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Mississippi State Football 2018 Summer Opponent Preview: Auburn

By Ethan Lee

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 8: Running back Kamryn Pettway #36 of the Auburn Tigers is tackled by linebacker Leo Lewis #44 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs as defensive back Kivon Coman #11 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs is upended during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Oct. 8, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 8: Running back Kamryn Pettway #36 of the Auburn Tigers is tackled by linebacker Leo Lewis #44 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs as defensive back Kivon Coman #11 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs is upended during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Oct. 8, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images) /
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AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Ryan Davis #23 of the Auburn Tigers looks to maneuver by defensive back Brandon Bryant #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL – SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Ryan Davis #23 of the Auburn Tigers looks to maneuver by defensive back Brandon Bryant #1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

Who are they?

Just about everyone is familiar with the Auburn Tigers. A founding member of the Southeastern Conference and a perennial college football powerhouse that has increasingly high (and sometimes unreasonable) expectations for itself, the Auburn Tigers are a force to be reckoned with in the SEC almost every year.

They’re not always the best, but they’re close to being right up there. Last season, Auburn went 10-4, beating the two teams that competed for the national title by a combined margin of 35 points.

Auburn was really good a year ago. They’re probably going to be really good again.

Gus Malzahn is still the head coach over on the Plains and he’s brought the Tigers a level of consistent success that has pretty high peaks. In his first year at Auburn, the Tigers went 12-2, losing in the national title game. Last season, Auburn went 10-4 and tried to sneak into the national title picture when they were 10-2.

But, for the other three years that Malzahn has been there, he has average 7.7 wins per season. That’s not bad, but it’s not good. It seems like it’s either boom or bust for Gus Malzahn and the Tigers. It could be boom or bust for them again this year.

But, more likely than not, this team will be closer to their peak than not.

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