This weekend, Auburn travels to Athens, Ga., to take on the Bulldogs in “The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
Unfortunately for Auburn, this matchup has not been all that much of a rivalry for the better part of two decades.
The Tigers have struggled against Georgia in general since the early 2000s and have not won at all in Sanford Stadium since 2005.
Auburn has a very tall task ahead today to change that as the Tigers take on the second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
The Tigers have struggled mightily in their last three games, and the competition in Athens will be by far the toughest they have seen in 2022.
Georgia is coming off two lackluster performances of its own, but the Bulldogs enter the matchup undefeated and looking to get back on track to compete for the SEC title.
Here is a look at three key areas that will determine the outcome the 127th meeting of the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs.
Auburn Linebackers
The Tigers’ defense has been a much more consistent performer than the offense so far in 2022.
However, the linebacker unit has had more than a couple missed tackles and missed assignments through the first five games.
Today, the Tigers’ linebackers will face their biggest test of the season against Georgia’s tight ends.
The Bulldogs, led by super sophomore Brock Bowers, have as talented of a group as you will ever see at the college level.
Georgia’s tight ends are overwhelming in size and speed, and the Auburn linebackers will often be tasked with containing them.
How well the Tigers can cover Georgia’s tight ends in the passing game and fend off their blocks in the rushing attack will go a long way in determining the Tigers’ success.
Auburn’s Offensive Line
Auburn’s offensive line has been talked about a lot for several years now, and usually it has not been positive.
This season, the front five have not found a great deal of success against Power 5 competition.
The offensive line did seem to take a step forward against LSU last week as they were re-shuffled due to injury.
However, that growth will need to improve exponentially today if the Tigers are going to have any shot to put up more than 10 points.
Georgia’s defensive front was always going to be an immense challenge for Auburn due to the Bulldogs’ size, speed, and strength.
However, it could be even more of an uphill climb after Auburn center Brandon Council had some interesting quotes this week about how the Tigers’ offensive line could “demolish” Georgia’s defensive front in certain personnel groups.
That would be a welcome sight for Auburn fans, but demolition of the Bulldogs defense by this group is something that will have to be seen in order to be believed.
Tigers hit the road
Auburn’s first five games of the 2022 season have all been played in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Today, the Tigers take their first road trip.
It hasn’t always been this way, but since Tommy Tuberville’s tenure as Auburn’s head coach, the Tigers football program has been brutally bad on the road against good competition.
Auburn has won just once in Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa, respectively, and is winless in Athens since 2007.
Today, Auburn is an unthinkable 30-point underdog heading to Georgia, according to Las Vegas.
So, it seems unlikely that Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford’s first career start on the road will be the game to end the Tigers’ streak of futility in Athens.
If Auburn is going to have a chance in this matchup, the Tigers must find a way to be unaffected by the road environment of Sanford Stadium and play clean football in what will surely be a very hostile atmosphere.
Zack Shaw is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News and former walk-on for the Auburn Tigers.
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