Auburn's season opener against the Ducks may feature the most talent in an offensive vs. defensive line battle in college football this year — possibly in the past few years of the sport.

Something's got to give come Week 1 in Arlington, Texas.

"You've got red flags thrown up, big time," Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown said of Oregon's offensive line at SEC Media Days. "You've got five returning starters, you've got them rated as the best offensive line by a lot of sites. You've got Justin [Herbert] at quarterback. You've got to think, be where your feet are — and this is the first thing you need to worry about going into the 2019 season."

The Tigers won't begin thoroughly breaking down the Ducks position-by-position until they're comfortable with their fall camp progress. But with 32 days until the opener in Jerry World, it's clear the Oregon front five has been looming in the back of Auburn's mind for some time.

"They’ve got a lot of hype," Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson said of the Ducks' offensive line. "They’ve got a lot of this and that. But as you see on film, you see them, like, being as good as people say they are. I give them credit. They play good. They play well as a team. I praise them a lot."

The group set to block for Heisman hopeful and likely future first-round pick Justin Herbert is headlined by preseason All-Pac-12 first-teamers Shane Lemieux and Calvin Throckmorton — the senior left guard and right tackle, respectively. Sophomore Penei Sewell — who won the left tackle job as a true freshman and is the only non-senior expected to start — appeared on the second team.

Right guard and former Alabama transfer Dallas Warmack, along with center Jack Hanson, round out the unit that’s expected to seriously contend for the Joe Moore Award (nation’s top offensive line) in 2019.

As a former offensive line coach at multiple stops during his days in the assistant ranks, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal knows the opposite side of the line of scrimmage is overflowing with talent, as well.

“Best D-line in the country,” Cristobal said of Auburn earlier this week in a quote gathered from The Oregonian.

Barring an injury to the starting unit, Oregon will trot out a combined 153 starts, the most by an offensive line in college football since 2011 (SMU, 158). Meanwhile Auburn's defensive line boasts a trio of Tigers who could have left early and been high draft picks in Brown, Davidson and buck end Nick Coe.

“I mean, the early impression is that man they're great,” Davidson said. “… I mean like they're great group together. They're big guys. And all of them are like four, five stars. I mean, just playing against them on a big showcase in Jerry World, I just can’t wait.”