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2009 Auburn College Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on July 30, 2009

auburn 73009 Auburn finished just 2-6 in SEC play in 2008, its first losing league record since 1999. In comes former Iowa State coach Gene Chizik to get the program turned around. Find out if Auburn has what it takes to make a quick turnaround in this 2009 NCAA football betting preview. Auburn is listed at +10,000 to win the 2009 BCS championship at BetUS.

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Offense – Gus Malzahn is set to take over the offense and wants to implement a fast-paced scheme which puts lots of pressure on the defense. Such offenses have a hard time working out without an intelligent leader at the quarterback position to get everyone organized. The quarterback position appears to be a weakness with the current crop of players on board. Junior Kodi Burns is the favorite. He threw for 1,050 yards and two touchdowns in 2008, and was picked off seven times. Junior Neil Caudle was right in the mix for the starting spot as well following spring practice. Malzahn has emphasized the importance of the running game and it would be nice to rely on that while Auburn’s quarterbacks continue to mature. Senior Ben Tate returns as the starting tailback after leading the Tigers with 664 rushing yards last season. With increased touches, he is expected to threaten the 1,000-yard mark. The Tigers must also find a big-play threat to stretch the defense and to give the defense something to keep them guessing. Mario Fannin could emerge as that player. He would seem to be a natural fit for Malzahn’s wildcat plays. The offensive line returns three of five starters and should be solid as long as the starters stay healthy. There isn’t much of any depth behind them.

Defense – While the offense struggled in 2008, the defense remained strong, ranking 14th in the country in scoring defense (18.0 points per game allowed) and 29th in total defense (317.8 yards per game allowed). Seven starters return from that unit. The defense should continue to hold its own when you consider that Chizik was renowned as one of the best defensive minds in the nation while at Texas. Plus, he has brought in former Duke head man, Ted Roof, to be his coordinator. The Tigers lost top notch tackle Sen’Derrick Marks to the NFL, but Chizik was able to convince defensive end Antonio Coleman to stick around for his senior season. The linebacker corps should be solid with two starters back and it will get a boost from juco transfer Eltoro Freeman, who was promoted to first string after his first few practices with the program. The secondary was hit with the injury bug last season, but last year’s misfortune will be this year’s fortune as young guys were able to gain valuable experience and are now confident players.

Prediction: 5th SEC West – It’s hard to expect major improvement in the first season of a new regime, especially with the state of the Auburn offense. The defense will keep the Tigers in most games, just as it did a season ago, but it looks like Auburn will suffer its second straight losing season in the SEC. Auburn is listed at +1,200 to win the SEC West Division at BetUS.

Jimmy Boyd’s expert football picks will keep you in the black all season long!

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