**I wrote this article on the plane en route to Cal Berkeley ahead of the Tigers’ week 2 matchup with the Golden Bears in early September, but never got around to posting it. It’s safe to say my prediction was off (everyone’s was)… but here it is:
After Auburn’s 59-14 win over UMass last Saturday, it’s safe to say the Auburn family is hopeful. 88,000+ fans showed up and and made their presence known, both leading up to the game and inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. It was an electric atmosphere the entire day as the Hugh Freeze Era officially kicked off.
The offense looked spectacular through all four quarters, especially with the Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford duo. All of this seemed to click really well while keeping the playbook very simple. The Tigers didn’t do any flashy plays or tricky formations. Instead, they just played solid, well designed football and executed at a high level. Not to mention, Auburn’s too running back Jarquez Hunter wasn’t available.
Now, the major question that is surrounding this team: How good can this team be this season?
I don’t know, but I have a good feeling. It feels like Auburn finally has an offense that works and everything just seems to flow. In past years, it felt like the Tigers were pulling teeth to complete a first down, let alone scoring. In my opinion, Auburn’s running back room is one of the best in the country. It makes running the football a lot easier when you have a new, rebuilt offensive line that looked promising in the season opener. The passing game also looks much stronger than last season, with many receivers from the transfer portal that have great potential and a quarterback that is consistent through the air.
In my mind, the question comes with the defense, specifically the run defense. Auburn has outstanding defensive backs, with guys like DJ James, Nehemiah Pritchett, Jaylen Simpson, and the list goes on. However, the defensive line and linebackers are not on that level yet. We saw the Tigers having trouble to secure the edge and stopping a decent run attack on a few drives against UMass. The defense was without Jalen McLeod and others, but nonetheless, Auburn will have to stop the run in this weekend’s game at California.
The Golden Bears have a couple very talented running backs and a fairly mobile quarterback in Sam Jackson V. It is very important to slow down these backs and force Cal to have to start throwing the ball. I believe Auburn has a very good shot at winning this game if they can put this game in the quarterback’s hands and make him face the Auburn DBs.
Overall, I think this will be a high scoring game with Auburn coming out on top. My score prediction is 38-27, with Cal hanging around until mid-3rd quarter until Auburn pulls away, and the Golden Bears scoring a touchdown late to cut it to 11.