Auburn Football: Ranking the 2012 Schedule from Easiest to Toughest

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The Auburn Tigers look to build on last year's 8-5 record as the 2012 college football season is less than three months away. Returning 16 starters from a year ago, including nine on the defensive side of the ball, should help this young team make a run in the SEC.

But much like any team in this conference, the schedule is a brutal one.

If Auburn wants to compete in the SEC West, it must overcome many teams that have BCS bowls on their minds. It will certainly not be an easy task this season, but Auburn does have enough talent to make things interesting in 2012.

With the regular season quickly approaching, here is the 2012 Auburn Tigers schedule from the easiest to the most difficult opponents.

12. Alabama A&M

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Last year's record: 8-4

Returning starters: N/A

The Bulldogs finished with an 8-4 record last year, but that was in the SWAC.

The what?

This game should not be a problem for the Tigers, as this is by far the easiest game on the schedule.

11. New Mexico State

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Last year's record: 4-9

Returning starters: Eight

New Mexico State does not return many starters from a year ago and had one of the worst defenses in the country last season.

A squad that lost to UTEP and San Jose State last season, the Aggies should certainly have their hands full with a team like Auburn.

10. Louisiana-Monroe

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Last year's record: 4-8

Returning starters: 13

The Warhawks do return eight starters on offense and have a playmaker at quarterback in Kolton Browning.

But I highly doubt an SEC team should have an issue with a team from the Sun Belt Conference.

Once again, this should be a cakewalk for the Auburn Tigers early in the season.

9. At Ole Miss

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Last year's record: 2-10

Returning starters: 15

Ole Miss showed no signs of life at all last season, losing 10 games and missing a bowl game for the second consecutive year.

The Rebels have lost seven of their last eight meetings against the Tigers, including a 41-23 loss last year.

Facing a new head coach and a team that didn't do much of anything right last year, the Tigers should roll.

8. At Mississippi State

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Last year's record: 7-6

Returning starters: 13

Mississippi State should once again be a strong team defensively, but losing six starters on offense—including the starting quarterback and running back—should hurt.

The Tigers have won 10 of their last 11 meetings against the Bulldogs.

Although playing in Starkville, is never easy, Auburn is the more talented team in this matchup.

7. At Vanderbilt

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Last year's record: 6-7

Returning starters: 16

Auburn has won 13 of its last 14 meetings against Vanderbilt, but the Commodores are a team the Tigers should not take lightly. Head coach James Franklin is doing a great job with this program, and they are returning majority of their starters. This is a squad that competed with Georgia, Arkansas and Florida a year ago.

With this contest taking place in Nashville, put those Tigers on upset alert this time around.

6. Texas A&M

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Last year's record: 7-6

Returning starters: 15

Who knows what we are going to get out of Texas A&M in its first season in the SEC?

I do know that the Aggies have a great head coach in Kevin Sumlin and a couple of playmakers on each side of the ball. Texas A&M led the country in sacks last season with 51 and were second in the country in sacks allowed with nine.

Taking a trip to Auburn should tell us more about both teams.

5. Arkansas

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Last year's record: 11-2

Returning starters: 13

If Auburn is going to win this game, it must play better defense this time around. The Tigers lost last season's matchup by a score of 38-14 and allowed 438 total yards.

With the Razorbacks' returning seven starters on offense and getting a healthy Knile Davis back at running back, this team will have one of the more talented offenses this season.

Things are not looking good for Auburn on paper heading into this game.

4. Georgia

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Last year's record: 10-4

Returning starters: 15

Georgia heads into the 2012 season as one of the more underrated teams in the country. This team can score points with the best of them and has a defense that ranked fifth in the country last year.

Auburn lost last year's meeting by 38 points, and unless they can improve drastically on both sides of the ball, expecting a similar result isn't too far-fetched.

3. Clemson (in Atlanta)

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Last year's record: 10-4

Returning starters: 13

With this being the first game of the season for both teams, we don't really know what to expect. Some teams simply take longer to get going out of the gate.

Clemson has one of the better offenses in the country, returning the nucleus that averaged nearly 34 points per contest a year ago, although Auburn may get a break if star wide receiver Sammy Watkins is suspended.

Regardless, I'm not sure if Auburn has enough firepower on offense to keep up in this regular-season opener.

2. LSU

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Last year's record: 13-1

Returning starters: 12

Auburn has lost four of its last five meetings against LSU, and this game won't be much easier.

Many will say that LSU is an even better team than it was last season, returning majority of the key players and developing a passing game with quarterback Zach Mettenberger's taking over.

Auburn lost last year's meeting by 35 points. If this LSU team is even better, watch out.

1. At Alabama

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Last year's record: 12-1

Returning starters: 11

The defending national champions lost a lot on the defensive side of the ball but have a great recruiting class coming in and talented backups to replace those that left. Alabama also has one of the best offensive lines, a deep backfield and a quarterback in AJ McCarron who is growing before our very eyes.

Anything can happen in a rivalry game, but it is safe to say that the Crimson Tide are by far the more complete team heading into the 2012 season.