2011 College Football AP Top 25: Breaking Down Why the Auburn Tigers Are No. 23

There was plenty of chatter this past weekend with the release of the AP Top 25 poll on Saturday. Most of the discussion surrounded teams that shouldn’t be where they are, but let’s break down why the Auburn Tigers found their slot to be No. 23.

The media members that make the decision on the poll are ones that make their best judgments based on the facts found on paper and past performance. There is a ton of data that must be looked at and soaked up before a conscious decision can be made.

Auburn has a wealth of issues surrounding its 2011 squad and both the media and coaches reflected those concerns in their preseason ballots.

Depth of talent isn’t a concern but experience is. How the Tigers will travel the toughest road in the SEC has yet to be determined. There are numerous first-time contributors that will see the field and the Auburn coaching staff has to do all it can to produce wins with inexperienced talent.

If Auburn stays in the Top 25 throughout the season, this coaching staff should have every concern lifted from their names about coaching style or technique. Auburn will be in good shape with an eight to nine-win season. That being said, let’s take a look at the 10 reasons why the Tigers found themselves at No. 23. 

Only 6 Returning Starters

Auburn returns the fewest starters in all of major college football this season fielding 16 new players as starters. Numerous players that will be newly listed starters have earned playing time in the past, but there is a major difference in being a role player and a premier player.

Auburn will look to fill huge holes at receiver, quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and linebacker. The defensive backfield and running backs are the only positions where a solid lineage of starters can be found.

Returning so few starters and losing the largest senior class in history has been a major drag on Auburn’s predictability. Auburn will need players to grow up quickly and produce consistently if the Tigers want to win big games down the road. 

No Marquee Players Found Yet

Auburn returns Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb in the backfield. The Tigers bring back Philip Lutzenkirchen and Emory Blake at receiver. The Tigers also return Nosa Eguae and T’Sharvan Bell on defense.

After those players there are a lot of new faces for the Tigers. While the players mentioned performed well last season, they have yet to prove that they have the leadership needed to make the tough wins happen.

The argument for Dyer is that he set a freshmen rushing record and ran for over 1,000 yards. Despite this, he has not had to carry the load as the primary back in the Auburn backfield. Dyer will be the focus of every defense the Tigers face, something that he will not be used to.

No matter what the talent level is at every position the Tigers will field and despite the past performance of a few Tigers, the perception is that “all the good players are gone.” Trooper Taylor recites those words to the team daily.

Will the Tigers find playmakers fast enough to prove the naysayers wrong?

Questionable Interior Defensive Line

Auburn returns some solid interior linemen in Jeffrey Whitaker and Kenneth Carter this season. After those guys the picks are slim.

Jamar Travis is a junior who has surprised most at camp and will earn some quality snaps this season. Outside of Travis, it looks like true freshmen will be attempting to fill the holes on the interior of the defense.

Auburn has brought in some very talented players at the defensive tackle position but the freshmen are still adjusting to the college game. The interior defensive line may be the most difficult position to adjust to in football. How the young Tigers fair will determine the success of the defense this season.

Questions at Offensive Line

Auburn lost four starters to graduation following the 2010 season. Three of the four had played since they were freshmen. Auburn returns a starter in Brandon Mosley and a former starter before injury in A.J. Greene, but there is very little experience left beyond those two.

At this point it even appears that A.J. Greene may be falling behind some other Tigers at the tackle position. Auburn brought in three premier linemen last season and they look for all three to likely contribute by seasons end.

Auburn will return some veterans in senior Jared Cooper and junior John Sullen but questions at the tackle position opposite Mosley and at center have drawn some questions as to how well the Tigers will be able to perform on the line and rush the ball effectively. 

National Perception of Bad Coaching

Coach Gus Malzahn has a great reputation on the national stage. There will be a number of college programs that will come calling in the future looking to Malzahn to guide their programs.

Outside of Malzahn there doesn’t appear to be much respect. Most, if not all of the credit to last year’s national title goes to Cam Newton and Nick Fairley. The coaching staff is rarely mentioned in the conversation.

This staff is known for its relentless recruiting and has proven its worth on the recruiting trail, but no one seems to believe that this staff can build and maintain a successful program. Without the premier players that the Tigers had in 2010, the future is simply mediocrity.

This staff proved its worth time after time a year ago while playing true freshmen and navigating a team that was 13-12 in the previous two seasons to an undefeated 14-0 championship season. If the Tigers win more than expected this season, the nation may take notice to the talents on the Auburn staff.

Over Ranked and Underachieved Too Often

If you listen to an Auburn fan talk about preseason rankings they will typically pitch “we like being the underdog anyway.” Looking back into the past the most recent memory has to be the fall that took place for the Tigers almost a decade ago in 2003.

In 2003 the Tigers were ranked preseason Np. 1 by the Sporting News and were expected to battle for the national title that season. Auburn then lost its first two games to USC and Georgia Tech sealing their fate with preseason rankings in the future.

After the disaster that was 2003 the Tigers started the 2004 season ranked 17^th and finished undefeated and without a chance to play for the national title. Auburn knocked off numerous top five teams in the Tuberville era and often won games they shouldn’t.

The Tigers don’t mind playing the underdog and the media doesn’t mind putting them there. Despite having one of the best records in college football in the past decade Auburn consistently begins the season outside of the Top 10 of the polls.

Concerns at Linebacker

Auburn lost two starting linebackers this past season with the graduation of Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes. Auburn does return one starter in Daren Bates at outside linebacker.

Auburn will look to fill the middle with rising sophomore Jake Holland. Holland earned playing time in some crucial games a year ago like the barn burner against Arkansas and even the national title game. Holland will have a lot to learn when the Tigers kick off the season but he will be somewhat acclimated to the game and have an idea of what to expect.

The final outside linebacker position is being battled between Eltoro Freeman and Jonathan Evans. Evans is a rising junior and Freeman will be a senior. Freeman has the ability to be an All-American but his decision making worries the coaches.

With so little experience and consistency, linebacker has become one of the major concerns for the Tigers. 

Quarterback Perceptions

Auburn announced its starter last week and brought an end to the quarterback quandary as fourth-year junior Barrett Trotter was handed the reins. Auburn had a tight race that included true freshman Kiehl Frazier but the coaches chose to go with Trotter.

Trotter has been in the Malzahn system for a three seasons now and knows the ins and outs of the offense. Expect the same type of game manager from Trotter that was seen in years past from Brandon Cox and Chris Todd.

Despite the choice in starter, the perception is that the Tigers will still struggle at the quarterback position. Obviously there will be a change since the departure of Cam Newton but it will not be the fallout that most expect.

Trotter will do his best not to lose the game and allow his surrounding playmakers to make the difference. Look for consistent play but the apparent lack of star power has most thinking the Tigers will have some serious issues in the quarterback department. 

Daunting Schedule

The SEC West is the most powerful division in all of college football. There is never an off week in the SEC but this season really takes the cake as the SEC boasts eight Top 25 members, five of which are from the SEC western division.

The Tigers don’t get the chance to start slow as they host Mississippi State in the second game of the season. Later down the road comes the month of October where the Tigers will travel to South Carolina, Arkansas and LSU. They also host Florida and Ole Miss in the same month.

Finishing off the schedule with a road trip to Georgia and then hosting Alabama is an ever tougher pill to swallow. No matter how you look at it, this is the most difficult schedule in recent memory for the Tigers.

SEC West Is Loaded

The SEC West has more talent than most conferences entering the 2011 season. Auburn is one of five teams that are ranked in the preseason Top 25 poll from the SEC West. To put it into perspective, the Big 10 and Big 12 each have four teams total in the Top 25.

To expect Auburn to push through the toughest conference and then the toughest division inside that conference en route to a great season is hard to imagine. The Tigers have tough tests on the road and at home with a lack of experience and until a week ago only 72 players on scholarship.

The Tigers will win their fair share of games this season and will likely pull off a few upsets, but it will be extremely difficult to finish with more than eight to nine wins in this regular season. The winner of the West may not be undefeated and may not play for the national title, but they will be the best team in college football.

In Closing

Auburn will be a good squad this year but they will be far from great like the 2010 Tigers. Auburn has a wealth of inexperience that they will rely on to be instant playmakers this season. There will be 16 new starters that will have to fill major roles this season.

With the lack of experience and the treacherous road that has to be navigated this season, it is easy to understand the No. 23 ranking. For every argument against the Tigers there is one explaining how they will be better than anyone expects. Either way, this poll put the Tigers in a good place to start the season.

Too lofty of expectations could be disastrous for this young team. Auburn fans should feel quietly confident in the future that lays ahead for the Tigers.