Auburn Unranked in AP Top 25

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn to start season unranked in AP Top 25

27 minutes ago

For the second straight season, Auburn will begin the season under Bryan Harsinunranked in the AP poll.

In Monday morning's preseason top 25, voters slotted the Tigers with the 11th-most votes amongst unranked teams. AP-ranked opponents on Auburn's schedule to begin the year are No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia, No. 6 Texas A&M, No. 19 Arkansas and No. 22 Ole Miss

Last season, it took just one week for Auburn to enter the AP poll — after its opening win over Akron. The Tigers remained ranked for the next nine weeks before dropping out following their home loss to Mississippi State — the second of five straight losses to end the season.

Auburn has been ranked for at least three weeks in every season since the start of the Gus Malzahn era in 2013. Including Monday's preseason list, Auburn has been ranked in 58 of the past 66 AP polls (87.9%) dating back to the start of the 2017 season.

In last week's USA TODAY coaches poll, Auburn was also left out of the top 25, receiving the sixth-most votes of the unranked teams. ESPN's SP+ metric has the Tigers at No. 22 to start the year, while ESPN's Football Power Index is the most bullish on Harsin's ballclub, slating them at No. 11 in its preseason ratings.

Per FPI, Auburn's 2022 schedule is the toughest in college football.

2COMMENTS

In last month's SEC preseason poll, Auburn was picked by media members to finish last in the SEC West for the first time since 1999.

Harsin's second season with the program kicks off Sept. 3 against Mercer inside Jordan-Hare Stadium (6 p.m. CST, ESPN+).

[toddc 13,194]

Not a surprise by any metric!

[Swamp Eagle 5,134]

6-7 seasons will do that. No surprise.

[bigbird 60,517]

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,666]

higher than I expected

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

8 hours ago, Swamp Eagle said:

6-7 seasons will do that. No surprise.

USC finished 4-8 and are #14. Candycanes went 7-5 & stunk up the field in every game against a non joke opponent but are now top 20. Happens every year but not if you have a notoriously amateurish media relations dept (see also unbridled Harsin fallout). Cristobal is 62-60 as a head coach (3-3 in bowls) but is the toast of the press despite doing nothing w/ those wonderful recruiting classes. Pre committee polls mean nothing unless you're astute enough to understand the importance of public perception.

Edited August 16, 2022 by aucanucktiger

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised by this.  I hope Harsin and this team can show up, play well.and win Then things might look different in a few weeks. 

I guess we'll see....

[kennypowers 1,431]

Anyone else feel like Tennessee is getting way too much love?  Their situation feels...familiar.  

[aucat 69]

in a yr of unranked, we may go to 11-3 or 12-2, as someone claimed a month ago, AU will surprise the USA this  yr 

[W.E.D 11,070]

10 hours ago, kennypowers said:

Anyone else feel like Tennessee is getting way too much love?  Their situation feels...familiar.  

A returning good QB?

I'm not sure I know that feeling

[kennypowers 1,431]

3 hours ago, W.E.D said:

A returning good QB?

I'm not sure I know that feeling

Hard to pinpoint it...just feels like a Malzahn season where we were expected to be better, but just crashed.  Lot of High dollar recruits streaming into a program that hasn't done anything in 16 years...relying on talent and schemes rather than development...maybe I just don't like Tennessee.  I see quite a few transfers in the future.

Maybe I just see their goober-ass looking coach, and I think..."seems familiar".  Auburn '14 maybe?  '16?  I'm bad at pinpointing my feelings, but they're more often right than wrong.  But, then again...maybe I just don't like Tennessee.

[W.E.D 11,070]

14 minutes ago, kennypowers said:

Hard to pinpoint it...just feels like a Malzahn season where we were expected to be better, but just crashed.  Lot of High dollar recruits streaming into a program that hasn't done anything in 16 years...relying on talent and schemes rather than development...maybe I just don't like Tennessee.  I see quite a few transfers in the future.

Maybe I just see their goober-ass looking coach, and I think..."seems familiar".  Auburn '14 maybe?  '16?  I'm bad at pinpointing my feelings, but they're more often right than wrong.  But, then again...maybe I just don't like Tennessee.

I mean, they are 26th in the AP Poll.  That's a 4 loss team at the end of the year.  It's not like they are being predicted to beat Bama.

If they lossed at a Ranked Pitt, Kentucky, Bama, UGA....then they are probably still ranked at the end of the year

[kennypowers 1,431]

5 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

I mean, they are 26th in the AP Poll.  That's a 4 loss team at the end of the year.  It's not like they are being predicted to beat Bama.

If they lossed at a Ranked Pitt, Kentucky, Bama, UGA....then they are probably still ranked at the end of the year

Their road schedule is pretty rough.  I guess I just don't like Tennessee.  Grew up in Oak Ridge (20 minutes from Knoxville).  Yeah...I just don't like Tennessee (or their fans).

[Hank2020 3,199]

23 minutes ago, kennypowers said:

Hard to pinpoint it...just feels like a Malzahn season where we were expected to be better, but just crashed.  Lot of High dollar recruits streaming into a program that hasn't done anything in 16 years...relying on talent and schemes rather than development...maybe I just don't like Tennessee.  I see quite a few transfers in the future.

Maybe I just see their goober-ass looking coach, and I think..."seems familiar".  Auburn '14 maybe?  '16?  I'm bad at pinpointing my feelings, but they're more often right than wrong.  But, then again...maybe I just don't like Tennessee.

Waiting on that ncaa axe to fall. It hasn’t yet correct?

[kennypowers 1,431]

1 minute ago, Hank2020 said:

Waiting on that ncaa axe to fall. It hasn’t yet correct?

I have no faith in the NCAA after watching the updykes and their boats, books, suits, houses, and cars scheme for a decade and **crickets**

Now that NIL is in play, I think they'll just be softer than normal.

[Hank2020 3,199]

8 minutes ago, kennypowers said:

I have no faith in the NCAA after watching the updykes and their boats, books, suits, houses, and cars scheme for a decade and **crickets**

Now that NIL is in play, I think they'll just be softer than normal.

I agree they are soft but doubt they let Tennessee slide with the openness if the McDonald’s bags. I also think Tennessee wants some concrete reason not to pay severance.

[JerryAU 1,659]

Auburn will earn their way into the only poll that matters >> CFP rankings in October. 

[toddc 13,194]

A big reason we’re not ranked is the demise of our offensive line over the years. This statistic has to improve by a lot this year to be competitive.

 

Auburn O-line aims to erase last season's short-yardage struggles

9 hours ago

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Coach Likes Contact Drills Vs. Auburn's Top D-Linemen

AUBURN, Alabama — There was a certain swagger emitting from Brandon Councilwhen given the opportunity to brag on his unit’s run-blocking so far in preseason camp. All he has to do is point to the offensive line’s performance over the weekend at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“I mean, the scrimmage kind of speaks — I feel like we were movin’ on ‘em during the scrimmage,” Council said confidently Tuesday. “And I think we progressed a lot in that area, just us being able to get on double-teams better and get the push.”

Auburn would obviously love to go downhill with Tank Bigsby and create a gravity around its rushing attack to pull in defenses; that sort of consistent offense would alleviate a lot of pressure — literally and figuratively — from whomever is taking the snap at quarterback. More simplistically, Auburn needs to improve its down-to-down success in the run game as a whole, after it was No. 9 in the SEC last season in sack-adjusted yards per carry (4.3).

That efficiency took another downturn when it came to short yardage, too. Mainly on third and 3 yards or fewer, the Tigers routinely struggled to create a consistent push, contributing to their 40.5-percent conversion rate on third downs — their lowest clip since 2018 and good for No. 8 in the SEC.

Correcting it isn’t as easy as simply overpowering the opposing line of scrimmage.

“There's a physical part about it — but whenever you get short yardage and goal line, concentration, focus and knowledge show up because the margin for error is so small because the defense is closer,” offensive line coach Will Friend said last week. “Usually, it's when it's the loudest in the stadium and those types of things. So that's one of the things that we've got to be better at in those situations, is the focus and understanding the plan and how to execute it.” 

Per Football Outsiders, Auburn’s Power Success Rate last season was not only its lowest as a team since the outlet began tracking the statistic among college teams in 2014; it was the worst such mark in the SEC last season, and the 11th-worst in the Power 5. 

Power Success Rate is simple: the percentage of runs on third or fourth down, with 2 yards or less to go, that achieved a first down or touchdown.

AUBURN POWER SUCCESS RATE (FB OUTSIDERS)

• 2017: 80.6%

• 2015: 78.7%

• 2014: 78.6%

• 2016: 77.3%

• 2019: 72.2%

• 2018: 71.9%

• 2020: 69.6%

• 2021: 60.0%

“There were a couple times last year where, man, we were chipping away at 5 yards,” Friend said. 

For a unit mostly comprised of highly experienced returnees, the focus this preseason has been developing a mean streak to pair with that football intelligence and execution Friend mentioned. 

“Our biggest thing is effort and finish,” Council said. “We’re going to stay on blocks until the end of the whistle; don’t let anybody shed off. Just be nasty. Put them in the ground every chance you get.”

All too often last season, as Friend lamented, the Tigers mounted strong drives but stubbed their toes across midfield by not converting a short third down. And his group is well aware of the responsibility on their shoulders to improve in that area.

“A lot of people say it's just 'You've got to get stronger' and all that in that situation,” Friend said. “Well, a lot of it's you've got to improve your focus and your concentration because of how big of a moment it is, and all the external factors that happen during that time.”

Seemingly, at least from media viewing windows and intel from the scrimmage, the only constants in terms of Auburn’s offensive line in preseason camp have been the tackle spots: Kilian Zierer at left, and Austin Troxell at right. Starting right guard Keiondre Jones dealt with a minor injury, allowing for Kameron Stutts and Alec Jackson to rotate there. Stutts and Council are the primary contenders for the starting left guard spot, too. Both Tate Johnson, who may be the preseason standout of the entire position, and Council have rotated in for veteran starter Nick Brahms, who didn’t participate in Saturday’s scrimmage, at center.

[DAG 33,982]

On 8/17/2022 at 9:05 AM, toddc said:

the focus this preseason has been developing a mean streak to pair with that football intelligence and execution Friend mentioned. 

Can this be done though? I mean I have heard some individuals just got that dog in them. Did do that right? Wasn't that what NU said back in the day. Anyhow, these dudes need to watch the blindside or the waterboy. Maybe need to see a sports psychologist to figure out something that drives them to play through the whistle.