Auburn Football: Power Ranking Teams Most Likely to Beat the Tigers in 2011

Auburn begins a tough road in 18 days.

In a little less than three weeks, the Tigers will take the field and begin the 2011 season.

So what games should the Tigers win, and which should the Tigers lose? There are many scenarios that could change the landscape of the schedule, but there is some confidence already as to which games will be the most difficult.

Auburn enters the coming college football season with the lowest expectations of any returning national champion in recent memory. There are only a handful of games that any of the experts and odds-makers think Auburn can win.

How Auburn handles its non-conference opponents will be very important this season, and how they handle the tough October stretch will go a long way to determine their success this season. Auburn will have a lot of emotional ups and downs this year, making some games more difficult than others, but Auburn should be able to pull out wins where they are expected.

Taking a deeper look at the schedule for the second week in a row, it is time to power rank the opponents for the coming season counting down from least likely loss to the most difficult win for the Tigers in 2011.

12. Samford Bulldogs

For obvious reasons, this game is the least likely to be a loss for the Tigers.

The Samford Bulldogs will come to Auburn looking for a win with numerous former Tigers on the coaching staff. Pat Sullivan will lead the charge as the head coach for the Bulldogs, and the offense should look a little familiar with the recent hiring of Malzahn's right-hand man, Rhett Lashlee, as offensive coordinator.

In the lengthy past that the Tigers and Bulldogs share on the football field, there has only been one close call, and it ended in a tie back in the 1920s. Samford will bring a valiant effort, but the Bulldogs should fall well before the second half kicks.

11. Florida Atlantic Owls

Howard Schnellenberger has done wonders with the Florida Atlantic program since its inception in 2001. The shift from FCS to FBS has not been extremely smooth, and the Owls have taken their fair share of lumps, but look for a big season this year.

The Owls play a tough stretch to begin the season as they travel to Florida, Michigan State and then Auburn. By the time they make it to Auburn, the hopes for a victory against a major power may be gone.

Never count out the Owls and the ability of Schnellenberger to get his guys ready to play, but this game will not likely be overlooked by the Tigers as the huge month of October will be looming in the near future.

The Owls have the chance to trip the Tigers, but the chances are unlikely.

10. Utah State Aggies

The Aggies are coming to Auburn looking to bring the heat to the Tigers to start the season. Utah State is returning a wealth of starters and experience, and have had continuity in the coaching staff the past two seasons.

The Aggies will be facing a very talented team in the 2011 Auburn Tigers, but it will be a team that lacks a solid foundation of leadership. How the Tigers develop the leadership in this game after a long and grueling fall camp will be very important for the future success throughout the season.

Auburn will need a big win here, but any win at all will go a long way. The Tigers will be excited to prove the naysayers wrong, and despite the inexperience across the field for the Tigers, there should be excitement on the Plains following a season-opening victory.

9. Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss is one of many teams facing issues with naming a starting quarterback this season. The Rebels have a competition brewing, but it appears that recent transfer Barry Brunetti is going to get the start this season.

The strength for the Rebels offensively will be the running backs. Brandon Bolden returns as one of the more talented runners in the league, and there is a wealth of talent behind Bolden with Jeff Scott and Enrique Davis, to name a few.

The Rebels will look to improve on their abysmal record from last season, but it will be tough losing a number of defenders from the 2010 squad. This game falls as a home game on the fifth weekend of October; this will be the caboose of the crazy train that will be the month of October for the Tigers.

Look for Auburn to win this game and earn their third win of the month. It will be close, but Ole Miss appears to be one year away from being a strong contender again.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks have a lot of pride that will follow them into this home game against the Auburn Tigers. After facing the Tigers twice last season, the Gamecocks will undoubtedly feel obligated to throw down a loss to Auburn in 2011.

Auburn will be entering a very hostile environment during the first week of October, but a lot of questions will need to be answered before I throw this game into the loss column for the Tigers.

Auburn will have four games under their belts by the time that they roll into Columbia; one of those games will be against Mississippi State and a road game to Clemson. The Tigers will have faced a quality SEC opponent and a quality ACC opponent on the road by the time they play the Gamecocks.

Experience will not win the game for South Carolina. The Gamecocks will have a fight on their hands in October, and this will be one of the better inter-division games of the season.

7. Florida Gators

Florida will be making the trip to Auburn for the first time under the leadership of Will Muschamp. Muschamp has coached at Auburn and knows the territory, but he has never been to Auburn as the opposing head coach.

How Florida progresses offensively by mid-season will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game, but most expect Charlie Weis to turn John Brantley into a savior for the Gators this season. I am not so sure Brantley has it in him to be a legend, but he will win some games.

Expect Florida’s defense to be much improved this season and the offense to be effective, but this will be a tough road test for a first-year coach to win on the road.

This will also be a tough test for the Tigers home crowd, but is likely to be a win during a rough October month.

6. Clemson Tigers

This will be a very difficult win for the Auburn Tigers this season. Clemson returns 16 starters, and they get to host this game in the hostile ACC version of Death Valley. Clemson hasn’t beaten Auburn in 60 years, so they are likely to feel like it is their time.

Auburn will be making their first road trip of the season when this game rolls around, and they will be coming off of a very physical battle against Mississippi State at home. How Auburn handles this game mentally will be a strong indicator to how the season is likely to go.

This will be the first game where the Tigers will not have their home crowd there to help them push through the tough emotions that come with big games. There will also be the lack of senior leadership.

This game will help build leaders for the season and will also stand to be a pivot point for future success in 2011.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia was my favorite to win the East this fall until the extreme defection at halfback occurred. With the Bulldogs likely relying on a true freshman to carry the load, the projection of success dips a bit.

This will still be a very difficult game for the Tigers to win as they travel to the Hedges this fall. Auburn-Georgia has become a nastier rivalry as of late, and last season seemed to add fuel to the fire between these two squads.

Look for the Bulldogs to hunt for redemption this year as they host the Tigers. But numerous factors are left to be determined that will directly affect this game’s outcome. This will be a tough contest for both teams needing a win.

4. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Auburn and Mississippi State have played in some tight and tough football games in the past; these past few years have brought some hard-fought wins and losses. Mississippi State returns a wealth of playmakers this season and, according to some, the second-best quarterback in the league.

With a tough defense, the Bulldogs could be a sleeper in the SEC West this season. This will be the second game of the season for the Tigers and one of the biggest tests of the year.

Auburn will need to grow up quick to earn a win in this game. Expect the Bulldogs to be ready to play and jump out quickly on the Tigers. How Auburn responds will go a long way in whether or not they can win the first SEC contest of the season.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks

Auburn does not traditionally travel very well to Arkansas; this year is not likely to be any different.

Arkansas has a wealth of talent on the offensive side of the ball and returns a very potent defensive line. Auburn will need to establish the line of scrimmage if they have any hopes of pulling out a victory in this very difficult road test. The Hogs will be looking to air it out against the Tigers with their wealth of talent at receiver, but Auburn will look to slow possessions with the running game.

Auburn will not get burned through the air like they did a year ago. The Tigers will have a much better defensive secondary, and this game may be a surprise win for the Tigers in October.

It may be a huge loss for the Tigers as well.

Time will tell.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama will bring to town one of the most potent defenses in 2011. As the season begins, the projections have begun to pour in as well. Alabama faces some questions offensively, but those seem to come as afterthoughts for the college football gurus.

The Tide will come to Auburn looking for redemption for last season’s come-from-behind win for the Tigers in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Will the Alabama return the favor to the Tigers and beat them on their home turf? Most will seem to think so by the last Saturday in November.

Auburn will have home-field advantage in the game and will be looking to likely play spoiler to another special Alabama season. How the Auburn defense progresses versus the Alabama offensive progression will determine this game's winner. The Tide will have a lot to play for, but so will the Tigers.

This year's Iron Bowl is likely to be another game to remember in this historic series. 

1. LSU Tigers

LSU hosts the Auburn Tigers in mid-October this season, as Auburn travels to Death Valley in the midst of the toughest scheduling stretch in the country. LSU will be looking for a conference win since they are likely to be battling for the SEC West crown this years.

The Bayou Bengals return with some questions at quarterback, but the defense and offense that surround that spot are more than capable of carrying wins. LSU will be good enough to simply find a game manager at quarterback to not give the game away.

How Auburn fares in October will come to a head in this game. This is the most difficult game for the Tigers considering the schedule placement and the opponent. If Auburn beats LSU this season, the Tigers from Auburn will have pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the season.