Head coach Gene Chizik generated a lot of buzz when he led the Auburn Tigers to a 5-0 start in his first season, and there was reason to be excited as the program managed only five wins the year before. But some of that excitement faded down the stretch when the Tigers lost five of their last seven regular season games. They finished 3-5 in the SEC, just one game better than in 2008, providing a harsh realization that Chizik still has a lot more work to do before Auburn will be ready to contend for a title. Whether fair or not, the expectations have been raised in Chizik's second season. The offense should remain one of the best in the league. This means the defensive side of the ball will make or break the Tigers once again in 2010.
Offense: Gus Malzahn's offense was as good as advertised in his first season at Auburn. The Tigers were the No. 2 ranked offensive unit in the league, averaging 431.8 yards per game. From a scoring standpoint, Auburn ranked No. 3 with a 33.3 points per game average. The Tigers will miss quarterback Chris Todd, who threw for 2,612 yards and 22 touchdowns, but the team likes what it has in juco transfer Cameron Newton. He is a mobile quarterback with a strong arm, and these two attributes have Malzahn confident the offense won't miss a beat. Perhaps a bigger loss is running back Ben Tate, who rumbled for 1,362 yards in 2009. It will be up to Mario Fannin and Michael Dyer to tote the pigskin from the tailback spot this season. Fannin is a solid player, but he is yet to live up to the expectations that he brought with him to Auburn. Perhaps he will this season with the spotlight on him. At wide receiver, few are better than Darvin Adams in the SEC. Adams caught 60 passes for 9 97 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. An offensive line that returns four senior starters is the glue.
Defense: Last season, the defense was very young and didn't have much depth. Those youngsters now have a season of experience under them and the depth is much better. Still, we're talking about a unit that finished last in the league in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score 27.5 points per game. Auburn also finished No. 11 in total defense, allowing opponents to gain 374.4 yards per game. It takes a tough defense to win in a league as talented as the SEC. The good news is that this unit should be improved, but how much improved still has to be determined. The linebacker corps is solid with Josh Bynes leading the charge. He was all over the field in 2009, leading the Tigers with 104 tackles. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof has flirted with the idea of moving safety Daren Bates into the linebacking unit to shore it up even more. This doesn't figure to be the only experiment that Roof will conduct. The Tigers kept things pretty basic on defense in 2009, and it didn't wo rk out well. Look for the Tigers to be more creative this season.
Prediction: 3rd SEC West - The Tigers will be good enough offensively to win football games, just like they were a season ago. They also catch a break from the schedule makers as the get all but one of their toughest games at home. The defense will keep them from challenging for an SEC West title, but it should be improved enough to at least post a.500 conference record. Be sure to check out my 2010 SEC football predictions to see how I have the rest of the league shaping up.
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