The Auburn Tigers finished with a 6-4 record through their season, with one final loss occurring in the Citrus Bowl. Their decline over the course of six seasons seems to be the reason Auburn made a big change. The season was marred with the departure of eighth-year head coach Gus Malzahn. Malzahn departed before the Citrus Bowl and interim coach Kevin Steele, and now Bryan Harsin is the head coach.
It isn’t surprising that the Auburn organization moved on from Malzahn. Malzahn led the team to the BCS National Championship game in 2014, but the Tigers have underperformed since then. Under Malzahn, the Auburn Tigers only had one ten-win season since their visit to the CFB National Championship. With high hopes and a new head coach, the Tigers are looking for a better outing in 2021.
2021 Auburn Tigers Futures Betting Odds
Auburn Tigers National Championship Odds: +8000
Auburn Tigers Conference Champions Odds: +1600
Auburn Tigers Win Totals Odds: Over 7 (+110) Under 7 (-139)
The Auburn Tigers won some key games last season that could give bettors faith this year. They had a huge 48-11 win over the LSU Tigers, one of the best teams in the SEC. Not to mention a 29-13 win over Kentucky to start the season. It would seem as if the Auburn Tigers were on an upward trajectory, up until the firing of their head coach. They went on to lose the Citrus Bowl after firing Gus Malzahn, and now Bryan Harsin is at the helm.
Auburn is in one of the toughest college football conferences and comes in with the sixth-best odds to win it. With the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies, and LSU, Auburn could have a tough time separating themselves. This is a team that’s in the process of revamping with a new system. We shouldn’t expect the Tigers to take the SEC or win the National Championship with an unproven first-year head coach.
2021 Auburn Tigers Offseason Grade: C-
Key Additions: (QB, Holden Geriner), (S, Caleb Wooden), (TE, Micah Riley-Ducker)
Key Departures: (WR, Anthony Schwartz), (WR, Seth Williams), (LB, K.J Britt)
The Auburn Tigers lost two great players on offense, leaving a hole in the available weapons. They did nothing to resolve this during recruiting, which led to the C- grade we gave them. Under a new head coach, the Auburn Tigers start at even more of a disadvantage without these players. In the future, their recruits could pay off, but for now, Auburn’s offense will look worse than last season. The Auburn Tigers averaged 25.3 points per game in 2020, expect that number to drop in 2021.
The schedule in front of them isn’t in their favor either. They have to face all four of the SEC teams that rank higher than them. Penn State is another strong team on their schedule, along with Ole Miss and South Carolina. The trouble this year will be Auburn’s ability to keep up with the stronger offenses in the SEC. Without any highly-graded recruits and a new head coach, Auburn has a tough road ahead.
Auburn Tigers 2021 Preview
We should all keep low expectations for the Auburn Tigers heading into this season. They are in the process of rebuilding under a new head coach. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to sign many recruits either. The highest-rated recruit on the team only comes in at an 82, per ESPN. That, along with a schedule that has them facing the toughest teams in the SEC, leaves the Tigers in a tough spot.
There are a handful of games the Tigers could potentially win, though. We still wouldn’t recommend you taking the over on the win total, though. They start the season against Akron and have a few games mixed in that could potentially push the win total. The thing is, we just don’t know what to expect from a team like this. It’s all brand new and under new leadership, so we should keep our expectations low.
Auburn Tigers Futures Best Bets
Although the Tigers might not have the most beneficial schedule, they still have the potential to win over seven games. We see the Tigers losing four games, leaving them with an 8-4 record, barring any cancellations. There are a few games mixed in that could go either way, though, so that record could fluctuate.
That being said, it’s a safer bet to take the under 7 game win total due to the new head coach. You should also be sure to leave the Tigers off any conference bets. The Texas A&M Aggies and the Alabama Rolling Tide are much better bets to take the SEC this season. Considering we aren’t recommending you to take them to win the conference, leave them out of any National Championship picks.
