The Auburn Tigers are the 2010 defending champions, but they will be hard pressed to pull off a repeat performance without Cam Newton.
The only hope that Auburn has of having a season that ends with a championship is if Gene Chizk can petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility for Cam Newton, Nick Fairly and most of the departed stars Auburn had on the field last year. If Auburn’s youth can play right away, they might have a chance to make some noise in what is being regarded as a rebuilding year.
The truth of the matter is that Auburn is in a rebuilding phase. Well, there are no if’s about it since Auburn lost too many players to be a factor in the SEC in 2011. Another concern is an offensive and defensive line that returns only one starter.
The schedule that the Tigers have to face is one of the toughest in the country. I think Chizik needs to call Mad Max for help since the Tigers are being asked to be road warriors in 2011. They play Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia away from Jordan-Hare. Is the home schedule any easier? Nah, because Mississippi State, Florida and Alabama come to town and that will be a challenge.
Being National Champions is always a good thing to build on, and that means Auburn was able to recruit well. Take that class, the upcoming 2012 class and add it to what is already on campus, and they have a foundation to build on. The magic of last year’s championship will ease the pain of what looks like a long year on the Plains.
This team is just not ready to compete in a tough SEC. Auburn is in an interesting position because they are young and promising, but a year away from challenging in the West. Give the Baby Tigers some time to learn on the job, take their lumps this year, and they will be back with a vengeance in 2012. They will have the right pieces in place and some much needed experience that should bring them back to the promise land sooner than later.