Let me preface this by saying I love Auburn football.
With that being said, 2012 will not be our year.
Yes, the roster is stacked with talent on both sides of the ball. This season marks the third year the Tigers have had a top 10 recruiting class with the second-ranked class in the nation in 2011, according to Scout.com.
On offense, expect wide receivers Emory Blake, Trovon Reed and Quan Bray to lead the way in the air, but be on the lookout for freshmen Ricardo Louis and JaQuay Williams to help out when needed.
Then, there's Philip Lutzenkirchen. For two consecutive seasons, we've watched one of college football's best tight ends work out of the H-back position, but this year is different. Thanks to the new offensive coordinator, Scot Loeffler, Lutzenkirchen is back to being a real tight end, a huge bonus for the Auburn offense.
The ground game is a different story. With the loss of Michael Dyer, the team's leading rusher, it will be up to senior running back Onterio McCalebb to move the ball up the field. Although he is one of the league's top outside threats, he rarely runs up the middle, and his size may prevent him from becoming an every down back. That leaves sophomores Tre Mason, Corey Grant and redshirt freshman Mike Blakely to pick up the slack. However, their youth and inexperience may be a major factor in their success.
And don't forget about center Reese Dismukes the 6-foot 330-pound sophomore who came out of nowhere last season and was named an All American.
Special teams are an area that are once again stacked with talent. Junior kicker Cody Parkey and junior punter Steven Clark are back, meaning we can all relax when the game gets tight.
Senior linebacker Daren Bates, who led the team with 104 tackles last season, will provide leadership and experience to the promising newcomers Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy.
Add one of the nation's top pass rushers, Corey Lemonier, and Auburn has a real chance of stopping the opposing offense, something they failed to do in 2011.
But forget talent. This is NCAA football. Even more so, it's SEC football, which means talent is everywhere.
The key is experience.
Yes, we have more experience than last year. We have 18 returning starters and, according to Phil Steele, are ranked the 94th most experienced team in the nation compared to last year when we were dead last at 120th.
But even with 18 returning starters, the team's leader has yet to be decided.
The race is down to sophomore Kiehl Frazier and junior Clint Moseley, but neither has been able to impress coaches Gene Chizik and Loeffler.
Until the starting quarterback is named, the team's season remains in the balance.
That being said, the Tigers have a fair chance to improve on last season's 8-5 record, but don't expect a major run.
More than anything, this team is set to play the spoiler. The talent is there. The experience, although limited, is there too. If both can come together at the right time, Auburn is poised for an upset.
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