's offense. I got em losing to UGA, Bama, likely Sakerlina, and maybe K State. Call it 9-3.

pigsinspace · Jul 26, 2014

Being the hunted means that teams will adjust to Auburn's HUNH. They won't surprise everyone two years in a row.

tusks_n_raider · Jul 26, 2014

I think they have only 2 definite losses. LSU and USCe. The games against UGA and Us are coin flips. So they will be anywhere from 8-4 to 10-2. They have Miss ST's number every year and they aren't losing to them. I could see them losing to Ole Miss maybe. I can't believe everyone is picking them to beat LSU. That was the only team that flat shut them down and drilled them last year and they reload just as much as we do every year.

nickel42 · Jul 26, 2014

gumptider said:
I think being the hunted is a very big factor. In my lifetime, Auburn has never met expectations when the national media ranked them near the top. They seem much more comfortable in the spoiler role.

Totally agree with this. They had a huge advantage of being the underdog last year. Not so this year.

I do think that teams will adjust to their offense - teams will still struggle at times, but I think the Tide and LSU will be ready for them. And Ole Miss can probably get them too - Freeze should a good nickel defense ready.

TouchThatThang · Jul 26, 2014

I think we can get them good this year. That offense won't work if we disrupt the plays in the backfield. We have the front seven to do just that. With the new substitution rules and our excellent, fatigue shouldn't be a problem. On the other side of the ball, I expect CLK to be more aggressive than CNS's last two OCs. With our skill players, all we gotta do is get those boys past the line of scrimmage and into open space. I do not think their LBs and DBs can tackle our guys.

Blindside13 · Jul 26, 2014

tusks_n_raider said:
I think they have only 2 definite losses. LSU and USCe. The games against UGA and Us are coin flips. So they will be anywhere from 8-4 to 10-2. They have Miss ST's number every year and they aren't losing to them. I could see them losing to Ole Miss maybe. I can't believe everyone is picking them to beat LSU. That was the only team that flat shut them down and drilled them last year and they reload just as much as we do every year.

I am picking them over LSU because they are at the barn, and I just think they are about due one over them again.

colbysullivan · Jul 26, 2014

Let's be honest guys, the Barn's record is rarely what we think it will be. They find ways to win games that are simply mind-boggling. That said, with their schedule, I doubt they could possibly finish any better than 9-3. They will go 2-2 against the Miss schools, USCe and UGA. We are going to beat them this year, period.

81usaf92 · Jul 26, 2014

I'll say 8-4 losses to olemiss, msu, and us with a loss to either USCe or UGA.

uaintn · Jul 26, 2014

It will take the usual bogus sec officiating to keep them in the game with the Who's. Chavis will put a big dent in their offense and their weak defense will struggle against a pounding ground game.

SEC Pre(dicition) Season: Auburn

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