College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Auburn Tigers season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Auburn Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 in SEC
Head Coach: 8th year, 62-31
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 10
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 16
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 12
Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Offense 3 Things To Know
– Considering the brutal schedule the Tigers had to deal with, and the breaking in of a true freshman quarterback, the offense was more than fine.
Most offenses and quarterbacks would struggle against Oregon, Texas A&M, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Minnesota and Alabama, but Bo Nix has to rise up in his second year as the main man for the attack. The former star recruit stepped into the starting quarterback role right away, and he was hardly fazed by the spotlight, coming up with a game-winning drive in the opener against Oregon.
Inconsistent, Nix threw 16 touchdown passes and just six picks, but he hit just 58% of his passes and and was under 52% five times. He’s got the arm, the mobility, and the moxie, and now he has to go from being more of a game-manager to a game-changer.
He’s got the receivers to work with …
CFN in 60 Video: Auburn Tigers Preview
– Seth Williams is going to be some NFL team’s No. 1 target in the near future. He’s got all of the next level tools as Auburn’s top receiver, but he might not have to carry the workload alone – if everyone stays healthy and is still around. No matter what, this is a deeper and more talented receiving corps than it was last year.
Banged up in 2018, senior Eli Stove came up with a 37-catch season as a short-range target in 2019. He’s a potential volume-catcher who needs to be used more.
Second-leading receiver Anthony Schwartz is one of the fastest players in college football, but he only averaged 10.7 yards per catch. There’s a shot he might leave to concentrate on track, but assuming he’s back, he needs to get the ball in his hands more than the 52 times he had it last year – he ran 11 times with two scores.
– The offensive line was okay last season – and stronger in previous years – but it was hardly a killer. Four starters are gone with junior Nick Brahms back at center as one expected returning starters. Replacing Prince Tega Wanogho is the biggest hole to fill, but as a whole the line has to be more dominant.
The running back situation is going to be good no matter what, even with leading rusher JaTarvious Whitlow expected to transfer. Sophomore DJ Williams is the leading returning rusher after coming up with 400 yards and two scores.
There’s a whole lot of depth to form a good rotation, but the star of the show might by Cartavious Bigsby, a five-star get with the upside to take over the offense right away.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense of last year has to be graded on a bit of a curve. It was seventh in the SEC overall and sixth in scoring D, but it was 28th in the nation in both categories. It should’ve generated more of a pass rush considering the NFL talent up front, but overall it was more than good enough by most reasonable standards.
But now the defensive front has to do a little bit of reloading, all while trying to improve. It’s Auburn – the defensive tackles will rise up – but again, not having Derrick Brown around will be a problem.
Tyrone Truesdell is back as a big body on the inside, but it’s going to take a village to work in around him. JUCO transfers Marquis Burks and Dre Butler will help the depth, and there are plenty of options, but again, not having Brown around anymore hurts.
Big Kat Bryant is the veteran who’ll work on the outside in some hybrid sort of way, and Caleb Johnson is a good-looking sophomore, but leading pass rusher Marlon Davidson is gone.
– The line will end up being more than fine. The secondary that loses four starters might need a wee bit more work. Junior S Christian Tutt is a fantastic return man who came up with 32 tackles with two picks, but he needs help around him.
Noah Igbinoghene is now a Miami Dolphin, and fellow corner Javaris Davis is gone from the other side. However, junior Roger McCreary is back after making 36 tackles last season and should be the No. 1 corner, and Jamien Sherwood should one of the team’s leading tacklers with a bigger role at one of the safety gigs.
– KJ Britt isn’t going to be the flashiest of linebackers, but he’s an all-star who’ll be one of the team’s leading tacklers again as a premier run stopper on the inside. He’ll be the steady star of the D, but sophomore Owen Pappoe has the upside to be a stat-sheet filler in the linebacking corps who could end up living behind the line.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Auburn Tigers Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Auburn Tigers Players
Best Auburn Tigers Offensive Player
WR Seth Williams, Jr.
It would be everything to the offense and the team if Bo Nix could rise up and become a special difference-maker, but Williams is the first round NFL draft talent with the special combination of 6-3, 224-pound size and excellent deep speed.
He led the team with 59 catches for 830 yards and eight scores, but he didn’t get into the end zone in the final five games. Nix should be stronger and more consistent, and Williams should crank up even bigger numbers.
2. QB Bo Nix, Jr.
3. RB Cartavious Bigsby, Fr.
4. C Nick Brahms, Jr.
5. WR Anthony Schwartz, Jr.
Best Auburn Tigers Defensive Player
LB KJ Britt, Sr.
The 6-0, 236-pounder might not be a big-time stat-sheet filler, but he was good enough working in the inside of the linebacking corps to earn All-SEC honors. He made 69 tackles with 2.5 sacks and ten tackles for loss, turning in a consistent year good for six tackles or more in seven of the last nine games.
No, he’s not going to be great in pass coverage, and he’s not necessarily going to be the most rangy of linebackers, but he’ll suck up everything between the hashmarks.
2. S Christian Tutt, Jr.
3. DE Big Kat Bryant, Sr.
4. LB Owen Pappoe, Soph.
5. DT Tyrone Truesdale, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Auburn Tigers Offense
The passing game has to be more consistent and more effective. Last year was fine – the offense had to break in Bo Nix as a true freshman – but there has to be a payoff after going through the growing pains.
The criticism could start flowing if Jarrett Stidham really does turn into a good replacement for Tom Brady. The Auburn O didn’t exactly turn the presumptive New England starter loose over his final two seasons as Gus Malzahn’s quarterback.
There’s no complaining with how the sausage was made in the 2017 run to an appearance in the SEC championship with Stidham at the helm, however, since beating Kansas State early in the 2014 season, Auburn was 1-15 when before last year when hitting fewer than 57% of its passes.
Auburn was 3-2 last season when Nix was under 52%, but the team played with fire and survived in wins over Oregon and Alabama. On the flip side, Auburn was 5-0 when Nix hit 65% or better.
Biggest Key To The Auburn Tigers Defense
Find a pass rush again. The Tiger defense was great at getting behind the line and was able to manufacture pressure from all sides, but hitting the quarterback late in the season was a problem.
AU generated 23 sacks in the first eight dates, and in the last five came up with three against Samford and a total of two in the other four games. In 2018 the Tigers steadily came up with 38 sacks after cranking out 37 in 2017.
Against Power Five programs, going back to 2014 Auburn is 6-18 in its last 24 games when it generated one sack or was shutout. Now the D has to find more pass rushers with no one back who came up with more than three sacks last year.
Key Auburn Tigers Player To A Successful Season
RB Cartavious Bigsby, Fr.
Several players belong in this category. The season goes as Bo Nix goes and several offensive and defensive linemen have to rise up, but if Tank Bigsby can be close to what he’s expected to be right away, the Tiger offense could be a killer.
Several running backs are in place to come up with a decent rotation, but Bigsby has the talent and upside to stand out from the pack. One of the nation’s top overall recruits, he’s a tough 6-0, 209-pounder with home run hitting speed. He’ll get every shot to be the No. 1 guy.
Key Game To The Auburn Tigers Season
LSU, Nov. 21
Outside of the trip to Georgia – an interdivisional game – Auburn should be the favorite nine of the first ten games and should be no worse in 9-1 if everything goes perfectly. At worst, if this is going to be a good season, AU should be 8-2. The West title might come down to the final two games with a trip up the road to Alabama to finish things up, and with LSU before it.
Auburn has beaten Bama in two of the last three years, but it lost three in a row, and four of the last five, to LSU. The two Tigers from the West have put together four straight thrillers – all decided by five points or fewer – and this one should be another.
– Auburn Tigers Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Auburn Fun Stats
– 3rd Down Conversions: Auburn 77-of-190 (41%) – Opponents 58-194 (30%)
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Auburn 102 – Opponents 53
– Red Zone Scores: Auburn 47-of-52 (90%) – Opponents 28-of-39 (72%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Auburn Tigers Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
The Tigers have a whole lot of reworking to do on both sides of the ball.
The lines need an overhaul of starters, the secondary needs time to get the right pieces in place, the running back rotation needs to emerge, and Bo Nix has to be consistently better for the passing game. However, the team will get the time to gear it all up.
There’s no Oregon to start the season like last year. The schedule has a few interesting battles early on, but big start before going to Georgia in Week 6 is a must.
The talent is there. The recruiting classes have been great, there’s going to be good depth with a little time, and there’s more than enough NFL athleticism and pop all across the board. There will be plenty of concerns right out of the gate …
Set The Auburn Tigers Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 8.5
Alcorn State, North Carolina – played in Atlanta – at Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Kentucky. The Tar Heels, Rebels and Wildcats won’t be pushovers, but even with the rebuilding needing to be done, Auburn has to be 5-0 if it’s going to be good enough to challenge for the SEC title.
Texas A&M and LSU have to come to Jordan-Hare, and going to Mississippi State in the second half of the season shouldn’t be an issue.
Can the Tigers at least split the road games at Georgia and Alabama? There’s going to be one other slip-up along the way – watch out for Texas A&M – but the difference between a good season and a great one will likely come down to whether or not there are any brain-cramp losses.
Again, the talent is in place to hope for a double-digit win campaign, but expect this to be a stepping-stone season to a massive 2021.
