2022 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview: No. 7 Auburn

BamaCentral takes a long first look at each of the Crimson Tide's upcoming opponents this season, in order from the bottom to the top.

The Iron Bowl. There's not much that needs to be said about the significance of this game each year to the people in the state of Alabama.

Last year's game turned out to be one of the most epic in the rivalries history with the first overtime Iron Bowl ending in the Crimson Tide's favor in a 24-22 victory in 4OT. It was a game that Alabama head coach Nick Saban said he would always cherish. 

"Most of the time I remember the ones we lose," Saban said after the game. "But I think I’ll remember this one because of the way the players competed in the game and it was a great comeback."

Now in his second year with the program, Bryan Harsin will bring his Tigers squad to Bryant Denny Stadium for the first time. It was a somewhat tumultuous offseason for Harsin after Auburn went 6-7 in his first season, capped by a six-game losing streak and loss in the Birmingham Bowl to Houston. 

However, the Tigers some of the pieces in place to keep building on the program Harsin is growing down in Auburn.

Offense- Can Calzada do it again?

Even though the Tigers nearly pulled off the upset last season with T.J. Finley under center replacing the injured Bo Nix, there was only one quarterback to beat Alabama during the regular season: Texas A&M's Zach Calzada. 

With Nix off to Oregon, Auburn picked up Calzada from the transfer portal, but this doesn't mean he is a lock for the job. Finley is now entering his second year in the Auburn system after transferring in himself from LSU. Plus, the Tigers also have talented redshirt freshman transfer Robby Ashford, who won offensive MVP at A-Day. 

While there are question marks at quarterbacks, there's certainly no question who Auburn will turn to at running back. Tank Bigsby had over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, plus the Tigers also return Jarquez Hunter, who added 593 yards. 

Overall, Auburn struggled on offense a season ago, finishing in the bottom half of the league in all major offensive statistics. The Tigers fired Mike Bobo as offensive coordinator after the Iron Bowl and hired Eric Kiesau in the offseason. Kiesau was on Harsin's staff at Boise State, and now takes over the offense that will rely on the running games of Bigsby and Hunter. 

Another position group that is a bright spot for the Tigers on offense is tight end. John Samuel Shenker was Auburn's fourth-leading receiver last year, but the Tigers also have depth at the position with Luke Deal and Tyler Fromm.

It's hard to know exactly what the Tigers will look like on offense until the quarterback competition is settled, which is surely will be by the time the Iron Bowl rolls around. 

Defense

Auburn was better on defense than offense in 2021, but will also have a new coordinator on this side of the ball. Derek Mason left to take the same position at Oklahoma State, and Jeff Schmedding was promoted from linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator to defensive coordinator. 

Under Schmedding, Auburn will likely run a similar scheme with an emphasis on stopping the run. The Tigers will be replacing their two leading tacklers (Zakoby McClain and Chandler Wooten) and two best defensive backs (Smoke Monday and Roger McCreary) from a season ago. 

Cayden Bridges, Donovan Kaufman, Nehemiah Pritchett, Zion 
Puckett and Jaylon Simpson are all names to watch in the secondary. Up front, the Tigers have two dynamic pass rushers. 

As most Crimson Tide fans remember, Auburn sacked Bryce Young seven times in last years Iron Bowl and three of those sacks came from Derick Hall. He led the team with nine sacks on the season. Eku Leota added 10 tackles for loss with seven sacks, and both guys are back for the Tigers. 

It won't be easy to replace some of the talent lost on defense, but the Tigers should still be one of the top teams in the SEC at rushing defense. 

Schedule

As always (well except during COVID-altered seasons), the Iron Bowl is the last game of the regular season for both teams. According to the ESPN Football Power Index, Auburn has the toughest schedule of any team in the country. 

The Tigers will have to face Penn State, LSU, Georgia and Texas A&M before coming to Bryant Denny Stadium the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This means Auburn will likely be physically worn down by the end of the season, but the Tigers never have a problem getting up for a game against their biggest rival.

Both teams have the annual cupcake game on the schedule the week before which usually gives starters the chance to rest and get healthy. This is a game both schools have circled on the calendar, and won't sneak up on the schedule. 

Outlook 

Most coaches in the SEC get more than two years to prove their worth, but with the ever-changing landscape of college football with NIL and conference realignment, and the pressure-packed offseason Harsin faced after his first season on the Plains, this is an important year for Harsin and the Tigers.

But like previously mentioned, the schedule doesn't get any easier for Auburn in year two. The Tigers will host Penn State as the return trip for the home-and-home, and as is the norm for the last decade or so, Auburn's two biggest rivals (Alabama and Georgia) will likely be in the top five. Because of that, it's hard to picture the Tigers with a much better record than last year with an additional win or two. 

The Game 

Date: Nov. 26

Time: TBD

TV: TBD

Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium

Series: Alabama leads 48-37-1

Last meeting: Freshman wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks' 28-yard touchdown catch from Bryce Young with 24 seconds remaining helped send the game into overtime, with Alabama eventually pulling out the 24-22 victory in the fourth extra frame. 

Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Team 

The Coach: Bryan Harsin (second year, 6-7, 9 Years, 82-31 overall)

Offensive Coordinator: Eric Kiesau

Defensive Coordinator: Jeff Schmedding

2021 Record: 6-7

2021 Rankings: Total offense No. 67; Total defense No. 61

Returning Starters: 13, seven on offense, six on defense

Players to Watch: RB Tank Bigsby, TE John Samuel Shenker, T Austin Troxell, DL Derick Hall, DL Colby Wooden, LB Owen Pappoe, CB Nehemiah Pritchett, K Anders Carlson, P Oscar Chapman

Top Newcomer: Jayson Jones, who hails from Calera, Alabama, is a defensive line transfer from Oregon. He had 19 tackles, two sacks in 13 games in 2021 for the Ducks. The sophomore is also listed as 6-6, 328 pounds.

Biggest Question: It's quarterback T.J. Finley, and not just because he's 6-7. Bo Nix has moved on and the Tigers have their fourth offensive coordinator in as many years. The former LSU transfer was 17-26 for 137 yards against Alabama with a touchdown and interception, and suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter. He was 19-for-37 passing for 227 yards with a touchdown in the Birmingham Bowl, a 17-13 loss to Houston. The Tigers have added depth at the position, including with Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, and should be better over offensively. 

The School

Location: Auburn, Alabama

Founded: 1856

Enrollment: 31,500

Nickname: Tigers

Colors: Orange and blue

Mascot: Aubie the Tiger

Auburn Athletics

The Program

Coaching Changes During Saban Era: Three

Last Time Beat Alabama: 2019, 48-45 at Jordan Hare Stadium

Last Time Won Division: 2017

Last Time Won SEC Championship: 2013

National Championships (2): 1957, 2010

Playoff Appearances: None

SEC Championships (8): 1957, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2004, 2010, 2013

Bowl Appearances: 24-19-2

Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2012

Heisman Trophies (3): Pat Sullivan (1971), Bo Jackson (1985), Cam Newton (2010).

Consensus All-Americans During Saban Era (5): Nick Fairley, DL, 2010; Cam Newton, QB, 2010; Lee Ziemba, OL, 2010; Reese Dismukes, C, 2014; Derrick Brown, DL, 2019

First-Round NFL Picks During Saban Era: Six. The most recent were in 2020, DT Derrick Brown, seventh overall, Panthers, and DB Noah Igbinoghene, 30th by the Dolphins.

2022 NFL Draft: One selection, CB Roger McCreary in the second round by the Titans.

Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: No. 21 in 2022. Previously No. 18 in 2021, No. 8 in 2020, and No. 13 in 2019.

SI.com

The Schedule

Sept. 3 Mercer
Sept. 10 San José State
Sept. 17 Penn State
Sept 24: Missouri
Oct. 1: LSU
Oct. 8: at Georgia
Oct. 15: at Ole Miss
Oct. 29: Arkansas
Nov. 5: at Mississippi State
Nov. 12: Texas A&M
Nov. 19: Western Kentucky
Nov. 26: at Alabama

Auburn Athletics

Did You Know?

Iron Bowl wins is one of the few remaining categories in which Paul W. "Bear" Bryant still has a strong edge over Nick Saban at Alabama. Bryant holds the Iron Bowl record for most games coached (25) and most wins (19). Last year's dramatic four-overtime win was just Saban's 10th Iron Bowl win. Overall, the Tigers might have arguably become the biggest menace to Saban over the years as he has a career 12-8 record against Auburn. 

This is the sixth story in series previewing Alabama's opponents:

No. 12 Austin Peay

No. 11 Louisiana Monroe

No. 10 Vanderbilt

No. 9 Utah State 

No. 8 Mississippi State