Auburn on bye after big win over LSU

The Auburn Tigers football team will enjoy a bye this week after a commanding 48-11 win over LSU last Saturday.

Auburn, sitting at 4-2 on the season and third in the SEC West, have won their past two games after starting the season 2-2. They will face a struggling Mississippi State team next weekend.

If Auburn can win out and Alabama and Texas A&M can drop a couple of games each, Auburn has a shot to play in the SEC Championship. But these odds are looking slim, and without consistent play at quarterback from Bo Nix, the Tigers won’t be able to piece together the season.

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— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) November 1, 2020

Auburn Keys to Success

With four games left in the season, there are some adjustments Auburn needs to make if they want to win out and vie for an SEC Championship appearance.

• Bo Nix needs to perform better than he is now. With nine touchdowns and four interceptions through six games this season, he has had flashes of brilliance, tossing three touchdowns in games against Kentucky and LSU. But overall, Nix has been inconsistent this season and has had trouble finding the end zone at times. If he can carry his momentum from LSU into this game, he should do just fine. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn spoke about Nix going forward and emphasized his confidence in the offense.

• Auburn is looking forward to getting back several key players from injury. The first half of the season saw Auburn plagued with injuries, but their players are slowly starting to return. Two injured defensive backs are already back, and All-SEC linebacker K.J. Britt may return from thumb surgery before the season ends. But losing offensive lineman Brandon Council for the season hurt Auburn upfront. Malzahn remains very optimistic despite the slew of injuries.

Upcoming Schedule

Auburn gets two manageable games against Mississippi State and Tennessee in the next two weeks. After that, they face a tough challenge to close out the season against Alabama and Texas A&M, both of who sit ahead of them in the SEC West.

• Mississippi State- Record: (1-4). With the Bulldogs’ offense performing poorly, there isn’t too much of a challenge for Auburn in this game. They should win handily, but see if Nix can maintain some consistency under center.
• Tennessee- Record: (2-3). Tennessee started the season strong with two wins, but are plummeting after three consecutive blowout losses. Jarrett Guarantano has been able to find the end zone somewhat, but struggles with turnovers, including back-to-back pick-sixes against Kentucky. Auburn should win but expect Tennessee to keep it close.
• Alabama- Record: (6-0). Alabama is doing what Alabama does this year. They are undefeated with an electric group of receivers and a quarterback in Mac Jones who can throw the deep ball well. Auburn’s banged-up defense won’t be able to stop the Alabama offense.
• Texas A&M- Record: (4-1). The Aggies have only lost to Alabama this season and pulled off a notable upset against Florida. Kellen Mond has been one of the better SEC quarterbacks in his senior year and could pose a threat to the Tigers. This could be a close game, but Texas A&M has the edge with a productive offense.