Arkansas and Georgia.

Those were the two sole home losses suffered by an 11- 2 Auburn team that knocked off Sugar Bowl champ LSU and national champion Florida.

Still, this year’s Auburn team is something of a mystery. If the pieces come together, Brandon Cox stays healthy (which will rely heavily on how fast the four new starters on the O-line can mature) and the defense is clicking, Auburn could be a real spoiler in the SEC west. If none or just some of those things happen, Tiger fans could be easily be looking at an 8-4 season and a fourth place finish in the west.

Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges can rest easy knowing that he has a proven quarterback to run his offense with the return of senior Brandon Cox. The 6’2″ senior never recovered from the injuries he suffered last year and his play reflected that. Keeping Cox off the injury report is an absolute necessity this year, given the lack of a solid number 2 quarterback with Blake Field, Neil Caudle and Steven Ensminger all fighting for the back-up job.

Gone is senior Kenny Irons but the Tigers return junior Brad Lester and sophomore Ben Tate, both of whom gained some valuable PT last year when filling in for Irons. Perhaps the most intriguing tailback in the mix for playing time this season is redshirt freshman Mario Fannin. Of Fannin, Borges said, “He’s probably the best complete package we have at tailback” and “…his potential is unlimited.” Rod Smith, Robert Dunn and Prechae Rodriquez all saw time at wide-out last year and will need to continue to develop into well-rounded scoring threats for this offense to be effective. Auburn returns what is, hands-down, the best trio of tight ends in Cole Bennet, Tommy Trott and Gabe McKenzie, who will know doubt be some of Cox’s primary targets. The offensive line is a huge question mark for this team as it returns only one starter as senior left tackle King Dunlap returns. Look for the staff to fiddle with different groupings and combinations this summer before finally settling on a first team.

Defensively, the Tigers return their best player in linebacker/defensive end Quentin Groves and defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will rely on a rotation of seven-to-eight players upfront to mix up the packages in which Groves is featured. Look for the 6’4″ senior to line up as defensive end in the 4-3 and then move out to outside linebacker when Muschamp utilizes his 3-4 package with Groves coming off the edge. Given their lack of depth at both linebacker and defensive back, much of this unit’s production will have to come from the line pressuring the quarterback and stuffing the run until the d-backs and linebackers can get their legs under them. The linebacking corps can fill a huge gap if sophomore Tray Blackmon can earn his way back on to the team after missing the spring and six games last year after being suspended twice.

Between the vacancies on the offensive line and the lack of proven playmakers in the linebacking corps and secondary, Auburn fans can’t be feeling too great about their teams chances of going to Florida, to Arkansas, to LSU and to Georgia and coming out with a win.

Bottom Line Prediction – 8-4. Auburn’s is a schedule riddled with potential landmines. Forget that they open the season against Kansas State and an up-and-coming South Florida team that could give the Tigers all they can handle, the Tigers have a murderous road schedule but play a relative soft schedule at home. I think the best Tiger fans can hope for with this young and inexperienced team, is a 9-3 record.