SEC West Preview – Auburn

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By James Moroney

Auburn, Ala. is roughly an hour northeast of Montgomery on I-85. There’s nothing particularly significant about the town – only a few hotels and restaurants off the interstate. In fact, if you check your blind spot or change out a CD, there is a good chance you would never notice you drove past the exit. That seems to be the general opinion of Auburn this season, easy to overlook.

Auburn never gets the hype that some of the other teams in the SEC enjoy. Florida and Georgia are both sexy national championship picks, LSU is still considered to be the most talented team in the West, and even Alabama has gotten their share of hype after signing the top rated recruiting class last February. Head coach Tommy Tuberville wouldn’t have it any other way. His teams strive when playing under the radar.

Like most teams in the West, Auburn has experienced a few changes specifically at the coordinator positions. Tony Franklin comes over from Troy to run the offense, and Paul Rhoads comes down from Pittsburgh to take over as defensive coordinator for the departed Will Muschamp. If the coordinators get everyone on the same page, Auburn looks ready for an SEC championship run in 2008.

Offensively, Auburn has an advantage even though Franklin is new to the team. Tuberville made the move to bring in Franklin before the bowl game, and his new offense scored 23 points in a win over Clemson after just nine days in the new system. This way the transition should be smooth during the summer and into fall workouts.

Brandon Cox is no longer behind center for the Tigers, and the consensus is that Kodi Burns and Chris Todd emerged as the two front runners to be his replacement. Burns played in nine games last season and ran for 69 yards and a touchdown versus Clemson to end the season. He is the much better runner of the two but needs to improve his pass-accuracy after completing only 39 percent of his passes last season.

Chris Todd is a junior college transfer who spent some time at Texas Tech and is the better passer of the two. It’s possible to see a two quarterback system similar to what LSU used last season especially if Burns cannot develop a more consistent passing game. If Burns can’t find his rhythm, Todd will probably get the majority of the snaps since he has the tools to run Franklin’s system.

Brad Lester and Ben Tate return to the Auburn backfield and should be solid throughout the year. Last year they combined for 1500 years and 11 touchdowns and should see that productivity increase, especially if the passing game struggles early in the season. Both Lester and Tate could see an increase in their receptions this year as well.

Auburn returns the entire offensive line from last season. Lee Ziemba and Tyrone Green make up a talented left side, and both Ryan Pugh and Chaz Ramsey should improve in their second year. Ramsey has been struggling with an injury during the spring. If he doesn’t get healthy before the season is over Byron Isom will take the starting guard position.

The receivers will be the key to the offense. Auburn only had two receivers with over 20 receptions last season, and while those numbers should increase, the receivers are going to have to make plays if the offense is going to work. Rod Smith and Montez Billings return as starters but need Robert Dunn and Tommy Trott to pick up some slack in the passing attack.

Defensively Auburn will always be competitive. Paul Rhoads takes over a unit that will be much more talented and athletic than any defense he worked with at Pittsburgh. Even with the change in coordinators, the defense will remain the same quick, aggressive and hard-hitting defense that has become a staple of the Tuberville era.

The Tigers lose Quentin Groves, Josh Thompson and Pat Sims on the defensive line, but there is some talent left to replace them. SenDerrick Marks will move inside and should be an All-SEC caliber player this year. Antonio Coleman, who suffered a neck injury during the spring, led the team in tackles for loss and sacks last year and should be a dominant force on the outside if he makes a full recovery.

Tray Blackmon highlights a talented and fast group of linebackers that will cause trouble for every offense they face next year. Blackmon, who has had trouble with injuries and off-the-field incidents, could be the best defensive player in the SEC if he can stay healthy and on the field. Auburn is the one team that Florida coach Urban Meyer hasn’t figured out yet. The athletic linebackers of Tuberville’s defense are the main reason for that.

The secondary returns two starters in Jerraud Powers and Zac Etheridge. Powers and Etheridge should become stars next season and lead a group of talented but inexperienced players. Rhoads will look for some of his younger players to step up and provide depth. If the younger talent develops, this could be one of the best secondarys in the West, but this could also turn out to be the weakest group of the defense.

Most people will remember Wes Byrum as the guy doing the gator chomp after kicking the winning field goal versus Florida … twice. He’s back this season as a sophomore and should be steady in the kicking game again. Punter is an area of concern for Auburn, and they will need better production out of Ryan Shoemaker this season.

The schedule works favorably for Auburn this year as it does in most even years, but there are still enough tough games to make for a disappointing season. Auburn gets Tennessee, Georgia and LSU at home this year but also travels to West Virginia. Alabama is also on the road, which hasn’t meant anything lately, but this is not a year to overlook the Crimson Tide.

A road game to Mississippi State could trip Auburn up if they are looking ahead to LSU the next week. Other than that, the schedule works well for them and even gives them a week off before the Iron Bowl on November 29. I have Auburn finishing with a 10-2 record with losses to LSU and Georgia and a second place finish in the West.

Originally Published: Issue 693 - July 16, 2008

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