The preseason hype trains have begun to let passengers on and various media outlets have released their preseason rankings, team previews, and various conference predictions. 247Sports compiled votes from over 32 reporters, who all voted on the predicted order of SEC divisions, the conference champion, player of the year, and the game of the year in the SEC. It’s safe to say that the expectations for Auburn football is lower than usual.
The predicted order of finish for the SEC from 247Sports is listed below:
"SEC East:Georgia (30 first place votes)Florida (2 first place votes)KentuckyMissouriTennesseeSouth CarolinaVanderbiltSEC West:Alabama (32 first place votes)Texas A&MLSUOle MissAuburnArkansasMississippi State"
The Auburn Tigers were voted 5th in the SEC West, while Tank Bigsby received one vote for the SEC Player of the Year. No Auburn football conference games received a vote for the SEC Game of the Year and Bryan Harsin did not receive any votes for the SEC Coach of the Year.
These low expectations could be due to a combination of Auburn football having the toughest in the country along with a 1st year head coach in Bryan Harsin. There is also a lot of uncertainty at key positions, which includes the wide receiver and defensive line spots. There is a lot of talent on this roster, but much of it is unproven and that could be keeping many experts away from picking the Tigers.
Looking at the schedule, the Tigers should have wins over Akron, Alabama State, Georgia State, Mississippi State, & South Carolina. I also think that the Tigers should be the favorites or have a realistic shot against Arkansas, Penn State, & Ole Miss. That puts the ceiling at around 8-9 wins if Auburn can steal a game at LSU or Texas A&M this season.
Jordan-Hare Stadium will be back at full capacity this season and could be an x-factor if Auburn football plans to exceed these expectations. It is going to be Auburn football v. The World this season and Auburn always seems to play their best football as the underdog, so don’t count out the Tigers throughout the 2021 season.