By: Josh Aubrey

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

After watching their in-state conference rival capture another National Championship, the Auburn Tigers are hungry to get back in the title hunt.

On the heels of a 10-4 season that saw the Tigers drop their final two games of the year, Auburn will be setting their sights a lot higher than last year’s SEC West division crown.

The No. 10 ranked Tigers return one of the top defenses in the country, as well as one of the most important positions to return on offense, quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Stidham became the Tigers second ever 3,000 yard passer in 2017.

“Jarrett is definitely a strength, and we will lean on him this year,” said Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. “He is ready for us to turn him loose this fall. He is ready for that, and he wants that.”

While Stidham gives the Tigers some stability, the loss of the last two year’s leading rushers – Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway – give the Tigers reasons to be apprehensive.

Trying to fill the void will be junior Kam Martin, who was the Tigers second leading rusher last year. Auburn also has sophomore Malik Miller, redshirt freshman JaTarvious Whitlow, and true freshman Asa Miller.

“We have running backs that we feel good about,” Malzahn said. “Kam Martin is the guy that will be the guy that, as of right now, would start out. And then we have a handful of other guys we feel really good about.”

Up front the Tigers return three players who logged significant playing time last year in left tackle Prince Tega Wanogho Jr., left guard Marquel Harrell and right guard Mike Horton. Much of the rest of the line is up for grabs with some key injuries in the spring opening things up.

Ryan Davis anchors a solid group of receivers. Davis had 84 receptions for 815 yards and 5 touchdowns last season. Junior Darius Slayton returns as well, as do Will Hastings and Eli Stove, who are both coming back from torn ACL’s.

As for the Tiger defense, they return key players on each level of defense but face key losses at pass rushing with Sensei Mud, and Jeff Holland who are now both in the NFL.

The defensive backs also lost two key starters but return corners Javaris Davis and Jamel Dean. Look for the versatile Nick Coe to emerge as one of the leaders on the defensive line.

“I feel like our strength, once again, will be our front seven, like it was last year,” Malzahn said. “I think big picture wise, we have a chance to be as good defensively or possibly better.”

The trouble this year for Auburn doesn’t end with the Crimson Tide, as their opponent in the championship game was another SEC team on the rise in the Georgia Bulldogs.

Auburn has some key matchups throughout the year including their season opener in Atlanta against Washington.

The front end of the Tiger schedule looks promising after the Washington game, as five of their next six games are at home. The second part of the schedule is when things get dicey as that includes road trips to the two teams in the 2017 national title game, Georgia on November 10^th and Alabama on November 17th.