‘Curiosity killed the cat,’ as the saying goes. Well, in 2015, expectations killed the Tigers.
If you paid any attention at all to literally any sort of college media before the season, then hearing about how Auburn was going to run away with the SEC was a given. It was pegged to win the conference at Media Days in July and the quarterback, Jeremy Johnson, was given strong odds in the preseason to take home the Heisman.
But things didn’t end up quite so well. The Tigers got off to a 2-0 start, but you could see the cracks start to form in the foundation. Johnson was overthinking his progressions, the defense wasn’t exactly what was envisioned when Will Muschamp was hired as the defensive coordinator, and it culminated with a thrashing in Baton Rouge, where Leonard Fournette and LSU brought Auburn crashing back down to earth. When the dust cleared on the season, the Tigers finished at 7-6, and plenty of question marks for 2016.
Now, they’re flying under the radar, with a battle at quarterback and a new starting running back in Kerryon Johnson, complemented by another top-10 recruiting class.
The expectations won’t be anywhere close to the level they were at in 2015, and that’s for the better. If you set yourself up to think ‘championship or bust,’ anything less is bound to be an incredible disappointment.
With a brutal schedule, headlined with a visit from reigning national runner-up Clemson on opening weekend, it’s going to be tough sledding for Auburn early on. It’ll need to make some significant strides on offense compared to 2015, and finding the right quarterback is imperative.
There’s no guarantee the Tigers will be any better than last year, and there’s no guarantee they won’t. But setting unrealistic expectations for yourself won’t do you any favors.
So, just enjoy the season. You’re only in school for a couple of years, and disappointing yourself during your years as a student at football games isn’t fun.
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