Published Sep 4, 2021
Pick’em: Week 1
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Bryan Matthews  •  AuburnSports
Senior Editor
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@BMattAU

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

Jay G. Tate, always served with frosty tips.

Auburn 48-7

This is basically the perfect game for this Auburn team, which has a new staff and a new attitude about what it values on a day-to-day basis. This team really needs to take the field and just play football for 60 minutes. It's about working out the communication kinks. It's about knowing that what this new staff teaches actually works and will yield satisfying results. The truth is that Auburn can sleepwalk through this game today and still get a tasty W out of it. The kids don't know that, though. So let 'em fight like mad and beat these Zips to a pulp and congratulate them for their hard work. Let them do the same thing against Alabama State next week, too. It's all about re-gaining momentum, confidence and a belief that anything is possible. It starts right now. It starts today. Win.

Bryan Matthews, I’d like a milkshake straw with that.

Auburn 55-0

Akron is a horrible team and they’ll be steamrolled by Auburn. I’ll be watching the quarterbacks, offensive tackles and wide receivers the closest but doubt they’ll face much of a challenge. It’ll be a good opportunity to build some confidence in this group, especially the offense, with two weeks before the real season begins in Happy Valley.

Hunter Adams, your momma’s favorite football coach.

Auburn 51-10

KNOW THE ENEMY

Christian Clemente, the Assassin from Big Sky country.

Auburn 56-0

Look, if Auburn loses this game I’ll call it quits at AuburnSports.com and move into a new career that The Bunker chooses for me. No offense to Akron, but it’s called a “Buy Game” for a reason. Auburn wins this one big.

PICK'EM WEEK 1
GAMEJAY GBMATTHUNTERCC

PSU at WISC

WISC

WISC

WISC

WISC

STAN at KSU

KSU

STAN

STAN

STAN

IND at IOWA

IOWA

IND

IOWA

IOWA

WVU at MARY

WVU

WVU

WVU

MARY

LOU at TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

TT at HOU

TT

TT

HOU

TT

ALA vs. MIA

ALA

ALA

ALA

ALA

UGA vs. CLEM

CLEM

CLEM

CLEM

UGA

LSU at UCLA

UCLA

LSU

UCLA

UCLA

AKR at AUB

AUB

AUB

AUB

AUB

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WHAT THEY THINK (continued)

Bill Cameron, Auburn radio institution and still groovin’ to the 70’s.

Auburn 45-10

I don’t know how much Bryan Harsin wants to do (or the Tigers can do, yet) but you can count on them showing their physicality. The best case scenario is to jump out early and get as many players into the action. Unless the game is a complete mess, we still won’t know what AU really is for a couple more weeks, but it’s great to have a game in front of more than a few folks!

Dan Peck, play-by-play and film noir aficionado.

Auburn 49-6

Auburn should thoroughly overmatch this team. Mike Bobo is an offensive coordinator who will stay with the run when it is working, and I suspect Akron will have a difficult time containing the Bigsby, Shivers, and Nix rushing attack.

Brian Stultz, a lover of Murder She Wrote and rom-coms.

Auburn 51-7

Will Auburn win this game handily? Yes. Will we learn anything about this team? Not at all. Do I enjoy asking myself questions? Absolutely. The Tigers blow out the Zips as Bo Nix has time to find his receivers and Tank Bigsby plows over some players to the tune of more than 100 rushing yards. Auburn's first and second-team defense dominates and only a garbage touchdown by Akron prevents the shut out.

Caleb Jones, a river rat in a kayak

Auburn 48-13

Auburn is going to win this game. The question is, will the way in which the Tigers win meet the expectations the fan base has set for Harsin? I'm saying yes, behind Bo Nix's four-touchdown day (three passing, one rushing). I think it's a good team win that shows some areas of needed improvement, perhaps in the offensive line, but an all-around impressive win for the intro to the Harsin-era.

PICK'EM WEEK 1
GAMESBILLDANSTULTZCALEB

PSU at WISC

WISC

WISC

WISC

WISC

STAN at KSU

STAN

STAN

STAN

KSU

IND at IOWA

IOWA

IOWA

IOWA

IOWA

WVU at MARY

WVU

WVU

WVU

WVU

LOU at TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

TEX

TT at HOU

HOU

HOU

HOU

TT

ALA vs. MIA

ALA

ALA

ALA

ALA

UGA vs. CLEM

CLEM

UGA

CLEM

CLEM

LSU at UCLA

LSU

LSU

LSU

LSU

AKR at AUB

AUB

AUB

AUB

AUB