Auburn Football: Ranking Tigers’ 2020 opponents by toughness

Coming off a 9-4 season, Auburn football has its sights set on Atlanta in 2020. Here’s the road they’ll take to get there.

Playing in the best division in college football is a yearly uphill battle. Auburn consistently has one of the most talented rosters in the country, but in 2019, that only got them to a 9-4 record and a third-place finish in the SEC West.

This season, the Tigers have plenty of talent, but much of it is unproven. They lose Derrick Brown, Nick Coe and Marlon Davidson on the defensive front, and Noah Igbinoghene, Daniel Thomas and Jeremiah Dinson in the back end.

On the offensive side of the ball, gone are key linemen in Jack Driscoll, Prince Tega Wanogho, Marquell Harrell and Mike Horton. As Bo Nix grows in his sophomore season, one of his most important attributes will be his ability to evade the pass rush.

Needless to say, there is a ton of turnover for Auburn to overcome in 2020. Fortunately for Gus Malzahn and company, there’s a crop of experienced players who are ready to jump into pivotal roles.

The SEC is once again loaded at the top, but the Tigers feel that they are capable of getting back to Atlanta. Here’s a look at how the teams on Auburn’s 2020 road stack up.