College Football 2011 Predictions: 10 Bold Predictions for Auburn in 2011
Auburn’s undefeated national championship campaign was a storybook season for head coach Gene Chizik, quarterback Cam Newton and Tiger fans everywhere.
Auburn is at the top of the mountain right now, and as we approach the 2011 season, every team is aiming to knock the Tigers off their perch. It will be difficult for Auburn to defend its lofty position with limited returning talent, but optimism surrounds the program nevertheless.
Which new playmakers will step up for Auburn in 2011, and what will be the Tigers' position of strength next season?
These questions and more will be answered as I give you 10 bold predictions for Auburn’s 2011 season.
Trovon Reed Will Have a Breakout Season in 2011
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With only seven starters returning from last season’s national championship team, many people are wondering who will emerge as the new stars that will lead Auburn back to the top of the mountain.
I am not going to give a comprehensive list of the new starters, but one player in particular to watch will be Trovon Reed. Reed was the 46th-ranked player in the class of 2010 as rated by Rivals. Scouts describe Reed as having blazing speed and impressive agility.
He played sparingly as a freshman, only rushing two times for eight yards. Trovon is an athlete that can play many positions on the football field, but I suspect that the coaches will use his services at wide receiver. Wide receivers Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery need to be replaced, and Reed will be a great deep threat for new quarterback Barrett Trotter.
Auburn’s offense will revolve around Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb next season. With that being said, expect Reed to take on a much bigger role in Gus Malzahn’s system next season in an offense that needs new playmakers.
Barrett Trotter Will Be a Lot Better Than People Might Think
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Quarterback Barrett Trotter will have the pleasure of following record-setting quarterback Cam Newton.
It would be silly to think that Trotter will put up numbers similar to what Newton amassed last year. Cam’s season was monumental, and his success cannot be replicated by another quarterback so easily.
Barrett Trotter will not win the Heisman next season, but he will give the Tigers solid play at quarterback during his first season. Trotter is extremely familiar with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s complex system. The junior has been working with Malzahn for three seasons and should have a firm command of the offense immediately.
Trotter will also have the advantage of playing alongside some dynamic playmakers. Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb are dependable running backs to have in the backfield, to say the least. The aforementioned Trovon Reed and Emory Blake also give the quarterback a potentially great wide receiver tandem.
Trotter will have to manage the offense and avoid making critical mistakes. Overall, though, he is positioned to have success in 2011.
Russell Wilson Will Not Be a "Savior" at Quarterback If He Comes to Auburn
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Let me first say that Russell Wilson is an outstanding athlete and quarterback. Wilson threw for 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns last season as a junior at N.C. State. He was also drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft for his skills as a baseball prospect.
Russell Wilson was recently dismissed from N.C. State after head coach Tom O’Brien announced that Mike Glennon would start in place of Wilson next season. O’Brien grew tired of Russell’s noncommittal attitude toward the N.C. State football program.
Now Wilson is examining schools that he can transfer to next season for his senior year. He made news last week by visiting Auburn and is considering transferring to the school.
I am here to tell you that it is in Auburn’s best interest to stick with Barrett Trotter at quarterback rather than Wilson.
We are less than 100 days away from the start of the regular season, and Russell Wilson would not have the time to properly learn Auburn’s complex offensive scheme. Wilson also would not be able to develop the adequate timing and chemistry with his wide receivers. Trotter is the less heralded prospect, but he has a knowledge of the offense and his teammates, which is of tremendous value.
Ole Miss also took on a high-profile quarterback transfer in Jeremiah Masoli last season. There were great expectations surrounding Masoli, but the former Oregon quarterback struggled with the Rebels, throwing just 14 touchdowns with 13 interceptions last season.
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Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb Will Form the Top Rushing Duo in the SEC
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I know that this is hardly a “bold” prediction, but this is the one area in which Auburn will still have a definitive edge over its SEC competition.
Dyer and McCalebb combined for 1,903 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. The duo will be playing behind a rebuilt offensive line in 2011, but tit should still enjoy good success on the ground. Both backs are great runners and will be effective despite the loss of a few veteran starters.
Head coach Gene Chizik will not be able to rely on many sure things next season. The running game is one of the few aspects of next year’s team that will not be riddled with uncertainty.
Auburn is not in a position to return to the top of the SEC next season, but if the Tigers hope to not completely fall off in 2011, they will need their dynamic rushing duo to play at an extremely high level.
Auburn Will Steal One of Its Three Road Games Against SEC Top-20 Competition
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Auburn plays at South Carolina on October 1st, at Arkansas on October 8th and at LSU on October 22nd.
All three of these games will be against preseason Top-20 clubs, and the Tigers will likely be significant underdogs in each of the three contests. Nevertheless, Auburn will trip one of these three heavyweights up next season.
Auburn has recruited extremely well as of late, and both of the school’s past two recruiting classes were rated in the top 10 nationally by Rivals. The Tigers also have just enough talent returning from last season’s team to bear mentioning. Besides Dyer and McCalebb, Auburn also returns safety Neiko Thorpe, wide receiver Emory Blake and defensive end Nosa Eguae.
The Tigers run what can only be described as a “unique” offensive system, and they are going to put up some points next season regardless of the new personnel.
This team will not challenge for the SEC West crown, but it will pull off the upset in one of these three contests.
Another Victory Against Alabama Is Not in the Cards Though
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The “Iron Bowl” is one of the most intense rivalries in all of college football. Auburn has a chance in this matchup simply because it is one of those games where records truly do not matter.
With that being said, Alabama will be the clear favorite and should get some redemption from last season’s second-half debacle.
The Crimson Tide’s roster is littered with future NFL first-round talent such as running back Trent Richardson, safety Mark Barron, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
As I said, Auburn appears to have great talent in the pipeline as a result of its recruiting, but the Tigers will not have enough playmakers next season to match up with Alabama.
I realize that next year’s matchup is at Jordan-Hare Stadium, which will obviously work to Auburn’s advantage. That said, the Crimson Tide just have too much personnel to be taken down by this inexperienced Tigers team.
2011 Will Be Gus Malzahn’s Last Season with Auburn
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Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is one of the hottest names in coaching. Malzahn once coached highly touted prospects Mitch Mustain and Damien Williams at Springdale High School, and his star has been on the rise ever since. He also served as wide receivers coach at Arkansas and co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa before coaching at Auburn.
Malzahn’s offense is dynamic, complex and very tough for defenses to stop. Head coach Gene Chizik’s recruitment of defensive tackle Nick Fairley and quarterback Cam Newton was essential to Auburn’s national championship, but Chizik’s recruitment of Malzahn was of paramount importance as well.
Malzahn will not be in consideration for any top-tier jobs next offseason. He will, however, likely be offered head coaching positions at some more modest, middle-tier schools.
Gus Malzahn seems destined to take the next step and accept a head coaching position. He has done a great job as offensive coordinator at Auburn, but this will be his last season with the school as he takes over his own program in 2012.
Nosa Eguae Will Build on Last Season’s Success
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As with other areas of the defense, the defensive line will be incorporating new talent to fill voids left by departed players.
One returnee that will be a leader on Auburn’s defensive front next season will be sophomore Nosa Eguae. Eguae performed well as a freshman last season, recording 18 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his limited time on the field. The 6'2", 258-lb. defensive end should take another step forward in 2011, as he will be one of the Tigers' main pass rushers.
Eguae originally committed to Colorado but later switched his commitment to Auburn and head coach Gene Chizik. Similar to Trovon Reed, Nosa Eguae could be a player whose name is better known in six months.
The Secondary Will Struggle Next Season
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If there was one particular area where Auburn struggled last season, it would have to be in pass defense. The Tigers gave up 25 passing touchdowns last year.
Neiko Thorpe played great for the Tigers last season at cornerback, registering 62 tackles. Thorpe will move to safety next season and will be a veteran on this rebuilt secondary. Auburn does have many highly touted underclassmen that will get an opportunity to prove themselves in the secondary.
Nevertheless, the secondary that was such a problem last season will once again be inexperienced this coming fall. Thorpe will be the leader of the unit and must elevate his game even higher next season. Head coach Gene Chizik must also hope that some of the underclassmen perform well and assert themselves on defense.
Auburn Will Play in the Outback Bowl Next Season
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The Outback Bowl is a reasonable expectation for this talented but inexperienced Auburn team.
There is no denying that this team has some quality known talent and also has promising underclassmen who simply have not gotten a chance to hit the field yet.
A favorable non-conference schedule coupled with two winnable home games versus Ole Miss and Florida should provide opportunities for some victories. Then it becomes a question of how many upsets Auburn can string together against the SEC heavyweights that are on the Tigers schedule.
This middle-tier bowl would be a great way to cap off the 2011 campaign for Auburn. The bowl game would allow for extra practice time as well as give the young team an ample amount of confidence going into the 2012 season.
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