2018 Auburn Tigers Season Win Total Picks and Predictions for NCAA Football

2017 Record: 10-4

2018 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 9.0

2018 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Push'

Auburn feels like it is at a crossroads season. Gus Malzahn's program should feel good about itself coming off a 10-win season and SEC West title. Yet, the Tigers are entering Malzahn's sixth season at the helm. And after watching in-state rival Alabama win yet another National Championship, the War Eagles feel as far away from the Tide as ever before.

This year could be an opportunity for Auburn to pass Alabama, if even for just the briefest of moments. Yes, Auburn did beat Alabama last year, upsetting the Tide and denying Alabama a shot in the SEC Championship Game. But the Tigers got hammered by Georgia the following week and then were dispatched unceremoniously by Central Florida in the Peach Bowl to end the season on a down note.

Auburn lost its best offensive weapon, running back Kerryon Johnson. But beyond that they have a lot of reason for optimism. Quarterback Jarrett Stidham was the first team SEC signal caller last year and is back under center. Stidham has a bevy of experienced skill players back, including Darius Slayton and Ryan Davis. As long as one of their highly-touted running back prospects emerges to replace Johnson's 1,455 rushing yards then the Tigers attack will be formidable.

The biggest issue for the Auburn offense - and, really, the entire team - will be the development of the offensive line. Just one returning starter is back. The four new first-stringers are all juniors. And they all have some experience. But they need to coalesce quickly if Auburn wants to be a true national factor this season.

Defensively, Auburn has one of the best front sevens in the country. Four three-year starters, including four-year starter Dontavius Russell at nose tackle, form a rock-solid group that helped the Tigers finish in the Top 15 in total defense and points allowed last year. The Tigers held seven opponents to 14 points or fewer last season.

We are going to find out a lot about the Tigers in their first game. They will take on a fellow Top 10 team, Washington, in Atlanta on Sept. 1. They have four straight home games after that, so a win in Atlanta should help propel them into the Top 5 by the end of September.

Auburn plays only four road games all year. But three of them come against three of the best teams in the SEC. And that includes a trip to Georgia on Nov. 10 and a trip to Alabama to close the regular season.

I think that playing away from home against three potential Top 5 teams limits the possibility of a 10-win season. Auburn would have to win at least one of those games while also avoiding any upsets while navigating the SEC schedule. That's a tall task. I think if I'm wrong about this wager it will be because Auburn wins 11 games and plays its way into the playoff. But I think if you like the 'over' for the Tigers a smarter bet would be to take the prop play on Auburn to make the four-team playoff, which is currently paying out at +450.

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