Auburn's Path to Turn Season Around

With many penning eulogies for the Auburn Tigers, the team can quiet the doubters with a strong second half. More importantly, if you look at the schedule, the last six games line up for a resurgence from Hugh Freeze's team.

The Georgia game ended on Saturday, with controversy and questions. At the same time, the Tigers need to look ahead. Luckily for the team, the last six games could boost its chances of earning more than just a fourth-tier bowl bid.

Missouri

Granted, Mizzou enters Jordan-Hare with just one loss and as the 16th team in this week's AP poll. Yet, Auburn's defense looks well-equipped to handle Eli Drinkwitz's team, especially up front. While running back Ahmad Hardy does lead the conference in both rushing yards (782) and touchdowns (nine), D.J. Durkin's defense surrenders just 86.5 yards on the ground per game. Furthermore, quarterback Beau Pribula will ignore an open wideout, only to focus on the wrong target.

Arkansas

Not only do the Razorbacks field the worst total defense in the Southeastern Conference, but their allowing 435 yards per contest ranks them 122nd out of the 136 FBS teams. Those accrued yards ultimately result in points. In their last four games, opponents scored an average of 40.75 points per game with at least 31 points given up in each loss.

Interim head coach Bobby Petrino is an offensive-minded coach who prioritizes that side of the ball above all else. Freeze's offense should be able to score at will.

Kentucky

The 2-3 Wildcats appear in worse shape than the Tigers.

First, their offense struggled to find the end zone, a trend that carried over into the SEC. Mark Stoops' offense (16.6 points in three SEC matchups) looks disjointed and choppy, highlighted by the inconsistent play of quarterback Cutter Boley. Boley completes 57.15 percent of his passes with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4:3. Defensively, the pass rush doesn't get home with just seven sacks.

Vanderbilt

Diego Pavia is the name most associated with the Commodores. However, his arm isn't the only part of the Vanderbilt offense. Vandy also boasts three players (Pavia, Makhilyn Young and Sedrick Alexander) who have totaled more than 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns on the ground. Next to Alabama and Saturday's contest against Missouri, this only other game that Auburn should not be favored to win.

Mercer

The FCS team gets a payday and a trip to the Plains for a glorified scrimmage that looks more like a stat-padding than a competitive matchup.

Alabama

The Iron Bowl is the most important game on the Tigers' schedule. By the time this battle rolls around, Auburn could either be looking to continue a hot streak or playing out the string. Yet, winning this game matters, regardless of record. After an early loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide keep rolling through opponents and look formidable on offense behind quarterback Ty Simpson.

Bottom Line

At 3-3, Auburn controls its destiny with many winnable games that could slightly change perception. With a subpar offensive performance in their last three games, the team could enter bowl season with a strong finish and place a bow on the season with hope.

More From Auburn Tigers on SI