After a rough loss to Florida and a shaky win against Vanderbilt, the Auburn Tigers are looking to make a statement this Saturday in their matchup with the No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols are coming off a 20-17 loss to No. 1 Texas and will surely be looking to rebound, so taking this game will be no small feat for the Tigers.
In fact, as of the Friday before the Tigers’ matchup with the Vols, Auburn has just a 29% chance to win the game, according to ESPN’s FPI. This leaves Tennessee with a 71% chance to win as the Tigers face their longest odds of the season so far.
The Tigers have shown flashes of what could be a strong team, but have struggled to get out of their own way at times, especially in early-game offense. Auburn is averaging just 7.5 first-quarter points per game and 33.75% of first-quarter possession time, the latter of which ranks in the bottom six in the FBS.
Byrum Brown, the supposed savior of the Tigers’ quarterback struggles, has been consistent but not overly impressive so far this season, passing for 896 yards and six touchdowns over four games, though he has also thrown an uncharacteristic five interceptions. On the ground, he’s rushed for 237 yards and three touchdowns.
Brown will need to have a strong performance for the Tigers’ offense to have a chance to keep up with the Vols, who are averaging 8.3 first-quarter points per game and may jump out to a quick lead over the Tigers if Golesh isn’t able to get his offense moving early.
Though all of that will certainly hold weight, the true deciding factor of this game, in my opinion, will be the trenches, as Tennessee allowed their true freshman quarterback, Faizon Brandon, to be sacked 10 times last week, while Brown currently leads the SEC in sacks taken.
Whichever team is able to dominate at the line should create major issues for the opposing quarterback, as Brown has not been scrambling quite like he did at USF, while Brandon has shown clear issues with keeping up with the pace of a top-tier defensive front.Â
This game could very well be a low-scoring affair, though if both teams are weak from the defensive side of the trenches, it could also be a shootout, as both Brown and Brandon can be dangerous if given enough time in the pocket.Â
There are a million ways to win or lose a football game, but an Auburn win would likely consist of defensive dominance and adequate offense. A win here for the Tigers would be monumental, essentially guaranteeing bowl eligibility, pending the Tigers’ ability to beat Arkansas and Samford later on this season.
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