Auburn game-by-game predictions: Running the table possible, but brutal path awaits
By Rob Maxwell
The Auburn football team kicks off the 2018 season on Sept. 1 in Atlanta against the Washington Huskies.
Auburn has won double-digit games in back-to-back seasons only once in program history when the Tigers went 10-2 in 1988 and 1989. Last season, Auburn finished 10-4 despite losing its final two games of the season to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and to UCF in the Peach Bowl.
With its 3,000-yard passing quarterback Jarrett Stidham returning, both coordinators back and a defensive line that is considered to be one of the best in the nation, expectations are high on the Plains.
Auburn enters Week 1 ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25. The schedule this season will be one of the toughest in the country. Auburn kicks off against No. 6 Washington and has games against No. 1 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia, No. 18 Mississippi State and No. 25 LSU.
The Tigers finished the regular season 10-2 in 2017 and positioned themselves to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time, but they lost in the SEC title game and settled for a return trip to Atlanta for the bowl game.
With Stidham back at QB, Gus Malzahn has his starting quarterback returning for the first time since Nick Marshall in 2013 and 2014. While Auburn must replace SEC leading rusher Kerryon Johnson, the offense has a lot of talent in the backfield to choose from and looks like it will start with Kam Martin with a host of players ready for opportunities.
Here are our game-by-game predictions on the upcoming season and if Auburn will snap that streak of falling short of at least 10 wins after winning double-figure games.