Ranking Auburn's 2021 football games: Easiest to most difficult

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Ranking Auburn's 2021 football games: Easiest to most difficult

ByMark Murphy 24 hours ago

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2 Minute Drill: Thoughts on the SEC following media days

AUBURN, Alabama–Picked to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference West in the league’s media days poll, the Auburn Tigers will open their 2021 football season on Sept. 4th with a home game vs. Akron.

Auburn’s new head coach, Bryan Harsin, inherits a team that returns the majority of starters on both offense and defense, however, the group is not coming off a strong season. The Tigers finished 6-4 in league play in 2020 and then lost their bowl game to Northwestern.

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The 2021 schedule starts with four non-conference contests followed by eight SEC games during a nine-week stretch. In this preview we rank the projected strength of each of those opponents going from the least difficult to the most difficult.

No. 12, Akron at Auburn, Sept. 4

The Tigers have never lost a football game to an opponent from the Mid-American Conference and the odds of that changing this year are about as long as they get. The Tigers are 7-0 all-time vs. the MAC including a 42-0 victory by Coach Pat Dye’s 1988 team vs. Akron.

The Zips, who finished 1-5 playing only conference opponents in 2020, are expected to again be one of the weakest teams in Division I football. Akron was out-gained by an average of 178.6 yards per contest last year while averaging 17 points and giving up 41 per outing.

Auburn should have a big day running the football against a defense that allowed 248 rushing yards per game. Bubba Arsenian, a 5-9, 205 redshirt junior linebacker, has 199 tackles during the past two seasons and returns as a team leader.

Offensively, the Zips are expected to return most of their starters. Key players include junior running back Teon Dollard, a 5-11, 205 junior who netted 666 ground yards at 5.9 per carry, and 6-2, 185  junior receiver George Qualls (12 catches for 160 yards).

The Matchup: This should offer the Tigers are chance to break in their new offensive and defensive systems.

No. 11, Alabama State at Auburn, Sept. 11

The Hornets and other members of the SWAC played their 2020 games in the spring of 2021 so they will have a quick turnaround preparing for the upcoming season after posting a 3-3 mark with the final contest on April 18th.

Five Hornets were named to the 2021 all-league preseason team and three more are second team selections. The group features 5-9, 171 redshirt senior Ezra Gray, who led the SWAC in rushing last year with 436 yards on 84 carries while playing in five games.

Irshaad Davis, another first team pick, led the team in tackles last season with 41 as a safety. Two other key defenders include first team defensive linemen Christian Clark, a 6-1, 363 senior, and 6-4, 285 redshirt sophomore. Andrew Ogletree.

The Matchup: This is a second tune-up for the Tigers before the competition toughens considerably with a game three road trip to Penn State.

No. 10, Georgia State at Auburn, Sept. 25

Coach Shawn Elliott returns what should be one of the better teams in the Sun Belt Conference after posting a 6-4 record last year that included a 39-21 bowl victory over Western Kentucky.

GSU averaged 33.3 points per game with 6-5, 200 Cornelious Brown leading his team. He hit 178-304 passes for 2,278 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a redshirt freshman. The former Alabama high school Class 5A All-State selection from Calera added 301 yards on the ground and seven more scores.

Sam Pinckney, a 6-4, 210 junior, is back after making 47 catches for 815 yards and seven touchdowns to lead a proven group of wide receivers. Destin Coates a 5-11, 198 senior, rushed for 769 yards and will be running behind an offensive front that returns five starters.

The defense features 6-1, 230 senior linebacker Blake Carroll, who led the Panthers in tackles last year with 74. Georgia State allowed 31.7 points per game in 2020 and will be counting on an experienced secondary to step up and help improve that average.

The Matchup: The last time Georgia Stae got a chance to play an SEC team the Panthers opened their 2019 schedule with a victory at Tennessee so this should be a considerably stiffer test than Auburn’s other non-conference home games this season.

No. 9, Auburn at South Carolina, Nov. 20

As is the case with the Tigers, South Carolina heads into the season with a new coaching staff. By the time these teams meet both sides should be well adjusted to what they are doing both offensively and defensively.

Also like Auburn, the Gamecocks return one of the top running backs in the SEC. Kevin Harris is a bruiser at 5-10, 225 pounds, who produced 1,138 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

A key to success in Columbia will be how well the Gamecocks throw the ball. Luke Doty, a 6-1, 204 sophomore, is expected to be the starter, but is not expected to be one of the top QBs in the league. A plus for the 2021 offense is that there are plenty of experienced receivers to throw to despite the lost of star Shi Smith. Another plus is an experienced offensive front led by 6-5, 305 Dylan Wonnum, a three-year starter.

Defensively, the secondary is a question and the strength of the group is up front with 6-4, 260 senior Kinglsey Enagbare leading the charge as a pass rusher.

The Matchup: Last year the Gamecocks won just two times, but upset Auburn in Columbia, the site of this year’s rematch. If the Tigers can avoid giving the game away with turnovers like happened in 2020, this is a road test the Tigers should have the firepower to handle.

No. 8, Mississippi State at Auburn, Nov. 13

The Tigers have won 15 of their previous 20 games vs. this divisional opponent, including four of the past five. Last year the Tigers wrapped up their regular season with a 24-10 victory at Starkville.

For the rematch Auburn should be facing a more potent offense with Coach Mike Leach having a full offseason to install his Air Raid offense. A big question is who will Leach choose as his triggerman. Will Rogers showed improvement late last season, but he is facing a challenge for the starting role from Jack Abraham, a transfer from Southern Miss where he passed for 7,092 yards in three seasons.

Whoever is throwing the football will have the luxury of having 2020 Freshman All-SEC wide receiver Jaden Walley on his side. Walley, who is 6-0, 182 pounds, caught 52 passes for 718 yards and two touchdowns.

The offensive line, led by 6-5, 305 redshirt sophomore Charles Cross, should be a plus for a team that needs to improve on last season’s average of 21.4 points per game.

The Bulldogs allowed 28.1 points per game, but did a lot of things well like rushing the quarterback (34 sacks) and allowing just 3.6 yards per rush. Emmanuel Forbes, a 6-0, 180 cornerback, is coming off a terrific freshman season in which he intercepted five passes and returned three for touchdowns. Aaron Brule, a 6-2, 235 redshirt junior, is back after make 77 tackles, including a team-best 8 1/2 stops behind the line of scrimmage.

The Matchup: It won’t be surprising if the Bulldogs are significantly improved this season, but the Tigers traditionally win home games vs. Mississippi State and there is no reason that can’t happen again this year.

No. 7, Auburn at Arkansas, Oct. 16

The Razorbacks made substantial improvement in many areas last season under their new head coach, Sam Pittman, but still look to be a long way from challenging the better teams in the SEC West.

One of the reasons for the team’s improvement in 2020 was the performance of Feleipe Franks, who played his final college season in Fayetteville after transferring from Florida. K.J. Jefferson, a 6-3, 240 redshirt sophomore, is the likely replacement at the quarterback position. If he plays well, the Razorbacks should improve on last season’s 3-7 record.

Something that could help Jefferson is a veteran offensive front with five starters back.

Something that will definitely help take some pressure off the QB are players named Treylon and Trelon. Treylon Burks, a 6-3, 225 junior, is back after catching 51 passes for 820 yards and seven touchdowns. Trelon Smith, a 5-9, 190 junior, rushed for 710 yards at 5.3 yards per carry while catching 22 passes for 159 yards in 2020.

Major improvement is needed on defense where the Razorbacks allowed 34.9 points and 451.7 yards per game. Linebackers Grant Morgan and Bumper Pool along with safeties Jalen Catallon and Joe Foucha will be counted on to lead a defense that needs to get much better at rushing the passer. The Razorbacks finished 2020 with 14 quarterback sacks while allowing 34.

The Matchup: Auburn has won five straight vs. the Razorbacks and should have a solid shot at improving on its current record of 8-5 in g

No. 6, Ole Miss at Auburn, Oct. 30

With Lane Kiffin’s success as a play-caller combined with big-play threats on offense plus a defense that has given up way too many big plays in recent seasons, the Rebels are a tough opponent to get a handle on for the 2021 season.

The Tigers will have an extra week to prepare for Ole Miss, which will arrive at Jordan-Hare Stadium playing for a fifth consecutive week following games at Alabama, at home vs. Arkansas, at Tennessee and a home contest vs. LSU.

A key to success will be the performance of 6-1, 205 junior Matt Corral, the 2021 preseason All-SEC quarterback after passing for 3,337 yards and 28 touchdowns last season with 14 interceptions. He also is a threat with his feet. Last season he netted 506 rushing yards while running for four scores.

Big play threats in the backfield include 5-9, 180 junior Jerrion Ealy and 5-10, 215 Snoop Conner. Ealy rushed for 745 yards and nine touchdowns last fall while Conner rushed for eight scores and 421 yards. They will be running behind four returning starters up front led by senior Ben Brown, who has played both guard and center.

Ole Miss needed to put up big offensive numbers last year to finish 4-5 in the SEC and 5-5 overall with a bowl win vs. Indiana. The 2020 Rebels scored 39.2 points per game and allowed 38.3.

This year’s bunch will need good play from senior linebackers Lakia Henry and MoMo Sanogo along with 6-4, 265 senior pass rusher Sam Williams. Newcomers will have an opportunity to help immediately, especially in the secondary that leaked like a garden hose used as a target for shotgun practice.

The Matchup: Auburn has won eight of the last 10 games vs. the Rebels played at Jordan-Hare Stadium and five in a row at all venues. A solid performance by the Auburn defense vs. Ole Miss could put the Tigers on the path to victory in what will be the fourth of AU’s SEC games.

No. 5, Auburn at Penn State, Sept. 18

The Tigers will look to put together a much better showing than in their last game vs. a Big 10 team when they visit Penn State for the first time.

Like Auburn, the Nittany Lions will be trying to recover from a disappointing and unusual season. Penn State was picked to finish second in the Big Ten’s East Division last year, but dropped its first five games before winning the final four to finish one game below .500.

Coach James Franklin’s 2020 team finished second in the Big 10 in total offense, but was turnover prone. PSU will be counting on senior Sean Clifford, who has 20 starts under his belt at quarterback, to lead his team to fewer errors and more points.

Clifford is expected to target 5-11, 182 junior Jahan Doston, who caught 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Parker Washington is back after catching 36 passes for 489 yards and six scores.

There are plenty of candidates at running back, but no proven standouts to carry the ball behind and offensive line that returns three starters after a less than impressive season.

The Nittany Lions averaged 29.8 points per game while giving up 27.7. Linebackers Brooks Ellis and Jesse Luketa helped limit opponents to 130.2 rushing yards per game, but as a whole the defense probably didn’t perform up to its potential. Safety Jasquan Brisker, who is 6-1, 212 pounds, is back after making 57 tackles as a junior. He is considered an NFL?prospect as is cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, who was limited in 2020 due to an injury.

The Matchup: The Nittany Lions have a talented roster, motivation to bounce back from the worst start in program history in 2020 and Beaver Stadium, home to 106,572 fans, giving Penn State a strong homefield advantage. This should be the first test for Harsin and the new Auburn coaching staff.

No. 4, Auburn at LSU, Oct. 2

There are plenty of questions regarding Coach Ed Orgeron’s team. After going undefeated and winning the 2019 national championship, nobody was expecting a repeat of that in 2020 considering the losses off the roster. However, not many saw a 5-6 record coming because there still appeared to be plenty of talent in Baton Rouge.

Offensively, LSU returns its starters up front along with junior running backs Tyron Davis-Price and John Emery, who combined for 824 yards and six scores for a team that averaged just 121.7 rushing yards per game.

New coordinator, Jake Peetz, and Orgeron have yet to pick a starter at quarterback. Myles Brennan, a 6-4, 210 senior, was No. 1 last year before being injured. Despite playing in just three games, he led the team in passing yardage while completing 79-131 for 1,112 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Max Johnson, who was a true freshman last year, finished second in passing yards with 1,089 in six games while throwing eight touchdown passes with one interception.

Kayshon Boutte is expected to be the featured receiver after catching 45 passes for 735 yards and five scores as freshman. Last year’s leading receiver, Terrace Marshall, has gone to the NFL while the No 3 receiver from 2020, tight end Arik Gilbert, transferred to Georgia.

LSU also has a new defensive coordinator after Bo Pelini’s group allowed 492 yards and 34.9 points per game. Derek Stingley, Jr., a 6-1, 195 junior cornerback, is a first team preseason all-league pick for 2021. Elias Ricks, a 6-2, 196 sophomore, is a third team selection.

Clemson transfer Mike Jones is a 6-2, 234 sophomore linebacker. He has the potential to be a difference-maker as does sophomore linebacker B.J. Ojulari.

Defensive Coordinator Durante Jones inherited nine starters as he looks to patch the holes that allowed opponents to average 323 passing yards per game at 16.9 yards per reception.

The Matchup: Yes, Auburn dominated LSU last year and many of the same players will be back for both sides, but both teams have changed their coordinators and AU’s lack of success at Tiger Stadium alone is a trend that can’t be ignored.

No. 3, Auburn at Texas A&M, Nov. 6

Picked to finish second in the West at SEC Media Days 2021, the Aggies are coming off their best season in league play when they finished 8-1 in the conference before outscoring North Carolina 41-27 in the Orange Bowl.

In that bowl win vs. the Tar Heels quarterback Kellen Mond, a four-year starter in College Station, wrapped up his collegiate career. A key to success in AggieLand is to fit a suitable replacement. Coach Jimbo Fisher said that he has two strong candidates in 6-4, 205 sophomore Zach Calzada and 6-2, 205 redshirt freshman Haynes King.

Another question on offense is the rebuilt line, but Fisher claims his roster is full of NFL?line prospects. If that is the case it should be tough to stop the ground attack featuring 6-1, 225 junior Isaiah Spiller, 5-9, 185 sophomore Devon Achane and 5-10, 190 junior Ainias Smith, who is a major threat as a receiver. Spiller rushed for 1,036 yards and nine scores last season.

Achane ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the finale vs. North Carolina and averaged 8.5 yards per carry for the season. Smith led the Aggies in receiving yardage with 564 for six TDs and ran for 293 more yards.

The Aggies feature 6-5, 255 tight end Jalen Wydermermyer, who caught 46 passes for 506 yards and six touchdowns in 2020.

A solid defense was another reason the Aggies lost just one time in 2020. Jayden Peevy, a 6-6, 310 senior and pro prospect, made it tough to run inside vs. Texas A&M. He leads what should be one of the top defensive lines in the league that features preseason first team tackle DeMarvin Leal, a 6-4, 290 sophomore.

Leon O’Neal, a 6-1, 210 senior safety, is one of the team’s top players and a reason why the secondary is considered an area of strength for 2021.

The Matchup: The Aggies handled Auburn 31-20 last season at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but are 0-4 vs. the Tigers at Kyle Field. Auburn will likely have to play one of its best games of the season to get home with a victory when it starts the second half of its eight-game regular season league schedule.

No. 2, Alabama at Auburn, Nov. 27

Despite major rebuilding to do on an offensive unit that was the senior partner in the Tide’s drive to the 2020 national championship, by the time the Tigers renew their rivalry with Alabama to close the regular season recent history indicates that Nick Saban’s team will again be putting up big numbers offensively.

The top players on the Tide’s offense for 2021 could be the big guys up front. Evan Neal is a 6-7, 380 junior who is joined by fellow pro prospects Emil Ekiyour (6-3, 324 redshirt junior guard) and 6-3, 315 sixth-year senior center Chris Owens.

John Metchie, a 6-0, 195 junior, will likely be the top target for the new starter at quarterback, Bryce Young, who completed 13-22 passes for 156 yards last season in a backup role. Metchie caught 55 passes for 916 yards and six scores.

The defense should be strong enough to carry the load if the offense takes a while to get re-tooled after the Tide averaged 48.5 points per game last year. The linebacker group looks strong with Christopher Allen, Christian Harris, Will Anderson and Henry To’o To’o, a transfer from Tennessee, to attack opposing offenses. Of that group only Allen is not a preseason first team all-league pick in the media days voting.

The secondary features first team all-league picks in Josh Job and Malachi Moore. Phildarian Matthis a 6-4, 312 redshirt senior, leads the defensive front and is a preseason first team all-league pick.

The Matchup: The Tigers won the last time the two teams met in Auburn and have won 10 of the 15 Iron Bowl matchups at Jordan-Hare Stadium. This could definitely be Auburn’s toughest test if for some reason the Georgia Bulldogs get off to a slow start and aren’t performing at a high level when they arrive on the Plains for AU’s first SEC home game of the season.

No. 1, Georgia at Auburn, Oct. 9

In addition to recruiting very well for multiple years from the high school ranks, the Bulldogs have added talented players as transfers. The result is one of the most impressive rosters in the country featuring a dynamic group of running backs and one of the top defensive fronts.

The Bulldogs also have the most highly-regarded quarterback in the SEC East, JT Daniels, a 6-3, 210 junior who is in his second season at Athens after transferring from Southern Cal. If he has a big season the Bulldogs should win a lot of games.

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Georgia looks to be strong again up front, which is good news for what looks to be the deepest group of running backs in the league featuring Zamir White James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, Dajon Edwards and Kendall Milton. White, a 6-0, 215 junior, averaged 5.4 yards per carry and rushed for team-highs of 779 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.

Kearis Jackson, who caught 41 passes for 593 yards and three scores, is back as a 6-0, 200 junior after leading UGA in receiving yardage.

Ten UGA players were named to the 2021 All-SEC Media Days preseason all-star teams. Jordan Davis, a 6-6, 340 senior, who will anchor the defensive front, is a first team selection after being named a second team All-American last season.

Other potential defensive standouts include a trio of juniors–lineman Travon Walker, linebacker Nakobe Dean and safety Lewis Cine. Helping keep opponents backed up is Jake Camarda, who has averaged 45.5 yards per punt the last three seasons and is a returning All-American.

The Matchup: The Bulldogs should have any potential issues exposed in the opener vs. Clemson and then play four games they should win without a struggle before arriving at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The trend in the SEC’s oldest rivalry has not been good for the Tigers, who have lost four-in-a-row vs. the Bulldogs including two of UGA’s last three visits to AU’s homefield.

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Getting at least one win against either Penn State or LSU on the road will be a big indication of how the season will go.  lose both of those and you're most likely looking at 5-6 losses.