*** NCAA Football Preview - Auburn Tigers ***

From The My Sportsbook

By Pat Taggart, College Football Staff Writer

2003 SEASON IN REVIEW: Heading into last season, the Tigers were expected to be serious contenders for the national championship. Those dreams were crushed early on with losses in the first two games, but the team did show some toughness by winning its next five contests. Then, on October 25th, Auburn got crushed by a score of 31-7 by eventual co-National Champion LSU. Two more losses came in the next few weeks against Georgia and Ole Miss, and although the season did end with a 28-14 triumph over Big Ten foe Wisconsin in the Music City Bowl, the Tigers' 8-5 record was disappointing to say the least.

2004 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Put simply, Carnell Williams is the best running back in the nation when healthy. Last season, "Cadillac" racked up 1,307 yards and 17 touchdowns on 241 carries and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week an unprecedented three weeks in a row. Make no mistake, Williams is a legitimate Heisman contender and a sensational NFL prospect. He is not the only talented tailback on the roster, however, as Ronnie Brown is back to help carry the load. Brown is much bigger than Williams, and the 232-pounder proved his ability by eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2002. Aside from that dynamic duo, quarterback Jason Campbell will be back in place as well. At 6-5, Campbell has ideal size for the position, and although he tossed only 10 touchdowns a year ago, the senior signal caller was intercepted a mere eight times and threw for over 2,200 yards. At wideout, Ben Obomanu returns sub-4.3 speed to the lineup, and there are some other talented yet unproven targets in place. Along the offensive line, three starters are back, and the unit will not be the source of the team's problems like it was last year.

DEFENSE: Last season, the Tigers allowed a mere 2.7 ypc to opposing runners and upped their sack total to 34 from 29 the previous year. Maintaining those numbers will be difficult in 2004 considering that many key contributors from the line have moved on. In fact, the only returning starter up front is Bret Eddins, and he is not a star. Jay Ratliff missed several games last year due to injury, and he will make the move from end to tackle. At linebacker, the loss of studs Carlos Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas hurts for sure, and there is no way this year's group will be nearly as strong. Still, there is plenty of talent in place. Travis Williams made nine stops behind the line of scrimmage last year and will be counted on to make more big plays in 2004. The strength of the defense could be the secondary, as three of last year's starters are back. Junior Rosegreen is a talent at free safety, and Carlos Rogers will draw more than his share of tough defensive assignments.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Kody Bliss is a solid punter who allows the special teams coach to rest easily. The same can't be said of the placekicking duties, as John Vaughn has plenty to prove. The return game should be strong, as Tre Smith will handle punts and Devin Aromashodu will field kickoffs. Cadillac was used in the return game a year ago, but it doesn't seem likely that he will be back there again.

OUTLOOK: Auburn will score plenty of points this season, even if the receiving group is just average or slightly better. Williams is a threat to take it the distance on every carry, and Brown would be the starter on almost any other team in the nation. With Campbell under center, the offense is certainly in good hands. The defense will not be great, but even solid play by the unit will enable the Tigers to challenge for the SEC title.