Auburn Tigers 2019 College Football Schedule Breakdown
Life in college football is never easy and without a doubt is toughest in the SEC, especially in the West Division. The incredibly high standards set across the board within the conference leads to unrealistic expectations by the fanbase year after year. With all the pressures heaped upon each coach, perhaps the toughest is manning the sidelines for Auburn with Alabama 157 miles away. With the high expectations looming overhead, which teams are on a given schedule can make or break a coaching career.
Over the past six seasons, head coach Gus Malzahn has put together a 53-27 record at Auburn with a run to the BCS Championship Game in 2013. Despite all the wins, the Auburn faithful demand a yearly performance better than their bitter rival Alabama, a team that is on a current run as an all-time dynasty under head coach Nick Saban. Malzahn has done better than advertised by those on the Plains, but what is focused on is his 2-4 record against Alabama, his 2-4 record in the postseason, a zero berths in the College Football Playoff. With the boo-birds already circling Jordan-Hare Stadium before the 2019 season even begins, head coach Gus Malzahn and staff must navigate yet another grueling schedule with the goal of bringing home an SEC West title, a SEC Championship, and a berth in the College Football Playoff. Will the schedule help or hinder the Tigers in 2019?
Auburn Tigers 2019 Football Schedule
Bye: Week 7
Week 1 – Aug. 31 vs. Oregon (Arlington, TX)
For the prideful Auburn fans, Oregon’s 9-4 (5-4) record in 2018 is very misleading. The Ducks are building a powerhouse in Eugene under head coach Mario Cristobal. Oregon produced a top-25 scoring team in 2018 posting 35 points a game and displayed an improving defense that went from giving up 430 yards per game to 386 a year ago. The Ducks lost to then- No. 7 Stanford at home 38-31 in overtime and dropped their other three games on the road to No. 25 Washington State, Arizona, and Utah. The Ducks return 12 starters on offense, including Heisman Trophy candidate Justin Hebert in the pocket and have seven back on defense. Oregon may be a tougher challenge for Auburn to start the year than what the Tigers saw in the 2018 opener, a 21-16 win over Washington.
Oregon fans have been waiting for the rematch of this BCS Championship Game. Auburn walked off the Glendale, Arizona, field with a 22-19 win closing out the 2010 season. Can they do it again in AT&T Stadium in Arlington (TX)?
Week 2 – Sept. 7 vs. Tulane (Auburn, AL)
The Green Wave should be a nice comedown game for Auburn after the Oregon showdown. Tulane went 7-6 with a 5-3 mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2018. A year ago, Tulane started off the season challenging Wake Forest out of the ACC before falling 23-17 in overtime at home. Auburn is hoping more for the result of the Week 4 game for Tulane against Ohio State in Columbus, a 49-6 beatdown.
Trivia question: Which team owns the all-time series in this matchup? If you guessed Tulane, you are a winner. No matter what happens on the field this season, the Green Wave will walk away as the all-time leader in the series entering with a 17-14-6 mark. The last meeting was 38-13 win by Auburn in 2006. Before that, Tulane won 27-13 in 1955.
Week 3 – Sept. 14 vs. Kent State (Auburn, Al)
After a two-win 2018 season for the Golden Flashes, expect Auburn to go deep on the depth chart for this home game. Kent State started the year off playing Power 5 Big Ten member Illinois tough on the road before a 31-24 loss. The wheels on the competitiveness train went off in Week 3 against Penn State losing 63-10 and the following week in Oxford falling 38-17. Wins over Howard (54-14) and Bowling Green (35-28) will not scare the War Eagles.
This is the first meeting of the two programs on the gridiron. Although not a prime-time game, some slight college football history will be made in this one.
Week 4 – Sept. 21 at Texas A&M (College Station, TX)
The timing of this game last season worked heavily in Auburn’s favor. The Aggies had faced No. 13 Kentucky and then went on the road for a three-game series ending at Jordan-Hare. The game before was a physical matchup against the top-rated defense in the nation in Mississippi State. The schedule does not play out the same way this year with A&M hosting Lamar after traveling to Clemson. There is no chance A&M will look ahead with Arkansas the following week.
One could argue this was one of the best games for the Tigers in 2018. Auburn was down 24-14 early in the third quarter but scored twice in the final 5:14 for the win. Per the stats, A&M controlled the game with 423 total yards to 278, but three Aggie turnovers proved to be one too many.
Week 5 – Sept. 28 vs. Mississippi State (Auburn, AL)
The MSU game will be a revenge game for Auburn after losing 23-9 a year ago. Auburn was ranked No. 8 in the country falling out of the Top 20 after this defeat. The team could not generate offense against the Bulldogs ridiculous defense; the War Eagles clawed for 304 total yards of offense managing just three Anders Carlson field goals.
Mississippi State will be a team in transition in 2019 with the graduation of starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and the loss of defensive linemen Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat to the NFL along with safety Johnathan Abram. All eyes will be on MSU head coach Joe Moorhead during his second year in Starkville to see how he morphs the offense into his vision in Year 2 in Starkville.
Week 6 – Oct. 5 at Florida (Gainesville, FL)
This is where the rubber starts hitting the proverbial pavement of the season for Auburn. After back-to-back challenging games against A&M and MSU, Auburn has to tackle a three-game road trip starting with the Gators. In this spot last year, Auburn took a shocking 30-24 home loss to unranked Tennessee.
Hands down Florida head coach Dan Mullen is one of the best in college football. He turned the Gators from a 4-7 (3-5) unit to a 10-3 (5-3) team with an end of season No. 7 AP ranking. The Gators got big wins against No. 23 Mississippi State (13-6), No. 5 LSU (27-19), and No. 8 Michigan (41-15) in the Peach Bowl. This game will be circled for Coach Malzahn.
Florida fans watch out, this could be a trap game. Coming off a game against Towson, Auburn comes to town before the Gators take off to Baton Rouge.
Week 8 – Oct. 19 at Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)
Coming off a 2-10 season in Year 1 under the guidance of head coach Chad Morris, it will be tough for teams to take Arkansas too serious in 2019. The Hogs will have chances early in the season to be a winning team before getting into the heart of their SEC schedule. With consecutive games against Texas A&M and Kentucky before seeing Auburn followed by a road game to Alabama, Morris and company will have their hands full come mid-October.
The Tigers have won five of the last six meetings in this series and three in a row. The last three wins by Auburn have been by an average of 39 points.
Week 9 – Oct. 26 at LSU (Baton Rouge, LA)
Chalk up another revenge game for Auburn circled on the schedule. This showdown a year ago was the pivot point game for both teams. LSU went on to a Top 10 end of season ranking while Auburn struggled after allowing LSU to score nine unanswered points in the fourth quarter in the 22-21 loss.
In the last 12 meetings, LSU has won nine and two consecutive. Auburn comes off a bye then faces Arkansas before this one while LSU could be looking at a trap game. The other Tigers are notorious for getting caught looking ahead. Although they get a bye after Auburn, the next opponent on the Bayou Bengals’ schedule is Alabama.
Week 10 – Nov. 2 vs. Ole Miss (Auburn, AL)
Ole Miss had the unfortunate task of facing Auburn after the stunning 30-24 home loss to Tennessee in 2018. The Tigers used a 21-point third quarter to put this one away topping the Rebels 31-16. The Rebels offense was prolific a year ago but faces challenges losing their top skill players and senior quarterback Jordan Ta’amu. This is a must-win game for Auburn.
If the Tigers were not going up against SEC teams, the November schedule heavily favors Auburn with four straight home games starting with Ole Miss. But the devil lies in the details.
Week 11 – Nov. 16 vs. Georgia (Auburn, AL)
Coming off a home win against then- No. 25 Texas A&M, Auburn then had to travel to permanent SEC East opponent Georgia to face the No. 5 Bulldogs. A tight 13-10 game at halftime turned into a trounce in Athens losing 27-10. Auburn’s rush defense wore out in the second half eventually giving way to 186 D’Andre Swift rushing yards and 93 on the ground from Elijah Holyfield.
Since 2006, this series has been owned by Georgia with 11 wins, just three victories for Auburn. With the Bulldogs loaded yet again and sure to be a College Football Playoff berth candidate in the preseason rankings, this is yet another difficult showdown for the Tigers, even at home.
Week 12 – Nov. 23 vs. Samford (Auburn, AL)
After a back-half of a schedule that could feature two Top 10 teams in LSU and Georgia with a third looming in Alabama, a breather is needed. That chance to rally before facing their in-state rival comes in the form of Samford. The Bulldogs were a scrappy FCS team in 2018 going to the wire in Doak Campbell Stadium with FSU before succumbing to a 36-26 final score.
This “money game” for the Bulldogs gives a chance for the Alabama raised players on the Samford roster to play against some of their old friends and foes from the high school ranks. A backyard rumble for those perhaps overlooked along the recruiting trail by Auburn.
Week 13 – Nov. 30 vs. Alabama (Auburn, AL)
For a spell in the 2000’s, this rivalry was owned by Auburn. But since Nick Saban took over in Tuscaloosa, this has been a win-two for the Crimson Tide then win one for Auburn kind of affair. Last season, this was yet another close game at halftime with Alabama up 17-14 only to see the halftime adjustments go in favor of the opposition. Alabama poured it on with 35 second half points on the way to a 52-21 runaway win. Can Auburn claim an Iron Bowl victory in 2019?
The Tide may get lucky to face just two ranked teams this year in Texas A&M and LSU, perhaps South Carolina and Mississippi State if lucky. Saban and company get a “breather” game in Western Carolina before this year’s Iron Bowl – they will be ready for the Tigers.
Photo credit: AL.com; JaTarvious Whitlow touchdown run vs. Washington (2018)