SEC OPINIONS - Auburns says they will beat Bama

How Auburn believes they will beat 'Bama...

         (Before going any further let me thank Donald Allen Kelly for giving me his insight in this article. He knows more about football any person I've ever known.)

     

Nick Marshall is the trigger man for the Tigers

Auburn is going to try to beat 'Bama', something no team has done this season, by controlling the line of scrimmage. Okay, that's nothing new. The question is how are they going to do it. Auburn believes their offensive line is better than Alabama's defensive front. They may or may not be that good. The main point here is that they honestly believe they are. They will set out to prove that believe by handling the ball to Tre Mason on the quarterback read. Mason is a superior running back. He is probably the best back the no one ever pays attention to. Mason will always attempt to run between the tackles but has the ability to bounce the ball outside.

            

Tre Mason - running back - 1153 yards on 208 attempts. That is an average of 5.54 yards per carry. His long run of the season is 53 yards. He has 17 touchdowns this season. He is tough, runs low the grown is an very rarely brought down on initial contact. He is probably the best running back in the game. He is certainly the most effective running back in the game.

If Auburn is able to run Mason inside the will then use the read option and try to seal off the defensive ends to allow Nick Marshall to run the ball. Auburn is very good at executing their offense They use this basic play 95% of the time. In the games where the Tigers have run up big numbers the offensive line has done  the job. The line and blocking back has done an excellent job all season long in doing this. If you watched the Tigers play Ole Miss and Tennessee (and others) you have to be really impressed with the execution. Don't think for one minute that Auburn in not capable of moving the ball, having some explosion plays, and score a lot of point.

            Nick Marshall - the trigger man. For someone who has played quarterback only two seasons it is amazing how well he has played. He is smart. savvy, and a great athlete. He's not Cam Newton. I'd call him Newton lite. His ball skills on the read option are outstanding. He is a winner. Don't think he can' run the offense or throw the ball. He can do both. He is particularly dangerous on long passes.  Auburns big, strong, and tall receivers are a lot like Mike Evans, particularly Sammy Coates. He is a big time, first round draft type player. When Marshall throws the ball you have know that Coates is his first option. The only thing that Marshall hasn't done this season is throw the ball when he is forced to do so. He is not as accurate in medium routes. He is good enough to keep drives alive however when he has time to throw the ball. Auburn wide outs are excellent blockers down field. The Tiger full back and H back are great blockers. The open holes for Mason and are sometimes lead blockers for Auburn to seal the corners. They also pull to lock for the Tiger power sweep.

 

          The Auburn Defensive  - Auburn is going to play 10 defensive linemen through out the game. Auburn wants their best linemen fresh in the fourth quarter. The names stand out. Dee Ford who is a better passer than anyone Alabama  has right now. Gabe Wright, the guard is a better than average player, and LaDarius Owens constitute a great pass rush. Auburn has given. Auburns defensive line has improved as the season progressed. Auburn fans believe the Tiger Defensive line will handle the Tide on Saturday. They are counting on the homefield crowd which gives the Tigers a tremendous advantage. A.J. McCarron needs to hit crossing patterns and short passes to keep Auburn from playing 8 men in the box. The Tigers are supremely confident their corners can cover any 'Bama receiver one on one. We'll see. Apparently they have forgotten about the forth quarter. The Tigers have lost a couple of defensive backs to injury earlier in the season. Ellis Johnson, the defensive coordinator, says he is happy with defensive backfield. If the Tigers a clearly visible it would be with the linebacker. The linebacker play is the main reason Auburn has give up loads of yardage on interim pass routes and running backs who make it into the second level.

Auburn Keys to Victory

• Establish Mason inside so the Tigers can exploit the corners
• Outplay Alabama's offensive line forcing the Tide to pass more often
• Try to get Marshall running on the corners
• Pass when the Tigers want to and not when they have to pass
• Put pressure on McCarron when passes to help the linebackers and DBs.
• Get off to rocket start and try to rattle the Tide.