John David Mercer, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Auburn Tigers had an 8-5 season in 2014 after playing for the national championship the year before. Auburn has tasted success in recent seasons, so the 2014 campaign was a bit of a disappointment.
Head coach Gus Malzahn rescued the Tigers from a 3-9 season in 2012, winning the SEC championship in 2013 before losing to the Florida State Seminoles in the final BCS Championship Game. A step back was expected last season, but Auburn fans probably weren’t expecting an 8-5 season.
Last season started well, with Auburn winning its first five games and seven of their first eight. But the Tigers lost four of their last five games, struggling to keep opponents out of the end zone. Auburn gave up an average of 34.2 points per game over their last five, and that number was skewed by the fact that Samford scored just seven points against the Tigers.
Malzahn is known for his offense, and the Tigers scored plenty of points last season. It was the defense that was the problem and Malzahn knew it. He has brought in former Florida Gators’ head coach Will Muschamp to handle the defensive issues facing his team.
As long as the Alabama Crimson Tide continue to win, there will be pressure on Malzahn. Auburn fans expect their team to be able to compete with Alabama and if they don’t, the pressure on the head coach intensifies.
Malzahn hopes that he can plug in quarterback Jeremy Johnson to replace Nick Marshall this season. Johnson has shown flashes in his limited playing time during his career, and he should be a good fit for Malzahn’s up-tempo attack.
Auburn needs to rebound this season to take some pressure off of Malzahn. But a tough schedule will make it tough, as it usually is in the SEC.
Hot seat monitor: 3 out of 10
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
