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College Football Countdown: 5 Most Crucial Games for Auburn in 2016

By Jake Mastroianni

Nov 21, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Military personnel cheer during the first quarter between the Auburn Tigers and the Idaho Vandals at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Military personnel cheer during the first quarter between the Auburn Tigers and the Idaho Vandals at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 16, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban gestures toward Julio Jones (not shown) during the annual A-day game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

Alabama

With a win in Athens and then a win over Alabama A&M the following week, the Tigers could potentially enter the Iron Bowl with eight wins, which would already be a successful season in the eyes of most Auburn fans.

Depending on how everything plays out, Auburn could potentially be 8-3 (5-2) with a chance to go to the SEC Championship game if LSU has two losses and Alabama has a loss going into the Iron Bowl.

Enter in all the clichés for this game, as you can throw the records and betting lines out the window for the Iron Bowl. The Tigers will have to travel to Tuscaloosa where they haven’t won since Cam Newton led them to an unbelievable comeback in 2010.

The Crimson Tide will be bringing back just six starters on offense and only five on defense. They will be breaking in a new quarterback for the third straight year, and they’ll be without their Heisman Trophy winning running back in Derrick Henry.

We know that Alabama just reloads every year, but at some point losing that much talent has to catch up with them, and Auburn has just as much talent on their side of the ball.

Since Gus Malzahn took over, the Iron Bowl has seen some very competitive games. I think his coaching style really gives Nick Saban fits. Auburn has gone 1-2 in those three years with Alabama outscoring Auburn 112-91 in those contests. Last year’s 16 point difference is the biggest in any of the three games, and a late touchdown made that score more lopsided than the game really was.

I expect the Tigers to be just as competitive in this Iron Bowl as they have been the past three years with Malzahn at the helm. I can’t tell you how much a win would mean for Malzahn and this team.

From a record stand point it could potentially give them their ninth win of the year with a chance for a 10-win season with a bowl win. Most people couldn’t dream of a 10-win season entering 2016, so this would most certainly get everyone of Malzahn’s back for at least a year and build even more confidence going into 2017.

Next: Auburn Football Playoff of Greatest Teams in Tiger History

Every game is crucial in a college football season, and Auburn – especially – has to focus on one week at a time, but these are the games that I feel will make or break Auburn’s 2016 college football season.

If they win these five games we’ll all be dancing in the streets. Even if they just win four of these games it will be a great season, but if they lose three of these we could be searching for a new coach in the offseason. That’s how crucial these games are.

War Eagle!

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