Auburn Tigers Football 2011 Preview, Predictions, Picks, Odds | Sportsbookbuzz.com

Auburn Tigers Football 2011 Preview, Predictions, Picks, Odds

As the 2011 NCAA Football Season approaches, we are providing season previews for every college football teams to give you the betting edge. Follow the best College Football Handicappers as they analyze their teams in this 2011 season preview. Be sure to bookmark SportsbookBuzz.com your source for Sportsbook Reviews. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the College Football in our recommend sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2011 NCAA Football Season Previews here.

2010 Record: 14-0 SEC Record: 8-0 (1st, West; BCS Champs) 2011 Returning Starters: 8; 4 offense. 4 defense

Coach: Gene Chizik, 22-5 (2 years)

Offensive Coordinators: Gus Malzahn Defensive Coordinators: Ted Roof

2011 Auburn Players to Watch: RB Michael Dyer, WR Emory Blake, RB/KR Onterlo McCalebb, TE Philip Lutzenklrchen, OT Brandon Mosley, DE Corey Lemonier, DE Nosa Eguae, CB T’Sharvan Bell

2011 Auburn Strengths:
Gus Malzahn’s offense has yet to be figured out. Dyer and McCalebb form a great one-two punch at tailback. Blake is a home-run threat, while Lutzenkirchen is arguably the best tight end in the league. Auburn returns a young but talented collection of pass rushers and experience at linebacker.

2011 Auburn Weaknesses:
The quarterback position remains unsettled and the offensive line returns only one starter. The Tigers don’t have a lot of depth at the WR position either. Defensively, Auburn must replace three starting defensive linemen, two starting safeties and a starting comer. The kicking game is also unproven.

2011 Auburn Offense:

For the third season in a row, Auburn plans to enter August with at least a hint of mystery about its starting quarterback. But unlike last year, when it was a matter of when not if Cam Newton would eventually win the job, the 2011 race is more difficult to handicap. Barrett Trotter spent last season as Newton’s top backup, but played sparingly because of Newton’s invincibility. Clint Moseley emerged as a viable option this spring. Then there’s Kiehl Frazier, the true freshman phenom from Arkansas who was personally and aggressively recruited by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. Running back Michael Dyer is likely to have an even bigger role after reaching 1,000 yards rushing as a freshman. Few doubted Dyer’s talent, but his durability might have been most impressive. Coaches are trying to develop other options to relieve pressure on Dyer. Onterio McCalebb, now a junior, keeps gaining weight and has likely shed the “scatback” label because of his toughness. With Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachery gone and wide-open paths to the starting jobs, there are no excuses remaining for highly recruited receivers DeAngelo Benton and Trovon Reed, both of whom are expected and needed to catch a lot of passes this season. The line might be most worrisome after being one of the best units in the country last year. Even the lone returning starter, senior Brandon Mosley, has spent most of his career on defense or at tight end.

2011 Auburn Defense:

Nick Fairley barely received cursory mention in preview magazines like this one last summer. Sure, the bulky tackle was considered an intriguing talent, but coaches largely spoke of him as someone who needed to work harder to reach his potential rather than a finished product ready to dominate the SEC. That should give hope to new defensive line coach Mike Pelton as he works with Auburn’s youthful linemen who are the face of a thoroughly depleted defense. Sophomores like Kenneth Carter and Jeff Whitaker seem poised for breakout years after light duty as freshmen. Among linebackers, the enigmatic Eltoro Freeman has shown glimpses of brilliance but has never reached the stardom that many predicted for him. He’s a senior now, so 2011 is his last chance. In the secondary, Neiko Thorpe has moved from cornerback to safety, freeing him to focus on big hits. T’Sharvan Bell began to establish himself as a bona fide SEC cover corner last year.

2011 Auburn Special Teams:

All-time leading scorer Wes Byrum’s departure leaves a huge void at placekicker. Senior Chandler Brooks is one contender, but sophomore Cody Parkey is also in the mix. The Tigers feel good about Steven Clark nailing down the punting duties. Trovon Reed is the favorite to be the primary punt returner. Reed and McCalebb should give coverage units fits with their speed.

2011 Auburn Football Schedule | Auburn Football Sportsbooks

2011 Auburn Predictions:

The Tigers have an undersized roster and a collection of unproven underclassmen vying to fill roles that used to be occupied by veterans. No, the Tigers don’t look like defending national champions, but appearances can be deceiving. Back-to-back top-five recruiting classes have stocked the bottom half of Auburn’s roster with elite players eager to prove their worth. This year’s brutal schedule will make it all but impossible to duplicate last year’s success. But if the Tigers are able to weather this year’s challenges while adapting new players to SEC competition, they will be poised to return to the national title discussion in 2012, when they’ll have a friendlier schedule and a more experienced roster.

2011 Auburn Betting Odds:

Auburn Current odds to win a National Championship: +20000

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NCAA Football Handicapping Picks

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