Auburn Football 2017 season preview, predictions and more

Could this be the year Auburn football returns to the SEC championship game? Getting past Alabama isn’t easy, but the Tigers have all the pieces in place.

Only in the SEC do you from the national championship game to the hot seat in three short years. That’s where Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn found himself midway through the 2016 season. A controversial call was ultimately the deciding factor between whether or not he would be shown the door or not. Instead it was Les Miles who was sent packing.

Now, one season removed from nearly losing his job, the Tigers are expected to contend for the SEC title. Go figure.

Auburn, like LSU and Alabama, is always one of those schools that possesses the talent to compete for a national championship. When the roster aligns well, the Tigers have all the pieces to surprise some folks. The Tigers had two pressing questions headed into the offseason: who is going to play quarterback and where will the pass rush come from? They have a definitive answer to the first question and a few guys capable of rising to meet the second.

The Tigers finished fifth in the nation in scoring defense last season, allowing a stunning 15.6 point per game. They’ll have two replace three (or four depending on the formation) starters on that defense this coming season. Could they be even better in 2017? And if they are just as good as they were last year with and have a more balanced offense, could they challenge Alabama for the SEC title?