The time is here for the annual TWR Boss, Toss, and Loss predictions. Here is mine:
There isn’t much debate in the first four games of the season. Alabama A&M, Cal, New Mexico, and Arkansas are all drastically inferior and all must come to Jordan-Hare. After that the Oklahoma Sooners come to town, for what will likely be a Top 25 undefeated matchup. It will set the tone for the rest of the season and give realistic expectations for the games ahead. Auburn will walk out of the game bruised, beaten, but undefeated.
The very next week, Auburn is traveling to Athens to take on Georgia. Not much to say on this game, after a tough game the week before going into Sanford against one of the premier teams in the nation won’t end well. Freeze will keep it respectable but Georgia will win this game by double digits.
Coming off a bye, Auburn continues its three game road trip at Missouri, and Kentucky. Missouri is the most polarizing team in the conference, after being one of the best last year, they lost a plethora of production. It is difficult to imagine them continuing that level of play with their lack of experience and quality depth, Auburn will win by double figures. The next week, the Tigers head into Lexington, Kentucky. Back to back 7-6 seasons for the Cats along with stable recruiting makes them the perfect trap game risk. Freeze has been known to drop a game he shouldn’t during his time in the SEC and this will be no exception. Kentucky wins by a possession.
Once arriving back on the Plains, Auburn gets three clean up games heading into the Iron Bowl. Vanderbilt, ULM, and Texas A&M all come to Jordan-Hare and will all lose by ten or more points. Vanderbilt and ULM are self explanatory, they simply don’t have the Jimmys and Joes to make it competitive. While some are expecting bigger things out of Mike Elko in year one, that team will be out of rhythm all year long and will struggle on the road. Though this is the time to beat up on A&M, Elko won’t struggle for long.
Then there was the Iron Bowl, the hardest game for anyone to predict. Freeze has made it abundantly clear he wants this game more than any other this year. Kalen Deboer came out of the gates hot in recruiting but since has stagnated and struggled to keep some of the class intact. He is not ready for the week to week gauntlet of SEC play and will be struggling heading into this game. The Tide and Tigers will be neck and neck the whole way. Who can make one more winning play?
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