The early Football Power Index rankings from ESPN have just been released, and one thing is for certain… the Auburn Tigers will face a challenging schedule.
That fact is nothing new, as the Tigers compete in arguably the toughest division in college football, the SEC West. Not only that, but Auburn has the luxury of playing the two-time defending College Football Playoff national champion, Georgia, every season.
According to FPI data, Auburn is projected to go 5-7 in Hugh Freeze’s first season. But, of course, the projection could change drastically, as the initial rankings were released during the spring transfer portal window.
How realistic is a 5-7 record for Auburn in 2023? The schedule certainly has its difficulties, but most of Auburn’s hardest games will be at home. The Tigers will face five teams in the FPI top 25. Out of those games, Auburn will face three (Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss) at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
This early on, it is hard to accurately predict what the story of the 2023 Auburn Tigers will be. However, we can make assumptions about how challenging each game will be.
Here’s a look at Auburn’s opponents for the 2023 slate, organized by ESPN FPI ranking.