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The Auburn Tigers will enter the 2015 season with lofty expectations. The Tigers are being mentioned as a serious contender to win the SEC and maybe even earn a berth in the College Football Playoff. Auburn fans are no doubt excited to watch their offense showcase new quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Gus Malzahn has had significant success offensively, and Johnson’s ability to throw the ball deep will be exciting to watch.
Auburn will certainly score points, but it will be the defensive side of the ball that will determine how good the team can be.
The Tigers’ defensive line mustered only 12.5 sacks last season. In fact, the Tigers only had 10 sacks against SEC opponents in 2014. The team only sacked the quarterback a total of 21 times through the entire 2014 season and finished with a record of 8-5. The Tigers will need to get to the quarterback more often in 2015. Auburn recorded 32 sacks in the 2013 season and won the SEC. They had for 35 sacks in the 2010 season and won the BCS National Championship.
The numbers tell us that when the Tigers can reach 30 or more sacks, the team can be a legitimate contender.
The Tigers have not been a juggernaut defensively since 2008, and the scoring defense has been mediocre. In the last six seasons, Auburn has ranked no higher than eighth in the SEC in scoring defense. The team has had success during that stretch by being situationally great and occasionally possessing a fearsome defensive line.
Will Muschamp has been brought in to return the defense to its previous form. He will be implementing a new defensive scheme and should make a positive impact on the Tigers immediately. Furthermore, he will have a solid foundation to work with.
Auburn’s defensive line will feature returning players like DaVonte Lambert, Montravius Adams, and Carl Lawson coming off an injury. Auburn did sign Byron Cowart, maybe the best defensive line prospects in the country, but I would expect Auburn to lean on the guys that have been in the program for several years. Lambert led the team in sacks last season with 3.5.
Lawson’s absence was noticeable, and he should be back to full health in 2015. He will, however, likely play a different position in 2015. Auburn will be switching to a 3-4 defensive scheme and Lawson will likely be a linebacker in Muschamp’s defense.
The Auburn pass rush needs to create chaos for their opposition in 2015 for the team to meet expectations. The Tigers have been their best when they’ve had a strong pass rush. In order to win the SEC, I believe Auburn’s defense will need to record at least 30 sacks and improve their scoring defense by at least three points per game.
Levi Dunagan is a SEC Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Levi275.
