Auburn finished the 2021 season with a 6-7 record and there is a belief that the Tigers could finish seventh in the SEC in 2022.

This upcoming season could be one where Auburn shocks many people in the SEC. The Tigers will need to sort out a few holes in the program, which includes how their quarterbacks perform. Head coach Bryan Harsin heads into his second season with the program and he hopes to finish above .500 in 2022.

College football expert Phil Steele sees the Tigers as a team that is being forgotten in the SEC. In an interview with WJOX 94.5 FM’s “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” Steele explained how Auburn can get to an 8-win season.

 

“The key is going to be quarterback play. They need [Zach] Calzada or [TJ] Finley to step up and do well, but they’ve got outstanding running backs. The defense is strong,” Steele said. “I see them winning their first five games this year– Mercer, San Jose State, Penn State, Missouri, and LSU all at home the majority of them.”

Auburn lost key players to the transfer portal, but the ones that stayed are bought in the program. Steele explained how the end of the 2021 season hurt Auburn’s perception for this upcoming season:

“Last year, keep in mind, this was a team that was 6-2 at one point. They should have knocked off Alabama at home when they blew that late lead. Had they knocked off Alabama, we may have a different outlook on Auburn, as well,” Steele said.

The season begins at home against Mercer on Saturday, Sept. 3.