By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Auburn is a very interesting program. It seems like every 4-5 years they have a great team but in between that, the Tigers are average.

They finished the 2018 season 8-5 and demolished Purdue 63-14 in the Music City Bowl.

They lost star quarterback Jarrett Stidham, he graduated and was drafted by New England in the fourth round.

Gus Malzahn is an offensive coach and the Tigers are supposed to have an explosive offense. He needs a good signal caller for the offense to be at its peak. Malzahn is on the hot seat so it’s going to be crucial for him to pick the right guy.

His overall record is 53-27 and he’s 2-4 in bowl games. His best season was in his first year (2013) and the Tigers won 12 games and played in the national championship. Since then Auburn has hovered around the 8-win mark with the lone exception of the 2017 season (10 wins).

There are two true freshmen that will see significant playing time. Bo Nix is a five star recruit and he was the No.1 dual-threat QB in the nation. The newcomer at quarterback broke numerous records while leading Pinson Valley High to back-to-back state titles with his father, Auburn legend Patrick Nix as the head coach.

He had more than 12,000 total yards of offense in his career and recorded 161 total touchdowns, including 127 scores through the air. He earned practically every in-state award you can imagine including the state of Alabama’s Mr. Football.

Joey Gatewood is also competing for the starting quarterback spot. He’s a 4 star recruit and the top ranked athlete in the country.

Gatewood is taller at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds. He also draws comparisons to Auburn legend Cam Newton from his own teammates at Auburn, which he doesn’t much like to hear, by the way.

Gatewood arrived at Auburn with incredible numbers from high school, even though he shared playing time at Bartram Trail in St. Augustine, Florida as a senior.

He still managed to pass for 1,468 yards and 12 touchdowns while also running for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns. He split reps with Riley Smith, who went on to sign with Boise State. They rotated series evenly, and the coaches never deviated from that plan, even when one quarterback may have been playing better than the other during the game.

The season kicks off August 31^st against Oregon at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Ducks were 9-4 in 2018 and they are led by talented senior quarterback Justin Herbert. I give the edge to Oregon.

The next two games are home against Tulane and Kent State. Both are easy wins.

The first conference game is September 21^st on the road at Texas A&M. I think the Aggies win this one.

They play Mississippi State at home the following week and beat the Bulldogs.

The next three games are all on the road against Florida, Arkansas and LSU. The game I fully expect them to win is Arkansas. Florida will beat Auburn. I think the LSU game will be close. They return quarterback Joe Burrow so I give the edge to the purple and gold Tigers.

They return home versus Ole Miss and that’s a win.

After a bye week, Georgia comes to town. UGA wins this game.

The SEC plays scrimmage games before the season finale and Auburn’s opponent is an FCS team, Samford. This is an easy win.

The final game is against their bitter rival and SEC bully, Alabama. The Crimson Tide will win.

This will be a tough season.