Auburn Football: 7 Reasons the Tigers Will Improve over Last Year

It was an interesting 2011 season for the Auburn Tigers. Fresh off a national championship victory in 2010, the Tigers finished with an 8-5 record last year. But when you consider the amount of players this team lost, you have to consider that season a success.

This season, the Tigers return 16 starters from a year ago, including nine on the defensive side of the ball. It was the defense that was atrocious last year; so many Tiger fans have a reason to be cautiously optimistic about how things will turn out this time around.

While many are not ready to include the Tigers as one of the favorites for the SEC title, here are a few reasons why Auburn will be a better football team in 2012.

Secondary Will Be Better

Auburn's secondary was ranked dead last in the SEC last season, allowing over 200 yards in the air. One of the things that will help is bringing in defensive back coach Willie Martinez. He has worked with defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder in the past several times, and they work really well together.

Another thing that does not hurt is the fact that this entire secondary returns, except for Neiko Thorpe.

Cornerback T'Sharvan Bell should be healthy after suffering a knee injury at the end of the season. He showed consistency throughout the year, breaking up seven passes and picking up 45 tackles. He has the potential to win this year's Jim Thorpe Award.

Demetuce McNeal is another player who has a bright future ahead of him. He is a physical safety who finished third on the team in tackles and intercepted two passes, including taking one for the distance.

Sophomore Erique Florence will see an expanded role this year as well. He saw limited action his freshman year, but showed glimpses of his potential.

Overall the talent is there. With the hire of Martinez, a more consistent pass rush and returning starters, this is a unit that should fare better.

Defensive Line Will Be Ready

Auburn did not have a consistent pass rush last season. Defensive end Corey Lemonier was the only Tiger to finish the season with more than three sacks. As a team, Auburn finished with 22 sacks, which was good for ninth in the SEC.

The good news is that Lemonier returns. He is easily one of the better defensive players in this conference. Auburn should also get a boost from Dee Ford, who missed majority of last year due to injury. He is an explosive player at 6'2", 250 pounds and has four career sacks in limited action.

Kenneth Carter and Jeffrey Whitaker will remain in the middle of the line, as they both picked up much-needed experience their sophomore years.

Overall, this was a young group of players last season, but they should get better with a year under their belts. A unit that struggled last year, it should improve last year's production and develop into one of the better defensive lines in this conference.

Running Back Depth

Running back Michael Dyer may no longer be on the roster, but that doesn't matter much at this point. Current starter Onterio McCalebb has game-changing ability with his speed. He took a backseat to players like Cam Newton and Dyer, but this is a guy who has averaged over five yards a carry the last three seasons. He also has over 2,000 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns in limited playing time.

Tre Mason is another small back who can take it the distance any time he touches the football. He didn't receive many carries as a freshman, but he still averaged nearly six yards a carry on only 28 touches. During the bowl victory over Virginia, Mason touched the ball nine times and rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Other players who will contribute include Corey Grant and Mike Blakely, both of whom are transfers from within the conference. Grant is a speedy-type back, while Blakely has great acceleration, but he could be more of a factor at catching the ball out of the backfield.

Auburn finished fourth in the SEC in rushing yards, and you can expect similar production with four talented backs on the 2012 roster.

Offensive Line Will Be Much Improved

Auburn allowed 32 sacks last season, which was 10th in the conference. But much of that was due to inexperience and injuries. Many players had to start right away without any game experience, such as freshman center Reese Dismukes.

Now, all of those players have a year of experience.

Players like Chad Slade and John Sullen have quickly shown promise. Sullen picked up 11 starts last season and is one of the bigger offensive linemen in the country at 6'5", 365 pounds.

The Tigers also added many offensive linemen in the 2012 recruiting class that may help contribute at some point this season, including players such as 5-star recruits Avery Yong and Jordan Diamond and 4-star players Shane Callahan and Patrick Miller.

Auburn will remain a young unit up front, but these players are talented and athletic. Many have also added some experience to their resume, even if it was just a a few games or so. The bottom line is that this offensive line was not good at all last season, which means that there is really nowhere else to go but up in 2012.

Special Teams Production

It is often the little things that wins football games, and special teams can fall into that category. Head coach Gene Chizik has always been high on this side of the ball, and the Tigers have many things to feel good about with this unit.

Punter Steven Clark returns, and he may be one of the more valuable players on the team. He was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award last season, which is awarded to the best punter in the country. Clark increased his average to 40.8 yards per attempt and pinned 33 of his 72 attempts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

I'm sure Tiger fans won't like to use him as much this season, but he is a very nice weapon to have.

As for kick returns are concerned, Auburn led the SEC with 24.65 return yards, including running two back for touchdowns. The Tigers have plenty of return men to choose from, whether it is running backs Tre Mason or Onterio McCalebb or wide receivers Quan Bray or Trovon Reed.

Special teams may not be as flashy as offense or defense, but a solid unit can go a very long way in winning football games.

Kiehl Frazier to the Rescue

Auburn's passing game last season was ranked ninth in the SEC, averaging just 155 yards in the air. That should change with a playmaker at the position in Kiehl Frazier. A starter has not been announced yet, but judging by the offseason, he has emerged as the front-runner for the starting position.

Frazier is a dual-threat quarterback who can add a much-needed spark to an offense that averaged just 25 points per game last season. He played extremely well in the spring game and, at this point, gives the Tigers the best chance to win now. 

Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler has had great success working with quarterbacks in the past and really has himself a special player in Frazier. It is about time the coaching staff puts this kid on the field and sees what he can do.

Favorable Schedule

Playing in the SEC, the Tigers will never have an easy schedule, but it may be easier than in years' past.

Auburn will have to play LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Georgia this season, but every one of those matchups takes place at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The only real road test all season comes when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama. But Auburn has won five of the last six meetings in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The schedule is still a difficult one, but the team would much rather have the home crowd in its favor than travel on the road to some of the most hostile environments.