Auburn Tigers 2022 College Football Preview

Auburn Tigers 2022 College Football Preview

August 11, 2022

2021 Recap

Record – 6-7

ATS – 6-7

The Tigers looked to be in good shape sitting at 6-2 with their only losses coming to Penn St and Georgia. HOLD THAT TIGER, yo…..Auburn lost the next four regular season games and followed that up with a loss to Houston in something called the Birmingham Bowl (L 17-13). The highlight of the season might have been the 4-OT defeat at the hands of ROLL TIDE, a DEFEAT snatched out of the jaws of VICTORY.

Can we expect better in year two of the Bryan Harsin extravaganza?


Auburn Tigers 2022 Outlook

OFFENSE

BO NIX SEASON will no longer be in FULL EFFECT down in Auburn. He wasn’t perfect, but was underappreciated in our estimation. The QB battle is still going on as we approach press time and it appears to be between Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada and last year’s back-up TJ Finley who’s already been arrested once this summer, so that’s a good sign. The WR/TE group doesn’t look like anything special but they do return #2 WR Shedrick Jackson (527, TD) and a fine receiving TE in John Samuel Shenker (33, 413, 12.5). Auburn’s success on offense will depend on star RB Tank Bigsby (1,099, 4.9, 10 TD) who’s one of the best RBs in the SEC. Can he withstand the pounding? The good news is that back-up Jarquez Hunter is a dangerous specimen as well (593, 6.7, 3 TD). The OL is in great shape with four returning starters and 120 career starts. We aren’t in love with the THROW GAME but think the ground attack can be really good. Stay tuned!

DEFENSE

The Tigers did a decent job for the most part LY (#5 SEC scoring defense, #5 run defense) but they were sub-par vs the pass (#9, 23-9 TD to INT, 64%). The alarm bells are going RINGY DINGY DINGY as Auburn brings back just six starters on this side of the football and lose a lot of key talent including their top-four tacklers. They also move on from former DC Derek Mason. There’s size up front tho and it didn’t hurt to add a giant NT from Oregon in Jayson Jones. LB Derick Hall is a dangerous pass rusher (9 sacks LY) but the Tigers lose their top-two tacklers from the middle of the defense in Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten (combined 189 tackles LY). It’s doubtful that they can improve much on the back end after losing safety Smoke Monday (9 TFL, 5 PBU LY) and star CB Roger McCreary (14 PBU) who was taken in the 2nd round of the NFL draft. This has the look of an “average” SEC defense that’s lacking in star power.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Auburn ranked #14 in Phil Steele’s special teams rankings LY and they should finish in the top 20 this season with the return of punter Oscar Chapman (41.8 net LY), PK Anders Carlson (14-21 FG, 0-3 50+), and KR Nehemiah Pritchett (31.3).

Schedule Analysis

Overall – No complaints here, yo. The Tigers start the season with five (!) consecutive home games and it’s very possible they start 4-1 or 5-0. The bad news? They draw a road game with Georgia from the East and have to play ROLL TIDE in Tuscaloosa.

Potential ATS Trouble Spot – November 19 – Western Kentucky

SANDWICH ALERT. This contest pops up between games with SEC West foes Texas A&M and ROLL TIDE. And those KOOKY Hilltoppers can sling it around.

Season Win Total

per BetOnline Aug 11

Over 6 -155

Under 6 +125

MEGALOCKS says:

Lean: Over

We don’t love the roster but six wins seems very doable.

MEGAmazing Tidbits

Auburn is 52-18 (74%) at Jordan-Hare Stadium over the L10Y but just 19-25 (.413) over that time horizon in true road games.

Bo Nix left Auburn as the program’s #3 all-time leading passer (7,251). The #1 guy? Something called a Stan White (8,016).


MEGALOCKS Outlook:

The Tigers should be able to build an identity around a bruising ground game and hopefully find a QB that isn’t injured or imprisoned. Auburn also caught a break from the schedule-maker as they’re likely to get off to a good start and build some momentum. We’re not as high on the stop unit as most folks but we’ll call for six or seven wins and hope they don’t struggle early and take a nasty detour to TURD TOWN.

Go Tigers!


Want more Auburn Football ?

WEBSITE

https://auburntigers.com/sports/football

FORUM

https://247sports.com/college/auburn/Board/Football-Forum-102332/

http://www.tigersx.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=i4bpf4d1kbhqt4cja8quigu376&board=2.0

https://www.aufamily.com/forums/forum/2-au-football-forum/

http://www.secrant.com/rant/auburn-sports/

NEWS

http://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/

https://flywareagle.com/

http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/2/auburn-tigers