Auburn Football: Five reasons why Tigers will win 2017 national title

Auburn football enters 2017 with high hopes. Maybe this season the Tigers will knock off rival Alabama? Could this team go further and win the national title?

Well, that depends. Auburn faces the defending champs at Clemson, play LSU at Death Valley and even if Auburn defeats Alabama, the team would still face the winner of the SEC East. There are plenty of reasons Auburn will win the 2017 national title, but schedule isn’t one such reason.

In fact, there are legitimate concerns for Auburn living up to expectations. Since the team went to the national title game in 2013, the program’s combined record is 23-16. However, underwhelming quarterback play has played a critical role in the team’s recent disappointing finishes.

In 2016, Auburn lost to four ranked teams, including teams that finished ranked No. 1, 2 and 5 in the final AP poll (Texas A&M was ranked No. 17 when the two teams played).

Auburn’s schedule, while by no means easy, appears more manageable than last season. For one thing, Auburn plays its biggest rivals—Alabama and Georgia—at home. Also, Clemson, while expected to be a very good team, doesn’t appear to be as strong as last season—Auburn lost to those Tigers by a mere six points in 2016. Finally, while Texas A&M is on the road, the visitor has always won in SEC meetings between the two teams.

While there is one significant new face on The Plains in 2017, the big story for Auburn is continuity. Let’s take a look at five reasons Auburn will win the 2017 national title.