Auburn Football: Power Ranking Teams That Stand Between Auburn and SEC Crown

With only five regular season games left to play, and the Auburn Tigers at the 7-0 mark so far this season, the buzz on the plains can be heard from miles away. Hundreds, even thousands to be exact, as some national experts and pundits are beginning to look very favorably in the Tigers direction here as of late.

With Auburn ranked No. 4 in the BCS after the first poll was released this past Sunday, it makes sense to believe that Auburn can be a national title hopeful at this point in the season. With five games left to play and hopefully a SEC championship game as well, there is a lot of football to be played before Auburn can start talking title game noise.

Despite the buzz that is growing nationally, the whispers inside the athletic complex seem to be just that at this point. With every question about expectations and rankings, the Tigers coaching staff and players all speak of keeping it one game at a time. With that in mind, we are going to do a little of both.

What stands between these Auburn Tigers and a SEC championship? Which teams are certain to be stumbling blocks for this team? Will the defense hold out and will the offense continue to produce? Week by week, these questions will rotate, but answers will come with time. Let’s take a look at what is to come and which games will be the toughest for Auburn to overcome.

No. 1: At Alabama

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AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 27: The Auburn Tigers punt team prepares to hike the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 27, 2009 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Of course, this game is going to be first on the power rankings. Simply put, this game is going to be tough, real tough. Not only is Auburn going to Tuscaloosa for this game, but this game could, and probably will, determine who comes out of the SEC West as the winner and heads to Atlanta in early December.

This game has all the makings of huge showdown at the end of the season. Road games are not the norm this season, so these Tigers don’t have a ton of hostile environment experience at this point. Who knows what the season has in store for either team, but this game is going to have to be circled by the nation.

If Auburn can get wins and enter this game as an undefeated 11-0 team, they may even get a slight edge in Vegas. If anyone would have said Auburn has the possibility of going into the Iron Bowl as a favorite, you would have been shaken senseless.

To say this could be a top five battle is not a stretch at this point, and what a game it is sure to be.

No. 2 Vs. LSU

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BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 24: Russell Shepard #10 of the Louisiana State University Tigers is tackled by Walter McFadden #6 of the Auburn Tigers at Tiger Stadium on October 24, 2009 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

This week, this game could make a team jump a few spots in the BCS. Whichever set of Tigers wins this contest, look for them to make the top three on Sunday. This game will put the winner into the driver’s seat in the entire SEC; not just the West.

Both LSU and Auburn enter the game undefeated and in control of their own destinies. The huge advantage in this game goes to Auburn for the game being at home. Jordan-Hare Stadium is no doubt going to be rocking, and this Auburn team is going to be ready to play.

Have no doubt, however, that the Les Miles voodoo magic will be on deck during this contest, and one has to think that the magic or luck or whatever you want to call it has to run out. With the passing game being extremely weak for the Bayou Bengals and the running defense being an Auburn strong point, I see this contest being a little more one sided than most.

The reason I put it second in the power rankings is because this game has huge potential to bring a power shift to the SEC and the BCS. With either team winning, they will take the winners path to the SEC championship and the National Championship assuming a win in Atlanta. You can’t get much better than No. 4 vs. No. 6 and this game's passionate fans and rich tradition. This one is definitely one to watch this Saturday.

No. 3: At Ole Miss

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12 Sep 1998: Quarterback Ben Leard #14 of the Auburn Tigers in action during a game against the Mississippi Rebels at the Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. The Tigers defeated the Rebels 17-0. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport

This game seems to be a larger tripping hazard than the Georgia game. The Georgia game is rich with tradition and is always a hard fought game, and it should be this year as well. This game is huge for Auburn because the Tigers are going to be hitting the road the week after a huge game against LSU. With a win or a loss, there are no doubts the Tigers will have to be coming off one of the most physical contests of the year.

Ole Miss has no doubt had its ups and downs this season, but Houston Nutt and his squad are due for a big win this season. Masoli will be a guy to watch in this game, and how the Ole Miss defense responds to the Auburn offense will be key.

Auburn should come out of this game on top, but expect another performance similar to the one they had at Kentucky. It will be hard to come off of LSU and destroy an Ole Miss team at home. Look for it to be close, but Auburn gets the win.

No. 4 Vs. Georgia

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ATHENS - NOVEMBER 10: Matthew Stafford #7 of the Georgia Bulldogs signals during the NFL game against the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium on November 10, 2007 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Georgia is a football team that has faced a ton of adversity this season as well. With the numerous off the field issues that have gone on and the on the field debacle as well, the Bulldogs from Athens don’t seem to be as intimidating as of late.

With A.J. Greene suspended earlier in the season, the balls just seemed to bounce in all the wrong directions for the Bulldogs. With a young quarterback in Aaron Murray, Auburn will no doubt be looking to bring the heat in this game. Coming off of a game against UT-Chattanooga, the Tigers should have plenty of healthy starters and should be ready to play ball.

The Auburn team is going to want to win this ballgame because this game is a huge rivalry, and it could lead the Tigers into an Iron Bowl with an undefeated record. If Auburn beats LSU this week, this game may not be the biggest in terms of implications but it is a must win.

With this game being in front of the home crowd and the struggles that Georgia has had through the first half of the season, I see Auburn walking away victorious here as well.

No. 5 Vs. UT-Chattanooga

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AUBURN - OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Cam Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers celebrates a fourth quarter touchdown during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. The Tigers beat the Razorbacks 65-43

There really isn’t much to say for this game. Have non bowl schools nailed some wins in the past few seasons against big name schools? Of course they have. More than I can hope to remember. I don’t see that happening in this game.

The Auburn offense showed out earlier this season against a UL-Monroe team that was obviously not very good. This game should see the starters rest the majority of the second half if not more. This game is the least of the worries for the Auburn family and for the predictors alike. Auburn making it to this point undefeated, however, has surprised most and made a few look like geniuses.