The Tigers struggled in their first season after a BCS Title in 2010. Auburn did surprise, however, going 8-5 when many thought they would struggle to win five games.. Follow Football Free Picks this season for predictions on the Tigers and much, much more!
Head coach Gene Chi ik will be given the chance to really show his mettle as he continues to lead this team in 2012. Chi ik has 15 starters coming back, but he will be running different schemes on both side of the ball. They will have new faces on both the offensive and defensive side and they have a new offensive coordinator in Sloeffler and a new defensive coordinator in Brian VanGorder. The Tigers might need to make huge adjustment as they move forward into the 2012 season.
Offense:
The Tigers had a really hard time last season trying to find a replacement for Cam Newton at quarterback. Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley just weren\’t able to play well in their opportunities as starters. In 2012, sophomore Kielhl Fra ier is expected to get the position and his athleticism is what the Tigers liked in him. He finished third on the team with 327 yards rushing and added three touchdowns.
Auburn didn\’t have a lot of production out of its passing game, but the running game was rock-solid. Michael Dyer led the team with 1,242 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he is not returning to the team after deciding to transfer to Arkansas State. Tiger fans shouldn\’t be too worried, however, as this program has a lot of talent stocked at running back. Onterio McCalebb is expected to be the starter, but Tre Mason, Corey Grant, Mike Blakely and Jovon Robinson could all see touches in the running game this season.
Fra ier is going to have a lot of talented playmakers at his disposal in the passing game in wide out Emery Blake, and one of the nation\’s top tight ends Philip Lut enkirchen. McCalebb can also be a dangerous weapon out on the backfield and they also have senior Travante Stallworth returning. They also expect great things out of sophomore Trovon Reed. There is no doubt that this team has a lot of talent, it\’s all a question of whether or not Fra ier can utili e all these weapons.
A young line up front could determine the success of this offense. The only senior projected to be in the starting lineup is right guard John Sullen. Dismukes is back at center after a promising freshman season and Chad Slade is expected to move to right tackle after being used primarily at left guard in 2011. A couple of highly touted red-shirt freshmen look to complete the starting five in guard Christian Westerman and tackle Greg Robinson.
Defense:
The Tigers struggled defensively, allowing 28.9 points per game and a whopping 408 yards of total offense. They were also awful against the run, but with almost everyone back from last year, an improvement is almost a given.
2012 should be a big season for them on the defensive end as they will have most of their starters coming back. Junior defensive end Corey Lemonier is the player to keep an eye on, as he earned 3rd Team All-American honors after finishing fourth in the SEC with 9.5 sacks.
If the defensive line could just mature as everyone expects them to do, then Auburn\’s linebackers should put up good numbers, despite the loss of middle linebacker Eltoro Freeman. Strong-side linebacker Daren Bates led the team with 104 tackles in 2011. The Tigers also get back weak-side linebacker Jonathan Evans and will add Jake Holland to the starting lineup.
Auburn should also make some big improvements in the secondary as they welcome seven of their eight starters for 2012. They lose the services of big time free safety Neiko Thorpe, but the team really likes his backup Erique Florence. Chris Davis and T\’Sharvan Bell both return as two starting corner spots, while Demetruce McNeal aims to build off an impressive sophomore season at strong safety.
SEC Prediction – 5th SEC West
Although this team will be much better than they were a year ago, they have a long ways to go if they want to be at the top half of the loaded SEC West. They have a lot of tough games in 2012 that will destroy their chances for success, even with an expected improvement on the defensive end.
Jack Jones is a professional handicapper who covers college football for Betfirms. Head over there now and read more about this team in a detailed preview.
Auburn Football: Tigers May Struggle this Year
No comments:
Post a Comment