The Alabama Crimson Tide enter the 2017 college football season as national title favorites, but could Auburn football be strong enough to take them down?
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Alabama has to lose sooner or later. They weren’t able to complete the perfect season in 2016, falling to Clemson in the National Title Game. They’ll enter the 2017 season as the front-runners in what could be another down year in the SEC. But could there be a challenger to the Tide’s College Football Playoff hopes within the SEC?
In an interview on the Bud & The Manchild Show on 1260 the Score in New York, I went to bat for the Auburn Tigers:
"“Auburn returns 10 of their 12 top defensive players, they got Jarrett Stidham – a new transfer coming in from Baylor and they have two of the best running backs in college football… they’re one of two running back tandems in the SEC to each touch the ball 150 times and get 2,000 total yard. They’re workhorses. You add a competent passer on top of that like Stidham… all gotta do is play one good game.”"
They have all the pieces to win a championship. Defense, a running game and a quarterback. Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson have help in the offensive backfield this year. That’s going to make all the difference.
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ESPN FPI lists the Tigers as favorites in all their games but two, on the road against Clemson and at home against Alabama. Although they are underdogs in those games, it’s only by a hair. Just like the year that Auburn went to the National Championship game with Cam Newton, all they need is a few fortunate bounces in a few games in 2017. Get ready. This could be the year of the Tiger.