CFP Top 25 Countdown: No. 18 Auburn Banking on Influx of New Talent

· Aug 07 - 6 minutes read

Transfers and prize recruits could give quarterback Payton Thorne more dynamic pass catchers to work with.
Auburn is just 2-13 against ranked opponents over the last three seasons.
Head coach Hugh Freeze is set for his second season as Auburn looks to post its first winning season since 2020.
Check out the reasons why Auburn is at No. 18 in the BetUS list of the Top 25 college football teams in 2024.

How insane could the SEC be during the 2024 season? There are nine SEC teams with shorter odds to win the national championship than Auburn according to the BetUS sportsbook and the Tigers still crack the top 20 at No. 18 in the BetUS Top 25 countdown.

CFP Top 25 Countdown: No. 18 Auburn Banking on Influx of New Talent — Caleb Wooden #12 of the Auburn Tigers/Carly Mackler/Getty Images/AFP

Auburn wasn’t as active as some of its SEC rivals in the transfer portal. However, Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Maryland tight end Rico Walker, Mississippi State offensive tackle Percy Lewis and Georgia State receiver Robert Lewis could help Auburn make a jump after finishing 10th in the SEC in total offense and 11th in scoring offense a season ago.

Depending on whether you fall into the glass is half-full or the glass is half-empty category, you can look at Auburn as a team coming off a 6-7 season or the one that lost by just seven points to Georgia and by three points to Alabama.

The sportsbook odds have the Tigers at +4500 to win the SEC title. The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the SEC preseason poll.

The Tigers are priced at +600 to make the College Football Playoffs with +10000 odds of winning the national title. Auburn offers good value at +115 to finish over 7½ wins during the regular season.

Auburn Tigers at a Glance

2023 record: 6-7
2023 ACC record: 3-5
Head coach: Hugh Freeze
Odds to win SEC title: +4500

A Thorne in Their Side? Can Auburn QB Get Passing Grades in 2024?

After going 6-7 in Hugh Freeze’s first year at Auburn, the Tigers have three consecutive losing seasons. The last time that the Tigers had a losing record four years in a row came from 1947 to 1960. That led to the hiring of Ralph Jordan, a move that changed the fortunes of the Auburn program.

With the additions of some pass catchers through the transfer portal, Payton Thorne‘s second season as Auburn’s starting quarterback could be an improvement over year No. 1.

Thorne completed just 50.7% of his passes for 375 yards with two touchdown passes and four interceptions in four games against ranked opponents. He had much more success throwing the ball against ranked foes during his final two seasons at Michigan State and he looks to rediscover some of that form.

Lambert-Smith led Penn State in receptions and receiving yards while Lewis had 70 catches for 877 yards last season at Georgia State. He caught nine passes against LSU as a sophomore and had 115 receiving yards versus North Carolina.

Cam Coleman was the No. 2-rated receiver and a top-five player as he headlines Auburn’s top-10 recruiting class. Perry Thompson is another freshman receiver to keep an eye on.

🗣️ Sam Jackson V isn’t afraid to hype up Auburn’s potential on offense 👀 pic.twitter.com/RABXsOkRL0

— Auburn Live (@AuburnLiveOn3) August 6, 2024

Auburn has some difference makers on the offensive line. Running back Jarquez Hunter and linebacker Eugene Asante were on the preseason All-SEC team. Hunter was named to the first team and Asante was a third-team selection.

The @SEC‘s leading returning rusher, @JArquez27, has been named to the @DoakWalkerAward watch list!

📰 https://t.co/EIesfPXBeG pic.twitter.com/Mu3IwFbb7r

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) August 6, 2024

Freeze has a bit of a checkered past but he certainly knows how to put together a dynamic offensive team.

Auburn has a new defensive coordinator with former Maryland head coach DJ Durkin taking over. Durkin has spent nine seasons coaching on the defensive side of the ball in the SEC.

Asante returns after leading Auburn with 86 tackles in 2023. Look for Jalen McLeod to top his total of 5.5 sacks from last season. There is some experience in the secondary. Transfers Philip Blidi, Isaiah Raikes, Gage Keys and Trill Carter add some size to the defensive front while Keyton Crawford had 10.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore at Arkansas State.

Not many teams have a better combo on special teams than kicker Alex McPherson and punter Oscar Chapman. Cornerback Keionte Scott is a dynamic punt returner.

Auburn 2024 Betting Outlook

Auburn is 2-13 outright against ranked teams in the last three seasons but is 6-8-1 against the spread in those games, so perhaps the Tigers aren’t too far away from making noise in the SEC.

It doesn’t get much more mediocre than Auburn’s betting numbers from 2023 as the Tigers were 2-2 against the spread as a home favorite, 1-1 as a road underdog, 3-4 as a favorite and 3-3 as the underdog.

The Tigers were tied with South Carolina for last place in the SEC with just five games landing over the total.

Auburn does avoid SEC newcomer Texas during the regular season but still plays at Georgia in early October. The college football spread lists the Tigers as a 23.5-point underdog. Of course, the Tigers will meet Alabama in the final game of the regular season.

The non-conference slate is nothing to write home about, but Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky and Texas A&M are other SEC games that could be a little tricky.

Back the Tigers This College Football Season