Red Cup Quick Hits: Auburn

The first and only team in our hearts is the Ole Miss Rebels, but we have to always look around the conference to see what everyone else is cooking. Red Cup Quick Hits will take fans through the SEC leading up to season kick-off, so fans will know enough just to survive in the office every day with that other team’s fan that annoys them.

Another uncertain season in Auburn is the only certainty. Vegas set the Tigers’ over/under at 6.5 wins this season, and after losing 60 -of-65 starts off the offensive line, getting to 7 wins could be a tall task.

The Tigers schedule isn’t much help either. They open with Kentucky who returns Terry Wilson at quarterback before traveling to Athens, Ga. to face the Bulldogs. Auburn’s season wraps up by playing Tennessee, traveling to Alabama, and hosting Texas A&M. They’ll need to pile up wins during a stretch featuring Arkansas, at South Carolina, at Ole Miss, LSU, and at Mississippi State to keep a frenetic fan base somewhat appeased.

Players to Watch

QB Bo Nix - 6-foot-2, 213-pounds

This one is obvious. After leading a second half comeback to open the season against Oregon, the true freshman’s numbers failed to backup the hype. That isn’t to say he was bad — 2.542 yards and a 16 touchdown to six interception ratio proves he wasn’t—but Auburn needs more out of the position.

After losing both JaTarvious Whitlow and Kam Martin out of the running back room, Nix could see more of the offense put on his shoulders...and his feet. The former 5-star had 80 carries for 442 yards and seven touchdowns.

Look for that 23 total touchdown number to inch up towards 30 if the Tigers are to hang with Alabama in the SEC West.

RB Tank Bigsby - 6-foot-1, 204-pounds

This is mostly because Bigsby follows a long line of awesome names at Auburn—Prince Tega Wanogho, Big Kat Bryant, Smoke Monday — and part top 50 prospect out of high school. Tank was rated the no. 4 running back in the 2020 class and will join a RB corps that lost 69 percent of its snaps from 2019.

It’s a talented room with D.J. Williams, Shaun Shivers, Harold Joiner, and Mark-Antony Richards all jockeying for touches.

ILB KJ Britt - 6-foot-1, 243-pounds

Britt is an All-American candidate in his senior season at Auburn. He leads the returnees in tackles, had 10 tackles for loss, 12 run stuffs, and forced a fumble last season. More than that, he was the leader of one of the best defenses in the conference and by default the country. Along with Britt, the Tigers return five of its top six linebackers, and should mask some deficiencies in the secondary for Auburn, as they lose all four starters.

Two numbers to mull over for opposing teams: 82 percent snaps returned in the linebacker corps, but only 42 percent of defensive back snaps return.

Season will depend on

September 26th - Kentucky

November 11th - Tennessee

December 5th - Texas A&M