Auburn Football 2011: Early Observations and a Look Ahead to September

This has been a great week so far for Auburn fans and a very bad week for those who have predicted a big falloff for Auburn’s football team. There is enough information available now to see that this is certainly not the case.

Auburn showed up on the field with an aggressive hard-hitting style that simply wore down opposing teams in 2010. If anything, this appears to be ramped up as a trait of the 2011 team. This appears to be a team that loves hard-hitting, physical football.

Offensive Line

The first-team offensive line rotation saw a very interesting combination on the right side: Chad Slade at right tackle and John Sullen at right guard. That gives a heavy combination on the right side with both players in the 330-pound range. This was done due to an injury that prevented AJ Greene from participating in practice.

It would appear that Slade has worked himself into the position of being the top replacement tackle.

The following appears to be close to the order of the first- and second-team offensive line at the moment.

Left Tackle

AJ Greene: 6’5” 309 pounds

Brandon Mosley: 6’6” 303 pounds

Gregory Robinson: 6’5” 309 pounds

Right Tackle

Brandon Mosley: 6’6” 303 pounds

Chad Slade: 6’5” 329 pounds

Left Guard

Jared Cooper: 6’4” 300 pounds

Christian Westerman: 6’5” 285 pounds

Right Guard

John Sullen: 6’6” 336 pounds

Ed Christian: 6’4” 323 pounds

Center

Blake Burgess: 6’2” 281 pounds

Reese Dismukes: 6’3” 300 pounds

(This order is simply speculation from early fall practice information and observation.) 

Defensive Line

The Auburn defensive line is shaping up quickly. How much this unit improves in the next two weeks will likely have strong implications as to Auburn’s chances at competing for the SEC championship this season.

It is no given at this point that veteran linemen from 2010 will win the starting position as younger players are challenging heavily for playing time. This is especially true for the defensive tackle positions.  

Fans can expect the Tigers to have one of the best defensive lines in the conference for 2011, but they have a very real shot at being the best. If these players put in the extra effort to push themselves to this level, it could place Auburn squarely into contention for the SEC this year.

Quarterback

The potential from the quarterback position runs from good enough to great. There has been a very obvious improvement curve trending upward. Work against a faster and improved Auburn secondary has honed the skills of all competitors.

Auburn can compete for the SEC with any of the three top competitors for this position. They can move themselves into a very favorable position in that competition if one of the candidates simply comes through with hard work and extra effort in the coming two weeks.

The biggest difference in the three candidates is pure raw talent at this point. While two of the candidates are very well versed in the offense, one is simply faster and possesses a stronger arm.

Auburn fans can be comfortable with the decision of the Auburn staff for quarterback this season. There simply is no wrong decision. Auburn has three really solid candidates to lead the Tigers on the 2011 campaign.

Receiver

While it is very early to make judgments, the entire receiving corps seems to have taken a big step forward for 2011. The speed and physical nature of the unit seems to be well ahead of the 2010 squad.

This unit seems to have an improved ability at short- and mid-range play over the middle of the field. Some of the receivers show athleticism that simply has not existed on the team in quite some time, if ever.

Running Back

Auburn was solid at running back coming into the season. The only question that needed answering was at dependable backups for the starters. Every indication is that Anthony Morgan and Tre Mason will fill these roles in an adequate fashion.

In fact, if both work hard to improve, they could have a much bigger role this year than simply backups.

Defensive Back

Auburn is solid at defensive back with the ability, speed and athleticism to develop into a great unit. It has been quite some time since the team possessed the physical ability and depth to apply press coverage to the top receiving threats in the SEC. It appears this ability has returned to the team for 2011.

While this unit is young and makes mistakes on a regular basis, they possess the speed and physical prowess that erase a lot of those mistakes. This physical ability also provides a margin that allows these defensive backs the option of going after the interception rather than simply covering the player.

It appears that interceptions on well-thrown passes could be a trait of the 2011 Auburn defense. There is also a quickness and range at the safety positions that will enhance the coverage ability of the 2011 defensive backfield.

Schedule for September

After collecting as much information as possible for months, it is time to go through the schedule and look at what can be expected. 

September 3, 2011: Utah State at Auburn

This should be a game where Auburn tunes up for the season. There is a high probability of a win in this game.

September 10, 2011: Mississippi State at Auburn

After looking at both teams and running various simulations, this game produced surprising results. It appears Auburn has an eight-in-10 possibility of winning this contest. The really shocking part is the margin of victory, which trended toward three scores.

September 17, 2011: Clemson at Clemson

This was a very difficult game to gather information on. Clemson has a new defensive line coach and is also installing a completely new offensive system. There was also the factor of it being an away game in what is truly a hostile environment.

Do not expect this game to be close as was the case in 2010. While Auburn could lose this contest, indicators are that if they do it will be in stunning fashion. In more than seven of 10 simulations, the Auburn defense shuts down the Clemson offense and gives Auburn a comfortable margin of victory.

September 24, 2011: Florida Atlantic at Auburn

This game should give the Tigers a chance to hone their rough spots smooth and get experience deep in the playing rotation. This should be an Auburn victory.

Expect Auburn to enter October with a 4-0 record and a very formidable team that has ironed out most of the wrinkles. The most difficult game should be Clemson on the road.