SDS is taking a look at each SEC Championship contender and their chances of winning in Atlanta. We’ll list three reasons why each team will win and three reasons why each team will not.

Auburn Tigers

This could be the year that Auburn gets back to Atlanta to take on an SEC East team again.

The Tigers always feature a potent running attack and their defense should improve now that Will Muschamp has returned as defensive coordinator.

Gus Malzahn is only two seasons removed from winning the SEC Championship Game and falling just short against Florida State in the BCS Championship Game. There is much anticipation on the Plains and around the SEC for the Tigers.

No doubt fending off Alabama will be tough, but Auburn did just that two years ago. These days, Auburn is not only expected to win Iron Bowls but also contend for SEC Championships and national championships as well.

Three Reasons Why

1. Defense: The Tigers had to do something after allowing 26.7 points per game last season, which was 10th in the SEC and 60th in the FBS. So they went after arguably the best defensive mind in the sport in Muschamp, who flopped as Florida’s head coach, but could flourish again at Auburn, where he initially served as defensive coordinator in 2006-07.

Returning senior linebackers Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost should be key players for Muschamp, and DE Carl Lawson’s return from a torn ACL will boost the pass rush. In addition, the secondary – which was tied for the most interceptions in the SEC last season (22) – returns its best player, cornerback Jonathan Jones. It’s no surprise that Muschamp is the high-paid coordinator in the country at an average of $1.7 million per season: he’s the best in the business at what he does, and Auburn realizes it has a chance to do something big this season by successfully complementing its explosive offense.

2. Offense: Running backs Roc Thomas and Peyton Barber return, and junior college star Jovon Robinson appears to be another solid potential replacement for Cameron-Artis Payne. Watch out for freshman Kerryon Johnson, and Kamryn Petty should get some touches, too.

This type of depth and versatility is key for Malzahn’s system. It’s important because the inexperienced Jeremy Johnson takes over for Nick Marshall at quarterback. Johnson needs a solid running game as he adjusts to the grind of playing every week. But the good news is that 6-foot-5, 240-pound Johnson could very well be better than Marshall.

In his first career start as a freshman, Johnson stepped in for an injured Marshall and threw for 201 yards and four touchdowns against Western Carolina. His was even better in his next start, last year’s season-opening 45-21 win over Arkansas, when he completed his first eight passes and finished 12-of-16 for 243 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. (He replaced the suspended Marshall, who played the second half.)

So those two glimpses, along with Johnson’s superior arm strength, hint at how good the junior could be in 2015.

3. Schedule: It isn’t easy, but it’s also not as hard as last year’s slate. The Tigers’ Sept. 5 opener against Louisville could have College Football Playoff implications for both teams down the road, and they have to go Death Valley two weeks later for a tussle with LSU. But unlike last year, when Auburn had to visit Mississippi State and Ole Miss, those teams come to the Plains, as well as Georgia and Alabama.

Kentucky in Lexington is the Tigers’ rotating opponent from the SEC East, and Auburn does have tricky games at Texas A&M and Arkansas. But if the Tigers survive those trips, it should set them up well for the Iron Bowl at home, which very could decide the SEC West and the conference’s playoff representative.

Three Reasons Why Not

1. Injuries: Lawson isn’t the only key Tiger returning from a major injury, and that could be a major concern.

Jones, a senior who had 36 tackles, 11 pass breakups and six interceptions in 2014, had offseason foot surgery, but is expected to be at full strength by the opener.

It remains to be seen if offensive guard Alex Kozan, who missed all of last season after having surgery on a herniated disc in his back, can return to his all-SEC form of 2013.

Senior defensive end DaVonte Lambert, who had surgery in November after suffering a knee injury in Auburn’s 31-7 victory over Samford, sat out spring practices and is hoping to be ready for Week 1.

Cornerback T.J. Davis, who appeared in all 13 games last season, has missed fall practice and might not return until September or October.

If Auburn doesn’t start the season with each of these players, it could sidetrack the Tigers and stunt their chances to win the division.

2. The great unknowns: As strong as Auburn appears to be, it still enters the season with major questions.

For one, can sophomore Austin Golson step in to replace longtime starter and 2014 Rimington Trophy winner Reese Dismukes at center? Because the Tigers’ attack is so tempo-driven, the center spot is arguably the offense’s most important position. It’s imperative that Golson steps in and leads right away. If he struggles and disrupts the Tigers’ rhythm, Auburn might be hard-pressed to find an immediate replacement.

Also, for all the preseason hype that Johnson has been getting, it’s entirely possible that his inexperience could work against him. Will expectations for him to be the next Cam Newton get to him? Will he succumb to the pressure of Auburn’s national-championship expectations?

3. Lack of tight end/H-back depth: The Tigers go into the season with only freshmen dotting the depth chart at these key positions – Kamryn Pettway, Chandler Cox, Chris Laye and Jalen Harris.

Auburn must make up for the loss of two valuable seniors, beginning with tight end C.J. Uzomah, who had three touchdown catches in the last two seasons and also saw some snaps at receiver in some sets. And despite being rarely used as a weapon in the passing game, Brandon Fulse was an experienced contributor at H-back.

The 242-pound Pettway, who was a running back when he arrived at Auburn, started getting snaps at H-back during the Tigers’ practices for last season’s Outback Bowl. Cox, an early enrollee, is trying to earn time at both positions. Jay Prosch, Auburn’s H-back in 2013, performed so well that season that he turned what was a good rushing attack into a great one. And for the most part, when he wasn’t catching passes, Uzomah served as a valuable decoy in the passing attack.

It’s up to Pettway, Cox and their fellow freshmen to continue a recent run of success in these important roles.