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College Football Countdown: Ranking Difficulty of Each Auburn Opponent

By Jake Mastroianni

Nov 21, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Helicopters perform a flyover prior to the game 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; Helicopters perform a flyover prior to the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Idaho Vandals at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 19, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive back Trey Matthews (28) jumps over Louisiana State Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) to try to get the ball loose in the second half at Tiger Stadium. Fournette kept running to score his second touchdown of the game. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /

3 – LSU: Level 8

The LSU loss last year was one of the more embarrassing losses I can remember in recent history. We lost six games last year, but we were at least competitive in five of them – the team didn’t even show up in Baton Rouge last year.

Leonard Fournette made the Auburn defense look foolish last year cutting them up for 228 yards on just 19 carries and scored 3 touchdowns. The junior running back and Heisman Trophy candidate returns for most likely his last college football season, so Auburn has one last shot at redemption.

LSU returns seven other starters on offense, including quarterback Brandon Harris who threw for 2,165 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015, while rushing for 226 yards and four scores. Their top two receivers also return in Tyron Johnson and Malachi Dupre.

As if that wasn’t enough, they return nine starters on defense where they gave up just 24.3 points per game last year. They do lose their top tackler from last season in Deion Jones, but just about everyone else returns.

They have four First Team All-SEC players on defense in defensive lineman Davon Godchaux, linebacker Kendell Beckwith and defensive backs Tre’Davious White and Jamal Adams.

Some people are picking this team to win the SEC West and go on to the College Football Playoff, and it’s easy to see why with all of the players they have coming back from  a 9-3 season. Head Coach Les Miles might need to win the SEC in order to keep his job as he was close to getting ran at the end of the season in 2015 before winning their last two games.

Despite getting embarrassed by them last year, and despite all they have coming back this year, I still like Auburn’s chances of an upset at home in this game. They’ll be coming off a tough three-game stretch, but there has to be extra motivation for this one. LSU will be coming off a home game against Mississippi State and has Missouri at home afterwards.

Chances of winning: 35 percent

Next: Alabama

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