Auburn Tigers

The Auburn University Tigers were one of the pre-season favorites in 2003 but a slow start and injuries derailed the team and led them to a disappointing 8-5 finish last year. The team was a top-five pick in many publications but by the middle of the season, Auburn was easily one of the biggest surprises in the nation. The team has regrouped in the off-season and they still have RB Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, a top-tier runner who should eclipse 1,500 yards on the ground this season. They’ll have competition in the tough SEC West with the likes of LSU, Arkansas, and the rival Crimson Tide of Alabama, but I still like the team’s chances to succeed in 2004 and rank them #17 in my pre-season poll.

The offense was considered to be a weak link heading into spring training because the team hired the fourth offensive coordinator in four years, but the team looked good and made progress. The defense has lost five of its front seven from last year and had trouble stopping the offensive unit in the spring game, so the future of the team is a bit hazy. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik used words like “terrible” and “good-at-nothing” to describe the way his unit performed but head coach Tommy Tuberville was more realistic in his analysis of the game. Williams is arguably one of the top backs in college football but RB Ronnie Brown also rushed for good yards last year and new offensive coordinator Al Borges will try to find sets where both are on the field at the same time. Senior QB Jason Campbell will need to prove he can lead the team and be productive consistently if this team will be competitive in the SEC West. CB Carlos Rogers is probably the best secondary player in the SEC and could be a first round draft pick next year with a solid 2004 campaign. LB Travis Williams will have to fill the void of both Karlos Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas who were both drafted after last year.

The Tigers of Auburn host LSU in just their third game of the season on September 18. If Auburn wants to show the nation that they can compete in the SEC and have aspirations of a BCS bowl, taking out the defending co-national championships would be a good start to the season. The Tigers only play four road games all season and they won’t play powerhouse Florida this season. The schedule has to look favorable to a team that should be hungry to win this year. After a game at Tennessee on October 2, the team plays at home to Louisiana Tech, Arkansas, and Kentucky before finishing at Mississippi, at home to Georgia, and at Alabama. The Alabama game is always one of the best in all of college football and a win in the rival game could propel the team to a solid bowl performance. On the other hand, another disappointing season could lead to the end of the Tuberville era in Auburn.

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