However as special as last year was it is time to turn the page to a new season. This will be the first time Auburn has returned a quarterback after an SEC title since 1989 and Reggie Slack. Not only that, unlike the 2010 Auburn returns a large number of starters and talented players from last year's championship team. In 2010, the bottom dropped out as over 30 players departed and Auburn basically had to start over. It has been a long uphill journey since Auburn opened at Utah State three years ago. Order was restored and respect was gained back last season but now comes the harder part, the next step, keeping it going.
First, let me address one continuing theme about Auburn last year I keep hearing in the media. This would be that Auburn got "lucky" last year and they have to prove last year "was not a fluke". Professional unbiased SECTV commentator Greg McElroy (who was last seen on a college football field being knocked out cold by Auburn safety T'Sharvan Bell) made sure to point that out to everyone during his comments previewing Auburn's season. Auburn football produced the top two plays in college football last year and one was very lucky but somehow that one play has been extended to define the season.
Where else was Auburn lucky? Auburn did not get "lucky" against Mississippi State. State had their chance to close it out and they got stopped. Nick Marshall then made the throws spot on to lead Auburn to the winning touchdown. Auburn just flat outplayed Ole Miss. Auburn then won a tough close game against Texas A&M on the road but I think both teams had an equal number of "lucky" plays. It was just an old fashioned shoot-out and Auburn made the last play. Auburn then whipped Arkansas by a large margin on the road while not playing very well and absolutely obliterated the Vols on their own field.
Then came Georgia, Auburn was the recipient of one of the most unbelievably lucky plays ever in the history of college football... BUT let us remember some of the "luck" it took for Georgia to score TWENTY POINTS in TEN MINUTES. This included the running back who every one has called the best player in the country the second half of the season running into his own offensive lineman on a third and one that could have closed the game out. Auburn had clearly won against Georgia and it never should have even come down to "The Immaculate Deflection". Auburn had to work pretty hard to let Georgia back in the game after whipping them for almost three and a half quarters.
Finally, the so-called "best coach in college football" makes the one of the all-time bonehead decisions to attempt a 57 yard left-to-right field goal after his team's last field goal attempt was blocked. He even had a chance to change his mind as the Auburn coaches took a time out to put their best return man back but he stuck with his titanically stupid call. The "Kick Six" had nothing to do with luck but was Auburn simply outcoaching and outplaying their opponent. I would also submit that if we want to assign "luck" then Bama must also be considered lucky that Tre Mason who rarely fumbled his whole career fumbled and gave them an easy touchdown in the first half. Auburn then tied the game 21-21 and pinned Bama on their one foot yard line. I thought Auburn was fixing to take the game right there till Bama got "lucky" and two Auburn defenders knocked themselves out the play allowing Bama to complete a 99 yard touchdown pass.
It is funny, I didn't hear about luck in 2009 when Bama had to block a game winning kick against Tennessee and hit a last second touchdown pass against Auburn to win. They would not have been in the title game without those two "lucky" plays. I didn't hear much about luck when the team that won the 2011 national title did so by having the stars align just right as they did not even win their own division or even play in their conference title game. They can't even win their own conference division yet somehow they play in the title game, no luck there!
Back to 2014 and the next step for Auburn... every season preview boils down to two things, the players and the schedule. First the players... Auburn's offensive returners have been well documented. As previously mentioned, quarterback Nick Marshall is back along with all of his wide receivers including newcomer Duke Williams who was the #1 JUCO wide receiver in the nation. It looked like Auburn had only lost Greg Robinson off the offensive line but as fall practice opened it was revealed that guard Alex Kozan would be lost for the season as well with a back injury. Fortunately Auburn has depth at offensive line and Avery Young will move back into the starting lineup to replace Kozan. He will start along side All-American senior Reese Dismukes at center, senior Chad Slade at the other guard, Patrick Miller at right tackle and maybe the greatest player comeback story ever in left tackle Shon Coleman.
The returners at wide receiver include super freak Sammie Coates, Georgia hero Ricardo Louis, mister clutch Marcus Davis, veteran Quan Bray, and up-and-comer Melvin Ray. Add to that seniors C.J. Uzomah and Brandon Fulse at tight end and H-back and you have a lot of weapons for the aerial attack. At running back Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant return to lead the rushing attack with help from youngsters Peyton Barber and Roc Thomas. You put all that together and things look pretty good for Auburn on offense. This has given Auburn fans reason to smile and for the sun to shine even brighter for the sunshine-pumpers.
On defense the belief is that Auburn will simply be better with this being their second season under Ellis Johnson. Auburn also returns a lot of veteran defensive linemen in seniors Jeffrey Whittaker, Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson, Ben Bradley and Ladarius Owens. In addition to the vets, there are also impact sophomores Elijah Daniel and Montravius Adams and JUCO addition DaVonte Lambert. Juniors Cassanova McKinzy, Kris Frost and Justin Garrett return to lead the linebackers. The secondary will be made up of Jonathan Mincy and Jonathan Jones at the corners and Jermaine Whitehead and Jonathan "Rudy" Ford at the safeties. Derrick Moncrief and Joshua Holsey will be contributors as well.
The only unit where Auburn is almost starting from scratch is special teams. Redshirt freshman Daniel Carlson takes over punting AND place-kicking duties. Either one of those jobs is tough on a young first-year starter, putting both on him seems unwise. Hopefully the coaches have a good reason and it works out. Quan Bray will return to punt returning duties after giving them up to Chris Davis last season. This is another dubious choice in my opinion. Bray coughed up a critical punt return in Auburn's only chance at a big win in 2012 against LSU and I don't remember him ever making a big play as a punt returner. Hopefully he has improved. Corey Grant and Ricardo Louis are back on kickoff returns so things should be solid there.
With that said, there are some flat out superstars on offense and a lot of veteran talent on defense. Auburn also returns all of the on-the-field coaches from last year as well. The 2014 Auburn Tigers are a damn good football team any way you slice it. It is something to savor and really appreciate as returning a team this strong after winning an SEC Championship does not happen very much. After watching the bottom fall out in 2011 it is extra special for Auburn. Auburn is fully capable of winning another SEC championship and competing for another national title.
What could go wrong? There is always that possibility no matter how good the team looks. First, there is no doubt Auburn will not be quite as good on the offensive line without Greg Robinson and Alex Kozan. They look like they will still be very good but will not be as good as last year. The running attack will not be quite as devastating without those guys and juggernaut Jay Prosch at H-back/fullback. Prosch was one of the truly great players at his position in Auburn history and maybe one of the most underrated players as well.
I think Jay Prosch was also one of the key leaders on the team last year. There appears to be a lack of positive leadership with the drug arrests of seniors Nick Marshall and Jonathan Mincy and whatever has happened to linebacker Robenson Therezie, one of Auburn's top defenders last year. Hopefully the Auburn players have circled the wagons and some leaders have stepped up. However these incidents are definite danger signs. Most championship teams also have veteran kickers, that has proven true time and time again at Auburn and last year was no exception. This year would be the exception. Auburn will be at pretty big disadvantage in this area each game till Daniel Carlson proves he is the real deal.
Losing Alex Kozan to injury was a big blow but losing budding superstar defensive end Karl Lawson to a torn ACL in the spring was even bigger. Auburn is left without a true pass rusher and one of their best players on defense. Add Therezie to that and you have to wonder if the defense will be much better than last year. One of the biggest keys to Auburn's season and a run at a championship will be as it is for everyone else, injuries. Auburn simply cannot lose any of their starting linebackers, there is just not anybody good enough or ready enough to replace those guys. The secondary is razor thin as well. Auburn must avoid injuries on the defensive side of the ball to win a championship.
The schedule... Auburn rolled snake eyes here and ended up with hardest schedule in the nation. This will be the biggest obstacle to Auburn winning a championship in 2014. The SEC West is already far and away the toughest division in football. Along with running that gauntlet Auburn must face the two best teams in the East in Georgia and South Carolina. Compare that to Bama who get Florida and Tennessee which are top tier programs but looked years away from being good last year. Finally Auburn will have to travel to Manhattan, Kansas to take on giant-killer Bill Snyder and Kansas State. KState went 10-3 and 11-2 in 2011 and 2012 respectively and 8-5 last year. Contrast that with West Virginia who has gone 11-14 since joining the Big 12.
It is a tough assignment. I think Auburn will be very good but unfortunately I think the schedule and the attrition that comes with it will be just enough to prevent Auburn from doing what they did last year. I am predicting a 10-2 finish and a New Year's Bowl but no titles this season. Again, I think this team is more than capable of beating every team they play but I think last year's team was very fortunate that Arkansas and Tennessee back-to-back on the road late in the season were not very good as well as having Georgia and Bama at home. This team will not be as fortunate and will end the season with a murder's row of South Carolina, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia and Bama with the last two on the road.
I think this team will have another really good season with the possibility of another great season. I think there will be some big memorable wins. I think Auburn will have put up two great years of double-digit wins back-to-back for the first time since Pat Dye roamed the sidelines in the last 1980s. Let's keep it going...
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