Way Too Early SEC West Football Rankings

4. Auburn

Apr 18, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator Will Muschamp looks on during the spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

The crystal ball is hazy on Auburn, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss right now, it’s all very muddled. Any of these three teams could arguably be put in the 3, 4, of 5 spot.

Auburn falls to 4 because of it’s defensive back problems. Auburn has only nine defensive backs left on scholarship after the transfers of safety Derrick Moncrief, cornerback Kamryn Melton and cornerback Joe Turner. Auburn will have four defensive backs coming in in the fall, but that’s a lot of pressure and expectation to put on guys walking out of high school.

Will Muschamp is being championed as the savoir of the Auburn defense, but I’m not sold. Besides the fact that I think it takes a couple of years for a defensive coordinator to make a real impact, I’m not sold on Muschamp himself.

Sure Muschamp is a well known defensive coordinator and he was the hottest man in the game when he was with Texas in 2009. Then the Longhorns lost to Iowa State and six other teams to go 6-7 and Will Muschamp took the Florida head coaching job.

Will Muschamp’s time at Florida was not a success, we all know that. Many of Muschamps Florida problems were on the offensive side of the ball, but there’s no denying he had some defense issues too. Last year 7 teams scored at least 20 points on the Gators. (8 teams if you count the bowl game against Eastern Carolina which Muschamp didn’t coach.)

Florida went 4-4 in the SEC and had eight players get drafted this year. I’m sorry but I’m not ready to get on the Muschamp bus.

Will Auburn surprise me and live up to expectations or will Auburn fans have to start admitting that Gus Malzhan may not be the silver bullet for Nick Saban?

Auburn will play Bobby Petrino’s Louisville right out of the gate on September 5th.