College Football Playoff 2017: Case for the Auburn Tigers

Auburn football is one of the many darkhorse candidates for the 2017 College Football Playoff. Do they have what it takes to be among the final four?

The Auburn Tigers have the unfortunate luck of playing in the SEC West. Because of that the preseason expectations for this team were somewhat muted. That’ll happen when Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide stand between you and the SEC Championship, let alone the College Football Playoff.

Still, Auburn found the final piece to the puzzle this offseason with the addition of Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham. The 6-foot-3 quarterback was supposed to be the best true passer to set foot on the Plains in quite some time. Him, combined with the Auburn rushing attack and stalwart defense, might be enough to challenge the Tide.

The honeymoon phase ended early when the Tigers went on the road and fell to Clemson, 14-6. That punt a dent in the Playoff hopes, but they weren’t crushed, not yet. They would win their next four before LSU used a 20-point rally to hand Auburn their first SEC loss of the season.

At 6-2 (3-1) Auburn sits at second place in the SEC West. It’s going to take some chaos for the Tigers to make the College Football Playoff, but stranger things have happened. Remember the Kick Six? Let’s take a closer look and the case for and against the Tigers’ Playoff hopes.