The 2022 football season was shaping up to be one of the most disappointing at Auburn in recent memory. However, interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] led the Tigers to a 2-2 final record, which put Auburn within one game of bowl eligibility despite the low points.
[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has taken over the program and has brought momentum into the program by bringing in talented high school talent, as well as useful products from the transfer portal to fill positional needs. Based on fresh faces alone, how many wins will that translate to? One college football expert weighs in.
Phil Steele, the publisher of the annual Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine, was a guest on the Josh and Swain Show on 99.1 The Sports Animal in Knoxville on Monday. Steele discussed many topics, including his take on the Auburn Tigers ahead of the 2023 season.
Steele says that he is impressed with the talent that Freeze has brought in, but is not ready to say that Auburn will be an SEC West contender right away.
“He’s got 17 starters returning and he’s brought in some good transfers as well. So I think the talent’s there at Auburn, but I don’t think the talent’s there for them to get back to being an SEC West contender this year. I think they can get back to a bowl game and definitely improve upon the 5-7 record last year. Probably get to like 7, perhaps 8 as a top end for them. A better season at Auburn, but not quite up to the fact of playing with your Alabamas and LSUs and, as I mentioned, Texas A&M.”
Auburn won just two games against SEC foes last season and will face a schedule this season that is favorable for bowl eligibility. The Tigers will face the usual suspects such as Alabama, LSU, and Georgia, but will also have several games against “swing opponents” like Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss.
This season’s Power Five nonconference opponent is Cal, which is a more favorable draw from the home-and-home series with Penn State over the last two seasons, which gives Auburn a great shot to finish 4-0 against the nonconference schedule.
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