Auburn is a strong favorite against Baylor in their Aflac Kickoff Game this weekend in Atlanta. Many favorites have lost in Week 1, though, which is perhaps the toughest week to dole out accurate odds for every year.
Alex Golesh has seemingly done everything right this offseason from a culture-building standpoint. The issue may come via the way he constructed his roster, though. The Tigers' offensive line figures to be a weak point this fall. Just as it was under Hugh Freeze, Bryan Harsin, and so on and so forth. Left guard is the biggest problem, but every position has a new player. That's not a stat that works in the line's favor.
Bears head coach Dave Aranda believes his roster's biggest strength is the defensive trenches. Aranda shared as much on Monday during a press conference.
“They've probably been our strongest unit,” Aranda said of the defensive line. “Defensively, there's just been a lot of really dominant personalities there, and there's guys that have really strong ownership of that unit and this team. There's a way different feel now than what there was previously, last year's team and the year before, and so I would say in that respect, for sure, it's totally different.”
If Baylor wasn't aware of a pathway to victory, the Bears may have just found one.
Byrum Brown's chemistry with WRs is an advantage Baylor's pass rush can nullify
Byrum Brown brings some continuity with the top three receivers on Auburn's two-deep. It's a new offense to many in orange and blue, but not Chas Nimrod in the slot, nor Jeremiah Koger on the outside, nor Keshaun Singleton on the flank. They've all played in Joel Gordon's system before. That is a major strategic advantage for the Tigers.
Baylor's pass rush could take that away.
While Brown is agile, going for 1,008 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground last season at USF, taking a beating in Week 1 exposes unnecessary risks. Losing Brown for any amount of time would be a major blow to this program's 2026 ambitions.
Golesh has not been over the moon about his offensive line over the offseason. The group is going to take some early bumps before getting it together by season's end, if they even do. It'd be a major disappointment if the unit makes Aranda's defensive front look dominant.
Hosea Walker and Jamaal Whyce are players to watch who can make the Tigers pay. Both are playing beyond their senior years and have the most potential of the Bears' newcomers along the defensive line.
Auburn can overcome trench worries with pace
An extremely up-tempo attack would give Baylor's pass rush less of a chance to dominate. Golesh and Gordon know how to get Brown out there and get him running and gunning. They rode that to a 23-15 record in Tampa over the past three seasons.
Brown is more of a weapon with time in the pocket, but Auburn needs to work with what it's got.
A heavy dosage of slants and screens should do the trick if the offensive line can't keep up. We'll see if protection is a problem, and if the Bears could make it an even bigger one.
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