Auburn Football: Game-by-Game Breakdown of the 2012 Schedule

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The Auburn Tigers are an interesting team heading into this season. They won the BCS National Championship in 2010 and even after losing the majority of their team, they still showed several bright spots throughout the year. They also have a very talented team returning as well as a loaded recruiting class coming in that has several immediate impact players.

We know it's only a matter of time before Gene Chizik and company get this program back on track. Let's see just how well they will perform this year.

Last year's football season may have just ended, but it's never too early to make predictions.

Here are predictions for Auburn's schedule next year.

Vs. Clemson (in Atlanta), Sept. 1

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What a fantastic way to open the season. Two powerhouse teams going at it is much better than either one of these programs opening up with San Jose State or another brutal school most teams open up with.

This should be a close game, but I think the Clemson Tigers will be too much for Auburn. This is a team that's returning the majority of their starters and have an offense that was one of the best in the country last season. Hard to imagine a team that was ranked 70th in scoring offense keeping up with Clemson who averaged nearly 34 points per contest.

Clemson wins: 35-25

At Mississippi State, Sept. 8

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Playing in Mississippi State is never an easy task with the cowbells ringing throughout the game, but I think Auburn will be able to prevail and extend their winning streak over the Bulldogs to five games. Mississippi State is a team that is missing several key players from a year ago, including their leading rusher and starting quarterback.

Auburn wins: 28-17

Vs. ULM, Sept. 15

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Louisiana-Monroe finished with a 4-8 record last season and that's in the Sun Belt. There is absolutely no way they go into Jordan-Hare Stadium and pull out a victory. Tigers win big here and begin the season with a solid 2-1 record heading into a huge showdown against LSU.

Auburn wins: 56-3

Vs. LSU, Sept. 22

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My opinion on this game will change back and forth considering we are still seven months away from actual kickoff. But if I had to pick right now, I'd go with the Auburn Tigers. LSU has lost a total of 14 starters from a year ago, including two of their starting quarterbacks. I'm not sure how this team will look and I'll take the team that has remained intact and is at home. Call me crazy if you'd like.

Auburn wins: 17-10

Vs. Arkansas, Oct. 6

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This game I don't think the Tigers will get so lucky. Arkansas has to be one of the favorites to win the entire SEC. The majority of their offense is returning, including running back Knile Davis, which means that offense is going to become unstoppable. Again, I'm not sure Auburn has the firepower on the offensive side of the ball to keep up with the Razorbacks.

Arkansas wins: 37-25

At Ole Miss, Oct. 13

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Is there any team that is more of a mess right now than the Ole Miss Rebels? I'm sure you can name a few, but they're probably the SEC team that's struggling the most to get back on their feet. Auburn wins this game fairly easily.

Auburn wins: 34-14

At Vanderbilt, Oct. 20

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The defense Vanderbilt had last year was great, but the problem is that they're only returning five starters from that unit. The offense returns eight starters, but I'm not sure that's a good thing considering they weren't exactly lighting the scoreboard up. The Commodores are making huge strides with James Franklin, but I don't think they have what it takes to beat Auburn just yet.

Auburn wins: 26-17

Vs. Texas A&M, Oct. 27

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Nobody exactly knows what type of season the Aggies are going to have in their first year in the SEC. They have more than enough talent to compete and have the head coach in Kevin Sumlin. I just think it's going to take a while to get adjusted to playing a complete SEC schedule. The Aggies are coming off a game against the LSU Tigers before playing this game. Expect a banged up and emotional Texas A&M team and the Tigers should take advantage of it in a close one.

Auburn wins: 29-21

Vs. New Mexico State, Nov. 3

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This game needs no explanation at all. The Aggies defense was ranked 112th last year in points allowed and that was with them playing below par teams in the WAC. Tigers win big as they prepare for the Bulldogs next week.

Auburn wins: 42-7

Vs. Georgia, Nov. 10

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Much like Arkansas, Georgia is another SEC team to watch out for as they return 16 starters and have a loaded recruiting class. I don't see Auburn being able to keep up with the Bulldogs as they are one of the more complete teams in the country. They have the offense and defense to compete with anybody and Auburn still has a few question marks heading into this one.

Georgia wins: 34-23

Vs. Alabama A&M, Nov. 17

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I guess this game was scheduled to prepare them for Alabama, but the only thing this team and the Crimson Tide have in common is that they're both located in Alabama. Tigers win easily and prepare next week for one of the greatest rivalries in college football.

Auburn wins: 48-10

At Alabama, Nov. 24

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This may not make me very popular with Auburn fans, but I can't pick the Tigers to win this game quite yet.

I have to see the Tigers perform better on defense before I give them more of a serious shot in this game. They gave up nearly 400 yards in last year's meeting and their scoring defense was ranked 79th in the country. We know Alabama is going to get its fair share of stops, but the question is, can Auburn do the same?

Alabama wins: 27-14

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].