AUBURN | Each week the AuburnSports.com staff and friends make their predictions on Auburn and top college football games from around the country.
WHAT THEY THINK
Jeffrey Lee (8-2, 13-7), two-time defending champ. Supper Club legend.
Auburn 42-10
Auburn's offense needs to work out several kinks before it heads to College Station next week, and Kent State provides the perfect opportunity. Auburn's offense has its best showing while the defense continues its domination.
Jay G. Tate (9-1, 14-6), likes a good ham sammich and pwning noobs on FIFA.
Auburn 33-7
Auburn will power down, so to speak, ahead of the BIG TILT with Texas A&M a week hence. It's time to get fired up about Joey Gatewood and his potential, which puts the PRO-BO faction in dire straits. It happens. Auburn in a blowout that everyone expected.
Bryan Matthews (6-4, 11-9), nana pudding aficionado.
Auburn 41-14
Kent State should be overmatched against Auburn, but it’s still a very important game for the Tigers, especially for an offense that desperately needs to establish an identity, something it can build on as SEC play opens next week at Texas A&M. A good offensive showing against KSU doesn’t necessarily translate to a good showing against the Aggies, but at the very least it will give that side of the ball more confidence.
Hunter Adams (5-5, 10-10), your momma’s favorite football coach.
Auburn 35-7
WHAT THEY THINK (continued)
Bill Cameron (9-1, 14-6), Auburn radio institution and still groovin’ to the 70’s.
Auburn 52-3
This is the last chance to audition some inexperienced players and build depth, so the starters need to take care of business and call it an early day. Hopefully that means multiple running backs and wide receivers, and an extended look at Joey Gatewood.
Dan Peck (8-2, 13-7), the other guy from The Drive and world’s biggest feet.
Auburn 42-7
Auburn's offense must figure out what needs to change: execution, personnel, play-calling philosophy, or some combination of the three. Kent State is too outmanned to mount a serious challenge, but a sluggish offensive performance by the Tigers on Saturday night would suggest real trouble could be on the horizon.
Nathan King (8-2, 14-6), Tide family refugee and mild wing sauce aficionado.
Auburn 41-6
While the Tigers offense has been scraping the bottom of the barrel for positives this week, I think this is the game they get back on track -- at least relative to their first two games. Kent State doesn't present the stout defense Tulane did. The Golden Flashes have less offensive weapons than the Green Wave, as well. Auburn's defense is unconsciously dominant right now, and I don't see that slowing down. The biggest question marks in this one are Bo Nix, the running back depth and the healthy receivers. They'll all improve just enough to cover the spread.
Mr. Quarter (4-6, 10-10), likes to drive trucks and hate Auburn.
Kent State 7-6
This Auburn offense is only getting worse and it’s about to implode against a salty Golden Flashes defense. Look for Kent State to march down the field on the opening drive and score as former Tiger Woody Barrett leaps over the top for a touchdown. Auburn will score what appears to be the tying TD late on a double-reverse pass from Eli Stove to Will Hastings, but Anders Carlson will whiff on the extra point and the KSU fans will take one set of goalposts all the way back to Ohio.