AP Top 25: Believe it or not, Auburn could climb higher in coming weeks
By Rob Maxwell
Raise your hand if you really thought the Auburn football team would move up in the AP Top 25 poll after two teams ranked in front of the Tigers lost.
Even though we projected that Auburn would rise from No. 10 to No. 8 after its 24-13 win against Southern Miss, we weren’t convinced that was going to happen.
It was possible that Penn State, even though it lost to Ohio State, could slip past Auburn. It also was possible that Washington — even though this one is a much tougher sell — might have overtaken Auburn despite losing to the Tigers in Week 1.
But that didn’t happen.
Instead, Auburn moved up two places in the poll.
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And the scary thing is, as poorly as Auburn has been on offense, with very winnable games the next three weeks — games the Tigers will be favored to win — the opportunity to move up higher is there. Here’s why:
Week 6 (Oct. 6)
No. 5 LSU at No. 22 Florida. It’s a long shot, but a trip to Gainesville can be difficult.
No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Texas. As well as Kyler Murray is playing, it’s difficult to see the Sooners losing this one. But you never know in this rivalry matchup.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 24 Virginia Tech. Can the Hokies come back from that loss to Old Dominion and spoil the Irish’s season?
Week 7 (Oct. 13)
No. 2 Georgia at No. 5 LSU. Something’s gotta give here. If it’s a tight game, how far does the loser drop?
Week 8 (Oct. 20)
No. 23 N.C. State at No. 4 Clemson. This is about the only chance left on the schedule that the Tigers could lose. The Wolfpack will have to play a fantastic game.
No. 7 Oklahoma at TCU. The Horned Frogs aren’t as good as we thought they might be. These two played for the Big 12 title last season and the Sooners won, 41-17. OU has won four in a row in the series, including twice last season (41-17 and 38-20 in the regular season).
So, as negative as a lot of fans are right now, if Auburn can turn around things on offense — and that’s a might by if right now — the Tigers still could be in place to reach its goals of playing in Atlanta and in the College Football Playoff.
Wait, what did we just say?
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Yes, that feels like the greatest of stretches at this point. Auburn is 4-1 and could win anywhere from 7 to 11 games, finish in the top 10 or outside the top 25. But the defense is one of the nation’s best, allowing just 13 points per game. That’s good enough to win games. Can the offense catch up, even a little?
Buckle up because the ride from here out could get bumpy.