Auburn Tigers 2010 Football Schedule: A Complete Breakdown

Auburn is a team many are talking about when it comes to discussing darkhorses for the national championship. 

While most observers look at Florida and Alabama as the real contenders from the SEC, teams like Auburn, Arkansas, and Georgia are all capable of spoiling the party. 

With Cam Newton at the helm and an offense ready to roll on all cylinders, Auburn could be in line for it's best season since going 11-2 in 2006.

The talent is there for it to happen, but don't get too far ahead of yourself. This is an SEC team we're talking about and the schedule is no joke. 

Here's the breakdown of the Tiger's road throughout the year. 

September 4: Vs. Arkansas State

Auburn's first game of the season should be a quick warm-up for the team to get the ball rolling in 2010. The Tigers will have a visit from Arkansas State and shouldn't have any problems disposing of them.

Week one will be a good measure of how well Cam Newton is handling the offense, but other than that there isn't too much of note for this game. 

They call them warm up games for a reason, Auburn's matchup with Arkansas State is nothing more than that. The Tigers should roll in this one. 

(Update): Auburn crushed Arkanas State 52-26, with the highlight of the game being the play of Cam Newton, who accounted for 300 yards of offense and five touchdowns. 

September 9: @ Mississippi State

Mississippi State isn't a team to overlook and could turn into a dangerous contest for Auburn if it isn't ready for a fight.

The Bulldogs went 5-7 last season, but they put up a good fight against LSU, Georgia, and Florida, and don't forget they beat Ole Miss in their season finale. 

Sure, last year Auburn crushed Mississippi State to the tune of 49-24, but they've improved since then and won't surrender easily. 

The Tigers will be slightly favored despite the fact that they're playing on the road, but this is could be a trap game. 

September 18: Vs. Clemson

Clemson was one of the surprise teams of the 2009 season, nearly pulling off the upset over Georgia Tech in the ACC championship.

But that was with C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford leading one of the most dangerous offenses in the country. Both of them are gone now and the going will be much tougher in 2010. 

Auburn's offense should hit their stride by this point in the year, and Clemson doesn't appear to have the tools to stop them. 

On the other side of the ball, without Spiller and Ford, Clemson's offense doens't have the same sizzle it used to and as long as Andre Ellington can be contained, the SEC Tigers should roll to victory at home. 

September 25: Vs. South Carolina

The matchup with South Carolina should be Auburn's first real test of the year. Mississippi State and Clemson pose threats, but those are games Auburn has no excuse to lose. 

The Gamecocks are a different story. Ranked 24th in the country, Steve Spurrier's boys look as good as they have in years and could well prove their reputation as a darkhorse team correct. 

With a matchup against Georgia first, South Carolina could actually come into this game ranked ahead of Auburn. 

The Gamecocks also have a solid defense and an underrated offense that can cause a lot of trouble. This contest will be a close one either way. 

October 2: Vs. Louisiana-Monroe

After a three game stretch that should try Auburn and potentially give it a loss, the road levels out in the Tigers fifth game of the year with a visit from Louisiana-Monroe. 

The Warhawks went 6-6 last season and weren't competitive against any BCS conference opponents on their schedule. 

This is a team that Kentucky beat 36-13 a year ago, there's no reason to believe Auburn won't be able to do the same in 2010. 

October 9: @ Kentucky

Kentucky has proven to bring a stingy defense to the table most years, but this doesn't look to be one of them. The Wildcats have lot some key players in the offseason and should struggle to keep up with an offensive team of Auburn's caliber. 

But Kentucky beat Auburn a year ago 21-14 in a pretty surprising game.

Don't forget that Kentucky also beat Georgia late last season and still have a very dangerous weapon in Randall Cobb that Auburn will have to worry about once again

Still, stop Cobb and the Tigers should handle business. 

October 16: Vs. Arkansas

This should be one of the best offensive matchups of the season, but for as good as both team's offense is, the defense is lacking. 

That might get Auburn past opponents like South Carolina and Kentucky, but it isn't going to fly against Ryan Mallett and Co. 

When these two SEC rivals met last year, Arkansas crushed Auburn 44-23 at home. This year, the game changes locations, but the outcome should be the same. 

Expect a closer game, but the battle will be an uphill one for the Tigers, even at home. 

October 23: Vs. LSU

The LSU-Auburn matchup last year wasn't a good one for one set of Tigers. LSU crushed Auburn 31-10. This year, the two face off in what should be a solid matchup. 

With a couple of high-flying offenses hitting the field against each other, the defesne will be the deciding factor in this one. 

That doesn't bode will for Auburn, considering LSU has one of the best defenses in the country.

Sure, they didn't look very good in the second half against North Carolina in the season opener, but take a larger sample space and the talent and skill are evident. 

October 30: @ Mississippi

Ole Miss might have gone 9-4 last season, but there isn't too much hype surrounding the team this year even after a win over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. 

That doesn't mean this team should be overlooked though.

The Rebels are a solid football program with one of the best defensive lines in the country and will be better than expected on the other end of the field thanks to Jeremiah Masoli. 

Masoli was expected to be ineligible for the 2010 season, but things worked out in his favor and now he gives Ole Miss a quarterback who once was considered a Heisman candidate. 

Auburn will need to be at their best if it doens't want to get upset in this one. 

November 6: VS Chattanooga

The last couple games of the season will be trying, and that's putting it lightly, but to open play in November, Auburn gets one more "warm-up" game. 

At this point in the season, the contest should serve as a chance to rest some starters, get some injuries under control, and stay sharp for a visit from Georgia and trip to Alabama in the weeks following. 

Without trying to disrespect Chattanooga too much, the Mocs don't stand a chance against Auburn in the one. 

They went 6-5 last year, but didn't face any strong opponents besides Alabama; that ended with a 45-0 loss. 

November 13: VS Georgia

Georgia was able to beat Auburn last season in a closer than expected 31-24 victory, but things will be different this time around. 

With Cam Newton at the helm and a bolstered run game that includes Michael Dyer, Auburn's offense is sharp in 2010 and Georgia's defense is a giant question mark. 

The Bulldogs will be switching to the 3-4 this season and there's bound to be a learning curve as well as some issues without an established nose tackle. 

That's not to say that Auburn will cruise to victory, but it should be enough to make the Tigers the favorites to win at home. 

November 26: @ Alabama

Could the Tigers possibly pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season against Alabama on the road and put a wrench in the Crimson Tide's possible national championship hopes?

To put it bluntly, don't hold your breath. 

Alabama has taken heat from some observers who don't think this team is as good as it was last year and is undeserving of the top rankings. 

The Tide might not be quite as good as they were a year ago, but they're still the best team in the country and by the end of the year their underclassmen should be coming into their own.