Tag: auburn 2021 football schedule

A win at LSU is crucial for Auburn’s season

If Auburn can’t win at LSU, bowl eligibility comes into question.

Auburn’s next stretch of five games is brutal.

Four of Auburn’s next five opponents are inside the top 15, and the only team that isn’t ranked (LSU) has beaten Auburn at home 10 games straight. If Auburn can’t break the cigar curse this weekend, there are some serious questions about whether or not the Tigers can make a bowl game this season, especially with mystery surrounding the quarterback position.

Here is Auburn’s remaining schedule.

  • At LSU
  • Vs No. 2 Georgia
  • At No. 8 Arkansas
  • Vs No. 12 Ole Miss
  • At No. 15 Texas A&M
  • Vs Mississippi State
  • At South Carolina
  • Vs No. 1 Alabama

If Auburn can’t beat LSU, there might only be two wins left on the schedule (MSU and South Carolina). Auburn is going to have to upset someone to get to six wins.

Mike G and C Dub of The War Rapport joined Zac Blackerby on the “Locked on Auburn podcast” to talk about what this future stretch of games could look like for the Tigers.

I think in any reasonable scenario fans should be happy with a 2-2 split over the next month. But I still think all of those games are winnable right now. It just all depends on how we look at LSU. It depends on who plays quarterback and then what kind of game plan we employ.

This weekend, we find out about this team’s culture, and how badly this team wants to win.

[listicle id=24301]

Contact/Follow us @theauburnwire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion.

Auburn football schedule analysis: Grading the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Auburn should take care of business against Mississippi State.

This is the ninth article in a series grading Auburn’s opponents by position groups.

Mississippi State had one goal last season: expose LSU.

They did so in jaw-dropping fashion. A lot of fans and media members had questions about the Bulldogs’ air raid offense led by new head coach Mike Leach, and all questions were brushed aside during that season opener against the then no. 6 LSU Tigers… until the very next week.

Arkansas rolled into Starkville and dashed any hopes of the air raid working in the SEC. KJ Costello threw three interceptions and the offense mustered only 14 points. The rest of the season followed suit. The Bulldogs couldn’t sustain drives.

This season, Mike Leach & Co. will try and revive what was a dead offense (21.4 points per game, 13th in the SEC) in 2020.

Let’s take a look at each of Mississippi State’s units and grade them accordingly.

Auburn football schedule analysis: Grading the Texas A&M Aggies

Auburn remains undefeated at Kyle Field heading into 2021. Could this be the year that Auburn drops one in College Station?

This is the eighth article in a series grading Auburn’s opponents by position groups.

Auburn remains undefeated at Kyle Field heading into 2021. Could this be the year that Auburn drops one in College Station?

Maybe. Auburn and A&M don’t seem to line up well when it comes to star players entering and exiting their respective programs. Now that A&M is breaking in a new quarterback, this might be Auburn’s best opportunity to strike.

A&M managed to climb all the way up to no. 5 in last year’s College Football Playoff poll, and they currently sit at no. 6 in this season’s preseason coaches poll.

Are they deserving? Let’s break down the Aggies by unit and grade them to see if they’re deserving of that lofty preseason ranking.

Auburn football schedule analysis: Grading the Ole Miss Rebels

Does Ole Miss finish above Auburn in the SEC West?

This is the sixth article in a series grading Auburn’s opponents by position groups.

Ole Miss couldn’t stop a nosebleed in 2021.

The Rebels were predicted to take a marginal step forward by multiple media outlets on defense after only allowing 26.5 points per game in 2019. The results in 2020 were less than desirable, to say the least. Ole Miss allowed 38.3 points per game, their worst mark since the turn of the century. This was the worst defense Ole Miss has potentially ever had.

What kept the Rebs going in 2020?

That Matt Corral-led offense was elite. Ole Miss finished third nationally in total yards per game (555.5 yards per game). With eight starters returning, there’s no reason to believe that Ole Miss couldn’t make another run at least a breakeven 6-6 season.

Here each of the Rebels’ position groups, graded accordingly.

Ranking Auburn’s 2021 schedule game-by-game from easiest to most difficult

Taking a look at Auburn football’s 2021 schedule and ranking each opponent by the difficulty of the game for the Tigers.

Coaches will tell you that every game, no matter the opponent, brings a different challenge.

While we understand they say this to keep their team focused, there are some games that are just going to be more difficult than others.

In 2021, Auburn faces a gauntlet of a schedule with trips to Penn State, LSU and Texas A&M while hosting Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss.

But which games should be the easiest for the Tigers in Bryan Harsin’s first year and which ones will provide more difficulty? Glad you asked. Here is a game-by-game ranking of each opponent on Auburn’s 2021 schedule, starting with the easiest.

Note: Scale runs from 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest).

247Sports lists Auburn’s as one of the toughest schedules in 2021

Auburn football faces yet another tough slate in 2021 as the Tigers travel to Penn State, LSU and Texas A&M while hosting Alabama and UGA.

When you face Alabama, Georgia and LSU each and every season, your schedule is already going to be a monster. Add in Texas A&M and a trip to Penn State in the mix for Auburn in 2021 and the schedule grows even tougher.

The people at 247Sports recognize that as they list the Tigers’ 2021 campaign as one of the toughest in college football.

Games vs. potential Top 25 teams: 5

Bryan Harsin’s first season on the Plains could be unkind if both sides of the football aren’t in order early. A trip to Penn State in September will be a competitive game against a ranked team and four annual games against Top 10 opponents in conference play, as always, will test the Tigers’ will.

The Tigers takes their first ever trip to State College for the game against the Nittany Lions on Sept. 18th, a much-awaited matchup with the Big Ten power. Auburn also travels to College Station and Baton Rouge while hosting Alabama and Georgia in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Not surprisingly, a few other SEC schools were also on 247Sports’ list of toughest schedules including fellow SEC West members Arkansas and Ole Miss along with South Carolina.

Auburn football future schedule and opponents

Ranking Auburn’s 2021 football opponents by level of intrigue

Taking a look at the 2021 Auburn football schedule and ranking the level of intrigue of each matchup for the Tigers.

The Gus Malzahn era began with a tough test against Mike Leach and a rejuvenated Washington State team. While Bryan Harsin won’t face that tough of a test with an opener against Akron, he won’t get to be settled for long as a tough road test at Penn State awaits him in the third week of the season.

Yes, it is only January but, as we say, it is always college football season in Auburn. The Tigers will face yet another tough gauntlet in 2021 as, along with the trip to face the Nittany Lions, they travel to both LSU and Texas A&M while hosting rivals Georgia and Alabama in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

So which games have the most intrigue and which ones can fans be a little less excited about? We rank Auburn’s 2021 opponents from Level 1 (the least) to Level 5 (the most) intrigue.